Unfortunately not all of us can afford to buy the best £400 burr coffee grinder just to feed our caffeine addiction, so what is the best option for those of use who want the great taste of freshly ground coffee at an affordable price?

Do a search on Amazonand you’ll find a wide variety of grinder at a range of prices but it is always difficult to make a choice on which to buy if you don’t have experience using a certain type of product. In our search for a quality electric coffee grinder we can quickly discard those which are not burr grinders. Burr coffee grinders are a level above those which use blades to chop up your beans and are the only choice of someone who is serious about brewing good coffee at home.

The burr coffee grinder is renowned for being an expensive purchase but if you have a look on amazon you will find many models which retail from as little as £30. Such a low price will hopefully set off warning signals if you are in the market for a quality model.

Krups coffee grinder

The Krups Expert GVX231 is a case in point. You can pick one up for £35 but what you get for your money is something that isn’t going to keep you happy when you start to use it. This is especially true if you have an espresso machine at home and are looking for a grinder which can grind your beans to a fine enough consistency that the coffee will be delivered nice and slow with a thick crema.

I’m convinced that for this price it would be impossible to build a machine that was capable of providing a grind which was suitable for espresso machine use. If you are just looking for something to make a course grind for a caffitierre coffee then this model will do a good enough job but for an extra fine result you are better looking elsewhere.

What’s wrong with the Krups Expert GVX231 (and most other burr coffee grinders at this price point)?

1. The machine struggles noticeably when you ask it to grind beans fine enough for an espresso coffee machine.

2. The bean feeder doesn’t do a good job of delivering beans to be ground meaning you have to give the machine a shake every so often

2. The amount of coffee that the grinder feeds into your portafilter is variable meaning you have to judge the correct volume for yourself.

Its not that the Krups coffee grinder is a particularly bad piece of equipment, it really does a fine job for the money you pay. Its just that when we are looking for something a little bit special we need to be willing to reach deeper into our pockets.

Dualit coffee grinder

The Dualit Coffee Grinder is a much better choice for anyone who wants great value in their purchase. At twice the price of the Krups machine it can’t exactly be called cheap but in terms of build quality and ability to grind coffee beans its way ahead of most of its competition.

I have to admit that I’ve got a bit of a mental block when it comes to espresso making equipment when it isn’t made in Italy. I know its a bit ridiculous in this day and age, any company from any country has the potential to produce a fine electric coffee grinder. But I’m a creature of habit and like to stick with what I know. That’s why was such a surprise to me that the Dualit coffee grinder did such a fine job at producing a quality of grind that could be successfully used in an espresso machine.

What’s Good about the Dualit?

1. Capable of grinding your beans nice and fine just the way they need to be if you are going to make a perfect espresso.

2. Great build quality for the price – You can really tell the difference in price when using this in comparison to something like the Krups.

3. Great Value – You’ll be hard pushed to find a grinder that can do as good a job at such a low price.

If you have only got around £70 to spend on an electric coffee grinder than you can’t go wrong with the Dualit. They also make some reasonably efficient espresso machine which will make a decent coffee for a budget price.

There are so many exceptionally good cafes in the UK now that we have all become accustomed to drinking the best coffee. There are now very few towns that don’t have cafe where you can have an espresso or cappuccino created by an expert Barista if you know where to look. The negative aspect of this is that we are now totally unsatisfied whenever we return home and have nothing to drink except the jar of freeze-dried “coffee” lying in the cupboard.

The solution to this problem is reasonably simple, we need to buy ourselves a the best small coffee maker we can find that will compare to those used on commercial premises. Thankfully there are now plenty of these machines available from retailers in the UK although you’ll need to be careful and do a little research to ensure you get something worthwhile. In addition you’ll want to get a coffee grinder to go with your machine to get the most from it.

You might be asking if a coffee grinder is absolutely essential but anyone who has ever had one at their disposal when making coffee will know the best grinders are worth every penny of the outlay. If you want to make the finest cup of coffee possible from the beans you have available its essential you grind them yourself. Only in this way will you experience the best possible flavour from your coffee beans.

Ground coffee beans which are left to sit before use will quickly start to lose their flavour which is why it is false economy to purchase freshly ground coffee from a local retailer rather than buy an expensive grinder. By the time you get round to using the ground coffee it will never taste as good as it should. Of course if you must resort to buying your coffee ready ground then buy in small quantities and often and learn to store it to hold on to as much freshness as possible.

So if you are serious about your coffee you’ll realise how important it is to get your hands on a high quality coffee grinder and be willing to make the financial sacrifices to get one which does justice to your coffee beans. The question is which type, and more importantly, which particular model of coffee grinder is it worth spending your hard earned cash on?