The Best Coffee Grinders

Jaina Grey Scott Gilbertson

It's all in the beans. Nothing will improve your morning coffee like grinding the beans right before you brew. It doesn't matter whether you're rocking a fancy liquid-cooled-quantum-AI-powered espresso machine or a $20 Mr. Coffee--making the switch to whole beans will transform your coffee-drinking experience.

We have some advice at the end of this article on finding good whole beans, and you might want to read our guide to the best coffee bean subscription services. Then, once you have your beans, it's time to grind 'em up fresh each day. Here's our guide to the best coffee grinders.

Also, be sure to check out our other coffee gear roundups, like the Best Latte and Cappuccino Machines, Best Portable Coffee Makers, Best Espresso Machines, and Best Portable Espresso Makers.

Updated August 2023: We added the Wilfa Uniform Coffee Grinder, and Baratza Encore ESP.

Our list consists mostly of conical-burr grinders. In a conical grinder, coffee beans are crushed and ground between two rings of burrs. They deliver a finer, much more consistent grind than you'd get with a traditional blade grinder, even the nicest ones.

Flat-burr grinders are similar, but they're typically more expensive. In these, the burrs are laid on top of each other, and the beans pass through them as they grind. The grinder action pushes the grounds out of one end, instead of relying on gravity like a conical-burr grinder, and the beans spend more time in contact with the burrs. This results in a more consistent grind, but for home brewers, conical-burr grinders are just as good--even if they require more maintenance and don't result in consistent-down-to-the-micron-scale grounds.

Blade grinders have a chopping blade that spins around like a food processor. But blades don't produce even results. Some of your coffee will be fine powder at the bottom, and at the top you'll have bits too large for even French press. The result is an inconsistent, unpredictable brew. These grinders are cheap, and yes, using fresh beans in a blade grinder is far better than buying ground coffee. (You can learn how to shake the beans to even your grind just a little. See world barista champion James Hoffmann's video for some more blade grinder hacks.)

If you can afford it, we highly recommend going with one of the burr grinders we've listed. There's a reason why they cost a little more than a budget burr grinder. The machinery in a high-quality burr grinder is a bit more complicated, and it's built to withstand greater wear and tear. In cheap burr grinders, the burrs will typically get blunt from regular use, and the flimsier motors may burn out with regular use in a matter of months.

PSA: Do not put preground coffee into a burr grinder. Logically, it makes sense. It's too coarse, so you put it through again, right? No! With a burr grinder, the preground coffee gets stuck inside the burrs, and you''ll have to do some disassembly to set them to rights again.

I had mixed feelings about the Opus when I first set it up. It's lighter than some of the other offerings on this list, and there's more plastic in the build than I usually like. Then I turned it on.

The grounds it produced at its finest setting were like double-zero flour. They were super-fine, and under a macro lens they were remarkably consistent. That's the performance I saw with every grade of coarseness it offers: remarkable consistency.

There's another feature that's easy to overlook. It's quiet. I've tested dozens of burr grinders over the years, and this one was so hushed I almost thought it was broken. That might not seem like an important detail for a coffee grinder, but burr grinders are loud, and if you're the first one to get up in the morning, you're basically hitting an alarm clock for the whole house. The Opus grinds quietly and cleanly and can meet your needs no matter what kind of coffee you're grinding. And it's less than $200.

Oxo's Brew grinder has a good balance of features, usefulness, and relatively low price among the electric grinders we've used. It's a conical-burr grinder, so it gives you the precision for most types of brewing. There are 15 settings, covering every brewing scenario from finely ground espresso to coarse-ground that's perfect for a French press. Its slim, narrow profile doesn't hog counter space--though it is 16 inches tall and may be a tight fit under the cabinets. (Remember, you need some clearance to take the lid off and pour in beans.) It's not silent by any means, but it's not too loud, and it grinds quickly.

We've used this grinder daily for more than a year, and it's held up well! If you've never had a burr grinder and want to see what all the fuss is about without breaking the bank, this is where you should start. But be careful, you will end up drinking more coffee because it tastes so good when it's burr-ground. Avoid the equally popular Cuisinart burr grinder ($60). Members of our reviews team have purchased and tested this Cuisinart model at least three times because of its low price. It was loud, the grind wasn't as even as we wanted, and the motor gave out on all of our units (which we purchased years apart) after a month or two.

Hand-built in Florence, Italy, the Eureka Mignon Notte is the best grinder we've ever tested. It's built from top to bottom with longevity in mind. You can disassemble it to service its robust inner machinery, clean the burrs, and troubleshoot any issues you might be having. Moreover, the chassis is built like a tank, and unlike most grinders, it's made almost entirely of steel. Servicing a heavy-duty machine like a burr grinder encased in flimsy plastic can be a huge pain--and sometimes impossible without breaking something.

