You go into your pantry and take out the fresh coffee beans you bought last week. You crack open an invoice for it, inhaling its aroma, rich with flavor but not enough for blending!
What are your options now? After all, you’ve already paid for and spent time choosing the beans. You try to blend them in a blender, but espresso will not agree.
Espresso requires a fine grind, which can’t be achieved with a blender. Likewise, using a knife to mince them or a mortar and pestle to crush them won’t work either. That means you can’t use any type of grinder for espresso, you need a specialty one.
We have a solution for you, though; use a burr grinder that has a setting for grinding fine grind.
You can prepare a rich, powerful shot in the comfort of your own home with a high-quality espresso maker.
But there’s one more thing you’ll need to make the best espresso; a burr grinder that can consistently produce fine grinds. So, what is the best burr coffee grinder for espresso?
Best Burr Coffee Grinder For Espresso: Top 5 Picks Reviewed
We’ve researched and tested a variety of espresso grinders to help you select the best one. Our top five options are listed below, along with in-depth reviews and purchase advice.
Breville BCG820BKSXL Smart Grinder
The Breville BCG820BKSXL is the grinder for you if you want an easy-to-use burr grinder for espresso that consistently grinds your coffee. So check out the BCG820BKSXL Smart Grinder – with 60 precise grind settings, you can customize your undertaking to perfection.
The 16-ounce bean hopper in this Breville model pours your beans into sturdy stainless steel conical burrs for the best ground coffee beans. From extremely coarse to extra fine and everything in between, there are 60 distinct grind settings to choose from.
Unless reset, the precision electric timer remembers how long you ground your beans the last time you used the machine and runs it for that amount of time. This is fantastic if you grind with half-closed eyes in the morning, but there is no off switch if you fail to adjust things. To get it to stop, you can either wait for it to complete its cycle or disconnect it.
The sleek stainless steel design will look great on any kitchen countertop, and the 16oz bean capacity means you can make plenty of coffee at once. And for those who like to take their coffee on the go, the locking system makes it easy to remove and transport the bean hopper.
OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
We know that a great cup of coffee starts with freshly ground beans. That’s why we suggest the OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder with durable stainless steel conical burrs that create uniform grounds for optimal flavor extraction.
This grinder also has 15 settings (plus micro settings), so you can adjust your grind to suit your taste. And if you want to keep the same setting, just push to grind – the One-touch start timer will remember it for you. Plus, the hopper holds up to 0.75 pounds of Coffee beans, so you can make enough for everyone.
The OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder has been rated the best affordable espresso grinder on the market today. However, because this is a budget grinder, your beans may not be ground as finely as you’d want for your espresso. As a result, you’ll get a weaker shot with coarser grinds than with delicate grinds.
It also has a habit of spitting coffee grounds all over the place, creating a significant mess to clean up. The most worrisome issue is the unpleasant persistent buzzing when the item is plugged in but not in use.
Rancilio Rocky Espresso Coffee Grinder
The Rancilio Rocky is the best commercial-grade espresso grinder on today’s market. It features an impressive hopper that can hold almost half a pound of coffee beans, which are then ground into fresh blends by heavy steel flat burrs for your perfect cup every time!
With its 166-watt direct-drive motor, this grinder can handle even the most stubborn beans. And with its tinted hopper and simple variable adjustment control, it’s easy to get the perfect grind every time. Plus, each unit is factory tested with real coffee beans, so you know it’s ready to go right out of the box.
You won’t want to move this machine about too much because it’s heavy. Unfortunately, this is problematic since even mildly oily beans clog quickly.
The power switch location is probably the most irritating aspect of this grinder. Because of its placement, it’s challenging to use the gadget and the portafilter simultaneously. However, it is doable; all it takes is a little juggling and practice.
Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme
If you’re like most people, you probably think that the key to making great coffee is starting with fresh beans. And the best way to get those beans fresh is to grind them yourself. That’s where the Cuisinart DBM-8 comes in – it’s a supreme burr coffee grinder that will give you a uniform grind every time.
