How to Choose a Coffee Grinder

If you have $200 to spend on better coffee at home, spend $150 on a grinder and $50 on beans. The grinder is the single most important piece of equipment in any coffee setup. More important than the brewer. More important than the kettle. Extraction depends on grind consistency. If the particles are uneven, some are over-extracted (bitter) and others are under-extracted (sour) in the same cup.

Blade vs. Burr

Blade grinders chop beans with a spinning blade, producing an uneven mix of dust and chunks. They cost $15 to $30. They are bad. There is no way to use one well. Burr grinders crush beans between two abrasive surfaces set at a precise distance. Every particle that passes through is approximately the same size. This consistency produces even extraction, which produces balanced flavor.

What to Buy

Under $50: 1Zpresso Q2 (hand grinder). $50 to $100: 1Zpresso JX (hand) or Baratza Encore (electric). $100 to $200: Baratza Virtuoso+. $200 to $400: Eureka Mignon Notte or 1Zpresso JX-Pro (espresso-capable). $400+: Niche Zero or DF64. The one rule: buy the best grinder you can afford before you upgrade anything else. A $150 grinder with a $30 French press will produce better coffee than a $30 blade grinder with a $400 brewer. Every time.

Keep reading: How to Make Espresso at Home, How to Store Coffee Beans, French Press vs. AeroPress.