Best coffee grinders for folks serious about their home brews
TikTok’s “favourite online barista” was surprised by how easy this budget-friendly gadget was to use to make delicious coffee at home.
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We love the convenience of pod coffee machines. But for self-confessed coffee snobs, they don’t always have that ‘oomph’ or ‘je ne sais quoi’ that’s usually served in a cup of freshly ground coffee. The same goes for the storebought pre-ground option – especially if you’re a fan of savouring the brewing process via a French Press, moka pot or drip coffee.
That’s why coffee grinders are so great. You can grind as much (or little) as you need, and enjoy all the flavours and aromas the beans have to offer since they haven’t been exposed to air just yet. Once beans have been ground, they start to oxidise and release flavours and aromas, so your cuppa might not be as fruity, nutty or sweet as you hoped.
Although pre-ground coffee can be convenient, grinding your own beans can be cheaper, too.
One of our top picks is the Timemore C2. It’s also “the best quality (but) still budget friendly burr grinder” recommended by co-founder of Street Brew Coffee and online creator Caitlin Campbell.
With over 1.1 million followers on TikTok, the self-described “favourite online barista” called the Timemore C2 a great option for anyone who wants to “level up” their hand grinder “or just get a solid grinder without breaking the bank”.
“Grinders can be really expensive, and to a certain extent you definitely get what you pay for so it’s worth it to buy something good. The Timemore C2 really helps bring quality at this (budget friendly) price point. It’s got pretty typical 38mm burrs, it’s well built, compact, fast and most importantly it will grind consistently,” Caitlin said in the video.
“I was really surprised at how easy it was to use as a hand grinder and how quick it is. And it’s got a pretty solid range, anywhere from the moka pot to the French Press. But fair warning, it won’t quite get the job done for an espresso.”
Whether you’re after a blade, manual, or burr coffee grinder – or you’re trying to work out the difference between the three – we’ve covered all the bases with this best coffee grinder guide and shared some tips on how to find the right one for you.
OUR TOP PICKS
BEST BLADE COFFEE GRINDERS
Breville The Coffee & Spice Grinder BCG200BSS, $74.95, Myer
Breville The Coffee & Spice Grinder
What You Need To Know
Able to whiz coffee, herbs or spices into finely ground powders in mere seconds, the Breville Coffee & Spice Grinder is a multipurpose winner. The removable stainless steel bowl makes it super easy to clean, too.
“This wonderful machine is great for grinding coffee beans, nuts, linseed, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds and making fine sugar. I’m sure you could think of other uses according to your needs. Get creative!” wrote one reviewer.
Timemore C2 Manual Coffee Grinder, $95, Amazon Australia
Timemore C2 Max Manual Coffee Grinder
What You Need To Know
This Timemore manual coffee grinder is a lightweight and compact option with a built-in adjustable grind selector, allowing you to easily change the knob to suit your needs. It has a 25g capacity and is made with high quality stainless steel burrs, plus a built-in grinding adjustment knob for when you want to change how fine or coarse the grind should be.
“Can’t fault this grinder, easy to adjust and has been perfect for my Saturday morning coffees,” praised an Amazon reviewer, rating the product five stars.
“Realistically you can only grind 18g of coffee though so you would expect a pour over result of approx. 300ml. But you can definitely feel the quality and workmanship that has gone into this item.”
If you want more capacity when making your coffee, it’s worth checking out the newer version of this model – the Timemore C2 Max.
BEST MANUAL COFFEE GRINDERS
1Zpresso X-Ultra Manual Coffee Grinder, $259, at Amazon Australia
1Zpresso X-Ultra Manual Coffee Grinder
What You Need To Know
The IZpresso X-Ultra manual coffee grinder is a fairly popular manual grinder, thanks to its easy to use design. It features a unique heptagonal burr to create a smooth grinding feeling, making it suitable for pour-over style coffee with a light and sweet flavour profile. This IZpresso grinder is also handy for taking on the road, featuring a foldable handle and a case to store the gadget itself and all the accessories.
