Many of us put a lot of money into the coffee beans we buy and the machinery we use to brew it, but think nothing of the humble grinder that sits between them. It's a shame—a good grinder can make a world of difference. This week we're looking at five of the best, based on your nominations.
Earlier in the week, we asked you which burr grinders you thought were the best—specifically burr grinders, which make sure you get an even, solid grind customized to the method or machine you prefer to make your coffee. You turned out tons of great nominees, many from the same handful of companies, some automatic and some manual—some affordable and some incredibly expensive. Here are your top picks, in no particular order:
The Hario Skerton is a ceramic burr mill that's hand operated, portable, and affordable. It'll set you back $28 at Amazon, holds plenty of coffee for your morning brew (about 100g at a time, so if you're making a lot it may take a couple of grinding sessions), offers a nice, consistent grind and a comfortable grip while you're using it, and it's easy to clean out when you're finished. It's lightweight, and even if you don't use it with the included coffee container, it fits a standard mason jar, so you can attach it to one of those and grind to your heart's content. The bottom is rubberized so it doesn't slide around your countertops while you grind, either.
The Skerton was a popular pick in our nominations thread, and those of you who lent your support to it noted that it's probably one of the best quality/price grinders you can find. It's a manual, so you'll get a workout every morning when you want to make coffee, but if you're not in the market (or the budget) for a super-expensive automatic grinder, this is a great, portable alternative. It's not perfect though—some of you reported inconsistent grinds when you're set to medium-large or coarser grinds, and one of you reported that the nut on top would loosen while you used it (something that one Amazon reviewer noted that you could fix with a stainless split-ring lock washer from your local hardware store). You can read more praise and thoughts in its nomination thread here. One of you even suggested attaching a rechargable screwdriver to the Skerton for semi-automatic grinding. Now there's a life hack I can get behind.
The Baratza Encore is an automatic conical burr grinder, complete with a storage bun on the top for all of your coffee and a capture container for the ground coffee at the bottom. It sports over 40 different grind settings, and as far as automatic grinders go, it's relatively affordable at about $130 at Amazon. A quick twist of the knob on the side will give you coffee perfectly ground for whatever your favorite coffee preparation may be, whether it's drip, press, or pour-over. The Encore may not be the objective best Baratza grinder, but it's certainly the best for home coffee enthusiasts or people who aren't willing to spend hundreds upon hundreds just to get a good consistent grind every morning. It's been lauded by coffee reviewers (and criticized, more on that in a moment), and it does a good job of getting a consistent grind without heating up your coffee beans or getting too loud (although it's not particularly quiet, either.) The Encore is the successor to the immensely popular Maestro, and follows in its footsteps in both design and build quality. It's a sturdy, reliable grinder, and many of you particularly highlighted Baratza's superior customer service should you run into problems with it.
The Encore earned a lot of support in the call for contenders thread, and many of you noted specifically that it's an incredible budget grinder for someone who doesn't want a manual but also doesn't want to blow the budget on just the grinder for their coffee. It's a good compromise between luxury and affordability, and if you want to save even more, Baratza offers refurbs with warranties right from the factory on their site every Thursday. The Encore isn't perfect though—many people complain that it can be a messy grinder, and finer grinds will wind up falling outside the grind container at the bottom, making the thing a pain to clean. Some people report inconsistent grind quality as well, and note that it can't do a proper espresso grind, if that's what you're looking for. However, for presses, drips, pour-overs, Aeropresses, or anything else, it's a great buy. You can read more in its nomination thread here.
The Capresso Infinity is an affordable automatic burr grinder that's even more affordable than most others in its class. It comes in at $89 at Amazon, sports a conical steel burr grinder at the top with a storage container for all of your beans, and a grind catch at the bottom for the ground coffee you plan to use. The Capresso boasts a range of grinds from super-fine Espresso or Turkish-style coffee all the way up to the more coarse grinds you'll need for pressed coffee. The upper compartments are easy to disassemble for cleaning, and the grinder even sports pulse grinding options if you prefer. Best of all it sports a nice, slow grind so your beans and grinds don't heat up, and everyone in the house doesn't wake up as soon as you turn it on. The Infinity packs 16 individual grind settings, comes in black (shown above), brushed silver, and stainless (for a price premium.) Either way though, if you're looking for a great grinder at a budget-friendly price, this is a good one to pick.
