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.

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.