If you ask them about what makes a coffee grinder the best coffee grinder at present, the people who particularly like this coffee brewing-related tool may say, it’s all about the tool’s aesthetics, durability, and/or features. If you ask us, however, it’s all about the tool’s performance.

Of course, stunning design, sturdiness, and having several useful functionalities all make for a great coffee grinder. But no matter how good-looking, sturdy, and chock full of bells and whistles a coffee grinder is, if the tool cannot produce satisfactory ground coffee beans, it’s nothing but a strange paperweight. For instance: Since consistent grinding results in high-quality coffee, as well as prevents brewing mishaps, a coffee grinder that can’t consistently function is practically useless.

But no matter how well the coffee grinder you’d use performs, incorrect, inappropriate, or poor use will render it ineffective. To help you get the perfect grind for yourself, allow us to tell you everything we know on how to do so.

Let’s begin with the basic but crucial guidelines to correctly grinding coffee beans:

Grinding Coffee Beans

1. Grind the coffee beans you’d use right before using them.

While grinding coffee beans is needed to release the oils and flavors within, as well as enable the water you’d use to easily mix together with the coffee beans and turn into coffee, doing so puts the coffee beans at risk of going stale. The longer you store ground coffee beans, the higher the risk.

2. Keep the coffee grinder as clean as possible.

If you don’t, it’s possible that coffee particles will be left in the tool and have an adverse effect on the ground coffee beans it can produce or, worse, make you sick.

3. Choose the best coffee grinder you can afford.

It goes without saying that, more often than not, the more expensive a product is the more high quality it is. Indeed, pricey coffee grinders are usually well designed and come with a wide array of useful features.

Although you may know the common types of ground coffee beans sizes (i.e., fine, medium, and coarse),you might not know that there are two more, and that every one yields the best coffee it possibly can when used with specific types of coffeemakers. To help you easily remember them all, here they are:

Ground Coffee Beans Sizes

Coarse

Coarse-ground coffee beans have a chunky texture similar to that of potting soil.

Medium

Medium-ground coffee beans are similar in texture to that of sand.

Fine

Fine-ground coffee beans are similar in texture to that of sugar.

Extra Fine

Extra fine-ground coffee beans have a texture that falls between that of sugar and that of flour.

Turkish

Turkish ground coffee beans are similar in texture to that of flour.

Corresponding Coffeemakers to Each Ground Coffee Bean Size

Unlike the corresponding coffeemakers to each ground coffee bean size, there are currently only two types of coffee grinders commercially available: blade coffee grinders and burr coffee grinders.

As their names imply, blade coffee grinders chop up coffee beans by way of a built-in blade that you can spin manually or by pressing a button. How a blade coffee grinder works is similar to how a blender normally works: You put the coffee beans in the container, you turn the handle or press the button, the blade spins, and the coffee beans get chopped up into a powder. While blade coffee grinders in general are affordable as well as easy to operate and clean; they are inconsistent, give users no control over the portion of the ground coffee beans produced, and can cook the ground coffee beans and thereby have an adverse effect on their quality. Moreover, there are those who say that blade coffee grinders aren’t as effective as burr coffee grinders.

To produce ground coffee beans, burr coffee grinders crush the coffee beans between a wheel grinder or a conical grinder, both of which are basically moving grinding wheels, and a static surface. If you’d use a burr coffee grinder, you may adjust the burr’s position in order to regulate the ground coffee size; thereby providing you with more consistent ground coffee beans than a blade coffee grinder. While burr coffee grinders are consistent and adjustable, as well as won’t cook the coffee beans you’d use, they are noisy, slow, and generally pricey.

