How to choose the best coffee grinder for home
Buying whole beans and grinding your coffee fresh makes a huge difference to the taste and quality of coffee you make at home. But, how do you decide which one to choose?
In this coffee grinder buyer's guide we take a closer look at how to go about choosing the right coffee grinder for your coffee setup.
We'll cover:
- Top features to look for in an espresso grinder
- Espresso coffee grinders which are tried, tested and recommended by the Extract team.
- What to look for in a filter coffee grinder.
- Coffee grinder FAQs.
What are the top features to look for when researching an espresso grinder for home?
If you're looking to recreate barista-style drinks, such as lattes, cappuccinos and flat-whites from the comfort of your home kitchen, then you'll need to invest in an espresso machine and an espresso grinder to complete your home-barista setup.
If you'd like more advice on choosing the right home espresso machine, check out our espresso machine buyers guide.
Choosing a high quality grinder is an essential part of making great tasting espresso.
Being able to dial in your coffee (adjusting the grind size to allow the ideal extraction for individual coffees) is a fun part of being a home barista and is something your taste-buds will thank you for.
Here are the top features we think you should look for in a home espresso grinder:
Programmable doses
Programmable dosing is a handy feature that makes a huge difference to the consistency of your coffee, and saves you time. This feature is useful if you have a favourite coffee you like to brew with and you're looking for consistency in your recipe. Or, if you've nailed your espresso brew recipe and want to return to the same recipe time after time.
Grinders which come with multiple programmable doses are also useful if you're brewing multiple coffees and have a different brew recipes you'd like to use for different coffees.
Micro-adjustments
Part of the fun of grinding your own beans is dialling in your coffee to find your perfect brew recipe.
Features like stepless adjustments on the Mazzer Lux D and Rocket's Fausto coffee grinder make it easy to tweak your grinder and make micro-adjustments to your grind size.
Fine-ness
Many of the domestic coffee grinders we tested didn't grind finely enough to make really good-tasting espresso. If the coffee you use in your espresso machine is too coarse, the result in an under-extracted, sour-tasting espresso.
When choosing your grinder, pay attention to whether it's recommended for espresso or filter use. An espresso grinder may be more expensive, but is designed to be used for that purpose. If you've already invested in an espresso machine, you don't want your coffee to be let down by your grinder.
Burrs
Your coffee grinder will either have conical or flat burrs. The different type of burrs, along with size and material have different benefits.
Higher quality burrs are longer lasting and won't need changing too often. All of the coffee grinders we recommend for espresso, come with flat burrs which have the following benefits:
Consistency: Flat burrs are known for producing a more consistent particle size in the coffee grounds which helps the coffee extract evenly whilst brewing.
Speed: Flat burr grinders are generally more efficient than conical burr grinders. This preserves flavour and aroma in your coffee and also reduces the time you're waiting for coffee to grind.
Quieter: Grinder volume is an important consideration for households where people are waking up at different times, or where someone might be working from home. Flat burr grinders are often quieter than their conical burr coffee grinders.
Durability: This is one of our number one reasons for preferring a flat burr grinder. The flat burr design is known for its longevity, making it a good choice for those looking for a coffee grinder that will stand the test of time.
Easy to clean
Proper cleaning is important for maintaining the performance of your coffee grinder and avoiding the buildup of coffee oils and residues.
Design
If you've got to have a large-ish appliance like a coffee grinder in your kitchen, it might as well be one that looks good. Consider things like footprint, and the height of the grinder including the hopper.
Many domestic grinders are now designed to fit under wall units and cupboards, making them an easy addition to your kitchen setup.
Warranty & support
Being without coffee when your machines break, really sucks. The espresso grinders sold by Extract Coffee Roasters all come with a warranty and are supported by our brilliant tech team.
What to look for in a filter coffee grinder for home?
Filter coffee grinders will grind more coarsely than espresso grinders. The filter grinders we recommend are also less expensive.
Here are some of the features that we thing you should consider when choosing a coffee grinder for filter brew methods at home.
Multiple grind sizes
A range of grind size settings on your filter grinder gives you the flexibility to adjust according to different brew methods (for example Aeropress, V60, Moka). As well as helping you brew more consistently, this will also make it easier to experiment with different coffees and brew methods. (we think that's half of the fun).
