Why We Love Best Burr Grinder (And You Should Also!)

How to Choose the Best Burr Coffee Grinder

A grinder is one of the most important tools in a home coffee-making arsenal. But which one to buy?

Burr grinders crush beans between two revolving, serrated surfaces rather than slicing them with blades. They're generally thought to be superior to blade grinders. What features should you look for in the burr mill?

1. Conical Burrs

As its name implies, a conical burr grinder has one circular burr ring inside another with the teeth angled. This design allows it to grind more efficiently, as the burrs revolve around a single central point. The conical teeth cut the beans more evenly and creates less heat, which is desirable because excessive heat can cause bitter flavor notes in your coffee. Conical burrs are also more durable than flat burrs. Flat burrs can warp and dull quickly, which results in unevenly ground espresso that is not evenly ground. They are also more brittle, which means that small stones or other debris can damage the burrs over time. Flat burrs also produce more noise, and require more frequent maintenance and cleaning.

A lot of burr grinders available on the market claim to be "burr grinders," but they have flat burrs or no burrs whatsoever. These "false burr grinders" feature large, flat teeth and are often coupled with motors that have weak components that produce uneven grounds. They are not true burr grinders and, despite the opinions of some enthusiasts they don't have the same quality of grind as genuine burr grinders.

While some experts do not agree with this, others believe that the type of burrs in the grinder can have an impact on the finished taste of the coffee. These theories are largely anecdotal but they hold gained a strong hold on the minds of coffee enthusiasts. Some believe that conical burrs bring out the distinctive flavors of exotic beans while flat burrs mellow and enhance darker roasts.

This may or not be the case. But it is something you should consider when you are deciding whether your grinder will have significant impact on the quality of your espresso. The only way to be sure for sure is to test a grinder out with the beans you'll be using it with. The design of the grinder as well as its operating features will have a bigger effect on the final cup of coffee than the type of burrs. It's important to consider other factors when you evaluate the quality of a grinder, like its reputation and customer reviews.

2. Convenience

The Baratza Encore burr grinder is one that many coffee lovers swear by. It has been praised by numerous reviewers as a "time tested choice" that offers great value for money, and well-suited for French press, French drip, and cold brew.

The grinder uses burrs that rotate instead of blades to crush the beans, which produces larger and more evenly-sized beans as compared to a blender or burr grinders, as per the company. In addition the burrs produce less heat when they grind and preserves more of the bean's aroma and flavor.

In contrast, blade grinders produce excessive heat and unevenly sized grounds, which affects the taste of the finished cup. Burr grinders are also quieter than blade grinders. However, this can vary by model and brand.

Some burr grinders use flat burrs instead of conical burrs. These are two discs that have cutting edges that face each one. We do not recommend them for espresso as they can be difficult to calibrate and are generally more expensive than a high-end burr grinder that is flat like the Fellow Ode Gen 2 or the Baratza Virtuoso+.

Some of the grinders we tested allow you to select the amount of time that the machine will grind, which could be helpful for those who are making espresso. Some grinders, like our top pick Baratza Sette 270, have a built-in timer that is accurate to only a fraction of a second. This feature isn't necessary for most brewing techniques and the majority of burr grinders that cost less than $200 use an upgraded version of the windup clock.

The most affordable models in our selection, like the Porlex II and the Capresso Infinity--use manual burrs. That means you'll have to crank them manually by hand to grind your coffee. This requires more effort but is a great option when you're looking for a simple, compact and inexpensive alternative without electricity.

The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is another option for those who want to save money and uses a burr grinder. It's louder than some of the other models we've tried but is still a good choice if you don't mind a bit of noise. The more quiet a grinder is likely to be, in general the more expensive it is. This is due to the upgraded materials and sophisticated soundproofing technologies.

3. Ease of Use

A burr grinder is an instrument that all experts recommend to those who are just beginning to learn about home coffee brewing. These grinders provide a finer, more consistent ground than you get from your standard blade grinder, and can help you produce brews that are better balanced in flavor, body, and acidity. And they tend to perform the job more consistently. As you would expect, a good burr mill can cost up to $200 and is difficult to use.

We spoke with experts and obtained their suggestions for the most user-friendly electric burr grinders available on the market.  manual vs electric coffee grinder Coffeee , even those with a budget would recommend the OXO Conical Burr Grinder. It has multiple settings that can handle different coffee brewing techniques including pour-over to French press to drip coffee, and it performed well during our tests.

It's also quieter than the other electric grinders we test, and it does not produce as much heat as some others do. This is crucial, since excessive heat can ruin the delicate aromas in your beans.

The OXO grinder's main drawback is that it's designed in grinding at the coarse end of its range which could be a problem with espresso. If you're a fan of brewing espressos, a grinder with more advanced features like the Baratza Encore may be a better choice.

Manual burr grinders that are powered by cranking are simpler to use and are ideal for those who consume only about a cup of coffee every day. These grinders are perfect for those who travel, or only need to make only one cup of pour-over coffee.

Bon Appetit Test Kitchen director Chris Morocco loves the Fellow Ode Gen 2 Burr Grinder that has 41 adjustable settings that are capable of making an excellent brew regardless of the method you prefer, with the exception of espresso (the flat burrs made of steel do not grind fine enough). It's simple for anyone to use, as long as they don't mind a few messes or chaff that fly away.

4. Cost

A good burr grinder will cost about a hundred dollars but it's worth the price. The grinding mechanism is simple enough that even a beginner can figure out how to get the most out of it, and you'll save money in the long run by ditching the pre-ground coffee and bad-for-the-environment coffee pods.

Conical burr grinders are the standard in electric home units, and they're a great choice for most people just starting out with this whole grinding-your-own-beans-at-home thing. They produce a small amount of fines (the tiny bits of coffee ground that are smaller than the official grind size you choose) however this won't bother the majority of people who drink coffee, and it's a small price to pay for excellent-tasting consistently-sized coffee grounds.

Flat burrs are two discs that have cutting teeth that are facing each other. They are less common but are preferred by coffee enthusiasts because they give a consistent size of grind, ideal for French press and espresso. The downside is that they are expensive to purchase, and you might need to buy new burrs for each kind of brew or roast level.

According to our experts, the Baratza is the most cost-effective combination of price and capabilities for a burr mill. It's priced at less than $200, which is a lot less than other models that lack the same level of capabilities. It comes with a 64-mm flat burr set that is ideal for all brewing methods and easy to upgrade with other sets, like those from SSP.

The OXO is a different option that is priced reasonably with a good performance record in our tests. The burrs aren't as precise as those in more expensive models, but it comes with multiple settings that perform well for drip and French press and its user interface is simple. While true coffee geeks will want a more advanced model but the OXO is a great entry point for the majority of people.

We also tried a few manual burr grinders for those who prefer grinding their coffee by hand. They are ideal to take on trips and for those who are only able to make two or three cups of coffee at a time. These models, which use the same mechanism for grinding as electric burr grinders use a crank instead of motors, and are generally more quiet than electric models.