You've been making your own pour over coffee for a while now and are looking to make it even better? A grinder might be what you need for that. There are plenty of models out there that will actually make your coffee worse than if you bought it pre-ground. Let's see what grinders the best in 2024 and will give you the best grind!
Best Coffee Grinders for Pour Over Coffee
If you insist on getting the best taste out of your coffee you probably know you will need to invest in a good grinder. How fresh your coffee is, is one of the main factors that affect how good your coffee is. That's why you shouldn't get any burr grinder but one that will give you an evenly ground coffee and that was preferably made for pour over.
A perfect grind isn't everything you need for a good cup of pour over coffee, though. For the best taste you should also make sure that the water you're using for your coffee is the right temperature and poured correctly. The best way to make sure you're doing that right is with the LuxHaus gooseneck kettle for pour over coffee.
It's made of high-quality food safe stainless steel and has a spout specifically designed for pour over. In addition, it has a thermometer that lets you know when the water inside has reached the perfect temperature for pour over coffee.
Best Grinder for Pour Over Coffee - Breville BCG820BSS
This Breville grinder is the best coffee grinder for pour over that we found. It is an automatic conical burr grinder that has a variety of grinding options, allowing you to use it for basically any type of coffee brew you can think of.
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro as it's also known, is equipped with 40mm stainless steel burrs and a 450 RPM motor. The grinder was designed to not build up heat while grinding. This way your coffee won't be over roasted, giving you a better taste.
If the perfectly ground coffee and wide variety of ground sizes wasn't enough, this burr grinder also rocks an LCD control panel. It allows you to further improve your grind settings for a top notch cup of coffee. It lets you adjust the grind time, number of shots or cups, and the grind size.
In addition to all that, the Breville grinder has 60 grind settings that let you make micro adjustments for the perfect cup of pour over, espresso or drip coffee. It's worth mentioning that if you want to make cold brew coffee we wouldn't recommend using this grinder. Even though it has a coarse grind setting, the coffee isn't ground as consistently as on any other setting.
The key advantages of the Breville Smart Grinder Pro are the endless range of grind settings, consistent grind and user-friendly controls. You also have the freedom to adjust the digital timer of the grinder in 0.2-second increments. An alternative approach to that is to adjust the number of shots or cups. The last thing you can adjust for your coffee is the size of the grind. You do this by turning the dial on the side of the machine and making sure it's on the correct setting on the screen at the front.
When it comes to pour over coffee, you can make your life easier by putting your coffee filter in the grinder and having your ground coffee go directly there.
One more thing that makes this burr grinder stand out is the very large capacity and easy removal. This way you will only need to put coffee in it only once every few days or weeks, depending on how much coffee you drink.
Breville is an Australia-based kitchen appliance manufacturer. It has a long history of creating not only coffee accessories and appliances, but also any sort of kitchen gear. This is why the rather high price of $200 is worth paying.
Best Universal Grinder for Pour Over Coffee - Oxo Conical Burr Grinder
The Oxo coffee grinder manages to balance a very good price with many features, making it one of the best universal burr grinders you can currently buy. It has a relatively small size of 12″ x 7.4″ x 16″ and weighs just over 5.6 lbs. This means it can easily fit into any kitchen. Additionally the 400 RPM motor provides a grind speed of 2.5 grams per second, which while pretty decent is not quite what the top models offer.
The burr grinder has 43 grinding settings, which means that you can use it for much more than pour over coffee. These include 15 main settings and 2 micro settings for each. The selector dial that's on the grinder is precise enough to make sure you get the perfect grind for your pour over, espresso, drip or French press coffee. Basically you can grind coffee for the most widely spread types of brew with this grinder.
This conical grinder has a "no spill" design that will help you keep your ground coffee inside. Additionally, it comes equipped with a rather large hopper that fits 12 ounces of coffee. The hopper is tinted so your coffee will be protected from UV rays that might potentially ruin your brew. Moreover, it has a mess-free trap door design that lets you remove it with the coffee still inside, making swapping beans very straightforward.
Something else that not all coffee grinders have is an auto-stop timer. This one comes equipped with one, which lets you program it when you get up and have your coffee freshly ground and ready to brew, while you get ready. This Oxo conical burr grinder will keep your set time, giving you a consistent grind, which helps you brew the perfect coffee each morning.
Now, a bit more about the technical aspect of this burr grinder. It features 40mm burrs that are easy to remove, a grounds bin with a capacity of almost 4 ounces and a two year warranty. We don't think you'll need to use it, as the grinder is pretty robust.
Best Value Coffee Grinder - Bodum Bistro Electric
The Bodum Bistro is an entry-level coffee grinder. We only recommend it if you're on a budget, or simply aren't sure how often you'll be grinding your coffee. Even though it's got some nice features, it is by no means a high quality grinder that will give you great coffee with each brew. Nevertheless, it's easy to use and is significantly better than a blade grinder. That's why it's the top choice for a coffee grinder on a budget.
