Best Conical Burr Coffee Grinders
Grinding your own coffee beans is a great way to enhance your morning cup. There are a variety of grinders on the market.
This OXO grinder utilizes conical burrs to produce a grinding system that is suitable for drip, French press and espresso. This grinder is an excellent choice for those who are just beginning, however those who are serious about coffee will require an even more precise grind.
OXO Brew
You probably know if you make your own coffee that a good grinder is required to ensure the best flavor. A good burr mill can cost as much as $200, which is a huge amount for those who don't know whether they'll use it. The OXO Brew is an excellent option for those who wants to enjoy freshly ground coffee without having to spend hundreds of pounds.
The design of the OXO Brew isn't extravagant, but it looks solid and expensive. Its stainless steel body features an enduring water tank in the back and an insulated thermal carafe in the front. The tanks and carafe are designed to ensure that the body can be easily installed in smaller kitchens. The controls are recessed beneath the carafe, which reduces the amount of clutter. There is also a light to let you know when it's heating or brewing.
Oxo consistently brewed well during our tests. Its water temperature remained within a precise range--197.4 F to 205 F--for the entire test, as measured by thermocouples in the basket for grounds and the water tank. The brewing time was very close to what the Specialty Coffee Association recommends for the best drip.
Another plus for the OXO Brew is that it has the single-serve feature that lets you to brew the coffee directly into the cup. This feature is not found on other high-end models. It's a great benefit for those who wish to make individual portions of their coffee but aren't keen on the hassle of brewing the entire carafe.
The only real downside of the OXO Brew is that it does not include a clock or an automated start time, which can be a hassle when you have a hectic schedule. The water tank can be difficult to get out of because it has a lid that must be lifted in order to access the reservoir. It has a built-in mineral descaler that helps to keep mineral deposits from building up within the machine.
Baratza Encore ESP
The Baratza Encore is a top burr mill for coffee enthusiasts. This version of the classic Encore was revamped to include upgrades that make it more adaptable to a wider range of brewing methods and provide more flexibility than ever before. It's designed for home baristas who are just beginning their journey and anyone looking to have a variety of brewing options on one grinder. It comes with a stepped grind adjustment and simple controls for baristas who are just starting out and also notched and labelled settings for consistency. Its M2 burrs ensure uniform grinding, and the hopper comes with a quick release feature that makes cleaning a breeze.
The ESP employs the same high-torque gear reduction DC motor as the original Encore but operates at lower speeds in order to minimize static charge and heat buildup during operation. It's also quieter than classic Encore and comes with a new plates made of metal that increases stability and burr consistency. It's equipped with 40mm conical M2 burrs that are identical to those of the more expensive Virtuoso Plus which allows it to attain a better distribution of the size of the grind and more consistent shots.
Each step of the ESP's grind adjustment is 9 microns. This gives high resolution when dialing in espresso, and smaller grinding for pour over. It features a new dosing cup that can be used with both 54 and 58 mm portafilters, which enhances the ergonomics of manual dosing. The grinder can also be used with traditional grounds bins for those who prefer the hopper-based method of working.
The ESP's inconsistent performance during tests of consistency is a drawback, but it still performs better than other grinders at this price. The settings for stepped grinding can also be inconsistant, making it difficult to find the perfect setting for your brewing style. The ESP is a versatile brewer that can be used to make different brewing methods.
The Encore ESP is also a bit more expensive than many of the other models on this list, but it's well worth the extra expense for its incredible versatility. It can grind for filter and espresso brews. The included shims will optimize its performance for Pour Over Brewing.
Baratza DF64
The Baratza DF64 is a good grinder that is compatible with pour-over brewing and espresso. The burrs are upgradeable to increase efficiency and the hopper can accommodate a variety of different grind sizes. burr mill grinder is also simple to use and maintain, with few moving parts. This is a great choice for anyone who wants a high-quality, affordable grinder.
The DF64 Gen 2 is a major improvement over the initial model and will be hard to beat by other grinder within the same price range. The new model is more appealing to the eye. It features a simple flat-rounded base that can withstand up to 20 grams of beans at a single time and a single dose cradle. It also has an hose made of rubber that pushes air through the grinder, thereby forcing out any grinds that are not needed.
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. 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.