I need an actually good coffee grinder, but not too expensive. Help!
8So I got an entry level espresso machine, the Mr. Coffee Café Barista, but the coffee I’m getting out of it is tasting more like very strong coffee than actual espresso. I think it’s because of bad inconsistent grinds. I tried buying a cheap manual grinder, but it is really only marginally better than the random grind of an automatic standard bullcrap grinder. But I also see that Mr. Coffee’s own Burr mill grinder is not well reviewed, so that’s a no-go. Is there a GOOD Burr mill grinder for the same price point? What’s the best bang for the buck that’ll actually get me a precise grind?
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I like the Krups coffee grinder. I’ve used this very one for YEARS, and it’s consistent, and turns out an excellent grind. I’ve had other grinders (including a very expensive Burr grinder, which I gave away to friends), but this one works perfectly.
“KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, 3-Ounce, Black”
It’s all of eighteen bucks. You can afford it. Just do it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SPEU/
I should add that I am infamous among my friends for my requirements about coffee.
@Shrdlu Blade grinder hissss
I’ve had one of these for years now without any problems. My sister liked it so much she got one gor herself. It’s a Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill for $35.49 over at the mothership.
Look here
BTW: Make sure you get a burr mill NOT A GRINDER. A grinder has blades like a blender and you don’t have a lot of control over the size of the grind. (ie: course grind for a French press or fine grind for espresso)
@JanaS I agree. My Cuisinart has been burr milling almost daily for about 12 years without any problems. I find the quality of the grind quite good.
We roast our own coffee & have tried quite a few different grinders. I really like sticking with a burr grinder for an accurate grind. The grinder we have right now has lasted years & is easy to occasionally clean (you do need to clean them out), but is a little expensive maybe.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043095WW/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3GAW461Y0294E&colid=37LQXMV3H2X58&psc=1
Just make sure to get a high rated burr grinder & you should be good.
@daveinwarsh I’ve had two of those units. The first one put in about a year and a half of work until I had to give it away (long story). The one I got to replace it only lasted a few weeks (the motor simply stopped), and I returned it instead of exchanging it. A quick search shows it’s probably still subject to the 20-second limit for grinding, which can be an issue if you’re going for a finer grind or a larger amount.
After reading a bunch more, I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK
It’s at about 3.5 years of daily use and is still going like a champ. The motor seems stronger than the Bodum, and it has no time limitations. For what it’s worth, two of my friends have the same one and love it, including a guy who has worked in coffee shops most of his life and is the second-pickiest person I know about coffee in general.
@Kabn Cool, thanks. If/when this one dies, I’ll check out that one. Ours has lasted years, but reading the reviews it has plastic gears? Hmmm… Maybe we’re on borrowed time.
We don’t grind on the fine setting much, but we do two max-time settings all the time at least once a day, usually drip (med) grind or occasionally French press (med-coarse) grind.
The secret is good fresh roasted single origin beans not blended like most of the stuff you buy, a uniform grind & good water. We have our own well with perfect water and always use our beans within 7 days of roasting them.
@daveinwarsh I haven’t gotten into roasting yet, partially because I have access to all sorts of local roasters here in Portland. I’m currently going through Rose City Coffee’s offerings; I can go to their location in Sellwood and pick up beans that were roasted the day before.
I’m not as much of a single-original obsessive as some of my friends. I’ve had some very good blends from roasters who actually think out how they’re composing the flavors as opposed to just throwing a few popular ones together. Specifically, Rose City’s Wakonda blend is very balanced and good as an all-around use bean.
Plastic gears or no, if it’s still going, there’s no reason to change anything. Hope it lasts for years more.
@Kabn Portland? Cool. I lived in Portland area until the age of 11. Tigard & Happy Valley area.
I do blend two types beans to try different mixes.
It’s nice to have close coffee roaster places nearby. We don’t really have that option without driving a long way…
Wirecutter reviews.
@2many2no The Amazon reviews for their budget pick and their overall pick are below par.
@Dizavid I have been using the Baratza Encore daily for almost 3 years with no problems so far (just lucky, I guess.) It is loud, though.
@2many2no I found a great combo of low price, at par reviews (maybe the best reviews out of everything below 200 smackers), and reasonable quality. Check it: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B077SBFR8K/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1
You absolutely want a burr grinder. I’ve been using a Capresso 560 (The Wirecutter’s budget pick) for years and I’ve been very happy with it.
Just use a blender and grind up all your beans at the same time! Better yet, get pre-ground coffee; there are 1/4 pound bags at my local dollar tree.
@PocketBrain NEVER!
@PocketBrain I too am a fan of sarcasm.
@ConradHilton LOL
I also roast at home.
I have a disc burr grinder that put puts a consistent ground… And a very fine powder.
@PocketBrain even better… just switch to Ovaltine! Or suck on some carob paste in the morning, first thing, it’s practically like being in Italy. Or lick a coffee-colored crayon really fervently, like it’s your long-lost lover. All good options!
Can you educate me on this please? How can a different grind make the bean taste different? I thought they both are supposed to taste the same with the exception that expresso is a bit stronger because of the additional surface area of the grind allows more of the coffee flavor to be extracted.
I lived in Italy for 6 years and had nothing but expresso over there. Then came to the USA and had nothing but regular coffee for the next 38 years. Never tried a cup of each side by side to determine if I could taste a difference.
@cengland0
In general, if you brew coffee that is ground too coarse, the coffee can be under-extracted (weak), and less flavorful. If your coffee is ground too fine, however, the coffee can be over-extracted and bitter. Small changes in grind size can drastically affect the taste of your final brew.