This coffee grinder comes equipped with a set of 35mm stainless-steel burr grinders and a whopping 720 RPM motor. It has 12 grind settings, which while not a lot, is enough for drip or pour over coffee. Unfortunately, finely ground coffee is not its strength, so we wouldn't recommend using it for espresso or Turkish coffee.
The problem with this grinder and fine grinds is that the coffee won't be ground consistently. While the fine grind setting is there, the grinder won't grind your coffee evenly and as any coffee enthusiast would tell you, great coffee is all about consistency. This way you can achieve an even brew and have the perfect tasting cup of coffee.
When it comes to durability, this coffee grinder is not the best. While most burr grinders are built to last, that's not exactly the case with the Bodum Bistro coffee grinder.
The problem isn't the burrs, they're pretty good, especially for such a cheap coffee grinder. The issue here are the switches and buttons. Even though we didn't have any issues with them, they don't feel very durable and there have been a few people complaining online.
Another weak spot of this coffee grinder is the grounds bin. Even though it's static-free and dishwasher safe, there have been a few complaints about cracks. This usually happens if you put it on the countertop with a bit of force, but you should still be careful.
The coffee grinder is very easy to use, even if you don't usually brew your own coffee. The hopper is easy to open and load, the on/off switch is easily visible and pushed, and there's a rather large red time selector that only goes to 20 seconds.
The downside here is that if you want to brew more coffee, you will have to spend a significant amount of time grinding. This is because Bodum says that after a 20-second grinding cycle, you will need to give the coffee grinder 5 minutes to cool off.
One of the strongest sides of this coffee maker are its design and motor. As we already mentioned, it can spin the conical steel burrs at 720 RPM. What we didn't mention, though, is that it's 160 watts so, even though 720 RPM is not that much for it, it's on the louder side of burr grinders.
The transparent plastic hopper, while good looking, has an average capacity of 7.8 ounces. We were pleasantly surprised to know that it's static-free, which is not common among cheaper grinders.
This means that the coffee grinder is very easy to clean. You won't have to spend too much time cleaning it and getting rid of pesky, oily coffee residue.
Let's talk design and size though. This is arguably the best looking coffee grinder on our list. The modern minimalist look will make it fit just right into any modern kitchen. Additionally it's available in five colors so it can even look great in a coffee shop.
When it comes to size it has dimensions of 7.6 x 7.1 x 12.5 inches and weighs just over 4.7 pounds. This makes it a small and lightweight piece of kitchen gear that you can easily put in a cupboard, if you need the space.
Finally, Bodum is a Swiss-Danish company which is a clear sign for quality. Even though they don't offer a wide variety of electrical appliances, this one offers a great value, and only costs $143 on Amazon.
Most Versatile Coffee Grinder - Capresso Infinity Plus Burr Grinder
This Capresso coffee grinder is one of the best models that the company has to offer and for that reason, one of their best sellers. Its best feature is that it's very good at grinding coffee for a few different brewing methods.
Let's start with the design and build. The coffee grinder comes equipped with a multiple gear motor that spins the 40 mm conical burrs at 450 RPM.
We have to mention that said burrs are not of the highest quality. That has its benefits, though, as it helps keep the friction and, therefore heat, lower. This helps your coffee taste good and you're less likely to end up with prematurely extracted coffee.
Another unexpected benefit of the motor in this coffee grinder is that it runs quieter than most other burr grinders. This is great if you're sharing a household with more people and want to keep the noise level down.
Now, about the hopper and ground bin. The transparent plastic hopper can hold up to 8.8 oz of beans which should be enough in most cases. Of course, that depends on how much coffee you usually drink. If you find yourself drinking a few cups per day everyday and making some brew for your family or friends, it might be best to consider a coffee grinder with a bigger one.
The grounds bin is less than half the size of the hopper. With a capacity of 4 oz the same rule goes there - if you want to make more coffee, this coffee grinder might not be for you. Additionally, it's made of plastic, which makes it prone to static cling.
When it comes to cleaning this coffee grinder, it's recommended to do it at least once per week. Even though the top burr is removable, the hopper can be a pain to wash. It's hard to reach with a brush so there might be some stubborn coffee left inside. A quick rinse should usually help you get rid of it, though.
It's a different story with the chute. This is the channel that lets the ground coffee get to the grounds bin. As the coffee is headed down to the bin, it can fall behind the container and get stuck there.
Even though the burrs of this coffee grinder are not the highest quality, it's pretty durable. You'll easily be able to use them for a solid few years.
You should be able with the housing, though. It's made of ABS plastic, which isn't the most resistant to rough handling.