In the nominations thread though, the Capresso Infinity was a popular choice, but a well-discussed one. Many of you highlighted its affordability and great grind for the money, but others of you noted that it has a few drawbacks. for one, the hopper comes out of the base at a near 90-degree angle, which means it's difficult to get all of your grounds out unless you're pretty meticulous about it. Others of you though noted that you've never had a problem and it's been completely reliable, and that the fine setting is really fine—something other grinders haven't been able to accomplish. One of you even said that you had to replace the plastic parts over the years just because you used it so much. Either way, you can read more in the nomination thread here.
The Hario Slim is a positively small, portable manual burr grinder that's small enough to take camping with you or pack in your luggage if you want to make sure you have a good cup anywhere you happen to roam. It's also affordable, coming in at under $25 at Amazon. Like most Hario models, the Slim disassembles easily for cleaning, and the grind hopper in the bottom is large enough to hold enough coffee for most morning preparations, especially things like Aeropresses, French Presses, or pour-overs. The mill is ceramic, so you don't have to worry about it rusting with cleaning, and the handle detaches for even easier cleaning. It's light, so using it can be a little tricky, but the burrs are sharp and strong enough to handle whatever you throw at it with a consistent, solid grind that's perfect for any preparation. You'll get a little bit of a workout using it, too. The best part is that the Slim is actually the perfect size to dispense directly into the mouth of the Aeropress, so if that's your preferred coffee maker, you're in for a treat.
The Hario Slim earned nothing but praise in the nominations thread. All of you noted that the best thing about manual grinders is how quiet they are (especially compared to automatics), and that the Slim has just enough coarseness options that you can get a nice fine grind for espresso or a coarse one for a Press. All of you praised the Slim for being affordable, portable, and easy to clean and store, and praised the ceramic burrs for their longevity. One of you even noted that you have another one for spices, and another of you even noted you hooked up the cordless drill to it when you're feeling lazy—another Hario hack like the one we mentioned above. You can read it all in the nomination thread here.
The Preciso is at the high end of Baratza's consumer burr grinder lineup, offering incredibly precise (thus the name) adjustments to the grind that can be dialed in to your exact preferences. The Preciso is capable of fine, espresso-quality grinds, which you'll likely need if you have an at-home espresso maker, something some of the other grinders in Baratza's lineup have difficulty with. You'll pay for it though, the Preciso will set you back $300 at Amazon. It still offers Baratza's 40 individual grind options, the conical burr grinder at the top with a storage hopper for beans at the top and grinds at the bottom, and even packs a holder for your espresso filter so you can grind directly into it without having to grind into the hopper and disassemble it just to get one or two shots of espresso out of the grinder. Of course, while the Preciso is all about espresso, it works just fine for other brew methods as well, from drip to pour over, and is capable of coarse, even grinds as well. Indpendent reviewers tend to love the Preciso, and note that it's capable of a more consistent grind than some of the others in its family, and note that it's perfect for going from espresso to press in just a few clicks.
Those of you who nominated the Preciso noted that its high price is enough to put off a lot of people, but if you have an at-home espresso maker or you're a huge coffee drinker, you need a grinder that can match up with the coffee preparations you prefer. Considering the cost of many home espresso makers, this grinder may be just the ticket for a perfect brew, every time. Some of you noted that the Preciso is great for espresso and its build is very espresso-focused, so while it can be set for more coarse grinds, it has more trouble with them than other grinders. Similarly, you pointed out that when you did have a problem with it, Baratza's customer service came riding to the rescue, which is something you really can't highlight enough when you're spending that kind of money on an kitchen appliance. You can read more in its nomination thread here.
Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to put them to an all-out vote to determine the winner.
This week's honorable mention goes out to Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder , a fully automatic "smart" grinder that's capable of grinding espresso-fine coffee and coarse drip or press coffee right after each other. All you have to do is tell the grinder how you're preparing your coffee and how much of it you're planning to make. No knobs to dial or settings to fiddle with—the grinder handles the rest and even spits out the right amount of ground coffee for the serving you plan to brew. Of course, if you have more exacting standards, you can override its settings and grind as much or as little as you want, too. This conical burr grinder will set you back close to $200 at Amazon, and you can read more first-hand experiences in the nominations thread.
Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.
The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!
Title photo by David Joyce.
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