There’s nothing quite like a having a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning, and a coffee grinder is exactly what you need to enjoy this daily.
A good cup of coffee gives you the energy needed to take on the rest of the working day. At the same time though, it can become an expensive habit, especially if you don’t have the right tools.
Due to the large amount of choice available on the market, it can be confusing at times to choose which grinder is best for you.
If you’re not careful, you could end up wasting your money on a poor quality grinder that needs replacing within a few months. For this reason, we have decided to compile a list of the best grinders available on the market right now.
Hopefully, with all the options discussed, you should be able to find the best coffee grinder for your requirements.
We realise that everyone has a fixed budget in mind and while one grinder may be ideal for a particular person, it might not be great for another. With this in mind, we have included 6 options on this list. Some are expensive and top of the range, while others are a lot cheaper. The most important though is that all of these options are of great quality and provide excellent value for money.
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Our Top Recommendations
Each of these coffee grinders are burr grinders, simply because burr grinders produce the best tasting ground coffee. All are excellent, but like everything in life you get what you pay for.
Best Coffee Grinders
So what makes these the best burr grinders on the market? Our reviews will take you through each of the product features and tell you what we like and don’t like about each one.
1. Baratza Encore – Conical Burr
The Encore is the best coffee bean grinder for your home. It is simple, both in appearance and usability.
It’s stylish and will look great on your kitchen countertop. There’s no timer, but just an on-off switch.
The capacity of the bean hopper is quite large at 8 oz (227g) and the grind speeds range from 0.8 to 1.1 grams per second.
You have access to over 40 grind settings, ranging from fine to coarse. We found them to be quite accurate, and fine enough for an espresso.
At the same time, you can use it with a range of methods, including French Press and Aeropress. It takes a little while to get used to, but with a bit of experimentation, you will find what works best for you.
It’s important to point out that this is a burr coffee grinder, and not a blade one. This leads to plenty of advantages, including a more consistent grind. It also generates less heat and is a lot quieter.
Overall, the Baratza Encore is an excellent coffee bean grinder and improved the taste of our cup of coffee considerably. It is one of the best options available for the UK market.
It’s certainly not cheap at £125, but if you love a good cup of coffee and like to experiment daily, it is a great appliance to have in your kitchen.
2. Bodum Bistro – Conical Burr
Priced at under £70, the Bodum Bistro is a bit of a bargain.
It comes in a variety of different colours, which should make it easier to fit in with your kitchen. It’s a well-built coffee grinder and this is quite clear upon first inspection.
There is a built-in preset timer, which is handy when you need to grind an exact amount of beans.
The built-in stainless steel conical burrs are used for the grinding, and this helps to preserve the intrinsic flavour and aroma of the bean.
We were quite impressed with the results. The grind turned out to be very good to use in conjunction with a a Gaggia Classic.
It will take some time getting used to, but with some practice and experimentation, the espresso setting works quite well. If you’re going to be using it with a filter machine, this will do a great job as well.
The adjustable grind feature is perfect for switching between an espresso or a french press. The included friction clutch is ideal, as it’s prevents damage to the grinding gear.
In terms of capacity, it can hold up to 220g of beans, which is very similar to the more expensive Baratza Encore.
- Holds 60 g of coffee beans
- Transparent lid allows visibility to achieve desired coarseness
- Strong and durable stainless steel cutting blade that spins at a precise RPM
To put it simply, if you want complete control over the quantity of ground produced and the degree of fineness or coarseness, The Bodum Bistro is a great choice. At this price, this is arguably the best coffee grinder out there at the moment.
3. Krups Expert GVX231 – Burr
The Krups Expert GVX231 is an excellent appliance and comes with an affordable price tag. Costing just under £40, it is a great way to enjoy freshly ground coffee at home.
It’s certainly not going to win any design awards but it doesn’t look too bad. It should fit in to your kitchen quite nicely, and as long as it works well, who cares right?
Well, in terms of performance, the Krups Expert GVX231 excels. Saying that, it’s important to mention that like all machines, it takes a little while to get used to it. On your first grind, the result might be underwhelming, but with regular experimentation, you can get a perfect espresso, or whichever style of coffee you prefer.
There are over 17 settings available when choosing your level of fineness or coarseness, depending on the brewing method. A handy feature with this machine is the ability to choose how many cups to prepare. With a capacity of 225 grams of beans, you can choose between 2 and 12 cups, which is more than enough for the entire family.
The safety lid is a nice addition and helps to avoid any spills, which makes it very easy to clean up afterwards.
There is one issue with the Krups GVX231. While it performs brilliantly, many people have complained about its build quality and how delicate it is. However, in our opinion, as long as you take good care of it, you shouldn’t have any issues.
- Consistent results: 17 settings adjust the distance between the two burrs for a fine or coarse result. Enjoy your grounds just how you want them, and uniformly sized to preserve full flavour and...
- Precise portions: Make two or 12 cups at once on the handy cup selector. The grinder turns off automatically as soon as your desired amount has been ground, so there's no waste.
- Durable design: Crafted from durable stainless steel, this burr grinder is built to last. So, you can enjoy freshly ground coffee, day after day.
At under £40, it’s hard to expect anything more from this. It’s the only good burr grinder that’s available at this price.
Cheap Coffee Grinder Reviews
Blade coffee grinders are an option if you are looking for something a little cheaper. They tend to smash the bean but for most people they produce a very acceptable coffee.
1. Krups Twin Coffee Mill – Blade
There is no need to fork out hundreds of pounds in order to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee at home.
