Best Conical Burr Coffee Grinders
It is possible to make your morning coffee more enjoyable by grinding your own beans. There are a myriad of different kinds of grinders.
This OXO grinder is equipped with conical burrs that create an ideal grind for French press espresso, drip and French press coffee. This grinder is a great choice for novices, however, the most dedicated coffee enthusiasts will require an exact grind.
OXO Brew
If you’re interested in making your own coffee at home, you know that it requires a good grinder to produce the best flavor. A high-quality burr mill could cost upwards of $200, which is prohibitive for those who don’t know whether they’ll actually make use of it. The OXO Brew is a great option for anyone who wants to enjoy freshly ground coffee without having to spend hundreds of dollars.
The design of the OXO Brew isn’t flashy, but it appears sturdy and expensive. The stainless steel grinder steel body has an in-built water reservoir that is permanently located at the rear and a thermo caafe at the front. The carafe and tanks are shaped in such that the body is able to fit into smaller kitchens. The controls are hidden under the carafe, reducing the amount of clutter. There is also a light that lets you know when it is heating or making.
Oxo consistently brewed well in our tests. The water temperature was within a narrow range (197.4 F to 205.0 F) throughout the entire test according to thermocouples located in the grounds basket. Its brewing times were also very close to the Specialty Coffee Association’s recommended time for a good drip.
Another advantage of the OXO Brew is it comes with a single-serve function that allows you to brew the chic coffee grinders directly into the cup. This feature isn’t present on other models with a higher price. It can be an advantage for those who wish to make individual servings of their coffee, but aren’t keen on the hassle of making an entire carafe.
The only downside to the OXO is that it has no clock or automated start time. This can be a problem if you are on a strict timeframe. Furthermore, the water tank can be difficult to get rid of due to its lid that needs to be removed to access the reservoir. It does have an integrated descaler that helps to avoid mineral deposits from building up inside the machine.
Baratza Encore ESP
The Baratza Encore is the most popular burr mill for coffee enthusiasts. This version of the original Encore has been re-engineered with improvements that make it compatible with a broader range of brewing techniques and provide more flexibility than ever before. It’s designed for beginner home baristas as well as anyone who wants to keep their brewing options open with a single grinder. It comes with stepped grind adjustments and simple controls for beginners, with labeled and notched settings to ensure consistency. The M2 burrs guarantee uniform grinds. The hopper features a new quick release feature that makes cleaning easy.
The ESP uses the same high-torque gear reduction DC motor as the original Encore however, it operates at lower speeds to lessen static charge and heat during operation. It’s also quieter than the original Encore and has a metal plate that helps improve burr consistency and stability. It comes with 40 mm conical burrs, similar to those found in the more expensive Virtuoso plus. This helps it achieve a better grind size distribution and consistent shots.
The ESP grind adjustment features 9 microns between each step, ensuring excellent resolution for espresso and pour over. It has a new dosing cup that fits both 54 and 58 millimeter portafilters, which enhances the ergonomics of manual dosing. The grinder can also be used in conjunction with a traditional grounds bin for those who prefer a hopper-based workflow.
One disadvantage of the ESP is its inconsistent performance in back-to-back consistency tests, however, it is still superior to many other grinders in this price range. The stepped settings are inconsistant, making it difficult to determine the ideal setting for your brewing method. The ESP is a brewer that can be used in a variety of ways that can be used to make various brewing techniques.
The Encore ESP is also a little more expensive than some of the other models on this list, but it’s well worth the extra cost due to its incredible versatility. It can grind espresso and filter brews and also utilize the shims included to optimize its performance for pour over the brewing.
Baratza DF64
The Baratza DF64 is a good grinder that works well with espresso and pour over brewing. The burrs can be upgraded to improve performance, and the hopper is large enough for a variety of sizes of grind. The DF64 is also simple to operate and maintain with a minimal number of moving parts. This is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a high-quality, affordable bean grinder coffee machine.
The DF64 Gen 2 is a massive improvement over the original version and should have a hard time being beat by any other grinder that is priced in the same range. The new model has a new style that is more appealing to the eyes. It has a simple, rounded-flat base that can hold up to 20 grams of beans at a time and a single dose cradle. It also comes with an elastic bellows that pushes air through the grinder when you do your dose to push out excess grinds and reduce retention.
One of the major problems with the original DF64 was popcorning, which is when coffee beans bounce upward out of the burrs instead of grinding down. This is a common problem with hopper-based grinders that can affect the consistency of your grind. The new DF64 has a much-improved anti-popcorning system that eliminates this problem.
Other issues with the DF64 included a poor quality build, a loose design that caused gaps around the edges of the hopper, a heavyweight, a mandatory use of bellows, regular alignment challenges, a plastic adjust collar that mis-threaded easily, vinyl wrap instead of powder coating, and the all-but-mandatory need for two aftermarket upgrades (anti-popcorning, declumper). The DF64 Gen 2 addresses these issues and many more.
The DF64 has a powerful 250W motor that spins the burrs at about 1,400 RPM. This is a little faster than the Encore ESP, but it’s still slower than other popular burr grinders like the Mahlkönig EK43. The DF64 is also less noisy than the Encore ESP, making it easier to work with in a busy cafe environment.
The DF64 has an easy-to-read, step-by-step adjustment system that allows you to fine-tune your grind size for different brewing methods. It also comes with a wide selection of burrs, which makes it possible to experiment and find the perfect grind for your particular coffee bean grinder coffee machine. The DF64 also has a convenient dosing system, which allows you to direct the ground coffee directly into your portafilter or mug.
Fellow Ode
A popular maker of home coffee equipment, Fellow makes some seriously aesthetically appealing gear. Their kettles, French presses, and other home coffee brewing machines have an elegant and modern matte finish that suits any kitchen aesthetic. With this in mind, it should be no surprise that their grinders look equally as good. The Ode is a sleek and compact grinder with a number of easy-to-use features designed for precise, single-dose brewing.
The Ode is unique among coffee grinders because it uses flat burrs, rather than conical ones. Usually, you only see flat burrs on professional or commercial grinders due to their ability to reduce grind time and heat generation and improve grind particle consistency. The 64mm flat burrs in the Ode also give it a much smoother grind than you would find in a typical home appliance grinder. And they are designed with single-dosing in mind, meaning that the grinder shuts off as soon as the hopper is empty. This helps to prevent over-grinding, which can rob your brews of flavor and aroma.
The hopper itself holds 100 grams, which is enough for one large pour-over or two small cups of espresso. The Ode has a variety of other neat features, including a built-in scale and a cool grind size chart that is mapped out on the underside of the lid. This shows the brewing methods that each setting is most suitable for, with pour-over and cold brews on the fine end of the range, and French press on the coarse end.
Another great feature of the Ode is that it has a quiet, almost purr-like sound during operation and is very fast. The grinder has a high-force spring that knocks excess ground beans and chaff into the catch, which helps to reduce grind retention and make clean-up a breeze. It’s also very easy to disassemble and is compatible with coffee tablet cleaners.
Despite some minor hiccups in the initial launch, the Ode is still a top contender for those looking for an excellent and aesthetically pleasing conical burr grinder. Fortunately, the company is committed to improving the product and recently released the Gen 2 version, which addresses some of the issues with the original. However, for those who want a better-suited grinder for espresso, the Baratza DF64 is an excellent alternative that is both visually and functionally superior to the Fellow Ode.