Updated Sep. 15, 2024
Our Product Testing Team (along with a former barista) tried 21 different coffee grinders. These are the ones that pulled superb espresso shots.
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Using a coffee grinder to grind your own beans is a surefire way to elevate your morning cup from mid to majestic. However, not all coffee grinders are created equal. While a good grinder has various settings and functions for different beverages, the best coffee grinder for espresso requires a few specific touches.
When shopping for an espresso grinder, Editorial Coordinator and former barista Sydney Manning notes that consistency is one of the most important considerations. “When you find a grinder you want to purchase, it’s important to note how consistent the grind size is so you can decide if it will be good enough for what you’re brewing,” Sydney notes. Unlike something like pour-over or drip coffee, espresso isn’t especially forgiving. Precision is key to avoiding a watery or overly bitter brew.
Our expert Product Testing Team tried out 21 different coffee grinders to find the best option for every morning beverage. After grinding and brewing over 40 coffee drinks, we passed along the top performers to Sydney. She used each machine to pull three shots, noting which options brewed up the best espresso.
Whether you’re brewing on a bonafide espresso machine or reaching for your Minipresso, these three coffee grinders will ensure that your beans are the perfect consistency. One cup of smooth, crema-topped caffeine coming right up!
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As we mentioned, the best coffee grinder for espresso must offer consistency, and that’s where the Baratza Encore ESP really shines. It’s an improvement on the original Encore (which we also tested) but with a more focused approach for espresso grinds. While it’s ideal for super-fine grounds, it also doesn’t compromise on quality for other brew types.
Whether you’re making a traditional shot, an espresso martini or a tiramisu, you’ll get exactly the right consistency per the setting you choose—and there are 40 different grind settings to choose from! At only 13 inches high, it’s compact but sturdy—definitely on the smaller end of the burr grinder spectrum. This makes it ideal for either stowing away or keeping on a coffee cart when not in use.
It doesn’t have a self-timer or automation when grinding like other models we’re testing, so you must be mindful of the amount of beans you put in the hopper. It took us around 25 seconds to grind 20 grams of beans on the finest setting. That said, like any other espresso grinder, it requires some experimentation to achieve the right consistency.
“The first time, I did a fine grind, and it pulled too long and was very bitter. It didn’t output as much as I wanted it to either (only one of the two spouts of the espresso machine dispensed liquid),” says Sydney. “The second time, I ground the beans coarser, and the shot took a better amount of time to pull (closer to 25 seconds), but it still wasn’t consistently pulling from that second spout.”
Additionally, you can purchase and replace around 34 grinder components in the online store, ranging from the hopper containers to the power boards. This ensures that the machine will last throughout the years, even with daily use. It’s also super easy to clean, as the hopper and grounds containers are removable for washing. You can also remove and wipe down the burrs with a dry cloth.
Grinder type: Electric burr | Burr type: Conical | Dishwasher safe: No
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The best espresso grinder for beginners is ideally intuitive. After all, even pros struggle when troubleshooting their shots! With over 60 grind settings and automatic options for grind sizes, choosing the right setting has never been simpler than with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. It comes with an attractive and user-friendly LED screen that lets you peruse grind settings and choose brew methods, so you’ll never end up with the wrong grind size for your favorite espresso beans.
The screen shows grind times, cup/shots and grind size. An easy-to-follow sliding scale shows each option from coarse to fine, with press, perc, drip and espresso grinds called out. It’s very simple for a beginner to understand and can automatically function once you choose your brew style. Plus, there’s the option to manually control the machine for more familiar home baristas, which is a bonus in our book.
“The portafilter is great and allows for grounds to be administered properly. This machine also has a diagram on the side by the dial that assists with troubleshooting. It indicates if your grounds need to be finer or coarser, depending on how fast your shot pulled. (Finer for a slower extraction and coarser for a faster extraction.) This is helpful because I personally forget which is which and usually have to Google every time I’m trying to troubleshoot,” says Sydney.
