It’s all in the beans. Nothing will improve your morning coffee like making the switch to whole beans that you freshly grind right before you brew.
First, you must find high-quality, freshly roasted beans. We suggest visiting your local coffee roaster. I’ve been able to pick up bulk bags from my local roaster (Jittery Joe’s Roasting Company), even during the coronavirus lockdown. It’s worth calling your local favorites to see whether you can do the same. If you don’t have any coffee roasters in your area, you can order some quality beans online. Grounds and Hounds and Atlas Coffee Club are great. If you’re unsure which variety of coffee to get, try a subscription service that sends new beans every few weeks. Blue Bottle Coffee and Angel’s Cup will bring a different variety of freshly roasted beans to your door every month.
Once you’ve got your beans, it’s time to grind. Here’s our guide to the best coffee grinders. Be sure to read through our other coffee guides, like the best latte and cappuccino machines, the best portable coffee makers, and the best portable espresso makers.
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Photograph: Amazon
Best Overall
Baratza Encore Burr Grinder
The Baratza Encore is our favorite canonical burr grinder, if you can afford it. With 40 settings the Encore can crank out a nice even grind no matter how coarse or finely dusted you want your beans. It’s simple to operate, features an automatic shutoff timer, and doesn’t hog counter space (though it is 14 inches tall, so check the specs against your kitchen).
Another thing that sets the Baratza apart from similar grinders is its repairability and warranty. The Encore is a sturdy machine, and I don’t see needing parts, but it’s nice to know they’re easy to obtain if you need them.
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Photograph: Oxo
Runner Up
Oxo Conical Burr Grinder
Oxo’s Brew grinder has a good balance of features, usefulness, and relatively low price among the electric grinders I’ve used. It’s not silent by any means, but it’s not too loud, and it grinds quickly. It has 15 settings, covering every brewing scenario from finely ground espresso to course-ground perfect for a French press. Its slim, narrow profile doesn’t hog counter space, though it is 16 inches tall so it may be a tight fit under the cabinet (not that it doesn’t fit, but remember, you still have to take the lid off and pour in beans).
There is a more expensive Oxo grinder we discuss below. It adds a scale, which will help you dial in the perfect grind and amount a little faster, but after a few mornings of experimenting, I had everything the way I wanted it, and don’t see the need for a scale in most cases.
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Photograph: Amazon
Best Manual Coffee Grinder
Hario Skerton Pro
It might be a tad eccentric these days, but I prefer to hand grind my coffee. I’ve tried half a dozen manual grinders, and the Skerton Pro is far and away the best. It’s fast. It takes less than two minutes to grind out the half cup of fine grounds for my moka pot—and the burr design produces a consistent, fine grind. Note that I said “fine.” this is not the best choice for French press brewing because the Skerton Pro is just not consistent enough at course grinds.
On the downside, the silicon grip constantly falls off. (I just tossed mine as it didn’t do much anyway.) On the upside, the threads on the grinder portion are standard, so if anything happens to the glass jar you can just use a regular Ball mason jar.
