Top 5 compared
The best coffee grinders
The easiest way to a better morning cup: buy whole beans and grind them just before the coffee goes on.
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The top 5 at a glance
A coffee grinder turns whole beans into grounds just before brewing, while they still hold their aroma. Blade grinders chop the beans with a spinning blade, finer the longer you hold the button, and most take spices too; burr grinders crush them between two burrs set to a chosen size, so the grounds come out much more even, and hand grinders do the burr job with a crank and no plug.
Grind size follows the brewer: coarse for a French press, medium for a drip machine or pour-over, fine for espresso. A blade grinder covers drip and French press well, but espresso needs the even, fine grind of a burr grinder. Coffee and spices can share a blade grinder, though many kitchens keep one just for beans.
What matters
- A bowl that lifts out, for washing between coffee and spices.
- A lid lock, so the blade only spins with the lid on.
- Grind settings you can repeat, if you brew espresso as well as drip.
#1KYG Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Removable Bowl (6368ABUS)
$30–$50
Beans for drip or French press coffee, then spices, oats or rice: its stainless steel bowl lifts off the base to be washed in the dishwasher between them, so nothing carries its flavour into the next grind. It won’t run with the lid open, and an airtight inner lid keeps whatever is left in the bowl fresh until next time.
What owners say: Owners find it very easy to use and say it makes short work of hard grains as well as beans; being able to wash the bowl is what they like most, though durability divides them.
A closer look: Fill the bowl, close the lid and press down on it to grind; let go to stop, and give it a shake between short presses for an even grind. The clip on the spoon reseals the bag of beans, and the two spare rubber rings keep the inner lid airtight once the first one wears.
- Clip spoon reseals the bag
- Two spare lid seals
- Grinds oats and rice too
- Spoon and brush included
Best for: Coffee and spices, easy washing
- Type
- Blade (electric)
- Grind settings
- Press the lid
- Holds
- –
- Bowl lifts out
- Yes, dishwasher-safe
- Spins only with the lid on
- Yes, plus overheat cut-out
- Extras
- Airtight inner lid
#2BLACK+DECKER One Touch Coffee Grinder (CBG110SC)
$10–$20
Fresh-ground coffee every morning: a compact stainless steel blade grinder that turns enough beans for a 12-cup pot into grounds for a drip machine or French press with one push of the button, coarser or finer the longer you hold it. The blades only spin with the lid locked on, and it takes herbs, spices and grains too, though the bowl is fixed, so it gets brushed out rather than washed.
What owners say: It grinds beans well and runs quietly for a blade grinder, owners find, and is good value; the worry is lifespan, with some units stopping within a year, and views on cleaning and on its size are split.
A closer look: Hold the button in short bursts and give the grinder a gentle shake between them for an even grind; a few seconds suits a French press and longer gives a finer grind for drip. Brushing the bowl out with a dry pastry brush after each use stops old grounds turning stale inside.
- Hold longer for finer grounds
- Stainless steel blades and bowl
- Grinds nuts and seeds too
- Cord storage
- Non-slip feet
Best for: Drip pots and French presses
- Type
- Blade (electric)
- Grind settings
- Push button
- Holds
- Beans for 12 cups
- Bowl lifts out
- No (fixed bowl)
- Spins only with the lid on
- Yes, lid lock
- Extras
- Spices, herbs, grains
#3Breville Smart Grinder Pro (BCG820, Black Truffle)
$200–$300
Sixty grind settings run from a fine espresso grind to a coarse French press one, and the LCD shows the setting, the grind time and how many cups or shots you’ve chosen. Grind time adjusts in 0.2-second steps, so the dose comes out the same every morning, straight into a portafilter, a filter basket or the sealed grounds container.
What owners say: Owners praise how even and consistent the grind is, how easily it sets up and how many settings there are for different ways of brewing; durability and the noise both divide them.
A closer look: Choose cups for a drip or French press dose or shots for espresso, then nudge the grind time up or down in 0.2-second steps until the cup tastes right. It’s a lot of grinder for someone who only brews drip, but anyone with an espresso machine will use the fine end of the dial every day.
