You'll Never Go Back to Pre-Ground Beans Again (2025)

Our pros were impressed with the OXO burr grinder in our tests. We found it produced very even grounds at different settings that can be used for espresso, cold brew and everything in between. The hopper (where the beans are stored) has the largest capacity of all the coffee grinders we tested, holding up to 3/4 of a pound of coffee beans. The hopper features an airtight lid and UV-blocking tint, both of which help preserve the freshness of the coffee beans.

The grinder operates with the touch of a button and grinds into a static-fighting stainless steel container, which features a lid with a hole big enough to empty the grounds into a coffee filter without making a mess. The lid also helps prevent grounds from shooting everywhere during grinding. After emptying the grounds, you can securely click the container into place, readying it for the next batch. One thing to note: Some online reviewers say that this machine tends to clog when using very oily beans but otherwise works well.

Cheap blade grinders can produce an uneven grind, so we loved that this Hamilton Beach model is less expensive and still produces even grinds. In our tests, it stood out for grinding evenly and easily at the push of a button. It can confidently grind up to nine tablespoons of coffee beans at a time. Our pros appreciated the clear lid which allows you to see how your beans are grinding in real time. The grinding container is removable, which makes it easy to empty into a coffee filter. Our only complaint is that grinds stick to the sides of the container due to the static.

Our experts especially liked the 6-, 10- and 12-cup coffee grounds markings, which weren't on other blade grinders, to help gauge how much coffee you need to grind to make a certain size pot. We also love the hidden cord storage around the base so you can wrap it up when not in use to reduce cord clutter. According to the brand, you can also use this grinder for spices, although we typically recommend grinding your coffee and spices with different grinders.

Bodum's grinder makes choosing a setting easy with its well-labeled burr coffee grinder. The plastic lid is etched with a chart that suggests how long to grind beans based on the type and amount of coffee you're making. Simply turn the 7.75-ounce hopper to select one of 12 grind settings; the hopper is angled, which allows beans to flow into the grinder. In our test, the Bodum Burr Coffee Grinder produced even grounds on the fine, medium and coarse settings, all of which were noticeably different in size, perfect for espresso, drip coffee, French press and cold brew.

The Bodum Grinder has a timer that grinds for up to 20 seconds, but be aware that the instructions state the machine needs to rest for 5 minutes between each 20-second grind. Its glass coffee grounds container has a lid that prevents grounds from flying everywhere. The lid stays in place when shaking grounds into a filter and is easy to remove for scooping coffee out. The grounds container has a rubber grip around it to make it easier to handle, and it slides in and out of the holder easily.

The Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill offers options of 18 grind sizes, which means you can use it for making espresso, drip coffee, French press and more. The fine grind setting works well for espresso, the medium for drip and pour over and the coarsest is perfect for cold brew and French press. On top of that, the adjustable dial can be set to grind a batch of beans to brew four to 18 cups of coffee.

In our tests, we found the grinder to be louder than several of the machines we tested, but it wasn't a deal-breaker. The grounds container features a small hole through which grounds can pass into a coffee filter mess-free. We found it easy to replace the container securely in the base with one hand. The grinder comes with a two-in-one coffee scoop and brush for easy cleaning.

It's hard to miss the Opus Conical Burr coffee grinder with its minimalistic look and modern matte finish. In our tests, it was intuitive to use, and we love that the lid displays the grind settings for espresso, pour-over, drip coffee, cold brew and more, making it easy to find your grind setting without having to refer to the instruction manual. It has 41 grind size settings and our pros found the grind settings to be accurate producing even grinds consistently on multiple settings. While the grinder doesn't feature options to grind a specific number of cups, it does have timed grinding of 30, 60, and 90 seconds as well as 2 minutes.

You won't have to worry about starting your morning with loud grinding or waking someone up, since it was one of the quietest grinders in our most recent test. We found the hopper was easy to fill with a large opening and were impressed with the strong magnetic base that kept the grounds cup in place. The one drawback is the grounds can fall from the grinder when the cup is taken out, making a bit of a mess. It's not as tall as other coffee grinders, so storage under cabinets is a breeze.

Our experts were impressed that this Proctor Silex coffee grinder lived up to its name, with a sound shield that kept grinding noise at a minimum. While not completely silent, in our most recent test, it was one of the quietest coffee grinders. In addition, it grinds coffee quickly and excels at producing coarse grinds.

According to the brand, it holds enough beans to make a 12-cup pot of coffee. In our tests, we found it's able to grind a little under 10 tablespoons when filled to the max, so if you like a stronger pot of coffee you may need to grind additional beans. There are no grind size settings, so you’ll have to monitor the grind time to get your desired size. It has a small footprint standing at a little over seven inches tall, so it’s perfect for counters with limited space, or storing in a cabinet if needed.

The Capresso Infinity Plus Conical Burr Grinder was the quietest burr coffee grinder we tested. Like the Proctor Silex, our quietest blade grinder, the Capresso made a noticeable low, muffled sound. It features 16 grind settings, each of which is easy to select with clearly labeled markings. The grinder also features a dial that you can set to grind enough beans to make one to 12 cups of coffee.

