Recently, a cup of commercially-made coffee was seen sitting in the Iron Throne and is said to rule the seven kingdoms of Westeros.
That is, of course, a viral meme after a misplaced coffee cup was seen in one of the episodes of the most talk about show in the world, Game of Thrones.
This just goes to show that for many, coffee is indeed life.
Related post: Best Burr Coffee Grinder For The Perfect Cup Of Joe
There are actually many ways of how coffee is made and one of them is called Espresso. This brew makes use of very fine ground coffee bean and as you know a good cup of espresso is flavorful and aromatic.
On top of that, it also offers a long list of health benefits.
Who else but an Italian invented the first machine to brew this amazing, aromatic beverage back in 1884. Espresso coffee is also the base for other coffee specialties like cappuccino, cafe latté, or a flat white. [Wikipedia]
Espressos may be little cups of drink but just like any coffee brew, they require the best coffee grinder to prepare so a freshly-made and flavorsome coffee is produced that can either make or break one’s day.
The market for coffee grinders is huge and can be overwhelming for buyers. Our top choices of coffee grinders for espresso is aimed to make your shopping for the best coffee grinders as easy as possible.
So the next time you are in the market for one, you can choose easily and wisely.
The Best Coffee Grinders For Espresso – Review
Without further ado, it’s time to review the products that we have included in our choice for the best coffee grinders for espresso available for the keen buyer.
We have only included the products that will surely not fail you in your espresso preparation.
So, all of these are worth buying for the purpose of grinding coffee for espresso.
Let’s start off with our favorite coffee grinder that in our opinion ticks all the boxes for grinding the beans to a perfect consistency for your much-loved beverage.
* Please note: all product links in this product review are affiliate links. That means, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro – The Best Among The Rest
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is our top choice for the best electric coffee grinder for espresso. It is made with stainless steel conical burrs and creates the optimal temperature for the beans so the ground maintains its rich aroma and flavor.
The bean hopper of this machine is removable and the biggest among the products of our choice with a capacity of 16 ounces.
This machine boasts with the highest rating among users and the most number of precise grind settings up to 60.
Even the timer is outstanding. The timer allows users to adjust in 0.2-second increments. Thus, you have enough freedom to choose the quantity of your dose.
You have even several choices on how to receive your ground output may it be to a portafilter, a sealed container, filter basket or paper filter. That is all up to you.
The easy to read LCD display helps consumers for easy setting during operation and adds to the sleek design of this unit.
Some users though find the cleaning of this unit quite challenging but the good news is that it comes with a burr cleaning brush.
What Are The Pros
The Breville Smart Grinder pro has received very good reviews on Amazon because of the ease of use, the durable stainless steel burrs, and most importantly the precise settings for achieving the desired espresso grounds.
It comes with a few accessories like the cleaning brush plus two different sized portafilters as well as grind container with lid and sealing cap. Nice!
The noise while grounding the coffee beans is acceptable and we do like the relatively big capacity of coffee beans that can be ground at a time.
The Cons
Some reviewers on Amazon have found that the machine is quite hard to clean. Please note that the Breville is also a bit pricier than other electric coffee grinders.
Overall, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is a coffee grinder that won’t let you down when it comes to grinding beans for the best espresso.
Ariete -Delonghi Electric Coffee Grinder – Professional Heavy Duty Stainless Steel, Conical Burr – Our Runner Up
Who hasn’t heard of De Longhi, the well-known Italian brand and its high-quality products who have received numerous awards?
The Ariete – Delonghi Coffee Grinder fits well into the series of quality products that will help you to make an aromatic espresso.
The Ariete is an electrically powered machine designed with stainless steel conical burrs.
The bean hopper holds 13.33 ounces of coffee beans while the ground container can receive up to 6.5 ounces – the highest ground capacity among the products of our choice.
We do like that the hopper is removable with an automatic lock feature.
Fifteen grind settings are available and can achieve the grind requirement for espresso. The Ariete coffee grinder comes with a manual that guides you through the best setting and time dial for the kind of brew you want and the number of cups you want to prepare.
The machine is designed with a start and stop button that allows you to stop at any time.
What Are The Pros
The Ariete has sufficient capacity for the ground bean holder. It comes with a detailed manual and a 1-year limited warranty, something we don’t see very often in coffee grinder products.
The noise level while grinding the beans is acceptable and users have noticed that this machine is easy to clean.
It has a sleek design and won’t take up too much counter space in your kitchen.
The Cons
The Ariete has only a few grind settings compared to other units.
Overall, the Ariete De Longhi coffee grinder is easy to use, is great value for money, and comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
The Baratza Encore conical burr coffee grinder is electrically powered with some awesome features. It has an on/off and an impulse button that makes grinding easy.
