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Coffee lovers will know that the best coffee grinder can make or break your morning americano. Coffee mills take your coffee beans and transform them into rich and aromatic coffee grounds, ready for brewing. Buying the best coffee grinder can save you money when it comes to the expense of ground coffee, because it's more expensive per pound than coffee beans.
These mills can also make sure your brew is as tasty as possible, because coffee beans are at their tastiest when freshly ground. Whether you want to brew in a filter coffee machine, expresso machine or even a cafetière, the best coffee grinder will ensure you have the best taste possible.
It all sounds premium, but the best coffee grinders don't have to cost a lot whatsoever. We've found the best five coffee grinders you can buy right now, and yes, some are more premium than others, but there's something for every budget in our guide.
Fancy a machine that will grind beans and make a coffee for you, or perhaps one which has a different flavour altogether? No worries: head over to our best coffee machines guide for more fab makes and models.
Best coffee grinders 2021: our top picks
The Krups F20342 feels steady and substantial, and the fine ground coffee produced particularly suits those who use their coffee in a French press.
What's it good at?
Although affordable, this coffee mill delivers surprisingly great results. Which is all you can ask for.
What do we like about it?
It's supremely easy to use, with just one button that works much like that of a hand blender - just keep an eye on the beans through the clear lid until you have the perfect grind - but it will require some trial and error if you're not sure how fine you'd like your grounds.
All in all, this Krups offering is small, svelte and stylish, too, so while it's easily packed away it's also no bother to keep it on the worktop. In all, it's an affordable coffee mill with uniform grinding and no confusing extraneous bits.
What else?
This is probably not the top choice for very discerning espresso enthusiasts who need loads of different settings, but for someone who wants a consistent grind at a low price, this is job done.
What we don't like
This coffee grinder's lid isn't the easiest to get off and some of the finer grounds have to be spooned out.
The Sage Smart Grinder Pro has narrowly missed out on our top spot because of the price but, if you want to splash out, it's another really good option for your next coffee grinder.
This appliance has so many settings that you can make any type of coffee, including coffee for percolators and even super-fine powder used in making Turkish coffee.
What's it good at?
In a word: grinding. Users report that the difference between using a cheap blade grinder and this grinder is enormous, with the Sage Smart producing a consistent grind with wonderful coffee aroma.
What do we like about it?
This grinder both looks amazing in the kitchen, and outperforms all comers. There are a phenomenal 60 grind settings, and the removable hopper at the top (for whole bean storage), has a 450g capacity, so you don't have to re-fill too often.
Choose from presets for French press, filter or espresso, or programme your own cup size and shot volumes. Truly one for the connoisseur, the ideal gift for the coffee lover who seemingly has everything else - although for the price, you have to really, really love them.
What else?
Because there are so many settings, it'll take you a while to find the perfect one for your machine/drinking preferences. So, buy this grinder if you really love your coffee and have a lot of patience.
What don't we like?
The price, but you do get quality.
This coffee grinder from Andrew James doesn't just grind coffee - you can use it for nuts and spices, too, which - in our opinion - makes it a decent find for non-coffee connoisseurs, too.
What's it good at?
This coffee grinder does a good, basic grind very well, and especially suits people switching over from bought ground coffee. It also ranks highly with those who take advantage of its ability to grind nuts and seeds.
What do we like about it?
Great for spices, nuts, and even houmous or pesto as well as coffee beans, this Andrew James grinder is a thoroughly useful tool for keen chefs, and far easier than a pestle and mortar.
Use it for wet or dry ingredients, just make sure that bulkier ingredients are chopped small before grinding.
Its stainless steel blades are durable and easy to clean in between prep stages, and its 150W motor is powerful enough to face down some tough ingredients.
What else?
For under £15, you can't go wrong, but if you're a coffee perfectionist, go for something that gives you more control over the grind.
What don't we like?
Some users have reported that this device comes on with the lid off; others didn't like that it can only be on for 30 seconds at a time, but this isn't a problem for most types of coffee.