Burr grinders will always run into problems. They break up oily beans into fine powders, so there's going to be some buildup, somewhere. The Mignon Notte is one of the first burr grinders that I feel confident might actually outlast me. Plus, it grinds coffee to perfection in a matter of seconds, no matter how fine or coarse you want it, and it costs hundreds less than most flat-burr grinders.

Adrienne So

Julian Chokkattu

Martin Cizmar

Julian Chokkattu

There's a good reason the Baratza Encore's been unchanged on the market for over a decade. While coffee culture can often seem elitist and uninviting, this conical-burr grinder is more accessible and less expensive than most quality grinders. It's simple to operate, features an automatic shutoff timer, and doesn't hog counter space. (It's about 14 inches tall, so check the specs against your kitchen.)

The Baratza Encore is also easily cleanable and repairable. No tools are required to take the machine apart, and replacement parts are easy to obtain. Plus, there's a one-year limited warranty. The Encore has a bigger, beefier cousin, the Encore Vario-W, but for most people the Encore is a much better pick. The Vario-W does include a scale, and it has flat burrs, but at over $500 it doesn't do much to justify that price. --Haley Sprankle

A burr grinder will get you noticeably tastier coffee, but there's nothing wrong with a plain old blade grinder. If you're just grinding coffee for a drip machine, French press, or pour-over, a blade grinder will do just fine in most cases. My personal favorite has been this KitchenAid that I picked up on Amazon a few years back. It's sturdy, and it has a little removable cup so you don't have to invert the whole grinder over your coffee machine to empty out the grounds. But most importantly, it gets the job done. Add in fresh, locally roasted beans and you'll be in for a killer cup of coffee.
Pro tip: If you pulse it instead of holding it down for one long grind, you'll get a more consistent grind, and you won't end up with as many nearly whole beans floating at the top of your coffee filter. More consistent grind = more flavor in your cup.

The Ode Brew Grinder only grinds coffee coarse enough for pour-over, drip, or French press brewing, but it's a great grinder. Its flat burrs produce a super consistent grind that really elevates a good pour-over. It's also nice to look at and is built from solid metal, like a tank. The Ode thoroughly, speedily, and relatively quietly grinds your coffee beans. We recommend it if you're looking to raise your coffee game at home but aren't interested in making espresso.

Adrienne So

Julian Chokkattu

Martin Cizmar

Julian Chokkattu

The Baratza Encore ESP grinder is a little different from the standard Encore. The ESP costs a bit more, but it has a good reason for that: It has the ability to grind coffee finer than the standard Encore thanks to its macro-micro adjustment system. It has 40 grind settings, 20 micro settings which will produce super-fine espresso grounds, and 20 macro settings which will produce coarser grounds suitable for pourover, drip, or french press coffee.

On top of that, you can also remove the entire blade assembly without any tools, which makes cleaning and servicing the machine much easier than it usually is. For more check out our review (9/10 WIRED Recommends).

The Wilfa Uniform grinder isn't the kind of device that's built for espresso, but it will provide consistent grounds for almost all other types of coffee. Because it's a flat burr grinder, it's going to give you noticeably uniform grounds. Each and every ground comes out with almost exactly the same shape. That level of consistency is great for at-home coffee because it ensures each cup you brew is going to be as rich and flavorful as possible.

It also boasts an auto-stop feature, so it'll stop grinding when it runs out of beans to grind. For more, check out our review (9/10 WIRED Recommends).

We have killed quite a few burr grinders in our day. They can be hard to keep clean, hard to maintain, and most of the ones you'll find under $80 aren't going to live very long no matter how well you look after them. The motors burn out, the burrs get worn down, coffee dust builds up in places you can't get to--being a burr grinder is a hard life.

The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is one of the best I've used. It has all kinds of helpful features like a grind timer and adjustable dose control, and attachments that let you settle a portafilter in right under the spout where the grounds come out. The standout feature for me is its cleanability. You can easily disassemble the hopper, get access to the burrs, and pull out the spill tray under the spout--it's amazing for keeping a burr grinder in working order.

? Alternative: The KitchenAid Burr Grinder ($200) is also very stylish and easy to clean. The burrs are just a bit more accessible thanks to their placement directly beneath the hopper. It also features precise dose control and a dial controlling the consistency of the grind (with helpful guidelines for different kinds of coffee preparation). Plus, you can swap the little container that catches the grounds with a holder for a portafilter--which makes it super easy to grind exactly how much you need and not a single bean more.

Adrienne So

Julian Chokkattu

Martin Cizmar

Julian Chokkattu

Making great coffee is all about starting with fresh roasted beans, getting them to just the right grind, and adding hot water. Making great coffee consistently is all about measuring your variables, and adjusting one at a time. One key variable is the weight of grounds you use, and this Oxo model is one of the only grinders with a built-in scale. Set your grind size, select the weight you want, hit Start, and walk away; it shuts itself off when it's done. You could use a kitchen scale to weigh your beans, but this is a nice way to streamline your morning ritual, especially if counterspace is at a premium. Be warned though, it does have a tendency to cast off a few grounds here or there when you open the little grounds container, so make sure you sweep your counter regularly.