This Krups twin blade coffee grinder costs just under £22 but works very well.
It looks simple and elegant so will fit into your kitchen easily, and being of relatively small size, it shouldn’t take up too much space.
It has 2 stainless steel blades, which chop the beans. It won’t work as well as a machine with burrs but remember that there is a significant price difference.
It can hold up to 75g of beans, which should be enough to make around 15 cups of coffee. Compared to others on this list, this is quite low. Nonetheless, 15 cups is still not bad especially, as it’s very easy to quick to use. It gets up to coarse in 8 seconds, medium in 12 seconds and fine in 16 seconds.
As always, you need some practice with the different settings and timings to get the perfect ground. You don’t want it to be too coarse, as the flavours won’t be fully developed. At the same time though, if it’s too fine, it will taste bitter and lack the needed aroma.
Saying that, this product has all the settings you need to get the perfect ground coffee. If it’s an espresso you want, this will grind fine enough.
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Thanks to the lid-activated safety switch, you can be sure that it won’t work until the lid is in place, thus avoiding any accidents.
You don’t just need to restrict this machine to grinding beans. It’s actually very good for dry spices as well, so if you’re looking for nicer tasting currys, this is the gizmo you should be looking at.
2. Hario Medium Glass – Hand Grinder (Ceramic Burrs)
The Hario Medium Glass has a simple and elegant design. It’s small and will look great in any modern kitchen. We found the build quality to be very good and can’t see it breaking too quickly.
It is easy to use and has a better grind consistency than an electric blade option. It’s obviously not going to compete against the big hitters on this list but what do you expect for £20?
As you grind by hand, it does take some time and effort but the results are very good. The handle is quite long and comfortable though, so it doesn’t feel difficult. It took us about 2 minutes to grind 15 grams of beans, which should be enough for 3 cups. That’s not bad at all.
The silicone lid works very well to stop beans from jumping out of the hopper and creating a mess.
Obviously, it won’t be as noisy as an electric coffee grinder, which is always good when you’ve just woken up in the morning.
As always, getting the correct grind settings takes some practice, but once you’ve used it for a while, it’s quite easy to get the best use out of it.
- Hand Coffee Grinder
- Ergonomic Design
- Easy Operation and Dishwasher Safe
Overall, we cannot fault it. It performs very well and makes it easy for all to enjoy a fresh cup of great-tasting coffee in the early morning.
3. Andrew James Coffee Grinder
This little machine by Andrew James costs £17, and is a good overall grinder, whether you’re going to be using it for coffee beans, nuts or spices.
The capacity is 70 grams of beans, which should be enough to make around 10 cups.
The stainless steel blades and the powerful motor do a pretty good job, and within 20 seconds, you can grind beans evenly and quickly.
It’s very easy to use, with a simple push button for operation. The top is transparent so you can easily see the progress and decide when to stop.
With the price difference between this and the Krups Twin Mill being minimal, we would recommend the Krups mill if you simply want the best coffee grinder. For spices and nuts, this Andrew James machines is arguably better.
- POWERFUL COFFEE GRINDER WITH CLEANING BRUSH: The Andrew James electric coffee bean and spice grinder easily grinds through beans, nuts, spices, seeds and more. Create the best ground coffee at home...
- AWARD WINNING COFFEE BEAN GRINDER: As seen in the Telegraph Best Coffee Grinders, May 2016!
- STAINLESS STEEL BLADES: The stainless steel blades produce a fine blend of whatever you are grinding and are easy to maintain.
It’s obviously not going to compete against the best burr machines but at £18, we don’t think anyone can expect it to. It’s a very good basic machine and should be good enough for most people.
Important Aspects to Consider
There are a few things to consider before parting with your hard-earned money. You need to read these coffee grinder reviews in detail but here are some things to consider:
Style: If you want the very best, you should be looking for a burr grinder. These are typically more expensive but work extremely well. The other choice is to buy a blade option, which is a lot cheaper but still works very well. These 2 options are both electric, so if a manual option suits you best, you could opt for that instead.- Price: This is arguably the most important aspect to consider when buying anything new. If you want a top model, expect to pay over £100. Cheaper models can be had for under £15, and our list has some very good options.
- Speed and Bean Capacity: If your home is full of coffee lovers, it’s important to get a product with a large bean capacity and good speed. This will ensure you can quickly and easily make multiple cups of coffee. On the other hand, if you just want something basic for 1 or 2 cups a day, it might be better to save money and get a cheaper option. Or you can have a pod coffee brewer like the Tassimo or Nespresso which are great for quick cups of coffee on the go.
Style: If you want the very best, you should be looking for a burr grinder. These are typically more expensive but work extremely well. The other choice is to buy a blade option, which is a lot cheaper but still works very well. These 2 options are both electric, so if a manual option suits you best, you could opt for that instead.
Conclusion
We hope this post gave you a good understanding on what features to look out for when buying a new manual or electric grinder.
There are plenty of options available on the market so you will need to consider what your requirements are.
If you don’t mind spending a bit more for a high quality product, the Baratza Encore performs brilliantly and is the top product on our list of the best coffee grinder reviews. However, it will set you back £125, which is not cheap for something that just grinds beans. If you prefer a coffee machine with a built-in grinder, check out this guide.
At the other end, we highly recommend the Krups Twin Mill. It costs under £25, and is an excellent machine. For those of you who don’t want to spend a fortune, this works very well and will let you enjoy a fresh cup of coffee every morning.