Best Conical Burr Coffee Grinders
Grinding your own beans for your coffee is a great way to enhance your morning coffee. There are a variety of grinders.
This OXO grinder uses conical burrs to produce a grinding system that is suitable for drip, French press and espresso. For those who are serious about coffee, they may require more precision from this grinder, however it's a fantastic option for beginners.
OXO Brew
If you make your own coffee that a high-quality grinder is necessary to achieve the best flavor. However, a high-quality burr grinder can run upwards of $200, which can be a bit expensive for someone who isn't sure if they'll use regularly or not. That's why the OXO Brew is an excellent option for anyone who wants to enjoy freshly ground coffee without spending hundreds of dollars.
The OXO Brew's design isn't flashy, but it's stylish. Its stainless steel body is fitted with a permanent water tank at the back, and a thermal carafe at the front. The carafe and tank have been shaped so that the body is easily fitted into smaller kitchens. The controls are concealed beneath the carafe, which reduces clutter. There is also a light that lets you know when it's heating or making.
Oxo consistently brewed well in our tests. The temperature of the water was within a narrow range (197.4 F to 205.0 F) throughout the entire test according to thermocouples in the basket for the grounds. Its brewing time was also close to the time that the Specialty Coffee Association recommends for the best drip.
Another plus for the OXO Brew is it comes with a single-serve function that allows you to brew a cup of coffee directly into the mug. This isn't something you can find in other high-end models and can be a big benefit for people who want to make their own servings of coffee, but don't need the hassle of making the entire carafe of espresso.
The only real downside of the OXO Brew is that it doesn't include a clock or an automatic start time, which could be a problem if you have a busy schedule. The water tank can be difficult to remove because it has a lid which needs to be slid to access the reservoir. It comes with a built-in descaler, which assists in preventing mineral deposits from accumulating in the machine.
Baratza Encore ESP
The Baratza Encore is the best burr mill for coffee enthusiasts. This version of the classic Encore is redesigned with modernizations that make it compatible with a broader range of brewing methods and offer greater flexibility than ever before. It's designed for beginner home baristas, as well as anyone looking to keep their options for brewing open by using just one grinder. It has a stepped grind adjustment and simple controls for beginner baristas as well as labeled and notched settings for consistency. The M2 Burrs guarantee uniform grinding, and its hopper comes with a quick and easy release feature.
The ESP employs the same high-torque gear reduction DC motor that was used in the original Encore however, it operates at lower speeds to lessen heat buildup and static charge during the operation. It is also quieter than classic Encore and comes with a metal plate that improves burr stability and consistency. It's outfitted with 40 mm M2 conical 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 consistently shot.
Each step of the ESP's grind adjustment is 9 microns, which gives high resolution when dialing in espresso, and finer grinding for pour over. The new dosing cups can be used with both 54 and 58mm portafilters. This enhances the ergonomics of manual dosing. The grinder can be combined with the traditional grounds bin in the event that you prefer a hopper-based workflow.
The ESP's inconsistent performance during consistency tests is a downside, but it still performs better in comparison to other grinders in this price range. The stepped settings can be inconsistant, making it difficult to determine the ideal setting for your brewing method. However, the ESP is well-suited for various brewing methods and offers a great value for the versatility it offers.
The Encore ESP is also a bit more expensive than some of the other models on this list, but it's well worth the extra expense for its amazing capabilities. It can grind for espresso and filter brews, and also utilize the shims included to improve its performance for pour over brewing.
Baratza DF64
The Baratza DF64 is a good grinder that works well with espresso and pour over brewing. The burrs can be upgraded to improve performance and the hopper can be large enough for a variety of sizes of grinding. The DF64 is also simple to operate and maintain with a minimal number of moving parts. This is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a top-quality, budget-friendly grinder.
The DF64 Gen 2 is a major improvement over the initial model and is expected to be difficult to beat by other grinder in the same price range. The new model comes with an entirely new appearance that is more appealing to the eye. It has a simple, rounded-flat base that can hold up to The cradle can accommodate 20 grams at each time. It also comes with a rubber hose that pushes air through the grinder to force out any excess grinds.
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. compact coffee grinder 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.