The best coffee grinders, reviewed – and why a burr is better than a blade

There’s nothing better than the smell of fresh coffee drifting through your house – it’s the ultimate way to get me out of bed and in a good mood. Just like when you buy one of the best coffee machines, the smell of fresh coffee is just one of the benefits of finding the best coffee grinder. Grinding your beans every morning, from bean to cup, means you’ll get the freshest taste, while also being environmentally friendly.

But where do you start? From the best manual coffee grinders to the best electric coffee grinders there are a lot to choose from. Tom Saxon, Head of Coffee at Batch Coffee Club, explains there are a few things to consider, from how strong you make your coffee to how much effort you want to put in. Size is another important factor. If you’ve got a tiny kitchen, you don’t want another big gadget clogging up your worktop. And lastly your budget. Tom believes you won’t actually be getting value for money with some of the cheaper options.

Luckily many of the big brands, from SMEG to Dualit, have cottoned on to the trend of coffee grinding trend. I’ve tested an array of models, from premium to budget, from ones you can travel with to heavy machines which will look great on your kitchen top. You can read my full reviews below, followed by answers to some frequently asked questions, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at my top five:

Which are the best coffee grinders in 2024? At a glance:

• Best overall – Niche Zero
• Best value – Dualit Burr
• Best electric coffee grinder – SMEG CGF02SSUK Mini Pro
• Best manual coffee grinder – Hario Mini Mill plus
• Best burr coffee grinder – Wilfa Uniform +

How do you choose a coffee grinder?

The first thing to consider is how you brew your coffee, says Saxon, who is also head of coffee at Coffee Finders Club. “There are certain coffee grinders that are best suited for specific grind level, such as espresso or filter,” he says. “It is the burr (a kind of sharpened cog – see explanation below) that sets the grind size, so that should be your top consideration.”

The majority of the grinders we tested use burrs. Blade grinders are cheaper, but produce lower-quality results, according to Saxon.

“As with most products, there is a range of prices. Basic and beginner grinders are available for around £20. Some pro-consumer coffee grinders are almost four figures. So you can take it as far as you’d like, but keep an eye on the quality when it comes to cheap grinders. Make sure it is built well enough to last.”

The coffee expert also goes on to say that depending on your space, you should check the measurements of your coffee grinder: “Some coffee grinders can be pretty large and take up quite a lot of space, which may not suit everyone’s kitchen.”

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How we tested the best coffee grinders

Lots of cups of coffee were drunk in the process of testing these 12 coffee grinders. I have mounds of ground coffee left over to prove it. I spent over two weeks pouring coffee beans from brands such as Balance coffee, Löfbergs and even healthy coffee beans from Exhale into the bean hoppers of these grinders, thoroughly testing them so you know exactly which are worth purchasing.

I tested all coffee grinders at home, fresh from the box, to see how easy they were to set up and use every morning when I wanted a fresh morning brew. I tested them on how quickly they ground the coffee, how noisy they were, what settings (if any) they had and of course what results they gave me. Here’s what I found, starting with my favourite...

Best coffee grinders

1. Niche Zero

£538.80, Niche

Best coffee grinder overall, 10/10

We like: how attractive it looks on my kitchen top and how quickly it grinds coffee

We don’t like: the weight and the cost

• 50g capacity
• Infinite stepless dial
• Conical Burr

I fell in love with this machine as soon as I saw it. The white model, with oak accents, is sleek and attractive and it performs as well as it looks. I was surprised by how heavy the machine was when I took it out of the box, but this was the only downside. The machine, which is powered by 63mm conical burrs, gives you one dose of espresso coffee at a time, so you don’t waste beans. The stainless steel bean hopper, which is on a slight tilt is easy to manoeuvre with its steepless dial, meaning you can change it for different grind settings.

I easily changed the dial between the espresso and filter coffee settings and could see the difference in the grind. Coffee was ground quickly and quietly, via the burrs, and the results were fresh coffee which was ready to pop in my coffee machine. Overall I found the experience seamless. With a quick flick of the lever on the side, the coffee was dispersed and ready for me to use in either my coffee machine or cafeteria. The grinder comes with a stainless steel cup to catch the coffee in, as well as a cleaning brush for the burrs when you don’t want to do a full clean.