This grinder has an 18-position grind selector, but it also has a removable grind chamber that can hold up to 32-cups of coffee. In addition, it contains an eight-ounce bean hopper that empties into the burrs, grinding the beans to one of 18 grind settings.
There’s an electric timer that grinds your coffee at the same time every morning, but there’s no way to turn it off without losing your preset choices.
Static charge is generated, and coffee grinds adhere to the chamber’s walls, and you must tap the section to get them to fall to the bottom.
Handle this machine with caution because the bottom lip is weak and quickly chips. It’s also quite loud.
KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder
KitchenAid has been around for many years, and they’re still going strong with its innovative products. The KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder is one such example – it allows you to grind your beans at home without any of the fuss or mess that comes along with trying to do so on an outdated machine!
Grind your own coffee beans for the perfect cup every time with KitchenAid’s Burr Coffee Grinder.
This grinder has Automatic Smart Dosing Technology which will grind the exact amount of coffee you need each time, regardless of grind size or brew method. You can even grind directly into a 54-mm or 58-mm portafilter for espresso making!
The Anti-Static Technology helps reduce static charge for a clean coffee grinding experience, with less mess. Plus, the 10 oz* Removable Top Hopper saves and transfers unused beans back into a sealed container for fresh-keeping – it’s like having two grinders in one!
How To Find The Best Coffee Grinders For Espresso
If you were a coffee drinker in the past, you would purchase a pre-ground can from the grocery store and use it till it was empty.
To get the most delicious flavor from your morning cup of Joe, grind it fresh just before brewing. Store-bought ground coffee will not give you that rich and smooth taste compared to freshly roasted beans.
Nowadays, many people want a smoother, fuller flavor that you can’t get from a store-bought can. So the best flavorful coffee beans are freshly ground immediately before use.
There are a few factors to consider when finding the best coffee grinder for espresso.
Grind Size And Consistency
The grind size is the most crucial factor in producing a perfect cup of coffee, depending on how you plan to make it. Brew time and grind size are important because hot water runs through the coffee grounds to extract the taste.
The way espresso is ground is the most crucial aspect of preparing superb espresso. The rich flavor comes from freshly ground coffee beans that have been carefully ground. The finer the grind and the more consistent the ground pieces, the better your shot will be.
The Grinding Speed
It is not always the case that faster is better. This is also true with coffee grinders.
The faster machines may be easier to use, but they can rod up quickly due to the high temperatures produced by these machines that burn beans during production.
You’ll have to manually start and stop one of these units till it cools down again if you want to keep it cool. The heat and the frequent on/off are stressful on the grinder and will cause it to wear out more quickly.
Low-speed grinders may take a little longer to get used to, but they will pay dividends in the long run. When shopping, keep in mind that low-speed grinders are referred to as direct-drive grinders.
Material
The two most prevalent materials are steel and ceramic. Ceramic burrs, on the other hand, are more durable than steel and can last longer before needing to be replaced.
Because ceramics are brittle, if your grinder is dropped or something other than a coffee bean enters the hopper, the ceramic burrs may break.
Steel has a higher thermal conductivity than other metals; thus, it heats and cools more quickly. Because ceramic has a lesser thermal conductivity than metal, it takes longer to heat and cool. Burrs made of ceramic last longer than those made of steel.
Number Of Grind Settings
Most electric burr grinders have a range of numerical size settings, from fine enough for a Moka pot or espresso machine to coarse enough for cold brew or French press coffee.
Check if the one you’re considering can grind your beans as coarse or fine as possible for your espresso.
Size Of The Bean Hopper
Because you’ll want to grind your beans shortly before brewing, the bean hopper must be large enough to accommodate your needs. This is especially important if you have many family members or frequently have visitors.
