Updated 29 Mar 2012

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Introduction

The perfect grind is the first step in a great cup of coffee. We put 10 burr grinders to the test.

Many interrelated factors matter when making a great espresso – but perfect results are worth the hassle. For the freshest espresso you need to grind whole beans just before you use them.

It was all or nothing with the grinders we tested – find out which models were our top performers.

Models we tested

This report contains test results and recommendations for the following burr coffee grinders:

Checklist

If you are thinking about buying a coffee grinder, here's what you need to consider.

Why grind?

Well, the flavours in espresso are created by roasting coffee beans and grinding them to expose the coffee's oils. The oils begin to evaporate soon after grinding, so for the freshest espresso you need to grind whole beans just before you use them.

The coarseness of your grind influences the strength of your espresso. A good grinder allows you to experiment with different grind textures until you find one that's right for you. Some grinders have 50 settings.

Choosing the right grinder

Burr grinders are the grinder of choice because they produce more uniform grounds than blade grinders. All the models we tested were burr grinders, but not all of them were created equal (see the Test results).

Burr vs blade

• A burr grinder works by crushing the beans between outer and inner cones. The cones are made of a hard material and are ribbed to grip the beans. The inner cone rotates, while the outer cone is stationary. Grind fineness is set by adjusting the distance between the cones. 
• A blade grinder (pictured above right) works like a blender: A high-speed rotating blade chops up the beans. The fineness of the grind depends on how long the grinder runs … and you have to judge how long. Run it too long and you’ll get such a fine grind that it can block up the filter basket and maybe damage the espresso machine’s pump. Blade grinders produce a less even grind than burr grinders.

Grinding tips

• Using the right type of grind and looking after your beans and grinder means better coffee. Coarse grinds suit percolators, medium is for plungers, fine is for filter and espresso, extra fine is best for Turkish coffee.
• Make your grinds finer and tamp them more firmly if your espresso’s too weak. Coarsen the grinds if it’s too bitter.
• Dosers allow you to fill your grind basket with a certain amount of ground coffee by pulling a lever – like they do in a café.
• Most machines allow you to grind directly into your filter basket.
• Only grind as much coffee as you need at one time. Coffee loses freshness very quickly – some baristas will discard coffee they ground just half-an-hour before.
• Clean your hopper and grinds container regularly. The oil from the beans goes rancid if left too long.
• Store beans in an airtight container out of direct light.

Making great espresso

There are many interrelated factors that matter when it comes to making a great espresso – it's a good job perfect results are worth the hassle.

• A standard espresso shot requires 7g of ground coffee, and 30ml of water.
• Use beans no older than 10 days from roasting.
• The grind fineness should be adjusted until you have 30ml of coffee after around 20 seconds of extraction time. This time doesn't include the few seconds of "preinfusion" some coffee makers go through.
• Pre-warm the cups.
• If you want a "long black" style coffee, add an espresso shot to hot water rather than extract for a long time. Over extraction causes bitterness.
• The crema should be a dark reddish-brown colour. Crema that is too thin, with a paler white/cream colour indicates a dirty machine, the beans being stale, or the grind too coarse.
• Drink the espresso within a few minutes of it being made.
  
   

Report by Luke Harrison.