Unfortunately coffee grinders in general aren't the most durable piece of kitchen gear. Due to the constant friction, high RPM-rate and constant contact with coffee they tend to break down with prolonged usage. This Capresso coffee grinder is no different. With proper cleaning and no abuse, it'll last a few years. The good news is that if something goes wrong within the first year of the purchase you'll be covered by the warranty.
The coffee grinder is very easy to use even for an amateur in the coffee world. It comes with a timer dial that starts at 5 seconds and can go all the way up to a minute. If you want to stop the timer before it runs out, you can simply twist the hopper anti-clockwise till the black dot at the base moves out of the range of the grind size markings.
One of the most important things if you want to brew the perfect cup of coffee is the consistency of the grind. This is where this grinder excels. It's very good at both a coarse ground for cold brew and a very fine one for an espresso. If you want to get technical, the grind range is 300 to 1200 microns.
There are four grind settings with four more micro settings in each. This makes for a total number of 16 grind settings.
At the finest setting, your coffee will be ground finely enough for an espresso and even for a Turkish coffee. That's if you don't insist on perfection. As this kind of brew requires very finely ground coffee, if you want to have the perfect cup, you might want to invest in a Turkish coffee grinder.
You should know that larger coffee grounds are what this grinder is fantastic at. This means that it's a fantastic option for pour over coffee. It'll give you just the perfect grind for it
With a price of around $100, depending on where you're buying it from, and at what time of the year, it'll fit the budget of most coffee drinkers.
Best Manual Coffee Grinder - Hario Skerton Pro
If you're a hardened coffee drinker who likes pour over coffee, we thought you might also like a manual coffee grinder. WHat's great about these grinders is that they're usually a budget-friendly option and are very easy to use. In addition, they're smaller than electric grinders and more often than not offer a consistent grind.
When it comes to the Hario Skerton Pro grinder, the engineers behind it put a lot of effort into giving you a consistently ground coffee. Some other manual grinders, including the previous versions of this one, there were some issues when trying to get a coarser coffee ground for cold brew or a French press.
The new Skerton Pro grinder is by far the best manual grinder money can buy. It comes equipped with a stabilizing shaft and a lower burr spring that keeps the burrs from wobbling. This is the magic behind a more consistent coffee grind.
It's still not perfect though. There are some grinds that are not as uniform as others. For a price at just $50 it's still worth it, though.
This is one of the few coffee grinders out there that offers such a vast array of grind settings and is completely manual. This Hario grinder was created to help you brew the best cup of pour over coffee. As the top choice here is a medium to coarse grind, it goes right where the Hario excels.
Additionally, you can use the coffee grinder for anything from Turkish coffee to a French press brew. You're going to get decent results with any type of brew you choose.
The coffee grinder is also very easy to use. To change the grind size you'll simply need to unscrew the grind catcher and turn the dial under the burrs. The different grind sizes are marked by clicks. This makes it easy to find and remember the best grind size for your preference.
By now you know that apart from consistency, the most important thing for burr grinders is the quality of the burrs. Here Hario decided to invest in quality and give you ceramic burrs. Their main advantage is that they remain cold even when grinding coffee finely for an espresso.
When compared to a steel burr, which needs a cooling system if you want to grind more beans, this is a huge advantage. Another approach the the producers of these machines adopt is recommending intermittent grinding. That isn't great if you're planning on grinding a lot of beans at one go.
The problem with these burrs is that, even though they are as sharp and durable as steel burrs, they are more brittle and bring a slight increase in weight. What this means for you is that you should be extra careful not to chip away a bit of the burrs when carrying the grinder around.
Ceramic burrs also tend to have a higher price than steel ones. This gives Hario an even bigger advantage over other coffee grinders as the price of this one is only $50.
Let's talk about build quality. You're not going to find a better built grinder anywhere. The hopper in the Skerton Pro is made of heavy-duty plastic and the grind hopper from heat-proof glass. Additionally the grind catcher is equipped with an airtight lid that will help you keep your beans fresh after grinding.
Another surprising piece of ingenuity is the silicone grip that lets you hold the grinder in place when grinding your beans. This is especially useful if you have picked one of the finer grind settings, as they require a little more force.
The capacity of the hopper is around 3.5 oz which is not a lot but should be enough for more than four cups of brew. While this might mean that you will need to reload your beans for more coffee, it helps portability.
This coffee grinder is very easy to disassemble given that the handle can be removed and packed separately. When put together the grinder has a size of 4x3.9x8 inches which is also very small.
If you're planning to take it with you when traveling you should keep in mind that while the hopper for the beans is pretty tough, the grind catcher is made of glass. That's why you should be extra careful with it and pack it with extra care.
It's important that you clean your grind after each use. This will help get the best taste out of your brew in the long run. The good news is that this coffee grinder is very easy to wash. You simply remove the swivel arms, unscrew the burrs and give them a quick brush or a rinse. This will get rid of stubborn beans and grinds that could potentially ruin future coffee.