To save you from the pain of having to sift through the ever-growing variety of coffee grinders currently available in the market in order to find the best one for you, here are three of the best electric coffee grinders commercially available right now:

Best Electric Coffee Grinders

• Proctor Silex E160BY Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder, White

  Product Name
• 4Rating
• $Price
• ElectricMachine Type

• KRUPS F20342 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, Black

  Product Name
• 4.5Rating
• $Price
• ElectricMachine Type

• Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, White

  Product Name
• 4Rating
• $Price
• ElectricMachine Type

#1 Choice – KRUPS F20342 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, Black

Allow us to begin with the KRUPS F20342 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, Black—not only the most portable electric coffee grinder on this list; one of the most portable electric coffee grinders among the best coffee grinders currently available in the market. Indeed, coming in at just 3.5″ x 3″ x 6.8″ in dimensions, and weighing 1 lb (2 lbs when shipped), the aforementioned electric coffee grinder can easily be the smallest and lightest electric coffee grinder you’ve ever used so far. As such, if you’d purchase this electric coffee grinder, you won’t have to make more room for it than you’d like to give up.

But this doesn’t mean the KRUPS F20342 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, Black, will limit you to using only small servings. Despite its being surprisingly compact, this electric coffee grinder can produce enough ground coffee beans for 12 cups of coffee, which enable you to enjoy great coffee with your family, friends, and guests. So you won’t have to wait long for it, the electric coffee grinder can grind coffee beans fast by way of its 200 W motor.

The rest of the useful features of the electric coffee grinder are: lid that also serves as the switch, which makes operating the electric coffee grinder even more convenient; oval-shaped body, which makes the electric coffee grinder fit cozily in your palm and make handling it truly easy; stainless steel blade, which not only makes cleaning this part of the electric coffee grinder a cinch, but also assures you that the electric coffee grinder itself can last long; and capability to easily grind nuts, spices, and grains as well.

Despite the undeniable usefulness of the KRUPS F20342 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, Black, there are some drawbacks to this electric coffee grinder, according to a few consumers. They say that the electric coffee grinder gives the user little control over the quality of the resulting ground coffee beans. For instance: While it will grind coffee beans more finely than you’d like, making the electric coffee grinder produce coarse-ground coffee beans will leave some coffee beans intact. They also say that the electric coffee grinder produces a dust that will cause your coffeemaker to produce sludge, its blades heat up and have an adverse effect in the quality of the resulting ground coffee, and its slanted housing cup can cause you to spill coffee beans. The electric coffee grinder, however, has received a rating of 4 and a half stars out of 5 on Amazon.

A great place to buy is on Amazon and here is why:

1. All the reviews are like having hundreds of really good friends give you their personal experience with the espresso machine, then taking all of that personal experience and giving it a star rating. You’re buying quality when there are hundreds of fans of the machine.
2. A friendly UPS driver will deliver it right to your door. No waiting in line, no hauling it in your car. No sore muscles or achy back the next day.
3. Amazon has the best price 99% of the time. Amazon constantly watches competitor pricing and makes sure you get the best deal. They do a ton of business and take advantage of economies of scale, which means you get the savings!
4. FREE shipping. Enough said.
5. Returns are easy. Amazon recently shipped a car, and they ship a ton of large items, all day, every day. If they can ship a car, rest assured, you will get your espresso machine in perfect condition. BUT if for any reason it comes damaged, it is super easy to return. Just print out a UPS label, slap it on the box and a friendly UPS driver will pick it up, free of charge. This is way easier than waiting in a return line at Williams & Sonoma talking with a snoody sales clerk.

Hot features of the electric coffee grinder:

• Electric grinder with 200-watt motor provides fast grinding
• Large grinding capacity yields up to 12 cups of coffee
• Oval design and stainless steel blades ensure uniform grinding
• Versatile unit grinds spices, nuts, and grains
• Lid activated safety switch; 200 watts; 2 year worldwide warranty

#2 Choice – Proctor Silex E160BY Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder, White

Next is the Proctor Silex E160BY Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder, White—the most affordable electric coffee grinder on this list. You’ll be assured that purchasing this electric coffee grinder for yourself won’t cause you to blow your budget. But this doesn’t mean the electric leaf blower won’t be as effective as the electric coffee grinder previously reviewed. The former also comes with several useful features that together will enable you to make ground coffee beans easily any time you’d like.

