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Author:
Katie Fousel
Nothing beats that satisfying feeling at the end of the day. When you’re stretched out in bed, work is behind you, and you can let yourself dream about all the coffee you’ll drink when you wake up.
If you’ve been brewing your own French press style coffee at home, you know the value of using freshly-ground beans.
But do you know about the different types of coffee grinders for your French Press or other coffee maker?
It turns out, one kind of grinder stands head-and-shoulders above the rest. If you’re forever seeking innovative ways to elevate your at-home java game — we’ve got you!
Check out our reviews on the best burr coffee grinders for the French press. When you’re ready to buy, be sure to first take a scroll through our Buying Guide and FAQs at the end of the article.
If you genuinely love a hot cup of coffee (but not too hot), you will also truly love this Chefman Burr Grinder. More specifically, you’ll enjoy how it totally changes your home coffee brewing game.
So what makes this burr grinder the best choice?
First of all — ease of use. You’ve got to love a one-touch system. And a close second reason, it’s also easy to clean! With dishwasher safe parts and a free included cleaning brush.
And third, it does more than just grind coffee. Use your Chefman to chop seeds, nuts, herbs, and spices!
Let’s talk about our premium pick of the list. The Bodum Bistro burr grinder provides you with 12 coarseness settings.
You can get that ultra-fine grind you’re after for that americano come Monday morning. Then switch over to a coarse grind for your slow Saturday morning breakfast of French press and pastries.
The roomy funnel on top can hold several days worth of beans. And it has a tight-fitting lid to keep them fresh.
If you’re on the lookout for a budget-friendly burr grinder, we’ve got your best value right here!
Connect to your daily dose of caffeine even more intimately with this manual grinder. Your coffee brewing ritual is about to get a lot more fun with this purchase.
One of the most delightful features — it’s so quiet. No disturbing anyone sleeping if you’re up and about early in the morning or late at night (no judgment!). After all, coffee has many benefits, whether it’s caffeinated or not.
The Baratza burr grinder runs a little higher in price but is very much worth it. That’s because they are built to last. These grinders have quality parts, including hardened alloy steel burrs.
Designed to run like a commercial grinder, treat it right, and it will keep going! This means you’ll need to keep up regular maintenance and cleanings.
Experts highly recommend it. They even go as far as to say it’s the go-to grinder for brewing coffee at home. Whether you’re a novice or a pro — enjoy a consistent grind for years to come with your Baratza Encore.
Another awesome option for those wanting to hand grind their beans. The JavaPresse conical burr mill is the peak of convenience.
No electricity or batteries needed. Enjoy a quieter, more-involved coffee brewing experience with a manual grinder.
The ceramic combo burrs are designed to last up to five times as long as stainless steel blades.
And bonus — every purchase of a JavaPresse grinder comes with a redeemable code for free coffee! You heard that right. A free bag of whole bean coffee, perfect to test your new manual grinder out on, eh?
For team manual coffee grinder, we offer up the Kona conical as another option. This is an excellent choice for coffee brewers on the go.
Take it hiking, backpacking, road tripping, etc. The manual hand crank detaches, so the whole thing is small and easy to pack anywhere!
It’s quiet and can hold enough grounds for up to three cups of coffee at a time. Pretty ideal for travel, wouldn’t you say? Or for a tiny home or apartment studio living!
We don’t often refer to our beloved coffee accessories as cute. But, for the Junoesque manual burr grinder — exceptions must be made!
This sleek-designed, precision grinder holds a high nitrogen steel grinding core. Corrosion-resistant like stainless steel, but with twice the strength. It’s capable of doing very fine grinds, suitable for espresso machines.
It comes with a velvet bag for safe travel for if you need to take your favorite health beverage on a weekend getaway. And even better, in our opinion, it comes with its own cleaning brush!
If the name Baratza is familiar, it’s possibly because we already waxed eloquent about their Encore conical burr grinder up above!
The Virtuoso+ grinder holds its own with a digital timer display and a backlit grounds bin. Fancy, eh? It’s no surprise that coffee professionals prefer these machines.
This grinder is compact enough to fit under most kitchen cupboards and stylish enough to live on countertops. The hopper holds up to eight ounces of whole beans at a time.
Baratza uses only quality parts that are serviceable — ensuring you years of environmentally-friendly use.
Another contender in your quest for the perfect hand coffee grinder. The Silva manual grinder is classy and professional looking with its brushed stainless steel exterior.
Like other manual grinders, it is quiet and needs no power save what your hands can generate! If desired, you could use it to grind peppercorns or other spices as well. (Just maybe clean it before, and after…though black peppercorn coffee sounds okay to us!)
The brushed stainless steel isn’t just for show. It’s food-grade, rust-proof, and engineered to resist wear and tear. The burrs inside are a strong ceramic combo.