The Cuisinart coffee mill might be low on our list but we rate it highly, which is why we have rated it the best coffee grinder for grinding options.
What's it good at?
Users rate highly this coffee grinder's hardwearing performance, with many reporting using it daily for years, with consistently high results. And, for the vast majority of reviewers, this grinder is perfect for producing the fine grind needed for espresso machines.
What do we like about it?
The clue to this grinder's appeal is right there in the title: its professional good looks worthy of any high-end establishment, and of your morning routine, too.
The brushed stainless steel housing is both robust and beautiful, while the grinder itself has dishwasher-safe parts for easy clean-up. And that always gets our thumbs up.
The real charm, though, lies in its wealth of options: there are 18 grind modes, and it has the ability to make anywhere between four and 18 cups.
What else?
It also has a large minimum capacity of four cups.
What don't we like?
This grinder is on the loud side, so early morning risers might want to avoid using it before their partner/family wake up.
This coffee grinder from Dualit is the best grinder for a large yield on our list, with its generous 250g-capacity hopper and convenient dosing selector.
What's it good at?
The conical burr really does pay off with this model, with users reporting better coffee. The burr grinds the coffee slowly, which means that the coffee isn't overprocessed, producing a richer taste you'll want from an authentic espresso.
What do we like about it?
As a conical burr grinder, it spins more slowly than other types in order to minimise the clogging effect of oily or flavoured beans and producing less heat.
The 10 grind settings offer something for all cups - coarse for percolators and cafetieres; medium for filter machines and fine for espresso makers.
The generous 250g hopper holds enough beans to grind up to 35 portions at a go. And, the dosing selector is a useful way of controlling portions, meaning you only grind what you need.
What else?
The burrs are also removable for easy cleaning.
What don't we like?
The static is a thing, and might make your kitchen worktop a little messy. It's best to go around this problem by grinding larger batches at a time, to save on cleaning your kitchen.
How to choose the best coffee grinder
A coffee grinder will come in super handy if you own one of the best filter coffee machine or espresso coffee machines because it'll mean that you can enjoy freshly ground beans, without feeling the need to invest in anything else more technical. When choosing the best coffee grinder for you, there are a few factors to consider to ensure you choose wisely. They are:
Size matters?
For large rounds at dinner parties, or big families who all have a thing for coffee, look for a grinder with a large capacity to fulfil a lot of orders quickly and easily. If you don't have a lot of worktop space to spare, a smaller one will do the job equally well, just with more refilling.
Grind settings
If you are partial to an espresso or ristretto, make sure you pick a grinder with a fine enough grind setting.
What else can yours do?
Finally, when we use the phrase 'coffee grinders', don't let us restrict you: some grinders are also ideal for using with tough-to-crack spices like cardamom or cloves, or even for nuts to fold into bakes or sprinkle on dishes. Just make sure to clean your machine thoroughly in between, so your coffee doesn't taste like cumin, and vice versa (unless you're into that sort of thing).
When to buy?
It'll be a good time to buy a coffee grinder when you've recently bought a filter coffee machine, especially when you see one in our coffee machine sales round up.
What type of coffee grinder is best?
After scrolling thorough this guide you may have noticed that there are two types of grinders; burr and blade.
Burr grinders
This type of grinder will grind more consistently as it uses a mechanism which grinds coffee between a pair of abrasive surfaces. These are, however, the more expensive type of coffee grinder but are a fab choice for the more refined coffee connoisseur.
Blade grinders
The clue is in the name with this one: a rotating blade, essentially, spins around to finely chop up the coffee beans. A coffee grinder with a blade is one of the most cheaper option, which will see prices starting from around the £30-mark.
What is the best coffee grinder for home use?
Just to recap.. if you want to best coffee grinder (in our opinion, anyway) then we wouldn't hesitate to buy the KRUPS F20342 coffee grinder. It's a compact, affordable option which delivers surprisingly good results.
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