The 5 Best Coffee Grinders (2024 Guide)

With the help of a coffee grinder, brewing your own coffee at home can be as enjoyable as drinking a specialty beverage at your local coffee shop. Switching to grinding your own coffee beans can save you money and increase the shelf life of your coffee.

Coffee grinders are available in a variety of sizes and designs, so the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best coffee grinders on Amazon. Learn our top five recommendations below along with key features and what each product’s customers had to say.

Top 5 Coffee Grinders

• Best On/Off Switch: Baratza Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
• Best Starter Electric: Hamilton Beach Electric Coffee Grinder
• Best Hopper: OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
• Best Capacity: Breville Electric Coffee Grinder
• Best Manual: JavaPresse Manual Coffee Bean Grinder

Best On/Off Switch: Baratza Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

Courtesy Amazon

Baratza Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

• $149.69

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Despite its relatively simple design and on/off switch, this powerful coffee grinder gives you control with 40 different grind settings. It’s a long-lasting entry-level option for an electric coffee grinder. The manufacturer offers part replacements to help you get many years of use. 

• $149.69 at Amazon

Key Features

• Type: Automatic
• Materials: Plastic
• Weight: 6.8 pounds
• Dimensions: 6.3 x 4.7 x 13.8 inches

What Customers Are Saying

Many satisfied customers thought this electric grinder was a great step up from a simple manual grinder and worth the initial investment. Users appreciated the simple on/off switch and adjustable dial to configure the grinder in 40 different ways. Unfortunately, some users experienced coarse grinding, clogging, and the inability to grind beans finely despite multiple attempts. 

Best Starter Electric: Hamilton Beach Electric Coffee Grinder

Courtesy Amazon

Hamilton Beach Electric Coffee Grinder

• $19.99

Prices taken at time of publishing.

With a removable grinding chamber, a discreet power cord, and the capacity to brew a 12-cup pot of coffee, this lightweight electric coffee grinder gets the job done. It weighs less than two pounds for on-the-go use. Its one-button operation is simple for those new to grinding. 

• $19.99 at Amazon

Key Features

• Type: Automatic
• Materials: Plastic and stainless steel
• Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Dimensions: 3.74 x 3.54 x 7.13 inches

What Customers Are Saying

Customers liked the simple one-button operation, price point, and compact size of this electric coffee grinder. Many thought the grinder was easy to use. However, some customers thought the power cord was too short, and the motor started to heat up and produce a slightly foul odor when grinding for more than 20-second intervals. 

Best Hopper: OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

Courtesy Amazon

OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

• $99.95

Prices taken at time of publishing.

The tinted hopper of this mid-range electric coffee grinder is designed to keep your coffee beans fresh by limiting the amount of UV light that hits the beans. You can adjust the grinder using 15 different settings and a one-touch start timer that remembers your previous setting.

• $99.95 at Amazon

Key Features

• Type: Automatic
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Weight: 6.6 pounds
• Dimensions: 5.3 x 7.75 x 12.8 inches

What Customers Are Saying

According to many customer reviews, positive aspects of this coffee grinder included its high-quality, consistent grind, smooth bean feeding, and cleaning ease. Negative aspects included that some users struggled to lock the coffee ground container into place and that it would vibrate out of place during use.

Best Capacity: Breville Electric Coffee Grinder

Courtesy Amazon

Breville Electric Coffee Grinder

• $199.95

Prices taken at time of publishing.

The easy-to-read LCD display of this electric coffee grinder provides assurance that you’re grinding your coffee beans exactly how you want them. It uses conical stainless steel burrs to minimize grinding heat and protect the flavorful oils contained in each coffee bean. 

• $199.95 at Amazon

Key Features

• Type: Automatic
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Weight: 6.4 pounds
• Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 15.5 inches

What Customers Are Saying

The vast majority of customers were impressed and pleased with the performance of this electric coffee grinder for everything from espresso to standard drip coffee. It did a nice job uniformly grinding beans and fit well underneath kitchen cabinets. Conversely, some users reported longevity issues with the impeller, stating that it wore down after a year of use. 

Best Manual: JavaPresse Manual Coffee Bean Grinder

Courtesy Amazon

JavaPresse Manual Coffee Bean Grinder

• $39.95
• $46.99
• 15% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

An ergonomic grind handle takes some of the effort out of using this manual coffee grinder. With minimal parts and no electric components, you can use this lightweight coffee grinder just about anywhere. It’s also quieter than electric coffee grinders. 

• $39.95 at Amazon

Key Features

• Type: Manual
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Dimensions: 1.8 x 1.8 x 7.5 inches

What Customers Are Saying

Although manual effort was required for customers using this coffee grinder, many said it was worth it and that grinding their own coffee beans felt rewarding. Users who ground coffee beans for espresso or single cups of coffee thought the grinder was the perfect size for these beverages. However, some users experienced inconsistent grinding and uneven beans. 