First, and foremost, the Proctor Silex E160BY Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder, White, is the safest-to-use electric coffee grinder on this list. Not only has it a safety on/off switch; the electric coffee grinder comes with a retractable cord, which enables you to shorten the cord in order to prevent accidents like getting caught in someone’s hand or arm. Since it also comes with a compact, Euro-style design, the electric coffee grinder will hardly take up space, preventing anybody from hitting and breaking it. Like the electric coffee grinder previously reviewed, this electric coffee grinder also comes with stainless-steel blades, which assures you that the tool will be a cinch to clean as well as can last long.

Since it’s a small electric blade coffee grinder, like the electric coffee grinder previously reviewed, the Proctor Silex E160BY Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder can neither grind coffee beans consistently nor produce large amounts of ground coffee. Another drawback to this electric coffee grinder that a consumer has taken note of is it’s not as easy to clean as promised. Nevertheless, the electric coffee grinder has received a rating of 4 stars out of 5 on Amazon.

Hot features for the electric coffee grinder:

• Retractable cord
• Safety on/off button
• Stainless steel blades
• Easy to clean
• Product Built to North American Electrical Standards

#3 Choice – Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, White

Last but certainly not the least is the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, White—the most feature-packed electric coffee grinder on this list.

Indeed, for starters, the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, White, is the most adjustable electric coffee grinder on this list. It has no less than 14 coarse to fine settings, which lets you select the ground coffee beans size as precisely as no other coffee grinder you’ve had could. As if this level of precision was insufficient, the electric coffee grinder also comes with a timed grinding feature and a quick-grind button; which together enable you to set the exact amount of time you’ll need in order to grind the proper amount of coffee beans for a certain cup of coffee, ensuring you that the cup of coffee will be nothing but great.

The Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, White, is also more safe to use, as well as easy to keep clean, than several (if not most) of the best coffee grinders currently available in the market. To prevent spillage, the electric coffee grinder comes with a static-free borosilicate glass container for catching stray ground coffee beans, as well as a tight-fitting, silicone-nylon lid. To prevent breakage, the borosilicate glass container comes with a silicone band that practically makes it slip-proof.

Despite the wide array of useful features of the electric coffee grinder, a few consumers have taken note of some minor drawbacks to using it. According to them: The electric coffee grinder’s being relatively small (7.6″ x 7.1″ x 12.5″ in dimensions) limits the amount of ground coffee beans it can produce to small servings; it generates static and dust when preparing coarse-ground coffee beans; frequently changing the settings can be a chore; and the rubber-like parts necessitate frequent cleaning. Nonetheless, the electric coffee grinder has received a rating of 4 stars out of 5 on Amazon.

Hot features of the electric coffee grinder:

• Continuously adjustable with over 14 grind settings from coarse to fine
• Borosilicate glass catcher reduces static that causes jumping coffee grounds
• Proven as the best way to grind coffee, the burr grinder is adjustable to deliver the proper grind for your favorite brewing method
• Timed grinding feature and quick grind button let you set the exactly the amount of time you need to grind the proper amount of coffee
• Available in black, orange, red, green, and white

If these electric coffee grinders wouldn’t be to your liking, you can also select from the best manual coffee grinders available in the market. Also, here are some tips on how to find the best coffee grinder for you:

1. Choose a ‘stepped’ coffee grinder.

By stepped coffee grinders we mean coffee grinders that come with settings that enable you to click which ground coffee beans size you’d like. Stepless coffee grinders come with no adjustable settings.

2. Choose a ‘doserless’ coffee grinder.

While doserless coffee grinders enable you to grind coffee beans directly into the portafilter, coffee grinders that come with dosers have built-in portfilters, or portaholders. Many believe that the latter can have an adverse effect on the quality of the resulting ground coffee beans.

3. Choose a coffee grinder that comes with a conical burr.

Due to their large cutting surface as compared with flat burrs, conical burrs tend to spin slower than flat burrs; transferring less heat to the coffee beans when in use than the latter, thereby causing little to no adverse effect in the quality of the resulting ground coffee beans.

4. Choose a coffee grinder that comes with a timer.

Whether mechanical or digital, a timer enables a coffee grinder to consistently produce ground coffee beans.

Having told you everything we know on coffee grinders, and given the above brief but detailed reviews of 3 of the best coffee grinders currently available in the market, we hope you’ll be able to enjoy coffee as well as possible.

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