Read also: 10 Best Espresso Grinders Under $300
Types Of Grinders
Blade Grinder
A blade grinder is similar to a food chopper, except instead of chopping your beans, it chops them up with a blade that spins at the bottom. Blade grinders are fantastic since they are affordable, but they do not ground your coffee consistently. Some beans will be finely ground, while others will be left in huge chunks. In addition, you risk burning your beans if you run the blade for a long time to grind more beans.
Burr Grinder
Burr grinders have two burrs that funnel a few beans at a time through them. One burr is stationary, while the other is connected to the machine’s motor. The burr mechanism smashes the beans rather than slicing them like a blade. You’ll still acquire a larger piece now and then, but the majority of your grind will be smaller, more consistent pieces.
Flat Burr
The coffee beans are pushed into the teeth on the inside of the flat burr grinder by centrifugal force. A bean is forced deeper through the burrs and passed through finer teeth to obtain fine grinds. If you want a finer grind, adjust the two burr pieces closer together; change them further apart if you want a coarser grind.
Conical Burr
A conical burr consists of a cylinder-shaped burr that stays fixed and a cone-shaped burr that grinds your beans inside the cylinder. The beans are placed at the top of a conical burr and work down through the blades using gravity. As the bean passes through the teeth, they become smaller, resulting in a finer grind. Conical burrs are found in many of the world’s top espresso grinders.
Conical VS Flat Burrs: What You Need To Know
Why A Burr Grinder?
Blade grinders function similarly to blenders. However, they best chop the coffee beans on the bottom, whereas the beans on the top aren’t well chopped.
When it comes to coffee, you’ll notice a continuous difference.
Due to an uneven grind, others will be under-extracted. Furthermore, because blade grinders use metal blades, they heat up quickly. As a result, your efforts may also become burned, altering the appearance of the roast.
This does not happen with burr grinders. The two burrs, or cutting discs, cut through the beans more quickly.
During the grinding process, they are subjected to far less heat. Furthermore, the burr grinder has multiple settings. The distance between the two burrs determines the fineness of your grind.
How To Grind Coffee Beans For Espresso
We’ll show you how to grind coffee beans for espresso in just six steps with a burr grinder.
Step 1 Check Coffee Beans:
Make sure it’s a dark roast coffee bean. Espresso coffee needs to be a dark roast to make it work well.
The darker the roast, the smoother and more delicious your espresso will taste, so you will enjoy all of that.
Lighter roasts don’t taste the same. They will be sour if you make them into espresso coffee and drink them that way.
Step 2 Turn On The Burr Grinder:
Setting your burr grinder to the correct setting is very important. In most burr grinders, there will be a setting for making coffee grinds. Check your user manual to find out how to set things up for espresso.
Step 3 Get Your Coffee Beans:
Measure out your coffee beans, put them in the hopper, and start making coffee. If you’re a novice, start with small amounts of beans. For example, you should begin with a quarter cup and not more than a full cup.
Step 4 Check The Grind Setting:
You might have bumped the hopper and moved the setting. This is what you should do next. But make sure it’s right!
Step 5 Start The Grinder:
It’s now or never. Turn on your burr grinder and wait for it to complete its cycle. You’ll find your ground coffee in the bottom container.
Step 6 Scoop It Up And Brew:
You’re all set to brew your coffee now! Scoop out the amount you want for your espresso machine and start brewing. If you have any leftover grounds, store them in an airtight, dark container in a shady location.
The Final Word
So, if you are in the market for an espresso grinder, one of these five will do the trick.
Breville Coffee & Espresso Grinder is our top pick. If you’re searching for a commercial grinder, the Rancilio Rocky Espresso Coffee Grinder would be a good choice, and the OXO BREW Conical Burr Grinder is a good option for budget customers.
If you have any questions or want more information – like how to grind coffee for espresso – please leave a comment below. We love hearing from our readers, and we are always happy to help. Happy grinding!
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