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 Amazon and 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 Burr 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 just over £100 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.

The Specs for the 75015 are as follows:

• Hopper capacity: 250g of coffee beans. 10 different dose sizes.
• 10 grind settings for anything from espresso to percolator coffee.
• Slower grind action to minimise heat and prevent burning of the natural coffee oils.
• Removable burrs for easier cleaning
• Dimensions : 27 x 14.45 x 19cm
• Weight: 1.8 kilos

Click here to get the best price on the Dualit Grinder from Amazon

The first thing you notice when you take the 75015 out the box is that it has been extensively redesigned since it’s previous incarnation. Whereas the old model was starting to look a little aged when compared to the likes of the KitchenAid burr grinder, this new one looks good enough that you will be happy to leave out on display on your kitchen counter.

What we like about the Dualit 75015

1. Very easy to get started as soon as you have it out the packaging
2. When set up correctly it’s capable of giving you ground coffee which can be used successfully in an espresso machine to create an excellent end product
3. Will grind your coffee to a consistant standard, and will do so very quickly
4. Reasonable quite for a quality burr grinder
5. Produces very good results when the price is taken into consideration
6. Will give you the ground coffee you need no matter which method of extraction you are using

What’s not so great about this burr grinder?

1. The finest grind possible on this machine might not be fine enough for people who like to make very strong coffee on an espresso machine capable of operating at a high pressure
2. Can be a little difficult to clean the burrs

Conclusion

For the price paid this is an excellent coffee grinder which will do most home Baristas proud if they take the time to set it up properly. While it’s never going to produce a ground coffee as fine as a Mazzer you will be able to produce something which most people won’t be able to tell apart from the espresso from the local Costa. If you are using it with an espresso machine just make sure it’s good enough to do the ground coffee justice.

Those of you who are looking for a grinder to make cafetiere coffee should look no further, this is the perfect device for your needs.

Click here to get the best price from Amazon UK

Have a look at the following coffee grinder review articles if you would like to learn more:

1. Krups Twin Blade Portable Grinder
2. KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder
3. Krups Expert GVX231
4. CuisinArt Professional Coffee Mill
5. DeLonghi KG79 Burr Grinder

If you have up to £200 to spend on a high quality coffee grinder which really looks the part in a modern kitchen then this burr grinder from KitchenAid is certainly worth a look. At £169 it might be a bit on the expensive side for most home brewers but as we all know, sometimes you have to pay top dollar for coffee shop quality coffee. Let’s take a look to see if this model lives up to it’s price tag.

Specifications of the KitchenAid Burr Grinder:

• All metal construction
• 15 grind settings
• Glass grind container with 241 gram capacity
• Size: 30cm deep, 34cm high, 15cm wide
• Weight: 5 kilos
• 2 year guarantee

Click here to get the best price on the KitchenAid Grinder from Amazon

What we like about the KitchenAid Coffee Grinder

1. It has a beautiful design which will look great on any kitchen counter top
2. This is a top quality grinder made from the finest materials. The manufacturer has cut no corners when designing this model with stainless steel and glass used in abundance to deliver a product which as a feel of real quality about it
3. Powerful motor and stainless burrs ensure the best possible results
4. The ground coffee produced by the KitchenAid 5KCG100 makes excellent coffee when combined with a high quality espresso machine
5. Easy to use thanks to it’s well thought out design and the informative instruction manual

What we don’t like so much about the KitchenAid Grinder

1. The price tag will be too high for many coffee lovers
2. Because of it’s high quality construction this is a heavy grinder at 5kg so you will want to keep it in one place rather than store it out of the way when not in use. For this reason you will need sufficient permanently free counter space
3. The glass grind container, while beautiful to look at and hold, is a little fragile and could easily be smashed if you aren’t careful
4. Some user report they can’t get the grinder to grind fine enough to be used in an espresso machine. We haven’t encountered this problem but it could be down to variations in the build quality.

Conclusion

There’s no way around it, this KitchenAid burr grinder is an expensive beast, and costs more than many people will be willing to spend. If you are willing to stump up the cash for this grinder though you are going to be rewarded with a machine which is miles ahead of most of the domestic products on the market. It produces grounds which as consistent enough to ensure you an make a great cup of coffee every time. Whether you are using an espresso machine of a stove top coffee maker this is a device which you should definitely consider even if you have to stretch your budget to be able to afford it. Even though the price is high, the KitchenAid offer the quality conscious consumer a good value buy.

Click here to get the best price from Amazon UK

Want to learn more? Read the followinng coffee grinder reviews before you make your purchasing decision:

1. Krups Twin Blade Portable Grinder
2. Krups Expert GVX231
3. Dualit 75015 Burr Grinder
4. CuisinArt Professional Coffee Mill
5. DeLonghi KG79 Burr Grinder

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat so we know where we stand. If you are at all serious about drinking the best quality coffee you can dream of then forget about the blade models and head straight for burr grinder section of your chosen coffee grinder shop.

What’s wrong with Blade Grinders?

Well at the end of the day it all depends what your looking for in a grinder. If you want to grind up some tasty flax seeds to throw on your muesli in the morning then a blade grinder is the business. If you want the finest coffee available on god’s green earth better to leave these on the shelf.

The most unfortunate problem with these grinders is that they use blades (hence the name) to chop up the coffee beans in a rather crude and course manner giving you coffee grounds which are uneven in size. Uneven coffee grains means inconsistent coffee, which if we are going to the trouble and effort of making in the first place, is not what we are looking for.

There are two other big problems. Firstly, you control the fineness of the ground coffee by leaving the grinder on longer, not very scientific. Secondly, When you want to grind your coffee fine enough for an espresso machine you’ll need to let the grinder run for a long enough time that the grinder will heat up the coffee resulting in burnt grains.

Blade grinders do have the advantage of being cheap but in this world you generally get what you pay for and that is especially true in this case.

What’s right with a Burr Coffee Grinder?

Rather than using blades, burr coffee grinders use two metal revolving disks which crush the beans to a very fine, consistent powder using slow speeds and low heat. The process keeps the delicate flavours and aromas of the roasted coffee beans intact leading to a superior cup of coffee.

The fineness of the coffee is also easily adjusted meaning you can create the perfect grind for whatever use you are going to put the end product. Whether you are have espresso, cafitierre or percolator coffee the burr grinder will make you proud.

You’ll find during your shopping research that there are actually two different types of Burr grinder available. There is the Wheel Burr and the Conical Burr. The Conical Burr grinder is the better of the two and the one that you should be purchasing. Again, it is more expensive of the two but the slower grinding process involved means the coffee bean will retain more of its flavour and the grinding process will be quieter. If you go to the trouble of finding the best cappuccino coffee makers then it makes sense to get the best coffee grinder to go along with it.