One five-star reviewer said the grinder surpassed their expectations, describing it as “better than expected”.
“I use it to grind for Pour Over. It's amazingly fast and accurate. Set it and forget,” the reviewer wrote.
“The construction of the grinder is second to none. It's a little pricey, but it's one of those products that you should only pay for once…”
Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Mini-Slim Plus Manual Coffee Grinder, $39.90, Amazon Australia
Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Mini-Slim Plus Manual Coffee Grinder,
What You Need To Know
For a fairly affordable manual coffee grinder, this one from Hario is worth checking out. It’s also compact and lightweight, making it ideal for when you’re travelling. This Hario grinder uses conical ceramic burrs, which are naturally heat resistant so you don’t need to worry about the grinding process heating your grounds and potentially create a burnt flavour.
“(I) have to say I love this one,” a reviewer posted.
“The measure is handy, but after a few uses it’s easy to judge the amount of beans to use. Grinds enough for two cups. It’s easy to adjust the bean grind and once you’ve got it how you want it, it stays set. It takes just under two mins to get a full grind for two cups and really is quite easy.”
BEST BURR COFFEE GRINDERS
Baratza Encore Esp 230v Coffee Grinder, $399 at Myer
Baratza Encore Esp 230v Coffee Grinder
What You Need To Know
Not only is the Encore Esp efficient, it’ll also look beautiful on your counter. Suitable for various types of coffee brewing, this grinder has an antistatic system and quick release burr to ensure even coffee distribution and make cleaning easy. With this coffee grinder, you can entertain with ease, and reviewers agree it works as well as it looks.
“Easy to use & looks good on kitchen bench. Very sturdy,” wrote one impressed five-star reviewer.
Another added, “We have been using it for a few weeks and the difference in the coffee taste is huge (compared to pre ground coffee). Really happy with the purchase. Good quality, reasonably priced for home, looks really good..”
Breville Smart Grinder Pro Brushed Stainless Steel BCG820BSS, $349 at The Good Guys
What You Need To Know
The Breville The Smart Grinder Pro is a programmable conical burr grinder that has 60 unique settings, making it a superior choice for true coffee lovers. The airtight bean hopper atop the machine keeps beans fresh until you’re ready, and the smart LCD display lets you grind the exact amount you need every time.
Reviewers have praised its quality and ease of use, with one writing, “The grind is very consistent across all sizes. Once you work out the grind and amount of coffee you like, you can just leave it on those settings. This helps in the morning, when you need a coffee to remember how to make a coffee.”
Sunbeam GrindFresh EM0440, $99 (down from $119), Amazon Australia
Sunbeam GrindFresh Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
What You Need To Know
The cafe-quality Sunbeam conical burr coffee grinder features premium stainless steel finishes and precise, adjustable grind settings. Grind into an airtight container or directly into a handle to get the exact amount you want. There are 25 grind settings to sift through, allowing you to whip up an espresso or filter coffee without much fuss.
“This grinder does exactly what it’s meant to, and it’s not heavy or bulky so it’s more convenient to have on the kitchen bench and be able to move out of the way,” a shopper posted.
“This coffee grinder is easy to use and does a perfect grind,” agreed another.
De’Longhi Dedica Grinder KG521M, $241 (down from $429), Amazon Australia
De’Longhi Dedica Grinder
What You Need To Know
This De’Longhi coffee grinder lets you customise your beans exactly how you want it, featuring 18 grind options and an aroma function to tailor the flavour. The kitchen gadget also uses two grinding plates to prevent overheating and ultimately maintain the full aroma of the beans. And for convenience, this De’Longhi model has an LCD display interface that lets you choose the grind settings, number of cups and aroma.
“This machine looks great and performs well too,” praised a shopper.
“The burr mechanism means grinds are consistent, and has several fine adjustment features depending on the type of coffee you want to brew. I’d say the smallest grind size is slightly too large for perfect espresso purposes, but unless you’re paying $500+ for a grinder this is common.
“The interface is elegant, straight forward, and easy to use. Sound level is normal for a coffee grinder, and cleaning maintenance is easy. Bottom line: this is the best price vs performance vs looks on the market, so give it a go!”