Burrs over blades
We recommend choosing a burr grinder over a blade grinder for more consistent and uniform particle size. The Wilfa Svart coffee grinder, which we recommend for filter brewing, comes with conical burrs.
Conical burrs are well suited to filter coffee and immersion brew methods which require a consistent, coarse grind size, for example, cafetiere and cold brew.
Conical burrs generally have a slower grinding-speed. The slower grind speed and conical design results in less friction and reduces excessive heat during grinding.
Dosing control
Whilst you don't generally need quite the same level of precision for filter brew methods as you do for espresso, grinders with a built-in timer or dosing control will save you time, result in more consistency in your brew and less wasted coffee.
So, it's a feature worth considering when choosing a filter grinder.
Durability
Investing in a filter grinder made from durable materials and with high quality burrs (ceramic and stainless steel) will help ensure the longevity of your grinder.
Noise
The volume of your coffee grinder is an important consideration for a happy household, especially as chances are you'll be using it early in the morning and in a shared space of your home. Grinders which include noise reduction features are a win!
Portability
The final consideration for a filter grinder, perhaps is portability. If you like the idea of brewing freshly ground coffee on top of a mountain then a hand-grinder like the Hario Skerton could be the perfect solution.
What are the best coffee grinders for home?
Our incredible team of baristas, trainers and coffee technicians have spent months road-testing different coffee grinders on the market. These are the ones that we recommend for home use.
What are the best coffee grinders for making espresso at home?
The grinders that we recommend for espresso are:
These are all available to buy from the Extract Coffee Roasters webshop.
You can compare the Fausto and Fuastino coffee grinders from Rocket Espresso with the Mazzer Lux D using the table below.
|
|
Rocket Faustino | Rocket Fausto | Mazzer Lux D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | W:162 x D:246 x H:388mm inc hopper | W:172 x D:282 x H:445 mm inc hopper | W:178 x D:254 x H: 464mm inc hopper |
| Weight | 6.9kg | 11.5kg | 10.5kg |
| Power | Domestic | Domestic | Domestic |
| Burr size | 50mm flat burrs | 65mm flat burrs | 61mm flat burrs |
| Hopper capacity | 300g | 600g | 590g |
| Finish/colour options | White | Chrome | Black, White or Silver |
| Programable doses | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Accompanying Espresso Machine | Rocket Appartamento | Rocket Giotto | La Marzocco Linea Mini |
| Buy Online | Rocket Faustino | Rocket Fausto | Mazzer Lux D |
What are the best coffee grinders for making filter coffee at home?
The grinders that we recommend for filter coffee are:
- Wilfa Svart grinder: A well priced filter grinder with conical burrs, UV light protection, grind dosing and set grind profiles for moka, Aeropress, filter, cafetiere and cold-brew.
- Hario Skerton portable hand-mill: A super-portable hand-grinder with ceramic burrs and adjustable grind settings. Ideal for backpacks or holidays.
These are all available to buy from the Extract Coffee Roasters webshop.
FAQs about domestic coffee grinders
Do I need a coffee grinder?
The benefits of buying whole beans and grinding yourself are freshness (which in turn improves the flavour of your coffee) and control. By grinding yourself you’re able to have more control over dialling in your coffee, and finding the perfect coffee extraction to your tastes.
However, when you buy coffee from Extract Coffee Roasters, we can also grind your coffee for you. The espresso grind we use is suitable for commercial machines. This grind is suitable for all of our recommended machines.
Customers have told us that in some domestic coffee machines, this is too fine and can clog up the machine. Customers using other machines may want to experiment with a filter grind, with lowering the dose, or tamping more lightly to overcome this.
Why are domestic espresso grinders so expensive?
There are lots of coffee grinders on the market at a range of price points.
When we tested lower-spec grinders, we found that whilst these grinders were fine for brewing filter or cafetiere style coffee, they simply didn’t grind finely enough to make quality espresso.
The result was coffee which was under-extracted and didn't taste good.
ALL THAT READING LEFT YOU THIRSTY?
Well done for making it to the end. It's a long one, but we hope you've found this espresso buyers guide useful.
If you'd like to browse our latest coffees online, check out our webshop using the button below, if you'd like more coffee tips, browse through more of our Extract Coffee Roasters brew guides.
Until next time coffee lovers.