The quick + dirty Guide to Choosing a Coffee Grinder

Are you considering switching to whole bean coffee? What took you so long? 

But seriously, coffee is 1000x better when you grind right before brewing. Especially when you have freshly roasted beans, one of the hallmarks of Class IV Coffee. 

Ok, so maybe you still don’t think the best tasting coffee you’ve ever had in your life is worth investing in a grinder of your own? We can help. There are three main concerns we hear when it comes to buying a grinder.

 1.) I don’t want to wake up my spouse in the morning.

There are several grinders on the market, like the Ode Brew Grinder by Fellow, that are extremely quiet and have little risk of waking even the lightest sleeper from their slumber. Next!

 2.) It takes too long to grind. I’m always in a hurry in the morning.

The extra 30 seconds it takes is worth it. Next! 

3.) There are so many different options on the market. It’s overwhelming.

Grinders boil down to two types: blade grinders and burr grinders. My wife and I had a blade grinder for years and loved it. If you’re just getting into whole bean coffee for the first time, this can be an inexpensive entry point to test the waters. One of the most popular blade grinders on the market and the same one we had for years is the Kaffe KF2020. It’s simple, reliable, and, as I mentioned, inexpensive at around $30.

The biggest gripe with blade grinders is that they offer an inconsistent grind size. If you have a drip coffee maker, a blade grinder will do you just fine. If your coffee preparations include French press, espresso, and pour over, it might be worth considering a burr grinder. Burr grinders allow you to dial-in the specific grind size based on your preparation method. For example, a larger grind size for French roast and a super fine grind for espresso. There are many burr grinders on the market, such as the Ode Brew by Fellow mentioned above. My wife and I currently have the Infinity Conical Burr Grinder by Capresso. At around $100, the Capresso offers great value and serves a broad range of preparation types.

Bottom line, you don’t have to break the bank to get a quality grinder. We hope this was helpful. Any questions, just let us know.