Preparation
Coffee grinders come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and prices, but there is a key distinction between two types: blade and burr grinders. “With a blade grinder, your coffee is at the mercy of when the beans hit the blade,” Jenna Gotthelf, the national wholesale education manager at Counter Culture Coffee, says. “It is very hard to achieve consistent results this way.” Plus, it can more challenging to understand brewing issues when you have inconsistent grinds. “Burr grinders are undeniably superior; the biggest advantage you will get from a burr grinder is even grind particle size,” shares Gotthelf. “Essentially, this means that all of the pieces of coffee you smashed in your grinder are the same size. This is a key to proper coffee brewing.”
She likens brewing coffee particles to cooking an onion. If you cut an onion into the same size pieces, they will all cook at the same rate. On the other hand, if the pieces range in size, then they will cook at a different rate. The goal is for coffee to extract at the same time when brewing, as this allows for the best sweetness and flavor. Ahead, Gotthelf shares her picks for the top burr coffee grinders on the market that you can shop now.
Best Beginner Burr Coffee Grinder: Baratza Encore White Coffee GrinderBest Quiet Burr Coffee Grinder: Fellow Ode Coffee GrinderBest Quick Burr Coffee Grinder: Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee GrinderBest Budget-Friendly Burr Coffee Grinder: Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr MillBest Fine-Grind Burr Coffee Grinder: The Baratza Sette 270 Best Basic Burr Coffee Grinder: OXO Conical Burr Grinder