Buying Guide for Coffee Grinders

Before purchasing a coffee grinder, it’s important to understand how its unique features affect its performance. Here are four factors to consider before buying a grinder.

Power Source

Coffee grinders come in electric and manual models. Electric coffee grinders are the most common because of their ability to grind coffee with the touch of a button. Typically, electric models have a larger capacity than manual coffee grinders, though their larger capacity and higher efficiency come at a more expensive price.

Manual coffee grinders are a popular choice for customers who enjoy the process of grinding coffee beans by hand. These coffee grinders use hand cranks to turn sharp blades and produce ground coffee. Manual coffee grinders are usually more affordable than their electric counterparts, though they require more work and have a lower bean capacity.

Capacity

Coffee grinders usually have a plastic hopper that holds the coffee beans and feeds them into the grinding mechanism. A hopper’s capacity is determined by the number of coffee beans it can hold, which can be measured in pounds, grams, or ounces. Most grinders can hold between 0.5 and 0.75 pounds of coffee beans, though larger models can hold over a pound.

Grind Settings

A coffee grinder’s settings are used to adjust the fineness or coarseness of the ground beans. Grind settings are numerically labeled, with lower numbers usually denoting a finer grind and larger numbers signaling a coarser grind.

Grinder Type

Most coffee grinders use either a blade or burr grinder. Blade grinders utilize sharp, rotating blades to grind coffee beans, while burr grinders use two flat or conical surfaces to grind beans. Blade grinders are typically more affordable, but they deliver a less uniform grind than burr grinders.

How To Grind Fresh Coffee

Though it’s more convenient to buy pre-ground coffee beans, every sip of coffee will taste better if you grind whole beans yourself. Before you bust out your coffee beans and coffee mug, here’s what you should know about using a coffee grinder to get the best possible results: 

Match the Grind Size to the Brewing Method

Grind size is one of the major factors determining extraction yield, or how much flavor and potency you get out of the beans. Here are the main grind sizes and their corresponding brew methods: 

• Coarse: French press brewer, percolator, coffee cupping
• Extra-coarse: Cold brew coffee, cowboy coffee
• Extra-fine: Turkish coffee
• Fine: Espresso
• Medium: Cone-shaped pour-over brewer, flat-bottom drip machine
• Medium-coarse: Clever dripper
• Medium-fine: Cone-shaped pour-over brewer, siphon coffee, vacuum pot

Keep Your Grinder Dry and Clean

Like any electrical appliance, a coffee grinder shouldn’t get wet. This also applies to manual coffee grinders. If moisture builds up in the machine, the grounds will stick together, preventing them from flowing through the grinding mechanism to the storage compartment. 

Grind Fresh Beans

Even the best coffee grinder in the world can’t produce a good cup of coffee if the beans you use aren’t fresh and high-quality. Most beans have a shelf life of six to nine months in a sealed bag. Ideally, coffee beans should be used no later than 15 days after they are ground.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coffee Grinders

Is owning a coffee grinder worth it?

If you’re an avid coffee drinker, owning a coffee grinder is worth it. A coffee grinder allows you to adjust the coarseness of your grounds to produce cups of coffee that suit your taste preferences. Owning a coffee grinder also ensures that your grounds are fresh before every brew. You can take your freshly brewed coffee on the go using a coffee thermos. 

How do burr grinders work?

Flat burr grinders and conical burr grinders slightly differ in their designs, but both will deliver a finer and more consistent grind than their blade-style counterparts. Here’s how they work: 

• Conical burr: Conical burr grinders work the same way as flat burr grinders, but they use cone-shaped burrs instead. After dropping beans into the top of the grinder, the cone angles downward and crushes the beans against the force of the moving burr. 
• Flat burr: These grinders use two flat rings with serrations to grind coffee beans to a uniform size. The rings face each other on the serrated side and rotate in opposite directions. 

Do coffee beans last longer than ground coffee?

Yes, coffee beans last longer than ground coffee. Coffee loses its flavor over time as it’s exposed to air. The rate at which it degrades is closely tied to its surface area, which is why coffee grounds expire more quickly than beans. Typically, coffee beans have a shelf life of up to three years if stored in the freezer. However, you won’t get the freshest brew using your coffee maker if you wait that long to use them.

How do I clean my coffee grinder? 

There are multiple ways to clean your coffee grinder. The simplest way is to pour a quarter cup of rice into the chamber, thoroughly grind it, remove all of the rice flour, and wipe the inside of the grinder using a damp paper towel.

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations. 

We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

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