This coffee grinder is one of the most popular coffee grinders on Amazon with nearly 1400 customer reviews.
Designed with 40 grind settings, this machine surely can produce the best texture for espresso preparation.
The makers boast about the durability of this machine’s burrs that are specially manufactured in Europe.
The bean hopper has the capacity of 10 ounces just enough for a big household and small scale business.
What Are The Pros
The Baratza Coffee Grinder is a popular choice among users due to its quality European made burrs, the reasonable price, and its ease of use.
The Cons
Some customers have complained that the Baratza Encore is hard to clean, especially the fact that putting back the burrs can be challenging at times.
Overall, the price for the Baratza Encore is right for people who are looking for one of the top choices for coffee grinders for espresso.
Capresso 560.04 Infinity Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
The Capresso 560.04 Infinity coffee grinder is electric-powered with a steel conical burr mechanisms. It is a relatively more energy-efficient machine that only requires 100 Watts to operate.
The burrs are hand-assembled in Switzerland to guarantee a precise fit. This will be great news for people who prefer European made products.
The Capresso coffee grinder has a bean capacity of only 8.5 ounces and a ground container capacity of 4 ounces.
The bean hopper is removable when it’s time for cleaning.
It grinds with 16 settings available and can produce the right grind for espresso.
This grinder is designed with a safety lock system and the timer settings range from 5-60 seconds.
Find More burr Coffee Grinders In Our Post Best Burr Coffee Grinder Reviews For The Perfect Cup Of Joe
What Are The Pros
We do like the fact that a cleaning brush for the burrs and a measuring cup is included to complete the accessories.
The machine operates energy efficient and the sleek design will fit most kitchen designs. Another great feature is the safety lock system and zinc die-cast housing.
Here Are The Cons
There are conflicting feedback from customers in the aspect of cleaning and maintaining the machine so it may be challenging to clean.
The bean capacity is relatively low compared to other coffee grinders.
Also, there is no setting to choose the number of cups you need the coffee grind for. The timer can be used to measure the coffee you need to ground but it takes some trial and error.
Overall, people who are looking for a coffee grinder for espresso will not be disappointed thanks to the high-quality burr, reasonable price, and 1-year limited warranty.
OXO BREW Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
The OXO Brew is designed with a stainless steel conical burr mechanisms and is electric-powered. It is one of the cheapest among our choices of the best electric coffee grinder for espresso but requires relatively higher electric power to operate.
Its bean hopper has the capacity of 12 ounces and the ground container holds around 4 ounces that equates to around 12 cups of coffee. Both the hopper and the ground container are removable for easy cleaning.
This machine has the least number of grind settings among the products of our choice but has the right settings for espresso.
It can also remember the last setting that you use and so once you find that perfect setting for your coffee, you can always wake up, grind and enjoy your coffee.
The OXO grinder is also the lightest among the electric coffee grinder of our choice.
What Are The Pros
The Oxo Brew has the right setting for getting the best grind for espresso and once you have found the best setting for it, it will remember at your next use.
Customers have found that the coffee grinder is easy to clean and the noise level is alright.
The Cons
Some customers have noticed that the beans don’t get feed consistently during the grinding process.
Overall, the Oxo coffee grinder is great value for money with its stainless steel burrs and compact design.
The JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder, Conical Burr Mill, Brushed Stainless Steel
The JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder is one of the best among hand-powered with ceramic burrs coffee grinders.
It is a portable grinding machine that you can bring with you virtually anywhere and enjoy an espresso whether you are traveling, camping, or at the office.
This little machine is designed with extra-durable ceramic conical burrs with 18 grind settings. This is a perfect machine for any kind of brew including espresso and is especially quiet for both home and office settings.
JavaPresse Coffee Grinder is popular among thousands of users and the consistently high ratings that it receives speaks for the high-quality.
The company even offers a 100% money back guarantee.
Find More Manual Burr Grinders Here.
The Pros
The JavePresse manual coffee grinder features durable burr, it is lightweight and compact. As you can imagine it is also more affordable (under $30) than an electric coffee grinder.
Users love the sleek design and how quiet it grinds the coffee beans.
The Cons
Because of the compact design, you can only grind espresso for one or two cups the most.
Overall, the JavePresse is the perfect coffee grinder for people who are looking for an affordable solution to an electric coffee grinder and don’t want to miss a flavorsome and aromatic espresso whilst traveling or at work.
The 100% money back guarantee assures the high-quality of this coffee grinder.
The Best Coffe Grinders For Espresso – Our Short Buying Guide
The Importance Of Coffee Grinder In Your Espresso Preparation
An important rule in coffee preparation is to grind your coffee bean right before brewing. There are a lot of convincing reasons to discourage one from making coffee out of pre-packed ground coffee. It is said that pre-packed ground coffee tends to lose most of its flavor and aroma if not brewed immediately.
