Hi there — I’m looking for an inexpensive burr grinder to recommend to folks who are just starting out with whole bean coffee at home.

Personally, I use and like my Baratza Encore, but at $139 it’s spendy for someone who’s in the early “convincing stage” of grinding beans at home. Simply put, most folks who would consider trying whole bean at home won’t shell out the bucks for a mid-grade burr grinder. Some will, sure, but my goal is finding an entry-level grinder that works well enough to get people to grind beans at home. They can always upgrade later once it’s part of their daily coffee routine.

In short, I’m looking for recommendations for a sub-$50 burr grinder. Here are the ones I've found so far in my hunt:

(Note that all of these are Chinese mass produced OEM models, meaning the brand name on them is just slapped on a mass produced device. Interesting how some well-known brands like Cuisinart and Krups just slap their logo on mass-produced stuff from rando Chinese manufacturers. Of course, they don't want you to know that)

• Capresso 559 — $49. Reviews are mixed with lots of complaints about grounds flying everywhere; very loud.

• Capresso 580 — $49. Reviews worse than the 559.

• Capresso 591 — $49. Reviews are surprisingly good, given it’s the same price as the above two. Most complaints are around having fewer grinding settings, and some complaints that the coarse setting isn’t very coarse. That said, the ratings are decent enough for this $50 unit.

• Cuisinart DBM-8 — $39. Reviews say it does the job, but is very loud and kinda clunky.

• Chefman Burr Mill (no model number) — $37

• Secura SCG-903B — $38. The Secura is the same as the Chefman model (different logo, same Chinese manufacturer), but the Secura comes with a 2-year warranty. Hard to say how real that warranty really is. Reviews are acceptable, but it’s loud and apparently feels cheap.

• Gourmia GCG168 — $33. Reviews are mixed but some positive feedback. Complaints that the static buildup makes a mess, and it spews grounds everywhere. Some complaints that the grind consistency can be poor, but others say it’s great.

• Krups GX5000 — $32. The cheapest of the lot, and reviews aren’t spectacular, but it sounds like it does the job ok. People complain it’s hard to do a coarse grind. Allegedly very loud.

Anyone have experience with the above models or know of other options out there? Any in the $50-60 range that are worthwhile?

Cheers

Michael

So when you are a beginner like me getting down the rabbit hole of quality coffee, you'll quite soon start looking for a grinder for your fresh coffee. When looking for good grinders, you'll most likely find a lot of information that is basically burr grinder = good, blade grinder = bad. But beware! This is not the end of the story. When browsing for entry-level electric burr grinders you'll most likely find some cheap ones around the €50 - €80 price range (comparable in USD also I think).

Be aware that those grinders in most cases have so called block burrs. These are indeed technically still burrs , but those grinders are in most cases inferior to the ones with other types of burrs, namely the ones with either conical burrs or real flat burrs (block burrs are sometimes also classified as flat burrs).

Now I am not saying you shouldn't buy those, and they are indeed a step up from blade grinders, but if you are expecting relatively good grinds from these kind of grinders, you'll most likely be disappointed as block burrs still tend to produce a lot of fines that will negatively influence the taste.

So, if you're looking for a good beginner grinder that produces relatively good grinds, I would advice to avoid block burrs and instead look for grinders with either conical or REAL flat burrs. (For example, A Baratza Encore or Wilfa Svart both use conical burrs and will outperform any block burr grinder by a large margin). Those grinders will be a bit more expansive, but it will be a much better purchase in the end.

If you're wondering what a block burr looks like, here is an image. Notice in most cases there aren't any sharp edges at all, which means that they will smash the beans in pieces instead of grinding them, and that's why they will still produce a lot of fines.

EDIT: i read most of the information here: https://prima-coffee.com/learn/article/grinder-basics/learn-whats-deal-false-burrs/32642 as some commenters also pointed out. Good article with great information regarding this.

https://preview.redd.it/fvj2r366sbm51.jpg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6b7fd9e545ce2d94803678cd64f1ec9ab4ddbf6