It’s a little trickier to clean the whole machine, but the grinder does come with a socket driver to take off the burrs for cleaning. Although this is one of the most expensive coffee grinders I tested, it not only made me look like a coffee connoisseur but also was an enjoyable experience to use – a grinder which I know would stand the test of time.

2. Dualit burr coffee grinder

£99.99, Dualit

Best value coffee grinder, 9/10

We like: How you can control the dose and grind

We don’t like: How fiddly it was to set up

• 12 cup capacity
• 35 grind settings
• Conical burr

I found Dualit’s slimline black and silver grinder relatively light for its medium footprint – and it fitted nicely into the corner of my kitchen worktop. I washed the bean hopper and grinding cup before I used it, but fitting the hopper and conical burr back into place took a while. It could impressively hold enough beans for 12 cups of coffee though, while its burr was speedy at grinding my beans.

With 35 grind settings, which are labelled clearly at the bottom of the hopper, they can be changed quickly – and my results, for both a coarse grind for the French press and a finer grind for espresso, came out perfect. I loved how it automatically shut off after three minutes of use. Extras include a 52mm portafilter cradle, a coffee scoop (which can be attached to the hopper lid) and a cleaning brush. An all-round aesthetically pleasing, well-priced coffee grinder which isn’t too noisy.

3. SMEG CGF02SSUK Mini Pro Coffee Grinder

£249.95, SMEG

Best electric coffee grinder, 9/10

We like: There are settings galore, from espresso to filter coffee

We don’t like: How large and heavy it is – it took over my kitchen counter

• 240g capacity
• 50 micro grinding levels
• Conical Burr

A SMEG product will always look good in your kitchen, with its bright colours and smooth lines – and this coffee grinder is no different. However, it took a while to get the settings right and there was a lot of spillage. Although slim, it was heavier than I thought it would be. So, once you’ve found a place for it on your kitchen counter, it’s best to keep it there. The burr grinder has a 240g Tritan Bean hopper with a sealed lid – meaning you can fit a large capacity of beans in there, keeping them fresh until you want to grind them. Just below this are the settings, which can be easily changed with the lever.

4. Hario Mini Mill Plus

£28.28, Amazon

Best manual coffee grinder, 9/10

We like: How small it is and how easy it is to use

We don’t like: Having to do the grinding ourselves

• Capacity: 24g
• Grinding levels: Just one
• Burrs

When you are manually grinding your beans you need a grinder that’s easy to grip – and Hario’s pepper pot-shaped style, which tucks in at the waist, is perfect for holding as you grind your beans with the crank handle. I simply took the top off to add the beans and attached the crank handle to grind them, which fell into the pot below.

5. Wilfa Uniform +

£389, Wilfa

Best burr coffee grinder, 9/10

We like: How great it looked in my kitchen and its digital scale

We don’t like: How heavy it is and how tricky it is to clean

• 2kg capacity
• 41 grinding levels
• Flat burrs

This black cylinder-shaped coffee grinder looked elegant on my kitchen top, while it was just as smooth to operate – however, I did find it quite heavy as I lifted it out of the box to set up. The low-noise grinder has 15 settings (and 41 grinding levels), shown very clearly on the top of the machine, which means you can choose from coarse grinding to an espresso grind. 

I set up mine in the middle, to use in my Sunday cafeteria, and placed the beans in the hopper above. The lid for the grinder also acts as a mini digital scales, which helped me to weigh the beans – a plus if you don’t like to waste your beans.

The grinder comes with stabilised flat burrs, which are supposed to mean it has a more precise grind and even extraction – for me it meant the coffee beans were ground quickly and smoothly, depositing them into the below container, and then straight into my cafeteria for no-fuss coffee making. 

This coffee container was easy to clean with soap and water, but I found the rest of the machine harder, and could only be wiped down, while some coffee beans also got stuck in the burrs, only trickling out when I turned it upside down. It is worth downloading the app – which can give you an overview on how to grind the optimal amount of beans, plus coffee recipes.

