Best Coffee Grinder by Price
Last time updated: 2011 December 1.
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The best coffee grinder by price (What is your budget?): |
There are so many grinders out there but the leaders are quite clear. Popularity and price very often deceives the buyer. It is sad when a great coffee grinder for $200 is exchanged to a useless $500 costing machine. This short guide is made to help you avoid mistakes and find the best coffee grinder for your budget.
If you choose a coffee grinder listed here you can be sure that the more expensive one will be the better one. People usually get a grinder that cost about $100 but we suggest investing a bit more. After all coffee is a delicacy.
Interesting paradox: the cheaper category a grinder is in the better customer reviews it receive. Explanation to such result is quite simple: those who buy pricier machines know more about quality of coffee and thus critic the machnes more.
Best under $100
Burr mills that are times better then blade grinders can be found in this category. What is the best machine?
For a long time we've been recommending models by Capresso. Infinity 560 and 565 use the same commercial grade conical burrs and produce the same quality of grind. The latter, however, is made of stainless steel instead of plastic and looks a bit better though it's pricier - it costs a bit more than $100.
Both of these grinders will produce fine enough grind for Turkish coffee and coarse enough for French press. The particles of grind will not be as even as a coffee connoisseur would love to get but it's possible to make espresso. You should not compare these models to blade grinders. They're in a totally higher league of coffee grinders.
The first downside of this mill is in the static it produces because of plastic container. That means a bit more mess in your kitchen because some particles might fly out of the container. Also some ground coffee stays in grinding chamber and oxidizes (loses some flavor over time) if the grinder is not used regularly.
These are truly small disadvantages knowing that you can have a burr grinder for about $90.
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Capresso Infinity 560 (plastic body): Price: $85-$130 |
Capresso Infinity 565 (Stainless steel body): Price: $130-$160 |
Best under $250
Relatively a new product, Breville BCG800XL has already earned the trust of coffee lovers. It has outstanding reviews so far. It's quiet as a grinder, very neat and produces consistent grind for espresso, French press, Turkish coffee and no doubt other coffees. Even though the bean holder is made of thickened plastic (looks like glass) it does not produce much static and that means little to no mess.
Apart great grinding quality its strongest side is adjustability: 25 coarseness settings and automatic and manual ground coffee dose calibrator. That means you are able to choose automatic dosing or program it to produce the same amount that you require every time. It also has a portafilter holder included. Every setting is controlled with intuitive large knobs and every option is displayed on backlit LED screen. It's truly comfortable and easy to use.
It is spectacular that the only flaw anyone has mentioned is the dosing system (which is not even available in most grinders). This grinder offers automatic dosing which causes production of a bit more ground coffee than expected. It is solved by manually programming (at home) the dosing for your portafilter or other needs.
It's an excellent product for its price (usually for about $200) for any household.
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Breville BCG800XL: Price: $200-$280 |
Best under $40
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Krups 20342: Price: $19-$25 |
Some burr grinders are found in this category but you should probably stay away from them. Even though we suggest spending at least 100$ on a burr mill you can get the best blade coffee grinder for, actually, about $20.
Having over 500 reviews online and scoring an average of 4,5 points Krups 20342 grinder deserves to be nominated under this price category. The grind it produces is suitable for pour-over and drip coffees (if you use onetime paper filters) but not espresso or French press (uneven coffee particles will clog it).
Most blade grinders, including this one, are very durable. So if you don't care about Espresso or French press and you use coffee for caffeine only, you might consider the Krups 20342 model.
Best under $500
There are only a few grinders worth considering in this category. One of the best and most flattered is Rancilio Rocky. This machine produces amazingly even grind suitable for any type of coffee. If you don't own or don't plant to acquire a quality espresso maker then such grinder will not help. Good grind requires a machine that can fully squeeze the benefits out of it.
Rancilio Rocky is a sturdy heavy model for a lifetime that comes with or without doser (you can choose the model). Even though it's suitable for any type of coffee it is usually used for espresso. It uses a stepless coarseness adjuster and that means maximum precision for espresso grind. There aren't any other controllers except those for grind coarseness and on/off button. Simple machine for quality needs.
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Rancilio Rocky Doserless: Price: $370-$530 |
If you require more settings you should consider Baratza 885 Vario. 
It's also a high-end machine with ceramic burrs from Germany and is made mostly of metal. It Looks as solid and professional as it is. The quantity for ground coffee is programmed manually. Grind quality (evenness of ground coffee particles) matches Rancilio's quality. Vario model is better for those who will enjoy diversity of coffees: espresso, French press, percolator and others.
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Baratza 885 Vario: Price: $420-$450 |
As you can see in this guide the pricier a grinder is the better quality it provides. If you're obsessed (in a good sense) with espresso and have a very sensitive taste you might want to get one of the grinders in the last category. These grinders are also suitable for cafes.
However, a coffee grinder under $250 is the best choice for most households and offices.