Best coffee grinders

The best coffee grinder will turn your beans into perfectly even grounds, whether it be for an espresso machine, cafetière or any other coffee-preparation gadget or appliance you might use. 

A precise, even grind is essential for making great coffee at home. Choose a poor coffee grinder and you may end up with uneven grounds and a poorly extracted, watery brew.

• To make espresso, either in a traditional coffee machine or using a stove-top pot or Aeropress, you'll need fine-ground coffee. 
• If you want to make longer black coffee in a filter machine or cafetière, you'll need a coarser grind.

In February 2021 we tested 10 coffee grinders from a mix of prices and types from leading retailers. See our full results below to discover the coffee grinders we recommend for your perfect home brew.

Our expert advice will also fill you in on everything you need to know about coffee grinder types, how much you need to spend, features, grind sizes and other useful tips for getting the best brew.

Pricing and availability last checked: 2 November 2021.

The best coffee grinders from our test

Only logged-in Which? members can view the coffee grinder test results below. If you're not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetically ordered list of the coffee grinders we tested. 

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.

Bodum Bistro

Cheapest price: £29.56, available at John Lewis, also available at Amazon

Type Electric blade

Size and weight 16.7 x 8.5 x 9.3cm (H x W x D); 0.76kg

Coffee bean capacity 65g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings One grind setting

Other key features Can chop dry ingredients such as nuts and spices

If space is at a premium in your kitchen but you want an electric coffee grinder, the Bodum Bistro electric blade grinder might be on your shortlist. 

It's as simple as an electric coffee grinder can be, with a single grind setting and no detachable bean hopper or bowl, no lid safety lock and no non-slip base. Our testing revealed whether this no-fuss compact coffee grinder makes the grade. 

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DeLonghi KG210

Cheapest price: £32.99, available at Amazon and John Lewis

Type Electric blade

Size and weight 22.3 x 11.1 x 11.1cm (H x W x D); 1.02kg

Coffee bean capacity 90g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings six cup settings (min. 2 cups, max. 12 cups); three grind settings

Other key features Detachable bean hopper, lid safety lock, cleaning brush, non-slip base, can chop dry ingredients such as nuts and spices

With the KG210 DeLonghi has packed in sophisticated features you'll typically find in larger coffee grinders. You can choose how many cups of coffee you'd like to grind, and little red lights show whether you have chosen a coarse, medium or fine grind. We put DeLonghi's grounds next to pre-ground coffee to see how well it compares. 

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DeLonghi KG79

Cheapest price: £39.25, available at Amazon, also available at Argos, Currys PC World

Type Electric burr (flat steel)

Size and weight 26 x 13 x 16cm (H x W x D); 1.5kg

Coffee bean capacity 150g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings 11 cup settings (min. 2 cups, max. 12 cups); 17 grind settings

Other key features Detachable bowl, lid safety lock, non-slip base, can grind dry ingredients such as nuts and spices

The KG79 is a larger DeLonghi coffee grinder than the KG210 we've also reviewed, with a key difference being that the KG79 is a burr grinder rather than blade. 

Burr grinders are a step-up in quality because they produce more consistent grind sizes. We put the DeLonghi KG210 through the same tough tests as the KG79 to see if burr beats blade and if either came out top. 

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Hario Skerton+ Ceramic Coffee Mill MSCS-2B

Cheapest price: £32, available at Amazon

Type Manual burr (ceramic conical)

Size and weight 21.5 x 10 x 10cm (H x W x D); 0.567kg

Coffee bean capacity 75g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings You manually adjust how much you grind and the grind size.

Other key features Detachable bean hopper, detachable bowl, collapsible design, non-slip base, dishwasher safe

Manual coffee grinders like the Hario Skerton+ MSCS-2B are much quieter than electric ones. This means they might be preferable if you're an early riser who can't start their day without a cup of your favourite brew but you don't want to wake the rest of the house. 

However, there could be a trade-off if it's a struggle to get the grounds you need. 

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Henry Charles Manual Coffee Grinder by Oliver James

Cheapest price: £24.99, available at Amazon (out of stock)

Type Manual burr (ceramic conical)

Size and weight 22.4 x 6.4 x 6.1cm (H x W x D); 0.281kg

Coffee bean capacity 40g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings You manually adjust how much you grind and the grind size.