6. Turimon Stainless Steel Coffee Bean Grinder

£15.98, Amazon

Best coffee grinder for space-saving, 9/10

We like: how small it is and how easy it is for setting up and grinding

We don’t like: only one setting so grinding can’t be altered

• 60g capacity
• One grinding level
• Stainless steel blade

I knew I was going to love this coffee grinder as it’s a best- seller on Amazon, with loads of great reviews. The tiny and compact coffee grinder definitely wins points for being the simplest to set up. If you don’t want to faff about with manuals and start your grinding ASAP, this one’s for you. The stainless steel grinder fitted perfectly on my kitchen top as it was so small and as soon as I popped the beans in and pushed down on the lid it started to grind them.

The blade grinder only has one setting, which means you have to guess when you need to stop grinding. The longer the grind, the finer the coffee – in theory. I did find a few loose beans in my final grind, but once I shook it about a bit and ground the coffee for a second time I had a smooth fine grind which was great for popping in my French press. 

The one thing which let it down was how hard it was to clean. The inside didn’t have a detachable section you could only wipe it down lightly – meaning it’s bound to have more wear and tear and won’t last as long as some of the other grinders.

7. Kitchen Aid Go Cordless coffee grinder

£179, KitchenAid

Best cordless coffee grinder, 8/10

We like: The size, small enough to almost go unnoticed and how portable it is

We don’t like: How noisy it is – I was shocked when it started

• 113g capacity
• 1 grinding level
• Blade

As I unpacked this coffee grinder I appreciated how small and light it was, compared to some of the other ones I’d tried. The other plus is that it’s cordless – so no extra leads to deal with, and as long as it’s fully charged it’s a great one to pack in your bag for holidays or even camping. Once charged to full power it was easy to slot the battery in and assemble, with the cup slipping in easily. The container is quite small but can make up to 13 coffees.

Powered by just one button and setting, which is easy to use, I was shocked with how loud it was, so much so that I jumped back. Once I’d got over the noise I found the grind, which is activated by a blade, adequate - it was a fine blend, but with some inconsistencies. 

For nearly £200 I’d expect a burr, rather than a blade, for better results. The biggest plus for this grinder is that it’s a cordless coffee grinder – before I ground any beans I fully charged the battery, which gives you six minutes of grinding time.

8. Cookworks coffee and herb grinder

£26, Argos

Best budget coffee grinder, 8/10

We like: How cheap and small it is

We don’t like: no option of settings

• 60g capacity
• Just one grinding levels
• Blade

If you’re looking for a grinder which gets the job done, without having to shell out too much, this Cookworks version is just that. The grinder sits on your worktop and practically goes unnoticed. Its small frame means there are fewer settings or options, but this is reflected in the price. If you simply want to grind fresh beans the same way every day, this is a good option.

The blade-operated grinder has a stainless container, which attaches to the main frame, with a perspex lid. Once on, you simply push the grey button on the front to grind the beans. I found that it ground beans very well for an espresso, although some of the coffee did get attached to the side and bottom. Easy to dismantle and wash, the grinder isn’t too noisy, plus I loved how light it was.

9. Melitta Amigo coffee grinder

£37, Melitta

Best coffee grinder for novices, 8/10

We like: good value for money and no fuss

We don’t like: the noise and only one grind setting

• 60g capacity
• Just one grinding levels
• Blade

If you’ve never ground your coffee before, this Melitta coffee grinder could be a good one to begin with. It’s not hard to set up and start grinding those beans, albeit quite noisily. The lid, which also acts as your grinding cup, is easily washable, and the grinder comes with a brush for cleaning the blade and hopper. 

With a 60g capacity, I couldn’t fit many beans in but it’s probably enough for around three cups. Turning it on, with the same button to open the lid, it shocked me at how loud it was. This is not one for open-plan kitchens.

With only one grind setting, it took around 30 seconds to get the fine grind I wanted. As with most blade grinders, the results were inconsistent, so I had to spoon the grind around the hopper and grind for a few more seconds to get consistency. For such a low price, though, it’s good value for grinding novices who want to start with a cheaper version before they invest in a more expensive one.

10. Bodum 3-in-one

£31.95, Bodum

Best espresso coffee grinder, 7/10

We like: Light feel and it was easy to clean

We don’t like: Cheap-feeling materials and inconsistent results

• 60g capacity
• Just one grinding level
• Blade

This is one of the lightest coffee grinders I tested, with a cheap plastic feel compared to some of the other more luxe grinders on the market. It was easy to set up and operate. I added my beans to the 60g capacity hopper and placed the transparent lid over it. With just one setting, operated by the big red button on the front of the machine, the blade-operated grinder did its job quickly. Despite only having one setting, however, it gave me inconsistent results.