Be honest — are you a multiple cups of coffee a day drinker?
There’s some evidence out there that moderate coffee drinkers may be at a lower risk for cardiovascular diseases. Sip on, friend, it’s for your health!
With the Chefwave Conical Burr grinder, you can easily have enough ground coffee on hand for those several mugs of java. You can make 2-10 cups at a time. That’s right! The container holds 14-ounces of beans, and the grounds container can hold up to 5-ounces.
Stainless steel. Travel-friendly. What’s not to love about the Secura manual coffee grinder?
The base is marked with measurements, so you’ll always know once you’ve ground enough coffee to start brewing!
It comes with a cloth storage bag, coffee scoop, and even a cleaning brush.
This manual burr grinder is a bit more straightforward than others. You get six specific grind settings — espresso, Aeropress, pour-over, Chemex, cold brew, and drip.
It’s travel-sized for your on-the-go convenience. The burr is food-grade, conical, and made from durable stainless steel.
If you’re into eco-friendly, zero waste products, then you need to peep the Maranello Caffe manual grinder.
Take it with you on travels. Nothing pairs better with adventure than a robust cup of java.
See-through grind cup made of extra durable, heavy-duty plastic. Hopper, crank, and bolt are all stainless steel, while the burr is non-corrosive ceramic.
Here’s another high-quality manual coffee grinder, ready to journey with you for caffeine explorations near and far.
Platinum Brew’s grinder has a built-in adjustable settings system. Allowing you to choose from 18 levels of coarseness.
Conical in shape, with a comfort dial, you’ll love the way this coffee grinder feels in your hands!
The Capresso Infinity provides a slow-grind, which is ideal for your coffee beans because slower means less heat and friction. Less heat and friction means zero risk of damage to your precious bean’s aroma and flavor.
The Infinity Plus Conical grinder is commercial-grade steel — built to last. The burrs deliver precision, consistency, and flavorful results with every grind.
If this term is new to you, don’t stress about it!
This style of grinder uses two burred plates instead of blades. Some burr grinders use flat plates while others use conical, but both operate in similar fashions.
One burred plate stays locked in place while the other spins around, grinding your coffee beans down to a uniform size.
A lot of homes have simple blade grinders. Do you know those small grinders with two blades that you load and then push the lid down on to “grind”?
They more just smash your beans than provide a consistent grind. You’re left with chunks and powder no matter how long you let the grinder run or how much you tilt and shake it.
With a burr grinder, your coffee is truly being ground. Not only is the grind consistent, but this method also preserves the aroma of the beans.
Each has its unique advantages and disadvantages.
If you’re watching your budget, you may prefer the price tag of a manual. If you enjoy doing things by hand or wish to take your whole coffee making system on the go (like camping!), a manual grinder will also grant you these things.
But if you’re looking for power and convenience, choose electric. One caveat when buying an electric grinder, the lower end models may be equipped with false burrs.
Meaning you’d want to spend a little more to ensure the mill you bring home is the one that will net you the desired uniform results.
First up, you have the material we’re all pretty familiar with — stainless steel. It’s durable and reliable.
Other grinders may choose to use carbon steel or a zinc alloy. Carbon steel is tough with the sharpest edges. Makes for an efficient grinding system. The alloy is, of course, a mixture of metals but mainly zinc. It is often plated to make it corrosion-resistant.
Ceramic is rising in popularity and might be the best choice when it comes to grinding coffee beans. This is because it’s extremely hard and resistant to corrosion.
When you look inside a burr grinder, either flat or conical, you should see two sets of burrs.
Before using, you set your preferred coarseness by changing the distance between the burrs.
Then one burred plate stays in place, while the other spins — grinding your coffee beans.
Once you’ve used your burr grinder for a few batches of coffee, it may be due for a cleaning. (Or between different types of coffee beans is also an excellent time to do a quick clean.)
Cleaning a burr grinder isn’t hard, but there is an optimal way to do it. You’ll need a soft-bristled brush. Something that will fit into the crevices of your burr grinder. Many people find a toothbrush works well.
How to do it:
Some people like to grind a small amount of coffee to season and add a bit of oil back into their grinder after cleaning. It’s up to you!
If those cleaning instructions seemed too daunting — guess what? There’s an easy way! That’s right, my friends, you can buy grinder cleaning pellets. Simply grind them through your burrs and get back in action.
13 Health Benefits of Coffee, Based on Science
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee
Is Coffee Good for You?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/self-care/coffee-benefits.html
Caffeinated or Not, Coffee Linked with Longer Life
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/coffee-longer-life/
The Latest Scoop on the Health Benefits of Coffee
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-latest-scoop-on-the-health-benefits-of-coffee-2017092512429