Other key features Detachable bean hopper, detachable bowl, collapsible design

The Henry Charles Manual Coffee Grinder by Oliver James could be a great choice for those who want the freshest coffee on the go. It's slim, collapsible design means it's ideal for slipping into your rucksack or taking on camping trips. 

Our tests investigated whether its compact size or lack of a non-slip base causes any unwanted compromises. 

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Krups Coffee Mill F20342

Cheapest price: £15.99, available at Currys PC World, also available at Amazon, AO.com (out of stock), Very

Type Electric blade

Size and weight 23.19 x 10.6 x 10.6cm (H x W x D); 0.7kg

Coffee bean capacity 75g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings One grind setting

Other key features Can chop dry ingredients such as nuts and spices

Krups' Coffee Mill F20342 may be a small electric blade grinder, but it was also the noisiest coffee grinder we tested. It's another simple grinder with no detachable bean hopper or bowl, no lid safety lock and no non-slip base.

If you don't mind making a racket in the morning this could be the grinder for you, provided you get well-ground coffee for your trouble. 

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Krups Grind Expert GVX2

Cheapest price: £35.99, available at Amazon and Currys PC World

Type Electric burr (flat steel)

Size and weight 30 x 17 x 21cm (H x W x D); 1.790kg

Coffee bean capacity 125g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings 30 cup settings (min 2, max 12); 17 grind settings

Other key features Detachable bowl, lid safety lock, cleaning brush, non-slip base

The Krups Grind Expert GVX2 will appeal to those who like to be precise about how much coffee they want to grind at a time. With 30 cup settings, you're able to tune how much coffee gets churned out to a third of a cut, so you'll be able to cut down on how much of your ground coffee is left in surplus each time. 

We judged how consistent those grounds are to see if it's worth buying. 

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Melitta Molino

Cheapest price: £39.99, available at Amazon, also available at Currys PC World, Melitta, Robert Dyas (out of stock)

Type Electric burr (flat steel)

Size and weight 25.5 x 9.5 x 16.5cm (H x W x D); 1.6kg

Coffee bean capacity 200g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings 12 cup settings (min 2, max 14); 17 grind settings

Other key features Detachable bowl, cleaning brush, non-slip base

If you're reluctant to give up a large amount of kitchen counter space but still want a substantial machine, the Melitta Molino could suit you as a compromise. It has a hefty 200g capacity and can grind up to 14 cups' worth of coffee grounds in one go, but it's still compact enough that you should be able to store it away. But how does it do on the all-important job of grinding your coffee?

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Sage The Smart Grinder Pro BCG820BSSUK

Cheapest price: £198.95, available at Amazon and John Lewis, also available at AO.com, Currys PC World, Lakeland

Type Electric burr (conical steel)

Size and weight 36 x 15 x 22cm (H x W x D); 4.07kg

Coffee bean capacity 450g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings 12 cup settings (min 1, max 12); 60 grind settings

Other key features Detachable bean hopper, detachable bowl, lid safety lock, cleaning brush, two portafilter supports, LCD control panel, non-slip base

Tech-lovers and coffee connoisseurs alike will be drawn to the Sage Smart Grinder Pro BCG820BSSUK thanks to its backlit LCD control panel and whopping 60 grind settings.

At just over 4kg it's the heaviest coffee grinder we tested, and it's also the joint most expensive along with the Smeg CGF01. 

We prepared a range of coffee grounds with it to find out if it's really worth such a hefty price. 

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Smeg CGF01

Cheapest price: £199, available at Amazon, AO.com, Currys PC World, John Lewis

Type Electric burr (conical steel)

Size and weight 46 x 17 x 25cm (H x W x D); 3.1kg

Coffee bean capacity 350g (approx.)

Cup and grind settings 12 cup settings (min 1, max 12); 30 grind settings

Other key features Detachable bean hopper, detachable bowl, lid safety lock, cleaning brush, portafilter support, non-slip base

Smeg is known for its retro-style, fashionable appliances – and if you already own a Smeg kettle or a Smeg toaster you can get the CGF01 coffee grinder in black, white, pastel blue or cream to make sure your kitchen's colour scheme isn't spoiled. 

The Smeg CGF01 is the joint most expensive coffee grinder we tested, but in terms of settings and features it isn't too different from other much cheaper grinders. We tested to find out if its coffee grinds make it worth the big investment. 

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Need a coffee machine to go with your grinder? Head over to our coffee machine reviews to find the best options for your budget.

