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.
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 I think this is a newer version of this—mine is white.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.
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.
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.