Exec Summary:
The taste of coffee is impacted by many things:
@cengland0
Not so summarized
read one opinion here:
https://coffeekind.com/blogs/the-reading-room/coffee-characteristics-what-affects-the-quality-of-coffee-before-you-brew-it
it stops at roast and is more detailed to that point.
Another blog post on the same topic:
https://capecoffeebeans.co.za/blogs/cape-coffee-blog/77091524-7-factors-that-influence-coffee-flavour
And another from a different viewpoint
https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2016/05/coffee-science-affects-flavour-coffee/
Happy reading.
@Cerridwyn Wow, and to think I’m fine with the coffee sold at the gas station around the corner from my house.
@cengland0
It’s like anything. Whether you drink wine whiskey beer coffee they’re not all the same some of us are content with just about anything others pray for the special characters that you get from buying the good stuff
@Cerridwyn Exactly.
Some are happy with a bottle of Bud Light.
I’d prefer a mug of Obsidian Stout.
It’s all personal taste…
@Cerridwyn wow, you got thru that without using the term cultivar.
@PocketBrain
well i was trying not to use confusing language even though I did say Terroir
Exactly!!
And ewww to bud light
@Cerridwyn Bud Light is ok for a big gathering like Super Bowl. If it’s just me or a couple people yeah I’m getting 6-packs of the “good stuff” or trying a better beer.
@Targaryen
Guinness tarbaby
@Cerridwyn Ah, yes. Drinking pond water squeezed out from a gym sock.
It starts with the grinder, then you’ll be roasting your own beans… then suddenly you’re buying a bean farm in Guatemala.
@Targaryen
ooooo i want some
What a great thread! All you cheapskates and weirdos know a thing or two about coffee. (I wonder if there’s a correlation.)
Yeah I have a few spice grinders, one of which I labelled ‘coffee’, but finally, after going to Goodwill every day for a decade, I bought a burr grinder. Now I’m one of those idiots that says “I have a burr grinder”, whenever the coffee subject comes up.
But, I bought a West Bend Stir Crazy popcorn maker years ago to eventually roast green beans. Now, everyone’s using hot air poppers for their green beans, and I still haven’t done the green coffee roasting thing yet.
I went back to canned coffee for a few years, but every brand I tried seemed to be bad.
‘They’ say spice grinders heat up the coffee beans too much.
At the beginning of the day, it’s nice to have a good cup of coffee, Joe.
@wew You really went to Goodwill every single day, and got a burr grinder there after that long?
@wew Even I’m not that dedicated!
Also the only burr grinder that was worth it was the Baratza Virtuoso I got for $8. At $3-$6, I overpaid for the Cuisinart and Black and Deckers burr grinders, even though two were new/unused.
@narfcake What? How’d you get such prices?
@Dizavid Same way my shirt.woot collection got to the size it is – thrift stores.
@narfcake Shiiiit, if I can really find such excellent things at Goodwill, maybe I should go to a bunch of them tomorrow.
I used to go every night. I don’t really have any friends irl, and it was my social support going to Goodwill.
I also bought something almost every night. I know a lot about antiques and collectibles, so I found some really good stuff…I bought a lot of junk too! I had a blog I’d post a picture to every day.
I never resold anything for a profit–man, that ticked me off seeing dealers in there wanting a $2 item for a dollar so they could sell it on ebay for $50.
And if something was a staple or a necessity, I’d wait a week before buying it, so someone else would have a chance.
I used to joke to them, when I die, just bring that Goodwill sign to my house, hang it outside, and start re-selling it again.
I sorta miss that. Maybe I’ll return.
TMI–about a junkman with scruples.
@wew Ah, okay. All is well, then.
Get a Keurig. ducks and runs
Had a Keurig. Went back to the grind.
Sadly, my cheap-o GE burr grinder (Maaaaaybe $20 new? Probably on sale for less) has finally given out. I can hear the motor trying, but grinding isn’t happening. And getting to the shaft/burr itself is proving potentially breaky.
So I’m reading with interest…and also looking for a good DIY repair site. My luck with sites for coffee-related appliances has, in the past, been dismal. Washer? Absolutely spot on assistance. Coffee maker? I got so frustrated at pompous coffee-snob non-mechanicals ignoring my description of the problem (complete with tech terms describing the guts of my partially dismantled espresso machine) and suggesting solutions that presumed I was both a novice AND an idiot (“Did you flip the clearly labeled switch?”), that I finally chirped back “Gee, realized my problem, it’s actually a toaster!” and rage quit. Reeeaaaallly not keen to try again.
Get a country living mill, It’ll out last you.
There are a lot of sites out there with how to repair medium to high end burr grinders, blade grinders, and low end, not so much. Usually you have to dig through forums for coffee geeks
Your Basic problem is that with grinders good and inexpensive are mutually exclusive. To make an assembly robust enough for long term accurate grind costly components are necessary and given that the market is not that great these things tend to be a cottage industry. So buy a $20 flail mill every 3 mos or suck it up and spend the bucks.
So I independently looked through everything on Amazon below 200 bucks, and I came to the conclusion that this one’s the way to go: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B077SBFR8K/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1
If you like to brew by hand:
@Cerridwyn Isn’t that just another version of an Aeropress?
@Dizavid
somewhat yes
but elegant.
I do french press well.
I’ve never done aeropress without a mess, cause, well coordination is not my strong point.
I look at it as somewhat of a combination