Fastest Coffee Grinder - Baratza Sette 270
This Baratza grinder is a beast. The motor inside is basically an electric V12 designed to help you make the best coffee. Not only is the motor inside very powerful but also the way the burrs move is very efficient.
On most coffee grinders when you grind beans the inner burr spins while the outer remains still. Baratza did the opposite. The outer burr is attached directly to the motor and the inner one is static. Additionally, the burrs are mounted vertically so the ground coffee goes directly from the hopper to the portafilter holder and to your machine. This means that there's less grind retention and more fluffy grinds for your brew.
Zero retention grinders are best if used at home. The constant grinding in a coffee shop will leave residue behind and it will find its way in the next brew. This means that every next cup of coffee will have a bit of the old beans you used.
Baratza also made sure the hopper and grounds bin are top notch on this burr grinder. Additionally you can have your ground coffee go directly into the portafilter and be ready to brew.
Under the burrs there's a pair of adjustable arms that swing to fit your portafilter sized between 49 and 58 mm. That's great if you're going to use it to brew espresso as you'll have less cleaning up to do later.
If you decide to use the grind holder instead, you should know that it's anti-static and is made of high quality plastic. It also has a decent capacity of 5.6 oz which should be enough for around 7 cups of espresso.
The hopper, where your beans go, has a capacity of nearly 9 oz which means you will only have to put beans inside two or three times per month. Baratza also offers a hopper extender that will let you add extra 10 oz of capacity. That would mean your coffee is probably going to get stale as you won't brew it all at once.
Let's talk about the grind and its consistency. This Baratza burr grinder excels at fine and medium grinds that would be perfect for espresso and pour over coffee. The grind is calibrated to 230-950 microns which what's best for most types of brew. It won't work for cold brew though.
There are 270 grind settings split into 30 macro grind settings and 9 additional micro settings for each. It also has a stepless micro adjuster which lets you further adjust your grind settings.
What you should care about, though, is grind consistency. This coffee grinder is going to give you a very consistent grind for espresso, Moka pot coffee and pour over. Basically any type of brew that requires a fine or a medium grind.
The strongest side of this Baratza grinder is the speed at which your beans will be ground and ready to brew. The vertical positioning of the burrs and powerful motor give you a grind speed of 3.5 grams/second for espresso and around 5 grams/second for pour over. This means that the grinder can give you enough ground coffee beans for a double shot of espresso in just 5 seconds.
Baratza are known for their durable burr grinders. The Sette 270 is no exception and you can expect it to help you brew coffee for years to come after you buy it.
Even though this burr grinder is predominantly plastic, it's the best plastic you can find. Baratza decided to use it to reduce weight and price, as the motor and the burrs are pretty heavy.
They used metal parts where it matters most, though. This includes the mentioned burrs, the portafilter holders and the burr carrier. The burrs themselves were produced by the Swiss manufacturer Etzinger. They're the same manufacturer that makes burrs for the pro-grade burr grinders Flair Espresso and La Marzocco.
How Do You Choose a Coffee Grinder?
Burr Grinders vs Blade Grinders
There are two main types of grinders: burr and blade. It's important that you get a burr grinder as this is the one worth investing in. It provides you a significantly more consistent grind that will give you the best coffee.
Why do blade grinders exist then? Well, price. A blade grinder is significantly cheaper to produce and that's why the end price is much lower.
Manual Grinder vs Electric Grinder
We looked into five electric grinders and a manual one. But which one should you get? That depends on your preference. Manual grinders are more satisfying to use, weigh less and are much smaller. In addition their price is usually much lower than an electric grinder.
Electric grinders, on the other hand are significantly easier to use. They are also much faster and require little to no input from you. You can simply pick the grind setting and have your coffee ready to brew in no time.
Consistency Is Key
The main thing you should look for when buying a grinder, no matter electric or manual, is consistency. If the grinder you buy gives you a consistent grind, you'll brew delicious coffee. As simple as that.
Grinding Settings
If you're not only going to use your grinder for pour over, you will want to look for a more universal model with more settings. It'll let you pick the right grind settings for your brew.
Final Word
Now you know what makes a great grinder and what are the best models you can buy currently. If you go for any of these grinders, you'll be very happy with the pour over grind you'll get. They all give a consistent grind and have enough settings to give you the freedom to experiment with different brews. One thing you should remember is that you shouldn't get a blade grinder. They'll give you a grind that's worse than pre-ground coffee.
Let's go back to pour over though. A fantastic grind isn't all you need for a delicious coffee. You'll also need a great gooseneck kettle. It's vital that you heat your water to the right temperature. Additionally you'll need to pour it into the grind very precisely to extract the coffee evenly. The best way to do that is with the LuxHaus Pour Over Kettle. It was specifically designed for pour over coffee. Get yours now.