Sunbeam Cafe Series Conical Burr Grinder EMM0500BK, $179 (down from $229) at Myer
Sunbeam Precision Coffee Grinder
What You Need To Know
This Sunbeam Grinder is all about serving up accurate grind consistency and extracting coffee perfectly to suit your tastebuds. This model boasts 24 customisable settings and contains stainless steel conical burrs for a uniform and consistent grind. The appliance uses a "grind direct to group handle" allowing you to grind the exact amount you want..
“This is my second Sunbeam Cafe Grinder, the first lasted 20 years. Simple,smooth and grinds to perfection,” one five-star reviewer gushed.
Another wrote that compared to their last coffee grinder, this model is “much quieter”, has “better grind consistency” and has “less spillage”.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
Our team of experienced writers spend hours researching coffee grinders to include in articles. We find out what factors make a good product by talking to experts, reviewing test results and analysing thousands of customer reviews.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A COFFEE GRINDER
Need a caffeine hit just thinking about all the options? Here are a few factors to consider when buying a grinder.
Manual or electric coffee grinder
Traditional manual coffee grinders are usually more affordable, less noisy and can be adjusted to cater to fine and coarse grinding. Electric coffee grinders offer more convenience and many multifunctional models can blitz spice, nuts and other ingredients, too. These are ideal for larger batches since you can store the whole beans in the hopper, which is a useful way to preserve the flavours and aromas without having to find another airtight container.
Blade or burr grinder
Blade grinders often have a stainless steel blade and bowl. These aren’t known for being the best at producing a consistent grind, which can affect the clarity of the notes since they’re being extracted at different rates.
Conical and flat burr grinders tend to offer greater consistency and an overall nice grind. If you prefer espressos, flat burr grinders are usually preferred because they have a more even finish. But they’re also louder and create more heat, while conical burr models are pretty quiet and heat resistant so there’s less likely of ending up with a burnt taste.
Capacity
When considering capacity, keep in mind the bean hopper and catch cup are two different things. The bean hopper is the storage container usually on top of the machine, while the cup capacity refers to how much you can actually grind in one go. Some brands might refer to this in grams or cups. Most manual grinders fit around 30g worth of whole beans.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT ARE BLADE COFFEE GRINDERS?
A blade style coffee grinder is fairly self-explanatory – it features a propeller-like blade that chops through the beans while mixing them. Also suitable for grinding spices and herbs, a blade grinder is ideal for coffee drinkers who use French presses or drip coffee makers that don’t require super fine grounds.
WHAT ARE MANUAL COFFEE GRINDERS?
Manual coffee grinders are operated with a hand crank you turn to grind your beans. They require a bit more effort than an electric option, but they’re suitable for on the go use or as a budget-friendly pick.
WHAT ARE BURR COFFEE GRINDERS?
Burr grinders (or burr mills) are made up of two revolving ‘burr’ pieces that funnel the beans down to a grinding area where they are crushed between a moving grinder wheel and a non-moving surface. Burr grinders are generally preferred for their ability to produce consistent grounds without creating friction that heats the beans and alters their flavour.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU GRIND COFFEE BEANS FOR?
The time spent grinding your coffee beans depends on the desired results and the specific model of coffee grinder.
With a blade grinder, try grinding for eight to 10 seconds, a few seconds at a time if you want a coarse grind. To obtain a medium grind, 10-15 seconds of short bursts is ideal. Meanwhile, you should aim for a few seconds more than medium, also in short bursts. However, feel free to experiment to create a perfect custom grind that suits your personal taste.
Unsurprisingly, a handheld coffee grinder requires more time and effort to grind coffee beans than an electric version. On average it will take around one minute per cup of coffee to grind coffee beans using a manual grinder. The more expensive, quality models sometimes offer more efficient grind times thanks to their design. Hand grinders may struggle to achieve a grind fine enough for an espresso though, so you may be better off just opting for an espresso machine if you've got your eye on this type of coffee.
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