Autumn is a full-time freelance writer based in the Pacific Northwest. Their love of coffee continues to grow through writing, having once been a barista at Portland’s best kept secret TOV, as well as west coast fave DUTCH BROS.
There’s nothing like a fresh cup of coffee, and the best way to brew a great batch isn’t up to your drip machine or espresso coffee maker alone. It’s all about the grind!
Most coffee lovers will attest that purchasing pre ground coffee will ultimately lead to a more stale cup. But how can you get a nice, robust brew on a budget?
Thankfully, I’m here to let you know about all of the best budget coffee grinders available on the market today so that you can enjoy the best possible cup of coffee without breaking the bank.
If you’re not worried about your budget, checking out some luxury coffee grinders isn’t a bad idea, or perhaps even some commercial level coffee grinders. But if you’re looking for a sweet deal, check out the grinders on this list first!
Table of Contents
Here are the Seven Best Budget Coffee Grinders
JavaPresse Grinder
The Javapresse manual coffee grinder is a best-selling hand coffee grinder, and for good reason. It has a built-in 18 adjustable grind selector that produces a precise grind texture for your home coffee brewing preference.
The quick and easy removable stainless steel hand crank design makes it convenient to use. The patented ceramic burrs are tough and resilient, making this a reliable choice for a hand grinder.
For more in-depth review take a look at this: JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder Review 2020. And How To Get It For Free!
Pros:
- Durable stainless steel assembly
- Ceramic conical burr
- Fairly consistent coffee grounds
- A very easy to use coffee grinder
- Wide range adjustable setting
- Locking burr assembly
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- The connection between the upper and lower chamber may become loose
Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Grinder
This Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind electric coffee grinder is a big one that can grind 4 to 18 cups of joe in a single milling. The ground chamber can hold up to 32 cups! That’s a lot of coffee, especially coffee with an excellent grind consistency.
Boasting an 18 grind selection, you get many options for the type of brewing method you want. You should be set to brew up a pot of French Press coffee or espresso!
Pros:
- Large bean hopper
- Automatic shut-off timer
- It has 18 grind selection
- Equipped with a flat burr for consistent ground texture
- Large holding chamber
Cons:
- It’s a bit heavy and bulky
- The ground chamber is often charged with static, causing the ground to stick
Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind
Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind is an automatic grinder that is very easy to use. It has no variable speed, so the ground texture would depend on how many times you push the button, something that may not be ideal for the coffee connoisseur.
However, it can produce grinds for up to 12 cups, so brewing for a large group is quick and easy. Likewise, its small size makes it easy to carry from home to the office, or wherever coffee takes you!
It is very quick and easy to operate with no complicated grind selectors. Just fill in the grinding chamber, seal the lid, push the button, and with just a few bursts, you’re ready to brew.
Pros:
- Portable
- Quick and easy to use
- Can produce 12 cups in a single grind
- Can produce coarse to fine ground (depending on the length of grinding)
- The hidden cord storage makes it easy to carry and store
Cons:
- Not heavy-duty
- No grinding selectors
Black + Decker CBG100s
Black + Decker is a well-known appliance brand, and they have made a budget friendly coffee grinder to boot. It has a large grinder bowl that can hold beans good for 12 cups of fresh coffee.
This blade coffee grinder has a safety feature that prevents accidents and spills: the blades won’t spin until the lid is properly attached and locked! Shaking the mill in between grinds helps to make a uniform texture, though it may not be exact enough for the average coffee lover.
Pros:
- Portable
- Simple and easy to use
- Large stainless-steel grinding bowl that can produce up to 12 cups
- Cord compartment for easy and neat storage
- Lid-locking security feature to prevent accidents and spills
Cons:
- Weak plastic parts
- Motor may overheat
Chefman Electric Burr Mill
This Chefman Electric Burr Grinder is equipped with 17 grinding selections so you can have your own preferred ground texture to match your desired brew. Just select a setting from 1 to 17 depending on whether or not you want a finer grind or a coarser grind!
This mill can grind 2 to 12 cups of beans so you don’t have to worry if you’re brewing for a large number of people. The burr disc and the container are detachable for quick and easy cleaning.
Pros:
- 17 grinding selections
- Large capacity for up to 12 cups
- Metal disc produces a uniform grind
- Quick and easy to use
- Comes with a free cleaning brush
Cons:
- You have to let the motor rest for at least two minutes in between uses
Keenstone Coffee Bean Grinder
This Keenstone Coffee Bean Grinder is probably one of the most budget-friendly blade grinders you can find. It has a lifetime manufacture warranty and is very simple to use with no grind setting. Simply push the button for 5 seconds and you got a coarse coffee grind.