The hopper can hold up to 11 ounces of coffee beans and the removable grounds container holds four ounces of ground coffee. It features a wide mouth and creates minimal static, which is good for pouring the grounds into a coffee filter. The ergonomic container was easy to pull out of the housing with one hand.

Baratza is a well-known brand among coffee aficionados, and we can see why. It offers a large number of grind sizes — 40 to be exact — and a simple interface with one button and a digital timer display. The brand states this grinder has a unique feature that automatically controls the grind speed to help prevent the machine and beans from overheating. That means you can grind batch after batch, unlike other machines that require you to wait for the machine to cool down between grind batches. When we tested this at home, we ground multiple batches of coffee and didn't notice any heat.

In our tests at home, it consistently produced fine, medium and coarse grounds with a visible difference, and the container remained static-free, preventing coffee grounds from flying everywhere. Setting up the machine required a few extra steps, like putting on a gasket and attaching the hopper, but once it was set up, it was easy to use. Espresso lovers will enjoy the convenience of grinding directly into a portafilter, and we also liked the large and easy-to-read digital display timer.

The highest-scoring grinders were able to produce accurate, even grounds on the fine, medium and coarse settings consistently. We used a Kruve Sifter that separates the grinds by particle size which tells us how much fine, medium and coarse grinds there are in a grind batch. We think a good, versatile coffee grinder should be able to make noticeably different grinds. We then assessed the grinds to see how even they were and if they could be used for an assortment of different coffee drinks from espresso (a fine grind) to drip coffee makers (a medium grind) and cold brew (a coarse grind).

Our pros evaluated the grinders on how easy they were to set up and a decibel meter to record how loudly they operated. Top performers were able to work quietly and easily pour grounds into a coffee filter while making minimal mess.

✔️ Type: There are three main types of coffee grinders: blade grinders, burr grinders and manual grinders.

• Blade grinders work like food processors with blunted edges. The blade spins to chop the coffee beans. The ones we tested were loud when the beans were whole but operated more quietly as the beans broke down. Overall, blade grinders are smaller and more compact than burr grinders, but they require a certain amount of skill from the user to produce evenly ground coffee of the right size.

• Burr grinders work like a pepper mill. Coffee beans pass through two metal or plastic grinding surfaces (burrs) to be ground into pieces. The grind size can be precisely controlled, depending on how many settings the grinder has and the results are very even, which contributes to a fuller, more balanced taste. They're larger, louder and often more expensive than blade grinders.

• Manual grinders are a small and inexpensive option, but selecting the perfect setting is not always easy, and grinding takes way more time than we'd like. They, too, work like a pepper mill by grinding beans between two burrs, but you have to crank the mechanism by hand. Manual grinders store only a small amount of beans and require turning the handle many times to grind. On the plus side, manual grinders are virtually silent compared with blade and burr grinders.

✔️ Hopper size: Burr grinders have hoppers where you can store your whole beans, while blade grinders don't. If you don't want to load your coffee grinder daily, consider a burr grinder. A large hopper might be able to hold a full, one-pound bag of beans, but some aficionados argue that beans remain fresher when stored in a cool, dry cupboard away from light. (Some hoppers are dark and include a UV-blocking tint for this exact reason, but others are clear.) Most hoppers hold about 1/2 to 3/4 pounds of beans.

✔️ Settings: With burr grinders, you may think the more settings, the better, but most coffee grinder consumers need only a fine, medium and coarse setting — the key is that each setting produces noticeably different grounds to use for espresso, drip and cold brew coffees. And, remember, blade grinders do not offer settings; they require you to adjust the grind setting by processing for a longer or shorter amount of time, based on your desired result.

Coffee grinders can range in price from under $20 to upwards of a few hundred, so you may be wondering if it’s worth buying an expensive coffee grinder. For those who make different types of coffee, such as espresso, French press and more, the extra investment into a pricier coffee grinder may be worth it.

More expensive coffee grinders often use burr grinders which typically produce a more even grind than a blade grinder. Another advantage is pricier coffee grinders usually have more grind size settings so you can choose the appropriate grind for the type of coffee and go even further with small incremental sizes to fine-tune the coffee to your taste. Having a wide variety of settings also allows you to dial in the size for different types of coffee beans, which can enhance the taste of the coffee and bring out different flavor profiles. It may also be worth paying extra for convenient features like timed grinding portafilter attachments.

If your goal is simply to grind some fresh beans for drip coffee (or one type of coffee) and you aren’t particular about the grind size accuracy or consistency, it may not be worth the extra expense.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances Lab where she oversees all testing relating to cooking and drinking equipment. She tested 20 coffee grinders side by side and continues to road-test different coffee grinders daily. She's been testing kitchen appliances professionally since 2013 and is trained in classic culinary arts.

Jamie (Kim) Ueda's first job at Good Housekeeping Institute was testing a variety of consumer products, and one of her first tests was drip coffee makers. Since then she has tested and written about many kitchen-related and cooking tools, especially drip coffee and espresso makers as well as coffee accessories like coffee grinders. She has a passion for coffee and has completed rigorous coffee courses from the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) in coffee brewing, barista skills and sensory tasting.