How we tested these coffee grinders

We used all ten of these coffee grinders on multiple grind settings to find out which ones gave the best grind.

Ease of use

It should never be complicated, uncomfortable or difficult to use your coffee grinder. It should be simple to load up your coffee beans and get the perfect grounds you're looking for.

When using each coffee grinder, we assessed the build quality, praising stable designs, clear labelling and the presence of lid locks and non-slip bases. We also considered the size and weight, and how easy or difficult it would be to store each coffee grinder.

We also rated each grinder on how easy it was to load up the bean hopper with coffee beans, use the controls to set the grinder to run, empty out your grounds, and clean the grinder after use.

Grind quality

Coffee grinders often come with several grind settings to choose from, as different coffee makers require differently-sized grounds. A cafetière, for example, wants a more coarse grind, whereas an espresso requires very finely-ground coffee.

We bought pre-ground coffee in coarse, medium and fine sizes along with fresh coffee beans from the same brand, and tried to grind the beans to match the pre-ground coffee.

We compared the pre-ground coffee to the coffee from the grinders and rated them on how consistent the grind was.

Noise

Grinding coffee beans is often a loud process but some grinders can be excessively noisy and irritating during use. We rated each grinder on how loud and annoying they were, with each earning a higher rating for being quieter.

What kind of coffee grinder do I need? 

There are three main types of coffee grinder for you to choose from: 

• Electrical blade
• Electrical burr
• Hand grinder.

Which one is best for you depends on what type of coffee you like to make, how much you make, and whether you want the flexibility of being able to achieve different grounds tailored to different coffee types.

Blade coffee grinders

Blade grinders (like the one in the picture below) have a spinning blade inside that cut the beans into smaller pieces, similar to a blender. 

Pros of blade coffee grinders

• Relatively simple and inexpensive
• Good for producing the rougher medium grounds needed for pour-over, filter or cafetière coffee

Cons of blade coffee grinders

• Blade heats up coffee as it chops the bean which can alter the flavour of the coffee
• Doesn’t produce a consistent fine grind, not ideal for espresso

Electric burr coffee grinders

Burr coffee grinders have a small gear-like mechanism inside that crushes coffee beans to produce ground coffee. Because they crush, rather than chop, the beans, they don’t exert the same kind of force and heat that a blade grinder might. 

The image below shows the difference between grounds from an electric blade grinder (left) and a burr coffee grinder (right)

Pros of electric burr coffee grinders

• Can produce a more consistent, fine grind for making espressos and also the rougher grounds needed for filter coffees and cafetieres, making them a more versatile option if you drink different types of coffee
• Can grind larger amounts in one go
• Often have multiple grind levels for different coffee types

Cons of electric burr coffee grinders

• Tend to be more expensive than a basic blade or hand grinder

Hand coffee grinders

Hand grinders are what you would think – you grind coffee using your own arm muscle. Most hand grinders come with a burr in them, which is a cheap way to get a good quality grind for your espresso coffee maker.

If you're only grinding small quantities at a time they can be a good option, as you have total control over how much you want ground. Most electric coffee grinders are able to grind a minimum of two cups of coffee at a time.

Pros of hand coffee grinders

• Basic models are very inexpensive
• Burr models can grind fine espresso grounds for less
• Not as noisy as electric grinders
• Take up less space

Cons of hand coffee grinders

• Can usually only grind small portions of coffee at a time
• Takes some physical effort

Flat vs conical burrs

You may see coffee aficionados extolling the virtues of either a flat burr (pictured below left) or a conical burr (pictured below right).

• Conical burrs grind beans into two slightly different particle sizes. This works well in espresso machines.
• Flat burrs should grind the beans into a consistent fine grind. While this may sound better in theory, the fine grind produced by a flat burr is trickier to get good, consistent results with when making coffee and is for those of you who might like to get creative with your coffee making.

Additionally, flat burr coffee grinders will usually be much pricier than their conical burr counterparts. For most people a coffee grinder with a conical burr is going to be more than sufficient for the job of grinding beans for your coffee machine.

Steel vs ceramic burrs

Another choice you may come across while shopping for a coffee grinder is whether to go for a ceramic or steel burr in your coffee grinder.

• Steel burrs are usually found in widely available coffee grinders sold in big retailers like John Lewis and Lakeland
• Ceramic burrs are less common, but can be found on some hand grinders

As with all things coffee, there is plenty of fierce debate around about which is the best option, but each of these materials will handle grinding the coffee beans equally well, the main difference being in the durability of the grinding burr.

