best coffee bean grinders Conical Burr mini electric coffee grinder Grinders

Grinding your own coffee beans is a great way to improve your morning cup. There are a myriad of different kinds of grinders.

This OXO grinder uses conical burrs that create an excellent grind for drip, French press and espresso. Coffee enthusiasts who are hardcore may require more precision from this grinder, however it's an excellent choice for beginners.

OXO Brew

If you're into making your own coffee at home, you probably know that it requires a good grinder to produce the best flavor. A quality burr mill can cost upwards of $200, which is a huge amount for those who don't know whether they'll actually make use of it. The OXO Brew is an excellent choice for anyone looking to enjoy freshly-ground coffee without spending hundreds of dollars.

The design of the OXO Brew isn't flashy, but it looks sturdy and expensive. The stainless steel grinder steel body comes with an in-built water reservoir that is permanently located at the rear and a thermo caafe at the front. The carafe and tank are designed so that the body is easily fitted into smaller kitchens. The controls are concealed beneath the carafe, which reduces clutter. There is also a light that lets you know when it's heating or brewing.

In our tests, the Oxo brewed consistently well. The water temperature was within a small range (197.4 F to 205.0 F) for the entire test according to thermocouples in the basket for the grounds. Its brewing time was also close to the time that the Specialty Coffee Association recommends for a good drip.

The OXO Brew also comes with a single-serve feature that allows you to pour coffee directly into your cup. This isn't a feature found in other models of high-end and is an important benefit for those who prefer to make their own individual servings of coffee but don't wish to hassle with brewing the entire carafe of espresso coffee grinder.

The only downside to the OXO Brew is that it does not include an alarm clock or a timer that can be set to automatically start time, which can be a pain if you have a busy schedule. Additionally the water tank could be tricky to remove due to its lid that must be lifted off to access the reservoir. It does have an inbuilt descaler, which helps prevent mineral deposits from accumulating in the machine.

Baratza Encore ESP

If you're a coffee lover seeking the top burr grinder, the Baratza Encore ESP is your best Conical Burr Grinder choice. This version of the classic Encore was redesigned to incorporate upgrades that make it more compatible with a greater variety of brewing methods and provide more flexibility than ever before. It's designed for home baristas who are just starting out and anyone looking to have a variety of brewing options in one grinder. It features stepped grind adjustment and simple controls for novice baristas, as well as marked and notched settings to ensure consistency. The M2 Burrs guarantee uniform grinding, and its hopper has an easy-to-clean quick release feature.

The ESP employs the same high-torque gear reduction DC motor that was used in the original Encore, but it operates at lower speeds to lessen heat buildup and static charge during operation. It's also quieter than classic Encore and comes with a metal plate that improves burr consistency and stability. It is equipped with conical burrs that measure 40 millimeters, similar to those found in the more expensive Virtuoso plus. This allows it to achieve a better grind size distribution and more consistent shots.

Each step of the ESP's grind adjustment is 9 microns, which gives high resolution when dialing in espresso, and more precise grinding for pour over. It comes with a dosing cup that can be used with both 54 and 58 millimeter portafilters, which improves the ergonomics of manual dosing. The grinder can also be used in conjunction with a traditional grounds bin for those who prefer a hopper-based workflow.

One downside of the ESP is its inconsistency during back-to-back consistency tests although it still performs better than many other grinders in this price range. The settings for stepped grinding can also be inconsistant, making it difficult to find the perfect setting for your brewing style. The ESP is a brewer that can be used in a variety of ways that can be used for different brewing methods.

The Encore ESP is also a bit more expensive than many of the other models on this list, but it's well worth the extra cost for its impressive versatility. It can grind espresso and filter brews as well as utilize the shims included to improve its performance for pour over the brewing.

Baratza DF64

The Baratza DF64 is a good grinder that works well with espresso and pour-over brewing. The burrs can be upgraded to increase performance and the hopper is sufficient to accommodate a range of sizes of grind. The DF64 has few moving parts, making it simple to maintain and use. It is an excellent choice for those looking for a premium grinder at a low cost.

The DF64 Gen 2 is a significant improvement over the initial version and should be difficult to be defeated by any other grinder that is priced in the same range. The new model is more appealing to the eye. It is a flat-rounded base that can withstand up to The cradle is able to hold 20 grams at a time. It also comes with a rubber bellows that will push air through the grinder as you take the dose, to eliminate excess grinds and reduce retention.

One of the major problems with the original DF64 was popcorning, which is when coffee beans bounce upward out of the burrs instead of grinding down. This is a common problem with hopper-based grinders that can affect the consistency of your grind. The new DF64 has a much-improved anti-popcorning system that eliminates this problem.

Other issues with the DF64 included a poor quality build, a loose design that caused gaps around the edges of the hopper, a heavyweight, a mandatory use of bellows, regular alignment challenges, a plastic adjust collar that mis-threaded easily, vinyl wrap instead of powder coating, and the all-but-mandatory need for two aftermarket upgrades (anti-popcorning, declumper). The DF64 Gen 2 addresses these issues and many more.

The DF64 has a powerful 250W motor that spins the burrs at about 1,400 RPM. This is a little faster than the Encore ESP, but it’s still slower than other popular burr grinders like the Mahlkönig EK43. The DF64 is also less noisy than the Encore ESP, making it easier to work with in a busy cafe environment.

The DF64 has an easy-to-read, step-by-step adjustment system that allows you to fine-tune your grind size for different brewing methods. It also comes with a wide selection of burrs, which makes it possible to experiment and find the perfect grind for your particular electric coffee bean grinder bean. The DF64 also has a convenient dosing system, which allows you to direct the ground coffee directly into your portafilter or mug.
Fellow Ode

A popular maker of home coffee equipment, Fellow makes some seriously aesthetically appealing gear. Their kettles, French presses, and other home coffee brewing machines have an elegant and modern matte finish that suits any kitchen aesthetic. With this in mind, it should be no surprise that their grinders look equally as good. The Ode is a sleek and compact grinder with a number of easy-to-use features designed for precise, single-dose brewing.

The Ode is unique among coffee grinders because it uses flat burrs, rather than conical ones. Usually, you only see flat burrs on professional or commercial grinders due to their ability to reduce grind time and heat generation and improve grind particle consistency. The 64mm flat burrs in the Ode also give it a much smoother grind than you would find in a typical home appliance grinder. And they are designed with single-dosing in mind, meaning that the grinder shuts off as soon as the hopper is empty. This helps to prevent over-grinding, which can rob your brews of flavor and aroma.

The hopper itself holds 100 grams, which is enough for one large pour-over or two small cups of espresso. The Ode has a variety of other neat features, including a built-in scale and a cool grind size chart that is mapped out on the underside of the lid. This shows the brewing methods that each setting is most suitable for, with pour-over and cold brews on the fine end of the range, and French press on the coarse end.

Another great feature of the Ode is that it has a quiet, almost purr-like sound during operation and is very fast. The grinder has a high-force spring that knocks excess ground beans and chaff into the catch, which helps to reduce grind retention and make clean-up a breeze. It’s also very easy to disassemble and is compatible with coffee tablet cleaners.

Despite some minor hiccups in the initial launch, the Ode is still a top contender for those looking for an excellent and aesthetically pleasing conical burr grinder. Fortunately, the company is committed to improving the product and recently released the Gen 2 version, which addresses some of the issues with the original. However, for those who want a better-suited grinder for espresso, the Baratza DF64 is an excellent alternative that is both visually and functionally superior to the Fellow Ode.