The best coffee grinders for 2026, tested and reviewed

Those of us who are devoted to brewing a fresh cup of coffee every morning are not alone. Recently, the National Coffee Association published a study confirming what I have always suspected: America's favorite beverage, aside from water, is coffee, and 82% of these coffee drinkers are consuming it at home. If you've been using store-bought ground beans, it's time to level up to freshly ground coffee. I admit that I've been using pre-ground coffee for years, but now that I've tested the best coffee grinders, I'll never go back.
What differentiates one grinder from another is the mechanism: blade, burr or manual. (Read about the differences in the "factors to consider" section below.) Then it comes down to settings offered, capacity, size and design. I researched the most popular coffee grinders on the market and narrowed down the testing pool to nine highly rated options. I considered the aforementioned factors as well as ease of use, consistency of grounds, cleanup and overall value. My picks for the best coffee grinders will guarantee you a tastier morning cup.

Best coffee grinders of 2026

Factors to consider when shopping for coffee grinders

Here's what we looked for in a coffee grinder, and what you should keep in mind while shopping.

• Type:Coffee grinders are generally sorted into three categories: blade, burr and manual. For this test, we ruled out manual grindersas these take more expertise and time to master. I tested blade grinders, which work like tiny food processors with a spinning blade to chop up beans. These don't have settings, so it's a trial-and-error process to determine how long you will need to grind beans to achieve your desired level of coarseness. They're smaller than most burr grinders and usually cheaper. I also tested burr grinders, which work like pepper mills with two revolving abrasive surfaces (aka burrs) that move closer together or away from each other to grind beans on a particular setting. As a result, the grinds are more evenly sized. Burr grinders have more powerful motors than blade grinders, so they're typically larger and more expensive.

• Capacity:With blade grinders, you fill the small chamber with only the amount of beans you need at the moment. Burr grinders typically have a hopper that can hold a larger amount of beans, though the capacity varies from about half a pound of beans to a full pound, so you don't have to fill it daily. Keep in mind that beans will stay fresher in a dark, airtight container, so it's best to choose a grinder with with this feature, or fill it with only enough coffee for a day's worth at a time.

• Settings:The best burr grinders can produce fine, medium and coarse grinds, but more settings isn't always better. It depends on your needs: If you're making drip coffee, you can get by with a grinder with less settings (or a blade grinder, which doesn't have any settings); you may want something more precise if you're making espresso.

• Ease of use:Grinding coffee beans shouldn't require complicated steps or instructions and you should be able to get a consistent result every time.

• Price:Coffee grinders range in price from about $20 to over $200, depending on the type and the features. If you plan to use your grinder for brewing various kinds of coffee, such as espresso, drip and French press, it may be worth it to level up from a blade to a burr grinder. If you're just starting on your coffee journey and grinding fresh beans for one type of coffee, start with a blade grinder. The more expensive burr grinders typically offer a greater number of settings to choose from, allowing you to produce a precise grind size. Some pricier grinders have portafilter attachments for an espresso machine.

How we tested coffee grinders

After opening each box, I inspected the grinders for any scratches or dings and noted if any setup was involved and how to care for them. I used each one to grind the same beans on three settings: fine, medium and coarse.

To rank on our list, the coffee grinders had to excel in the following:

• "It's a grind" test:I used settings where applicable to grind beans to coarse, medium and fine and noted how intuitive the grinder was to use, whether it was loud or more tolerable, and how accurate and even the grounds were.

• "Elbow grease" test:I noted how much work it took to clean each grinder and whether any parts were dishwasher-safe or if components needed to be wiped clean or hand-washed. Many burr models came with their own brush to help clean debris from the grinder gears.

Other coffee grinders we tested

Oxo Brew Compact Conical Burr Grinder :I loved the smaller footprint of this machine, but it's a bit more complicated to access the ground coffee than with other models I tested. The grounds canister sits in the middle of the grinder and the hopper, which is not intuitive. Like the full-size Oxo Conical Burr Grinder above, it includes a tiny spray bottle to spritz beans before grinding to reduce static.