A ceramic burr is likely to last longer than a steel burr, provided that it doesn’t encounter any rogue materials like a small stone that could cause it to chip.

Stepped vs stepless grinders

A stepped coffee grinder will have pre-set grind options for you to choose from, from a fine to a coarser grind.  Most electronic burr coffee grinders that you will find in retail shops like John Lewis or Argos will be stepped.

If you really like to play with your coffee then you might consider a stepless grinder. To get your hands on a stepless grinder you will have to venture out of the high-street shop territory and you’ll be spending quite a bit more money too.

A stepless grinder has no pre-set grind levels. Instead you can tinker with it to produce the exact grind you want. While a stepless grinder can offer you even more options for customisation, it does require an experienced hand to get good results.

How much should you spend on a coffee grinder? 

Depending on the type and style you can end up spending anything from £20 right up to more than £2,000 for a coffee grinder.

You can pick up a basic handheld or manual coffee grinder for around £10, electric blade coffee grinders start from around £20.

If you want an electrical burr grinder then you will need to spend a bit more, usually at least £50. Premium burr coffee grinders made by the big-name coffee machine brands are priced around £200.

At this price, you might find that investing in a bean-to-cup coffee machine is more economical. These do the grinding for you and are a good way to get freshly ground brews at home.

See our cafetiere and french press reviews to help you make the best brew with your fresh coffee grounds.

Features to look out for

• Different grind settings - if you know you want to be able to grind beans for different drinks such as filter, espresso and cafetiere coffee, look for a grinder with multiple grind options.
• Capacity - if you want to grind larger quantities at once - enough for several day's worth of coffee for example - make sure you choose a grinder with a bigger capacity. Some can only do one to two portions in one go.
• Size - blade grinders can be quite compact, the size of a small blender, whereas burr grinders can be even larger than your actual coffee machine. Think about how much countertop space you want to dedicate to coffee making.

Why use a coffee grinder?

There are many varieties of pre-ground coffee available in the supermarket so you might wonder whether a coffee grinder is really necessary?

• Coffee is easily contaminated - ground coffee can pick up smells from exposure to other things in your kitchen. Grinding coffee on demand, rather than having a whole bag of grounds to get through, helps to prevent this from happening.
• Not all supermarket coffee is suitable - if you're looking for espresso coffee suitable for your coffee machine, your options will be more limited at the supermarket. Ground coffee found in UK supermarkets tends to be a coarser grind for generic use - typically in cafetieres. Using a coffee grinder at home will give you greater variety as you can experiment with a wide range of beans.
• Coffee oxidises quickly - when it hits the air it starts to lose its flavour. Freshly grinding your coffee each time you brew will help to prevent oxidation from happening. Make sure you keep any ground coffee in an airtight container, in a cool dry place, to keep it at its best.

Ready to make your coffee? See our top tips for making the best espresso and cappuccino.

Which coffee grind should I be using?

Coffee grinders often come with a range of settings ranging from fine to coarse and which one you choose will determine how large your ground coffee granules will be.

Different grind settings are considered best for different types of coffee. Below are some grind sizes coffee expert Giles Hilton recommends for different coffee making methods:

• Turkish ground coffee - absolute powder which pretty well dissolves in the water, hence its thickness on the tongue.
• Espresso - fine ground. For both Italian stove top and electric espresso machines the fineness is essential to help build up pressure, by making the water push hard and get the ‘kick’ of classic espresso.
• Paper filter - finely ground for both filter machine and 'pour on'. The water is held back, mixing and brewing, flowing slowly through the filter paper which holds the grains.
• Cafetiere or french press - medium grind. The metal gauze filter cannot hold back fine ground coffee, so you could get muddy/bitty coffee in the cup if it is too fine.

Tips for keeping your coffee fresh

Coffee beans go stale relatively quickly, so if you want the best possible espresso, it's important to store your coffee correctly. Here are some top tips from our coffee expert Giles Hilton:

• Keep coffee in an airtight container to keep it from oxidising, or the beans from dehydrating further.
• Avoid glass jars and direct sunlight. A cool, dark place is best.
• Avoid the fridge - despite what many people think, this is not the ideal place to store coffee as there's a risk of it getting damp or absorbing flavours from other food. 

Now you know how to get the perfect grind, see our video guide to making the perfect espresso