If you want finer ground, then just push the button for another 5 seconds until you get your desired fineness. While this is a great choice for the beginning home coffee drinker, I know I prefer a grinder with a few more settings.
Pros:
- No complicated settings
- Portable
- Good safety design
- Lifetime manufacturer guarantee
- Has a stainless-steel grinding cup
Cons:
- The chamber is quite small
KRUPS 8000035978 GX5000 Professional Electric Coffee Burr Grinder
The Krups GX5000 boasts 45-speed settings to get your desired ground texture that fits your brewing methods, whether it be for an espresso machine or cold brew. While it’s no Smart Grinder Pro, this budget friendly machine will get grinding coffee beans down to an art form!
It can produce 2 to 12 cups from and has great safety features: the button will not be activated unless the lid and the bean container are properly fitted.
Pros:
- 45-speed settings can give you many grind options
- Auto stop feature gives you full control and maintains safety
- Effortless cleaning
- Can grind beans good for 2 to 12 cups
Cons:
- The removable steel plate mill is attached to weaker plastic
Best Manual Grinder: JavaPresse Grinder
- Portable
- Easy to operate
- Check it out here
Largest Capacity: Cuisinart DBM-8
- Makes up to 32 cups
- Large grounds storage container
- Check it out here
Easiest to Operate: Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind
- Portable
- Single button operation
- Check it out here
Best in Safety: Black and Decker CBG100s
- Single button operation
- Can hold up to 12 cups ground
- Check it out here
Best for Many Brew Methods: Chefman Electric Burr Grinder
- 17 available grind settings
- Easy to clean
- Check it out here
Most Budget Friendly: Keenstone Coffee Bean Grinder
- Simple operation
- Lifetime warranty
- Check it out here
Best for Budding Baristas: KRUPS GX5000
- Most settings possible on this list
- Many safety features
- Check it out here
What to Look for When Buying a Coffee Grinder
There are primarily two types of coffee grinders, and each type differs in the quality level of grinding. It is important to know their differences to avoid wasting money on purchasing a product that doesn’t really fit your brewing needs.
Blade or Burr?
Blade Grinders
A blade grinder is similar to a food blender, as it has one or sometimes two sets of two-pronged stainless steel blades at the center. Unfortunately, this type of grinder has no option to be set up to produce your desired ground size, so it may be best for a coarse grind.
Here is our list of the best blade coffee grinders if you are interested in looking at additional products.
This style of grinder produces varying ground sizes, from very fine to a coarse ground. Estimating brewing time and deciding on what brewing method to use may be a lot more difficult. These grinders also produce more heat when grinding, resulting in the occasional burned grounds, which highly affects the quality of the flavor.
Blade grinders are not really grinding the beans in a way that you expect; they simply smash the coffee beans with the flat blade. However, this style of grinder may work fine for those who need a quick and easy amount of ground coffee.
Burr Grinders
A burr grinder uses two different plates or burrs where only one plate spins and the other stays in place. This type of grinder literally grinds the beans to a more consistent size of grounds, and will be found in most professional settings. Burr grinders make for an amazing espresso grinder.
One major advantage of these coffee mills is that you can adjust the fineness and coarseness of the ground according to your preference or the kind of coffee or espresso maker that you’re using. A coarse ground would be good when using a French press while a medium grind would be best for a drip brewer.
Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
This grinder has a cone-shaped plate sitting vertically where coffee beans pass downward. It produces two sizes of grounds, both large and small, which is not really noticeable using our naked eyes.
A conical burr grinder consistently produces two-sized particles even when you set it on the finest grind setting. Maintenance or cleaning up of this grinder is also quick and easy, especially if you purchase a ceramic burr version.
Flat Burr Mills
A flat burr grinder has two steel wheels of burrs that produce a more consistent size of grounds. This consistency can be useful for French presses and espresso, methods that really require an even and consistent grind.
Cleaning up this type of grinder may be a bit challenging as more bean residues get trapped in between the flat plates. Some machines are easier to dismantle and clean than others, so keep this in mind should you be shopping for a flat burr grinder!
Electric or Manual?
Both electric and manual coffee grinders have different pros and cons, and it all depends on what you’re looking for the most. The decision will always depend on your brewing needs or how perfect you want your blend to be, so let’s find out how both work.