WIRED senior reviewer Scott Gilbertson prefers to hand-grind his coffee, and he's tried half a dozen manual grinders. The Skerton Pro is far and away his favorite. It's fast, taking less than two minutes to grind out the half cup of fine grounds for my moka pot--and the burr design produces a consistent, fine grind. Note that we said "fine." This is not the best choice for French press brewing, because the Skerton Pro is just not consistent enough at coarse grinds.

On the downside, the silicone grip constantly falls off. (Scott threw his away, as it didn't do much anyway.) On the upside, the threads on the grinder portion are standard, so if anything happens to the glass jar you can just use a regular Ball mason jar.

This smaller Hario is the first hand grinder that senior reviewer Scott Gilbertson ever used. It's perfect for a shot of espresso or even a small moka pot. It doesn't grind as fast as the Skerton, but it's much lighter and safer to throw in your bag when you travel, thanks to the plastic construction. There's also the slightly larger and more expensive Mini Slim Pro. Grind-wise, the Mini Slim is about the same, but he doesn't like it as much, because you can't see how much coffee you've ground.

Adrienne So

Julian Chokkattu

Martin Cizmar

Julian Chokkattu

VSSL started life making ultra-durable camping tools--waterproof canisters with flashlights, compasses, first aid kits, and more. Recently the company took that same design--a slender tube made of aircraft-grade aluminum--and turned it into the Java, a portable coffee grinder rugged enough to survive the zombie apocalypse, or a bumpy ride to your favorite campsite.

Senior reviewer Scott Gilbertson loves everything about the Java. It's incredibly well made, yet (relatively) lightweight. The handle is clever. It folds out and provides a lot of leverage while you grind, and you can use it as a hook to hang the Java up when you're done. The setup produces a nice even grind, covering the full spectrum of brew possibilities, from French-press coarse to espresso-fine.

At roughly 14 ounces, you wouldn't bring it backpacking, but it's great for grinding fresh beans while camping. The Java isn't cheap, but if you do a lot of camping and want a grinder that's going to last a lifetime, this one fits the bill.

It's easy to overlook bean storage, especially if you go through coffee pretty quickly. But during months of testing, I can say definitively that a vacuum container preserves the delicate flavors of locally roasted coffee much longer than the bag they came in does. The Atmos Vacuum Container is my hands-down favorite, and every single bag of coffee I get goes right into one as soon as I bring it home from the store. By using a twist-action pump on the lid to vacate the container of any air, the Atmos effectively puts your beans into stasis. Without air, there are fewer passive chemical reactions going on that break down those roasty toasty flavors before you can get to them.

Ok. I admit, I was one of those people who was vehemently against weighing out my beans for each cup. I thought it was bougie and unnecessary--until I tried it. I bought the Ozeri food scale for weighing out baking ingredients, and one day I used it for coffee and really enjoyed the results. By weighing out exactly how many grams of whole coffee beans I'm going to use, I can achieve a level of consistency that's hard to beat. A scale is a must-have if you're trying to troubleshoot or explore the differences you experience in your coffee from cup to cup.

Whether you're using a drip brewer, an espresso machine, or a pour-over setup, weighing out your beans before you grind them is a wonderful way to ensure you're only grinding exactly what you need (which reduces waste). It's been especially helpful in my home, which drinks a lot of standard and decaf coffee. My partner is sensitive to caffeine, so we like to make sure there aren't any caffeinated beans left in the grinder before grinding her decaf. Weighing the beans for each cup (or pot if you're using a drip brewer) makes it super easy to control which beans are going into which cup. Plus, I guarantee you'll find more uses for this food scale than you ever expected.

Adrienne So

Julian Chokkattu

Martin Cizmar

Julian Chokkattu

Whole beans will always taste fresher than preground, but the fresher they actually are, the more delicious they may taste. We suggest visiting your local coffee roaster. Just Google "coffee roasters near me" and I guarantee you'll find something nearby. Your local grocery store probably even stocks locally roasted beans.

Look for bags of whole beans with dates printed on them. (That's when they were roasted, and you'll usually only find those on local brands.) If you don't have any coffee roasters in your area, you can order some quality beans online.

If you're unsure which variety of coffee to get, again, check our guide to the best subscription coffee services. These services send you new beans to try every few weeks.

Jaina Grey

Joe Ray

Brenda Stolyar

Joe Ray

Medea Giordano

Louryn Strampe

Louryn Strampe

Scott Gilbertson

TurboTax coupon: Up to an extra $15 off all tax services

20% OFF All H&R Block 2023 Tax Software | H&R Block Coupon

Instacart coupon code: $10 off any size order + free delivery

50% off any size order + free delivery with DoorDash promo code

Save BIG with $15 Off $150 - Finish Line Coupon

Members: 15% Off Groupon Promo Code | Valid Sitewide!