You might have spent time deciding which coffee machine to buy, and now be the proud owner of your brewing method of choice. You might think you’re ready to go, but unless you’ve bought yourself a bean-to-cup machine, there’s one more important bit of kit you need to invest in. Time to buy a coffee grinder. Here’s our guide to the best coffee grinders around.
You could buy pre-ground coffee, but if you’re here you’re a big fan, so should be buying the beans whole. You’ll get the best tasting coffee from freshly ground beans – and depending on your brew method will depend on how coarse or fine a grind you need.
For an espresso you want a very fine grind, whereas for a cafetière you want something quite coarse – then for a pour over you’re looking for somewhere in between the two. Simple hey … ?!
The best coffee grinders will let you pick your coarseness, allowing you to adjust to suit the brew. Cold-brew – go for large particles, using your Hario V60 – that’ll be a mid-size please.
You also have the choice of a burr or blade grinder, manual or electric. We would always go for a burr grinder – they produce a more consistent grind than a blade can, so our recommendations below are all burr grinders.
It’s important that you do a bit of research when you’re buying a grinder – make sure that you’re getting the right kit for the coffee you want to make – if you’re an espresso fan make sure that your grinder goes to a super find grind.
Our Top Coffee Grinder – Sage Smart Grinder Pro
It’s not cheap but it certainly has all the bells and whistles – the Sage Smart Grinder Pro is a serious coffee grinder, and we’ll admit it does come with a serious price tag but it will do everything you want.
With 60 settings, and the ability to set your own programmes in 0.2 second increments, you’re able to tailor your grind to the exact coarseness you’re looking for. You can even choose between shots and cups to get the correct volume of coffee for your brewing method – you’re also able to choose where your coffee ends up – grinding directly into the portafilter, an airtight container, gold tone filter basket or paper filter.
Our Top Manual Grinder – Hario Skerton Pro Ceramic Grinder
The Hario Skerton Pro is our pick of the manual grinder is a more budget friendly option, but don’t think that it’s a cheap option in term of quality. Hario may be best known for the Hario V60, but they’ve built a reputation for quality coffee equipment and the Skerton Pro is no different.
A manual grinder is generally a more economic option than an electronic grinder – with more of what you spend being invested into the grinding mechanism rather than a motor, arguably the Hario Skerton Pro is a better quality grinder than many of the powered grinders available.
Not only can you guarantee that you’re grinding the exact amount of coffee you want – no wasting precious beans – but a manual grinder is far easier to travel with, letting you avoid bad coffee in all situations. The Skerton Pro feels like a premium product, with a silicon grip and base, it’s not going to slip anywhere, and it’s easy to adjust the coarseness – although you do have to feel your way and test the taste to check you’ve nailed the grind size.
Our Top Entry-Level Grinder – Krups Expert Burr Grinder
We’re not being patronising by describing the Krups Expert Burr Grinder as entry-level, it’s accessible to everyone, and very easy to use and get great results. It was actually the first grinder I owned and actually outlasted my first Espresso Machine.
Krups are well known in the world of coffee, but best known in the world of grinders. The Krups Expert lets you choose how many cups worth of coffee you’re grinding the beans for, and the side dial lets you choose your coarseness – with 17 incremental size settings. For a very reasonable price you’ll get something that not only looks smart on your kitchen counter, but produces a consistent grind.
Our Top Travel Grinder – Porlex Mini II Coffee Grinder
If you’re looking for a coffee grinder to throw in your backpack, or in your laptop bag to make sure you’re never far from a decent brew, then the Porlex Mini II Coffee Grinder is the perfect solution. Team it with your Aeropress Go and you just need the beans then you can make the perfect cup wherever you find yourself.
The Porlex Mini II is a star in the World of travel brewing, with a removable handle it’ll fit into even the smallest of spaces, at at only 226g, it’s not going to weigh you down. With ceramic burrs and only 13 grind settings, it provides a consistent grind, even a fine espresso setting. Its small size does mean that it can only hold a small about of ground coffee – 20g to be exact, but that’s enough for an espresso so we’re not complaining.
There are so many elements to play with when it comes to perfecting your personal cup of coffee and a coffee grinder is an excellent addition to your brewing arsenal. All the options above will let you grind your beans to the desired consistency but being gadget lovers, we can’t help but love the Sage Smart Grinder Pro.