Electric Grinder
One of the advantages of an electric grinder is convenience. You only have to fill in the beans in the hopper, select your preferred setting, push the grind button, and there you are! In just a few seconds you have a fresh batch of ground coffee ready for brewing.
Of course, convenience has quite an expensive price tag, so if you are shopping with a budget in mind, an electric grinder may not be your first choice. However, there are some budget friendly electric options on this list, and elsewhere. You just have to know where to look!
Manual Grinder
Yep, you guessed it: as the name suggests, you have to manually operate some coffee grinders to process batches of coffee beans for your next brew. There are some models with an easy selection of grind settings and then there are some that you need to partially disassemble to be able to change coarseness.
However, most of the time these manual options are more affordable. Plus, you won’t be standing around grinding coffee all day long; most manual grinders are extremely efficient. I have one that I use while I’m camping, as manual grinders are often more portable as well!
Durability
One of the most important considerations when purchasing a grinder is durability as you don’t want to waste your hard-earned cash to a grinder that is only good after a few operations. Some mills are made of stainless steel, ceramic, or even plastic burrs. I definitely recommend some of these burr options over others, as I’m sure you could’ve guessed.
Burrs made of stainless steel are less expensive than ceramic ones as they are easy to produce, though ceramic ones are harder and are less prone to becoming dull as quickly. Manually operated burrs are typically sturdy and can last for many more years despite the extra elbow grease, and an electric grinder is also durable though it may come at a hefty price.
Price
You are obviously here looking for a budget coffee grinder, and price is an unfortunate consideration when it comes time to shop. However, there are many affordable coffee grinders on the market today, including some on this list. While price doesn’t always equal quality, it is important to read reviews and see how some grinders fare after a few years of use!
Low-Speed or High-Speed Grinder?
When we talk about grinder speed, we’re talking more about electric grinders, as the speed of manual grinders depend more on your elbow grease. The electric burr grinders typically have several grind settings to produce the different grind size of the beans you desire.
Low-Speed Grinder
A low-speed grinder usually uses the conical-shaped burr and has lower speeds due to the smaller motor used. Therefore, this type of grinder usually also costs less.
It has less heat buildup because of its slower speed, though it is more prone to static buildup, causing some ground beans to stick to the inside of your coffee canister. However, if you’re on a budget, a lower speed grinder may be a helpful step up from a manual grinder.
High-Speed Grinder
A high-speed grinder is built with a more powerful motor with higher speeds, and it often has more grind settings compared to its low-speed counterpart. However, this grinder produces more heat so it uses flat burrs more often than not, since they quickly dissipate the heat before it gets transferred into your coffee grounds.
Heat is something to keep in mind with these guys; the last thing you want is freshly ground burnt coffee!
What is Our Choice for the Best Budget Coffee Grinder?
Well, I just couldn’t decide on the best one so I’ve gone ahead and listed the best two!:
Best for home use and over 2 cups per grind: Cuisinart DBM-8
Best for taking with you and up to 2 cups per grind: JavaPresse Manual Grinder
These may be very different grinders, and you may prefer others on this list given your own individual situation. However, these were my top picks, both for home and on the go!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Best Inexpensive Coffee Grinder?
The best inexpensive grinder will usually always be an electric burr coffee grinder, both for ease of use and the ability to set its speed to produce your desired coffee ground texture. They are perfect when you’re using different brewing methods, as you get to quickly and easily prepare your desired cup of joe.
Are Coffee Grinders Worth It?
This is a slippery slope, though I will always say yes. I believe coffee grinders are always worth it if you are an avid home coffee drinker. Even with a budget in mind, purchasing a coffee grinder that you plan on using regularly will save you tons of money rather than going out for coffee every single morning.
However, if pre ground coffee seems to be the most affordable option for you at this time, a coffee grinder isn’t necessary. It is worth considering, however, especially if you are an avid at-home coffee consumer!
How Much Does a Good Coffee Grinder Cost?
If you’re looking at high quality and yet affordable grinders for your home use, then a good entry-level coffee mill would cost around $50. The price quickly increases beyond $150-$200 if you want to add extra settings or are a stickler for electric grinders over manual ones.
Are Burr Grinders Really Better?
While this can be a hotly contested debate among people in the coffee community, it is a fair question to ask. I do believe burr grinders are worth the extra cost for many reasons.
A burr coffee grinder produces less heat so your ground coffee beans will not get burned while milling. It will also allow you many more settings than a flat blade option. Coffee shops and baristas worldwide rely on burr grinders, and for good reason!
Happy Grinding!
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