I loved how the transparent lid allowed me to see when my grind was ready and the operation was relatively quiet. The coffee was easy to spoon out, straight into my coffee machine, but it did stick to the side and the blade, making it harder to clean – although the lid came off, allowing me to clean this separately.

11. Peugeot Presto manual grinder

£84.99, Peugeot

Best coffee grinder for travelling, 7/10

We like: The sleek black shape, which could fit in a suitcase

We don’t like: How long it takes to grind

• 2 espresso capacity
• 7 grinding levels
• Blade

If you’re choosing a manual grinder, you probably don’t need me to tell you long it takes to grind the beans. This one took a few minutes compared to seconds for the electric grinders. It comes in the shape of a pepper pot, with a wide crank handle for grinding the beans – but after I’d tested many of the electrical grinders I found this manual one tougher to get my head around.

It was easy enough to add the coffee beans, once the lid and adjoining handle were unscrewed,  and I was impressed with how many I could fit in. But it took me around five minutes to grind enough for just two cups of coffee. 

With seven settings, which are easily adjustable on the top ring, I was quite impressed by the results however. The Peugeot gives you the right grind for everything from an espresso to a filter coffee grind. Iit would be easy to pack this if I was going on holiday or camping, and its results (once I got them) were pretty impressive. But it really depends on whether you want to put the manual labour in.

12. Krups Coffee Grinder

£54, AO

Best small coffee grinder, 7/ 10

We like: how slimline the model is and amount of settings

We don’t like: The clunkiness of the buttons, how light it was

• 200g capacity
• 17 grinding levels
• Burr

Although this version from Krups did the job, it wasn’t one of my favourites and reminded me of a toy version of a coffee machine because of how light it was and the clunkiness of the the buttons. However, the machine was slim, meaning it didn’t take up much space on my kitchen top. The top of the bean hopper and grinding compartment also come off so they’re easy to wash, while the rest of the model has to be wiped down or brushed.

I was impressed with how many grinding levels, the machine had – 17 – especially given the low price. Its burr grinding gave me great results. Turning the machine on with just a touch of a button, you change the grind at the side with a lever. Meanwhile, the front lever allows you to choose how many cups you want to make. 

These buttons and levers felt quite clunky and cheap, which let down the scoring of the machine, but this is a good choice if you want a good grind but don’t want to fork out too much.

Coffee Grinder FAQ

What’s the difference between a burr grinder and a blade grinder?

“A burr coffee grinder operates by coffee beans falling through two metal or ceramic burrs (they look like sharpened cogs) that are pre-set so that the gap between them is the size of the coffee grounds for the brew,” says Saxon. “This is the industry standard of coffee grinders. It enables you to accurately change the grind size while producing consistent grind.”

There are two main types of burr grinders: flat or conical burrs. “Flat burrs are two large rings that rotate sat on top of each other, while the smaller conical burr sits inside the static larger burr.” 

Blade grinders, by contrast, are essentially coffee blenders: “These are budget grinders where the grind size is measured in time of grinding (or blending) - so you will almost certainly end up with an inconsistent grind size here resulting in a flat, unbalanced and unevenly extracted coffee.”

Are manual coffee grinders as effective as electric grinders?

“In terms of manual grinders the top-end ones are extremely accurate, you can tweak the grind size by a very small amount. There is also very little coffee to purge from manual grinders – this is the coffee grounds that are still in the system after changing the grind size – still on the previous setting.” Any downsides? “There is a lot of elbow grease required when grinding your coffee with a manual grinder, so it can become a bit of a chore. Great for travelling though.”

How much should you pay for a coffee grinder?

“I would be wary of paying anything less than £80, unless you have been waiting for Black Friday. Although coffee grinders don’t have as many moving parts as espresso machines or other brew methods, they still require a sturdy and robust build alongside high quality materials such as the burrs.” 

Tom recommends starting with a moderately priced coffee grinder between £100 – £200. “There are coffee grinders that are far more expensive, but only when you’ve really sharpened your skills as a home barista would I invest in one of these.”