Best Coffee Grinder for Home Brewing

“I was looking to replace my old burr coffee grinder and was following product reviews. I landed on the Encore Grinder, even though it was a little more expensive. I bit the bullet and bought it and a month later I have it, I am very happy with my purchase. The grind is very consistent with the 40 setting, making it possible to find your specific grind. What impressed me the most was the absence of static electricity in the plastic box. My previous burr grinder was such that I had to leave it down after grinding or risk a small explosion of coffee. Yes, it takes a little longer to grind and there’s no automatic shutoff, but you don’t mind standing there for a minute to smell the aroma. I chose the baffle which helps blow any remaining particles into the trash can. I haven’t cleaned it yet but I imagine it’s easier said than done. If you are like me and do not have to spend a lot of money on your daily work, you will be satisfied with this device. The company offers spare parts and Customer Service, so win-win. Buy!! You won’t regret it. I’m not. — Amazon customer

“I have been grinding beans for 15 years. I started with a blade type coffee/spice grinder. I quickly upgraded to a few straight blade burr grinders (like the $40 Krupps) and used them for years. They were a pain in the ass. I guess I was just lazy and complacent. I finally bit the bullet and switched to a conical burr grinder with this Baratza Encore. In this price range this thing is second to none. My nephew, who owns several coffee shops, said he bought this Baratza Encore when the Capresso he used at home broke down.

“The greatest happiness: Almost no static! The static noise of the old high-speed burr grinders was unbearable. When I removed the glass, the grinds were literally flying away. Hit this Baratza with a few blows with the force of your hand to remove all the squeaks from your throat before removing the glass. When you remove the cup, there is no dust, crumbs and NO STATIC.
Secondly, the grinding uniformity is excellent. There are no extreme variations in size and no dust or powder is produced. Just beautifully uniform floors. I have only used the two settings recommended by Baratza, settings 15 and 18 for the pour-over and automatic drip coffee maker.

“Then I gave it 3 stars because of the noise level. Show me a coffee grinder that is whisper quiet, even though it makes quite a bit of noise. They make noise, they get used to it.

“It has a DC motor with more constant torque and rpm than AC motors, and it uses gear reduction. The manufacturer’s specifications state that it runs at a cool and comfortable 550 rpm. I’m sure my old flat blade burr grinders were running at 1000 rpm or faster ; which probably contributed to ‘fines’ and excess static electricity.
I cleaned it once a week and it wasn’t really dirty; No dust or dirt accumulated. Unbelievable! The point to be aware of is that if you grind beans that are roasted too darkly, they will become oily and more frequent cleaning may be required.” — James L. (This review has been edited for length. Read the full review here.)

“Oh my god, I love this coffee grinder. Previously a Mr. I had 2 conical grinders, Coffee and a Cuisinart. What can I say, I’m thrifty, I’m thrifty, I mean okay, I’m cheap. For what is basically a simple tool, I thought a cheap grinder would work well. I’m not such a coffee snob that I can feel the difference between coffee made with one grinder or another. The consistency of the grind doesn’t matter, I thought. I’m here to tell you: the money you ‘save’ on cheap grinders would be much better spent on the Baratza Encore instead. Mr. How much did the coffee grinder cost, $40? It didn’t last very long, not even a year. He said enough. The Cuisinart was $100 and worked, but was a pain in the ass to use.

“I finally had some extra money and went to buy this cute Baratza. Wow, just wow. I’ve been using it for a month and there is still no static buildup in the outlet. It is very easy to use. It works exactly as expected, grinding the coffee perfectly. The $50 difference between Baratza and Cuisinart is money well spent. You won’t regret it, I promise. If you are looking for a conical burr grinder, this is what you are looking for!” — P. Albee (This review has been edited for length. Read the full review here.)