While a bit pricey, it rings up at around the cost of our top pick, so it really is a great value. The only downside is that this big machine requires a lot of counter space, so it’s ideal for those with room to spare. It also has a rather short cord, which limits where it can sit.
Grinder type: Electric burr | Burr type: Conical | Dishwasher safe: No
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Pros looking for the best grinder for espresso likely won’t get caught up in gimmicky settings—they just want a great cuppa. The small-yet-mighty Fellow Opus Conical Burr Grinder might look simple at first glance, but it offers a luxe, stripped-down feel that works with most decor. It sits at a rather petite 10-inches, meaning there’s ample room to display it alongside your favorite espresso accessories.
The Fellow offers a single-push grind button for maximum speed. A high-torque motor and over 40 different grind settings offer almost everything the budding barista needs to get started grinding and brewing everything from Americanos to lattes. At only 89 decibels, it’s also quieter than most, which is ideal for early risers.
The sleek design isn’t the only thing the Fellow has up its sleeves, though. There’s only one knob for grind adjustment size—and nothing else. This makes it super intuitive for java junkies and baristas alike. The underside of the hopper lid also has instructions for what settings work best for what type of coffee brewing method.
Whether you’re just getting into more advanced techniques or simply honing in on your expert training, the Fellow’s burr grinder gives consistent results at the touch of a button—no need to fuss around with finicky buttons or settings.
Grinder type: Electric burr | Burr type: Conical | Dishwasher safe: No
According to Sydney, the most important thing is to find a grinder that corresponds with the type of coffee you’re brewing—whether espresso, drip or French press. Start by researching whether you need fine, medium or coarse grounds for your favorite brew methods. For folks who want to brew lots of different beverages, choose an option that offers a wide range of grind sizes for added flexibility.
When grinding beans for espresso vs. coffee, you want to ensure that the grinder can produce a nice, fine grind. Because espresso uses high pressure to brew each shot, it requires almost dust-like grounds to fully extract all the nuanced flavors. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a bitter brew—or worse, a weak, watery shot.
“Another important consideration is intuitiveness; for example, the Breville smart grinder is great with this. It allows you to get very precise in what you want. On the side, there are guidelines that help you troubleshoot grinding your coffee to make it coarser or finer. Digital grinders are always nice because they allow for the most customization and precision,” Sydney says.
Our expert Product Testing Team spent over 120 hours collecting roughly 600 data points on 21 coffee grinders for this piece. We began by researching the most well-reviewed and popular models, sourcing as many as possible. Former barista and product tester Sydney Manning conducted the espresso tests on her personal Breville Bambino. She dialed in 3-4 times and pulled the same number of shots until she yielded an espresso she was satisfied with. She did this test on the top three most technical burr grinders: Fellow, Breville and Baratza ESP.
To separate the different sizes of the grounds, we used the Kruve Sifter. We inserted the 500-micron mesh and the 800-micron mesh. Grounds larger than 800 microns were considered coarse, grounds between 500 and 800 microns were considered medium, and grounds smaller than 500 microns were considered fine.
We conducted approximately 11 tests on each coffee grinder, including:
I’ve tested dozens of foods and drinks for Taste of Home, informing pieces like the best coffee concentrates and the best gift of the month clubs. Not only am I Taste of Home’s resident food and drinks expert, but I’m also a total java junkie. Sure, I like looking at roasts, regional sources and aromas. But at the heart of things, I just really love a good cup of coffee. Our Product Testing Team also has over a decade of combined experience testing and evaluating kitchen products, consumables, and more. We also tapped into the expertise of editorial coordinator and former barista Sydney Manning, who tested each featured machine with her own espresso machine.
To inform this piece, I also spoke to the experts in the Test Kitchen, who offered additional insight on what to look for in the best coffee grinder for espresso.
Originally Published: September 13, 2024
