If you’re looking for something that works with unpressurized filters I can recommend the mentioned Breville smartgrinder.
Looks sleek and I’m able to get solid unpressurized pulls at about 25 seconds.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXGXW8O/
What’s the best coffee grinder?
I’ve got a question for you. What’s the best coffee grinder? Is there one that you absolutely love or hate? I’d like to do a coffee grinder review—this will be for Conical Burr coffee grinders. Maybe I’ll do one for hand grinders in the future.
Here’s what I’m considering so far:
- OXO Barista Brain Coffee Grinder
- Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder
- Baratza Virtuoso Coffee Grinder
- Capresso 560 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder
- Breville SmartGrinder Pro
Anything I should add to this list?
4 replies
Not sure if you’re into the buy it for life thing, but I’ve been using the same small Krups grinder for the last 20 years. I think this is a newer version of this—mine is white. Or at least was white at some point in time.
https://www.amazon.com/KRUPS-Electric-Coffee-Grinder-Stainless/dp/B00004SPEU
It’s not the fanciest thing out there. There’s only a single blade and single speed. It’s easy to clean too. I just wipe the inside down with a paper towel.
You probably can’t use it for espresso, but there’s something I love about simple machines.
I ended up going with the OXO Barista Brain Coffee Grinder
Here’s my quick take after about 6 months of use.
The good
- A fresh grind of coffee makes a huge difference. Previously I ground in large batches about every two weeks—that’s no longer the case.
- The built-in scale is not super-precise but it is good enough for anyone making drip coffee.
- I love the cups measuring system. I preset the strength of the coffee I want. When I’m ready for coffee I simply select the number of cups I want and push the button—it grinds the right amount I need.
- It’s a pretty attractive appliance.
- I read a ton of reviews about the grinder being messy. Every grinder has this problem and it—this was my main concern when purchasing a coffee grinder. I had seen the mess that the highly-rated Baratza grinders produced. I’m glad to report that the mess is minimal and when there is one, the removable scale tray makes it easy to clean.
The bad
- If you’re looking to make espresso, this is probably not your grinder. You will need a finer grind than this machine is capable of—especially for unpressurized espresso.
- The scale isn’t exact. While I have not tested this myself, every test I’ve reviewed reports 1/4 to 1 ounce more than the desired amount. This is likely because it takes a bit more time for the coffee to go from the Burr grinder through the chute and onto the scale.
- Grind consistency is OK. Works well for drip, but as the Wirecutter mentioned, the Baratza grinders will provide a much more consistent grind.
*Smudges pretty easily. Easy to clean, but for my this is the biggest detractor from an otherwise great product.
Conclusion
If you’re simply looking for a way to up your drip coffee the OXO Barista Brain is about as good as you can do. I purchased mine on sale for about $120 and think it’s an absolute steal at that price.