Just like in espresso preparation, the freshness of ground coffee plays a crucial role. Hence, comes the importance of procuring the best coffee grinder for espresso in your home.
Things To Consider When Choosing The Best Coffee Grinder for Espresso
Now, our next question is how we choose the best coffee grinder for espresso in our home.
Grinding Mechanisms Matters
There are actually different types of coffee grinders. The cheapest among them are blade coffee grinders. There are also flat wheel burrs. They are the more preferred equipment than blade coffee grinders because they produce a more consistent grind.
However, since espresso requires a very fine ground, the perfect choice is conical burr mechanisms.
Some drawbacks of conical burr grinders though include the challenge of cleaning them as well as the relatively higher cost that goes with buying them.
Burr Materials
Burrs are usually made of metal, stainless steel, and ceramic. Most coffee experts agree that ceramic burrs are the most durable material but can be the most costly. Ceramic burrs are mainly used in hand-operated grinders while electric-powered grinders are usually made of metal.
Power Source
Coffee grinders that are best for espresso preparation can be either electric powered or hand-operated. The problem with manual coffee grinders though is that they have a relatively smaller capacity than the electric ones.
Capacity
Capacity usually equates to that of the hopper or how much beans can a hopper hold. Our grinders of choice range from 8.5 ounces up to 16 ounces of beans capacity that are likely to suit households as well as small-scale business institutions.
Also, the capacity may relate to the capacity of a ground coffee container. Usually, the container for ground coffee holds at most half of the capacity of the bean hopper.
For ceramic burrs though, the ground output can produce at most 5 cups of coffee or more or less 3.5 ounces of ground bean only.
Grind Settings
For espresso preparation, as repeatedly mentioned in our review of the best coffee grinders for espresso, ground texture is the most important factor in achieving the perfect brew.
Most coffee grinders’ product manuals mention that a fine grind to super fine grind is highly recommended for espresso preparation.
Just to give you an idea, a fine grind is similar to the texture of refined sea salt and superfine grind is similar to the texture of refined sugar.
The best coffee grinders of our choice that are included in this review have the capability to achieve these desired textures for every perfect cup.
Doser
A doser in a coffee grinder is a container that catches the ground coffee and uses a lever to dispense just the right quantity for one espresso batch.
Professional or learned home baristas though have no need for this if they have already perfected the measure of their ground coffee.
Dimension, Item Weight and Portability
Electric coffee grinders that are best for espresso have dimensions and weight that are not far more different from each other. However, hand-operated ceramic burr grinders are mostly made with portability in mind. Thus, it is safe to say that electric grinders are mainly for home-kitchen use while the ceramic burr grinders are best for people who are always on the go.
Safety First
Coffee grinders are not gentle machines they are made with grinding mechanisms that can actually create a mess or worse cause unfortunate accidents.
For electric powered machines especially, automatic shut off feature and overheating protection can be a big plus. Hence, safety features incorporated in the design should not be ignored.
Comfort and Convenience
Machines like the coffee grinders are made to make our life easier but your standard of comfort and convenience is all up to you.
Features including single push button to operate, LCD display, less mess, and easy cleaning and assembly may be important to you.
Maintenance
The best coffee grinders for espresso may require some cleaning from time to time to work perfectly and to serve you long. A grinder brush is included in some units that we included in this review and a user’s manual will be much needed in most cases.
Some Useful Tips For Espresso Grinding
As we already mentioned, grind texture can make or break your espresso. Fine and very fine texture works best for this type of coffee. In addition to this, storing your beans in an airtight container should always be the norm so the beans remain fresh and flavorful.
We highly recommended grinding your coffee just right before brewing so the flavors will not be lost.
And, just like all machines, the best coffee grinders for espresso must be well maintained, so cleaning your little machine should be done regularly.
Conclusion
Espresso aficionados like you should know that it is possible to create your best brew from home or office.
With our choices of the best coffee grinders for espresso, you may be surprised that you can actually exceed the barista-made espresso you are regularly buying from your most-favored coffee shop.
The key is choosing the best grinder for your coffee beans that can give you the most consistent grind.
Although we have chosen the best product among the best coffee grinders out there in the market, your specific requirement and your personal preference should be always put into consideration first.
Some considerations discussed above are most likely to play a role in your purchase but may not matter to some users and ultimately is up to you. So, know your preferences, follow our guide and you will be more than ready to purchase the coffee grinder that will suit you best.
A coffee cup may have been found misplaced in the Game of Thrones set once and creates substantial online noise but make no mistake as our favorite espresso can surely rule your household if you have the best coffee grinder espresso in our home that you can wake up to every day.
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