20 Myths About Best Burr Grinder: Busted

How to Choose the Best Burr Coffee Grinder

A coffee grinder is a vital tool for any home coffee maker's arsenal. Which one should you purchase?

Burr grinders crush beans between two revolving serrated surfaces, rather than slicing them using blades. They're considered superior to blade grinders. What are the features you should look out for in the burr mill?

1. Conical Burrs

The name suggests that a conical burr grinder has one circular burr ring within another one with the teeth angled. This shape permits more efficient grinding, because the burrs are arranged around an axis. The inclined teeth are more effective in cutting beans evenly, and also produce less heat. This is beneficial since too much heat can cause bitter taste in your coffee. Conical burrs last longer than flat burrs. Flat burrs can be susceptible to warping and become dull quickly, leading to unevenly ground coffee that is unevenly ground. They are also more brittle, meaning that small stones and other debris could damage the burrs over time. In addition, flat burrs generate more noise and require regular cleaning and maintenance.

Many burr grinders on the market claim to be "burr grinders," but they have flat burrs, or no burrs even. These "false burr grinders" feature large flat teeth and are often coupled with motors that have weak components that produce irregular grounds. They aren't true burr mills and, contrary to what some people think, they do not provide the same quality grind as real burr mills.

Some experts do not agree with this assertion However, some believe that the shape and size of burrs used in a grinder for coffee can influence the final taste. These theories are largely anecdotal but they hold an unshakeable hold on the minds of coffee enthusiasts. For instance, some believe that conical burrs bring out the distinct flavors of exotic beans, while flat burrs are able to soften and enhance dark roasts.

This could be the case. But it is something you should consider when you are deciding whether your grinder will have significant impact on the quality of your espresso grinders. Only by testing a grinder with the beans that you plan to use can you be certain. The overall design of the grinder and its operational features will have a bigger effect on the final cup of coffee than the kind of burrs. It's therefore important to consider other aspects when evaluating the grinder, including its reputation as well as customer reviews.

2. Convenience

The Baratza Encore is a burr grinder that many coffee machine with grinder enthusiasts swear by. A number of reviewers have praised it as an "time-tested option" that provides excellent value for money and is suitable for pour-over, drip, French press, and cold brew.

The grinder uses rotating burrs made of metal instead of blades for grinding beans, which creates more uniformly sized grounds as compared to a blender or burr grinders, as per the company. In addition the burrs create less heat while grinding and preserves more of the bean's flavor and aroma.

Blade grinders however are prone to producing excessive heat and unevenly-sized grounds which can affect the flavor of your final cup. Burr grinders are also known to be quieter than blade grinders, though this may vary based on the model and brand.

Although the majority of burr grinders we tested have conical burrs, there are some that have flat burrs (two discs with cutting teeth facing each other). We do not recommend them for espresso as they can be difficult to adjust and are generally less expensive than a premium burr grinder with a flat-burr such as the Fellow Ode Gen 2 or the Baratza Virtuoso+.

The grinders we've tested allow users to choose the length of time that the machine will be grinding for a particular amount of time, which is useful when you're making espresso. Others--including our top choice the Baratza Sette 270 an inbuilt smart timer that can deliver precise split-second timing. This feature is not necessary for the majority of brewing methods and most burr grinders that cost less than $200 use the most expensive version of the windup clock.

The most affordable models in our selection, like the Porlex II and the Capresso Infinity--use manual burrs, meaning you have to crank them manually by hand to grind your coffee. This takes more effort but is a great choice if you want a simple, compact, and affordable option that doesn't require electricity.

The Breville Smart Grinder Pro uses burr mills and is also an affordable option. It's louder than other models we've tried, but it's acceptable if you're not worried about some background noise. The more quiet a grinder will be, in general the more expensive it is. This is due to the more advanced materials and advanced soundproofing technology.

3. Easy to Use

If you're just starting to discover the world of home coffee brewing There's one thing that every expert says is essential: a burr grinder. These grinders produce more consistent, finer grind than a blade grinder, and can assist in creating brews that have more balance in acidity, flavor and body. And they tend to achieve this more effectively. As you would expect, a high-quality burr mill can cost anywhere from $200 to $200 and is difficult to use.

So, we talked to experts and got their recommendations for the most simple-to-use electric burr grinders that are available on the market. Many people, even those on a budget would recommend the OXO Conical Burr Grinder. It comes with multiple settings to accommodate a variety of different brewing methods, from pour-over, French press, and drip coffee. It did well in our tests.

It's quieter than other electric grinders we've tested, and doesn't produce more heat. This is crucial, since excessive heat can damage the delicate aromas in your beans.

The OXO grinder's biggest disadvantage is that it's only effective at grinding on the coarse end of the scale, which can be a problem with espresso. If you like to brew espressos, a burr mill with more advanced features, like the Baratza Encore may be a better option.

Manual burr grinders that are powered by cranking are easier to use and ideal for those who consume only a cup or so of coffee per day. These grinders are ideal for those who travel, or who only require only one cup of pour-over coffee.

Bon Appetit Test Kitchen director Chris Morocco loves the Fellow Ode Gen 2 Burr Grinder with 41 settings that can be easily adjusted and is capable of making an excellent beverage for any method you choose--except espresso (the flat burrs of steel don't grind as finely as they should). It's easy to operate for those who don't mind some messes and flyaway particles, and it's also relatively quiet.

4. Cost

A quality burr grinder will set you back around a hundred dollars, but it's worth the price. The grinding mechanism is simple enough that even a beginner can figure out how to get the most out of it, and you'll save money in the long run by ditching the pre-ground coffee and bad-for-the-environment coffee machines with grinder pods.

Conical burr grinders are the standard in electric home units, and they're a great choice for most people just starting out with this whole grinding-your-own-beans-at-home thing. The grinders produce a tiny amount of fines, which are the tiny pieces of coffee ground that are smaller than the size of grind you choose. However this isn't evident to the majority of coffee drinkers.

Flat burrs are two discs with cutting teeth that face one another. They aren't as popular but are favored by coffee geeks because they provide a more consistent size of grind, ideal for French press and espresso. They can be expensive and you might have to purchase new burrs every when you change the type of brew or the level of roast.

The Baratza ESP is the best combination of cost and capability for a burr mill, according to our experts. It's priced at less than $200 and is far cheaper than other models that have similar capabilities. It has an incredibly flat 64-mm burr set which is perfect for all brewing methods and easy to upgrade with other sets like those from SSP.

The OXO is a good affordable alternative that has a great record in our tests. Its burrs may not be as precise as those in pricier models, but it comes with multiple settings that perform well for drip and French press, and its user interface is intuitive. The OXO is a great entry-level model for most people. True coffee enthusiasts may want a more sophisticated model however, the OXO is a good choice for those who are.

We also tested a couple of manual burr grinders for those who prefer to grind their beans by hand. They are ideal for those who travel and who only require two or three cups of coffee at a time. These models, which employ the same grinding mechanism as electric burr grinders, operate with an actual crank, not motors, and are generally much quieter than non Electric coffee grinder units.