Fellow Opus Conical Burr Grinder :Serious coffee people love all the Fellow appliances, and I can see why. If you didn't know what its function was, the Opus grinder could be any sleek appliance hidden in plain sight. Like other Fellow coffee accoutrements, this one is expensive ($200), looks great and works well for even the finest espresso grounds. I liked the idea of the metal, magnetic grind canister that locks into place under the chute, but when I removed it, grounds leaked out.

Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder :This reasonably priced burr grinder is easy to use once you figure out how to lock in the hopper and spin it to your desired grind setting. I didn't love the lid, which never felt like it was sealed and the hopper itself is not UV-resistant. I did love the glass grind canister and found it less prone to static cling than others.

Breville Smart Grinder Pro: This was the tallest and bukiest burr grinder I tested and also one of the most expensive ($200). It offers lots of extra features like an LCD display that lets you choose 60 grind settings, a timer and a cup/shot setting. It allows you to grind beans directly into a canister, a portafilter for espresso machines or a filter basket for some drip machines. For average home brewers, this machine is probably too complicated and will go underappreciated, but I could see coffee nerds loving all of the options.

Mr. Coffee Burr Coffee Grinder :One of the more compact and affordable burr grinders, the Mr. Coffee is a good choice for novices. The 8-ounce hopper is tinted, though not particularly tight-lidded; the grind canister is easy to remove and dishwasher-safe, and there's an automatic timer for hands-off grinding. The grounds were not as precise or as even as with other models.

Black + Decker Easy Touch Coffee and Spice Grinder :This classic blade grinder is priced at $37 when it's not on sale, and it functions well. I appreciate the stainless steel casing and the cord keeper underneath. Like all blade grinders, there are no settings to choose from; just pulse the beans to your desired level of coarseness and wipe the grind bowl with a damp cloth to clean. Speaking to its durability, I have used this model for several years without issue.

Krups Precision Blade Grinder :Another basic blade grinder, this model from Krups is only $20 and is virtually identical in results to the Black + Decker, with a cheaper-looking plastic build. It grinds coffee, spices, nuts and seeds, and can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.

Other coffee grinders we plan to test

KitchenAid Blade Coffee Grinder :This blade grinder gets a decent 4.4-star rating on Amazon from more than 16,000 reviews. It has a sleek look and stainless steel bowl, so we're excited to see how it performs.

Cuisinart Espresso & Coffee Burr Grinder :This burr grinder arrived too late for our testing, but we'll try it out soon. It seems designed for espresso lovers, with 35 grind options, an 8-ounce hopper and portafilter compatibility.

How to grind coffee beans

The National Coffee Association offers this advice: The longer the coffee is in contact with water during the brewing process, the coarser the grind should be. That’s why espresso, which brews in seconds, requires a fine coffee grind, while cold brew, which can take hours to prepare, typically requires a coarse grind.

Step-by-step guide to grinding coffee with a burr grinder:

1. Using a kitchen scale , measure out enough beans so you have only what you need to grind for the day. Start with a 16:1 water-to-coffee ratio, but you can experiment with this to find your perfect coffee strength. Fill the hopper.

2. Select your desired grind setting (e.g. fine for espresso, medium for drip coffee or pour-over, and coarse for a French press).

3. Select the number of cups (which generally corresponds to a 5-ounce serving of coffee. For a full mug, you'll likely want at least 2 cups).

4. Press start. Carefully remove the grind canister, as some grounds may leak from the machine.

How to clean a coffee grinder

Most blade grinderscan be carefully cleaned with a damp cloth. Their lids can be hand-washed and dried.

Burr grindersare more complicated. We always recommend following the manufacturer's instructions when cleaning appliances. Generally, the hoppers and grind canisters can be hand-washed and dried, or in some cases are dishwasher-safe. The oil, debris and grounds that can collect in burr grinders can be brushed away, dislodged with compressed air, or, for more in-depth maintenance, cleaned using special tablets.

C offee grinderFAQs

Which is better, a burr or blade coffee grinder?

Neither a burr nor a blade grinder is "better" per se — there are pros and cons to both. If you grind your own coffee daily and/or you brew different types of coffee (French press, espresso, pour-over, etc.) at home, it's worth investing in a burr coffee grinder. Burr grinders allow you to store beans for the week and customize your grind setting depending on what you're brewing. If you're going to grind beans occasionally and also might use a grinder for nuts and spices, a less expensive blade grinder may be the right choice.

We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.