- Grind time in 0.2-second steps
- Doses by cups or shots
- Sealed grounds container
- Cleaning brush included
Best for: Espresso at home
- Type
- Conical burr (electric)
- Grind settings
- 60
- Holds
- 510 g (18 oz) of beans
- Bowl lifts out
- No bowl (burr grinder)
- Spins only with the lid on
- No blade (burrs)
- Extras
- LCD timer, portafilter cradles
#4SHARDOR Coffee and Spice Grinder with 2 Removable Cups (SP7418)
$50–$75
Two removable stainless steel cups: a two-blade cup for beans, nuts and seeds, and a four-blade cup for wet ingredients such as garlic and basil, so the coffee keeps a cup of its own. It suits a kitchen that grinds a bit of everything, and both cups go in the dishwasher.
What owners say: Beans come out well ground and it’s simple to use, by owners’ accounts, and the removable cup makes cleaning easy; the noise is where opinions split.
A closer look: Keep the two-blade cup for coffee and the four-blade one for garlic, basil and spices, so the beans never pick up other flavours. Press the lid for a few seconds for a coarse grind and longer for fine; SHARDOR puts most jobs at 15 seconds or less, and short presses with a shake between them grind more evenly.
- Two-blade cup for coffee
- Four-blade cup for wet ingredients
- Grinds garlic and basil
- Most jobs in 15 seconds
- 2-in-1 spoon and brush
Best for: Garlic, herbs and coffee beans
- Type
- Blade (electric)
- Grind settings
- Press the lid
- Holds
- –
- Bowl lifts out
- Yes, 2 cups, dishwasher-safe
- Spins only with the lid on
- Yes, runs only while pressed
- Extras
- 2 cups, wet and dry
#5Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Slim (MSS-1B, black)
$30–$50
A hand grinder with ceramic burrs: the even, burr-ground coffee that pour-over and a French press reward, at a much lower price than an electric burr grinder and with no plug at all, so it goes to the cottage or the campsite as readily as it sits by the kettle. Hario began in Tokyo in 1921 making laboratory glass, and its name means “king of glass”.
What owners say: Owners like how even the grind comes out and how easily it cranks, and they count it cheap for a burr mill; how long a batch takes and how well it lasts are the points that split them.
Heads up: It holds about 24 g of beans, enough for two cups, and grinding by hand takes a few minutes, so it suits a cup or two at a time rather than a full pot for guests.
A closer look: Set the grind before filling: a few test turns of the crank show where it sits, finer for pour-over and coarser for a French press. The handle comes off for storage, and the ceramic burrs don’t rust, so they can be rinsed under the faucet as long as they dry fully before the next beans go in.
- Handle comes off for storage
- Ceramic burrs don’t rust
- Burrs rinse under the faucet
- Travels to cottage or campsite
Best for: Hand-ground coffee, no plug
- Type
- Ceramic burr (manual)
- Grind settings
- Adjustable
- Holds
- 24 g (2 cups)
- Bowl lifts out
- No bowl (hand mill)
- Spins only with the lid on
- No blade (hand crank)
- Extras
- Hand crank, no plug
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1KYG | #2BLACK+DECKER | #3Breville | #4SHARDOR two-cup | #5Hario Mill Slim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best for espresso | Best manual | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $10–$20 | $200–$300 | $50–$75 | $30–$50 |
| Type | Blade (electric) | Blade (electric) | Conical burr (electric) | Blade (electric) | Ceramic burr (manual) |
| Grind settings | Press the lid | Push button | 60 | Press the lid | Adjustable |
| Holds | – | Beans for 12 cups | 510 g (18 oz) of beans | – | 24 g (2 cups) |
| Bowl lifts out | Yes, dishwasher-safe | No (fixed bowl) | No bowl (burr grinder) | Yes, 2 cups, dishwasher-safe | No bowl (hand mill) |
| Spins only with the lid on | Yes, plus overheat cut-out | Yes, lid lock | No blade (burrs) | Yes, runs only while pressed | No blade (hand crank) |
| Extras | Airtight inner lid | Spices, herbs, grains | LCD timer, portafilter cradles | 2 cups, wet and dry | Hand crank, no plug |
| Best for | Coffee and spices, easy washing | Drip pots and French presses | Espresso at home | Garlic, herbs and coffee beans | Hand-ground coffee, no plug |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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