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How to Choose the Best Burr Coffee Grinder

A coffee grinder is a vital tool in the home coffee maker's arsenal. What is the best one to purchase?

Burr grinders grind beans between two serrated surfaces that rotate instead of cutting with blades. They're generally considered to be superior to blade grinders. But what are the features you should look for in a grinder?

1. Conical Burrs

Like its name suggests, a conical burr grinder has one circular burr mill grinder ring that is inside another with the teeth angled. This shape permits more efficient grinding process, since the burrs revolve around an axis. The angled teeth are more efficient in cutting beans evenly and produce less heat. This is good because excessive heat can result in bitter tastes in your coffee. Conical burrs last longer than flat burrs. Flat burrs can be susceptible to warping and becoming dull quickly, which results in unevenly ground coffee. They are more fragile, which means that small stones and other debris can damage them over time. Flat burrs also produce more noise and require more frequent maintenance and cleaning.

A number of burr grinders offered for sale call themselves "burr grinders," yet they have flat or no burrs. These "false" burr grinders feature large, flattened teeth. They are usually paired with weak motors that produce uneven grounds. They are not true burr grinders, and, despite what some enthusiasts believe they don't have the same quality of grind as real burr grinders.

Although some experts disagree, others claim that the type of burrs used in the grinder have an impact on the final taste of the coffee. These theories are mostly anecdotal but they have a powerful hold on the minds and hearts of coffee enthusiasts. For instance, some believe that conical burrs bring out the distinct flavors of exotic beans while flat burrs are able to soften and enhance dark roasts.

This could or might not be true, but it is important to consider if you wish for your grinder to have a significant effect on the quality of your coffee. Only by testing the grinder with the beans that you intend to use can you be certain. The grinder's overall design and working features will have a larger effect on the final cup of coffee than the type of burrs. It's important to consider other factors when you evaluate a grinder, such as its reputation and reviews from customers.

2. Convenience

The Baratza Encore burr grinder is one that a lot of coffee enthusiasts swear by. It has been praised by a number of reviewers as an "time tested option" that is a great value for money and well-suited for French press, French drip, and cold brew.

The grinder employs burrs that rotate instead of blades to grind the beans, which produces more uniformly sized grounds than a blender or another burr grinder, according to the company. The burrs also produce less heat, which preserves the flavor and aroma of beans.

Blade grinders, on the other hand, produce excessive heat and unevenly-sized grounds, which can impact the taste of the finished cup. Burr grinders are also known to be quieter than blade grinders, but this may vary based on the model and the brand.

While most of the burr grinders we tested have conical burrs, some make use of flat burrs (two discs with cutting teeth facing each other). These grinders aren't recommended for espresso, as they are difficult to calibrate. They're also less expensive and more complicated than high-end flat-burr machines like the Fellow Ode Gen 2 and the Baratza Virtuoso+.

Some of the grinders organic coffee beans we've tested allow users to set how long the machine will be grinding for a particular amount of time. This is useful when you're making espresso. Certain grinders, such as our top pick Baratza Sette 270, have an integrated timer that's precise to just one-tenth of one second. This feature isn't necessary for most brewing techniques and most burr grinders under $200 use an upgraded version of the windup clock.

The cheapest models in our selection, like the Porlex II and the Capresso Infinity--use manual burrs. This means you'll have to crank them manually by hand to grind your coffee. This requires more effort however, it's a good option if you're looking for an easy, compact, and affordable option that doesn't need electrical power.

The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is an alternative that is affordable and features a burr grinder. It's louder than the other models that we have examined, but it's acceptable if you don’t mind some background noise. The more quiet a grinder is likely to generally be, the more expensive it will be. This is due to the upgraded materials and the advanced soundproofing techniques.

3. Ease of Use

If you're just beginning to discover the world of home coffee brewing there's one piece of equipment that everyone agrees is necessary is a burr mill. These grinders provide a more consistent, finer grind than you get from your standard blade grinder, and can assist in making beverages that are more balanced in body, flavor and acidity. They are typically more reliable. But, as you might expect, high-quality burr grinders can cost upward of $200, and some are difficult to operate.

We asked experts for their suggestions for the best electric burr grinders you can use. They recommend the OXO conical burr grinder to a lot of people as well as those who don't want spend a fortune. It comes with multiple settings that can handle different brewing methods, from pour-over to French press to drip coffee, and it did well in our tests.

It's also quieter than the other electric grinders we tried, and doesn't create as much heat as some others do. This is crucial, since excessive heat can ruin the delicate aromas in your beans.

The OXO grinder has only one disadvantage: it grinds best on the more coarse end of its range. This can be a problem for espresso. If you like to brew espressos, a burr mill with more advanced features like the Baratza Encore may be a better choice.

Manual burr grinders, powered by cranking, are simple to use and are ideal for those who drink only just a cup or two of coffee per day. They're a good choice for those who travel or require to make a single serving of pour-over.

Bon Appetit Test Kitchen director Chris Morocco loves the Fellow Ode Gen 2 Burr Grinder that has 41 settings that can be easily adjusted and is capable of making an excellent beverage using any method you want, except espresso (the flat burrs of steel do not grind fine enough). It's simple to use by anyone so long as they don't mind the occasional mess or chaff that fly away.

4. Cost

A good burr grinder can set you back about a hundred dollars but it's well worth the cost. 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 little bit of fines (the tiny bits of ground coffee that end up smaller than the officially designated grind size you select) However, this won't bother most average drinkers and is a minor price to pay for great-tasting, consistent coffee grounds.

Flat burrs, which are two discs with cutting teeth facing each other They are not as common in home units, but are preferred by hardcore coffee geeks for their ability to create a uniform size of grind that is perfect for espresso and French press. The drawback is that they can be expensive to purchase, and you may require a new burr for each different roast level or brew type.

The Baratza ESP is the most cost-effective combination of price and capabilities for a burr grinder according to our experts. It's less than $200 and is more affordable than many other models that have similar capabilities. It comes with a 64-mm, flat brewer set that is perfect for all brewing methods. You can easily upgrade to other sets, including the ones from SSP.

The OXO is a similar model that is affordable with a solid track record in our tests. The burrs aren't as precise as those of pricier models, but it has 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 starting point for most people.

For those who prefer to crank their beans by hand, we also tested a handful of manual burr grinders, which are great for those on the move and who are able to make one or two cups at a time. These models employ the same grinding mechanism as electric burr grinders but operate by hand instead of motors. They are also usually quieter than electric ones.