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Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The 7 Best Coffee Grinders, Tested And Approved By A Former Barista
There's a reason every good café (including the one I used to work at) grinds beans to order: Pre-ground coffee loses flavor fast. To get that same full-bodied, aromatic cup at home, you'll need to start with an excellent grinder. Easy to use, consistent and versatile enough to handle everything from cold brew to espresso, the best coffee grinders are worth the investment. After testing nearly a dozen top-rated models, the KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder emerged as my top pick for 2025 thanks to its fast, quiet motor and impressively consistent results. The best coffee grinders are quiet, consistent and reliable for tasty coffee day after day. MONICA PETRUCCI FOR FORBES VETTED As two-time barista champion and coffee expert Heather Perry explains, freshly grinding beans maximizes flavor and aroma. 'Grinding increases the surface area of the coffee, further exposing it to the air, which in turn speeds absorption of flavor, odor and moisture from the surrounding environment,' she says. 'All of these can impact the quality of your finished cup.' That's why grinding your own beans (ideally in small batches) makes all the difference in flavor, and why we're so particular about the grinders we recommend. Below, find our top picks, based on weeks of hands-on testing. Our Top Recommendations Amazon KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Type: Conical burr | Grind settings: 70 | Capacity: 10 ounces | Colors: 5, including Empire Red, Milkshake and Matte Black Pros: Quiet grinding and auto-adjust grind time Consistent ground yield Attractive design Cons: Whether you're a coffee novice or a seasoned aficionado, this grinder ticks a lot of boxes. Its intuitive design makes it easy to grind beans for virtually any brew style. The hopper dial lets you toggle between 70 grind settings with ease, including helpful markers for everything from French press to espresso. Built-in smart dosing technology automatically adjusts grind time based on your selected coarseness and number of cups or shots. It's also one of the quietest grinders I tested, averaging just 69 decibels (about the level of a quiet street). And since it grinds quickly, that minimal noise doesn't last long. Most importantly, it produces consistent grounds across multiple settings, leading to smoother, more balanced coffee. That said, it's one of the taller machines I tested, which could be an issue if you have limited vertical clearance on your counter or coffee bar. And while there's no dedicated cold brew setting, the coarsest grind still works well for it. Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Type: Conical burr | Grind settings: 15 | Capacity: 12 ounces | Colors: Silver, matte black Pros: Easy set-up Intuitive control panel Removable hopper for easy cleaning Cons: Grounds occasionally get stuck in chute This model helpfully matched the simplicity of a straightforward interface with a whopping 15 grind settings that suit most coffee preferences, making it an excellent, balanced pick (and under $100 no less). Adjusting the coarseness requires just an easy spin of the hopper, and setting the timer calls for adjusting the center dial before pressing the middle start/stop button. Set-up is effortless with this grinder; it comes almost fully assembled, aside from the hopper, which needs to be quickly clicked in. That removable hopper makes it easy to keep up with regular cleaning, and it features a UV tint to help protect the beans that are stored inside. A small caveat: I did notice that a small amount of grounds went to waste in this grinder, as it was common for them to get stuck in the chute and fall out after shaking or adjusting the machine. Amazon Breville Smart Grinder Pro Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Type: Conical burr | Grind settings: 60 | Capacity: 18 ounces | Colors: 10, including Sea Salt and Royal Champagne Pros: Extreme precision with 0.2-second grind time increments Intuitive and modern LCD screen Cradle for portafilters included Cons: If you own a premium espresso machine without a built-in grinder, you're going to want to make sure you're investing in one that has the ability to achieve the ultra-fine texture that's required for authentic espresso. Hailing from the same brand as some of our top picks for the best espresso machines, this Breville Smart Grinder keeps espresso grounds at the top of mind. The intuitive and sleek LCD screen helps guide users toward achieving their perfect dose of coffee, including smart pre-sets that automatically adjust grind time after selecting the appropriate size and quantity (number of cups or shots). There's a pause button that allows you to stop grinding halfway, which could be particularly useful for tapping and collapsing coffee into a portafilter. This machine goes above and beyond with precision, with the ability to tweak grind time in 0.2-second increments, which could make or break the next espresso shot you pull from your machine. You can even choose to save those settings by reprogramming them into the machine for future use. This grinder also comes with two different sized portafilter cradles, so you can grind fresh beans directly into your portafilter mess-free. It also comes with a sealable container for storing leftover grounds. I did notice some leakage with this coffee maker, both on the grounds container lid under the shoot and on the bottom of the grinder. I also noticed that this machine runs somewhat louder than others. Luckily, grinding is adequately speedy, so you won't have to withstand the noise for very long. Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Type: Flat burr | Grind settings: 31 | Capacity: 18 ounces | Colors: 10, including Sea Salt and Royal Champagne Pros: Small footprint Attractive design Fast, consistent grinding Grinds knocker to minimize mess Cons: This stylish, modestly sized coffee grinder has attractive features both inside and out. The aesthetics are in line with Fellow's other sleek and modern pieces, with a minimalist yet helpfully guided dial on the front to select grind settings. Aside from the dial, there's a single button to start grinding; the machine automatically shuts off when it detects that the hopper is empty. The base also features a magnetic catch to keep the included grounds container in place, and there's a helpful knocker on the side to minimize waste and buildup of grounds in the chute. This machine is especially unique because of its flat burrs, which are often used in commercial grinders due to their unique durability and speed. And, in fact, this was the speediest coffee grinder I tested, grinding two tablespoons of beans in just under 7.5 seconds. This grinder offers 31 grind settings, with enough versatility to churn out coarse grounds for cold brew, medium grounds for pour-over and finer grounds for AeroPress. Keep in mind, though, that Fellow states this grinder is not designed to grind beans fine enough for espresso. (For that, you'll need to consider the Fellow Opus instead.) Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Type: Flat burr | Grind settings: 6+ | Capacity: 150 grams | Colors: Black, white Pros: Ultra consistent medium-sized grounds for drip Durable, heavy-duty build Minimal mess Cons: Button needs to be held while grinding The quality of this Italian-made machine is immediately apparent; it has a heavy build made of a thick metal exterior that feels professional-grade at an affordable price. Although the brand is known for its espresso grinders, this one is particularly designed for filtered coffee. Its features 50-millimeter flat burr grinders that can be adjusted to suit a variety of different coarseness levels. Just turn the numbered dial marked from 0-5, which features a stepless design that allows you to achieve precise adjustments. I found this machine to yield some of the most consistent grounds out of every grinder I tested, especially in the medium coarseness category. That makes it particularly excellent for brewing deliciously balanced filtered coffee. I also love that the plastic catch bin gets fully enveloped by the chute when attached, which means there's minimal opportunity for grounds to spill around the machine. There are a couple of downsides to keep in mind, though, including that this machine works very slowly compared to most competitors on this list (over double the average time for the same amount of beans). This is particularly bothersome since the machine requires you to hold down the button as it's grinding; as soon as you remove pressure, it stops on its own. Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Type: Conical burr | Grind settings: 30 | Capacity: 12.3 ounces | Colors: 6, including cream, pastel blue and red Pros: Attractive design Included portafilter cradle Fast, quiet grinding Cons: Can yield inconsistent grounds If you already own several charming Smeg kitchen products—or you're looking to start a new collection—this coffee grinder delivers the brand's signature retro look. Beyond just aesthetics, though, this model features 30 grind levels, from fine espresso to coarse cold brew. The control panel is very intuitive, with a grind adjustment dial built into the hopper, and a timer dial on the front of the machine with a start/stop button in the middle. This machine comes with both a sealable grounds container for storage, as well as a portafilter cradle for grinding beans directly into baskets for espresso. Despite all of its upsides, I did notice this machine was less consistent than others when it comes to grounds sizes. Using the medium coarseness setting resulted in an even mixture of fine, medium and coarse grounds. Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Type: Manual conical burr | Grind settings: 30 | Capacity: 30-35 grams | Colors: Silver Pros: Consistent grounds Foldable handle for easy storage Rubber grip for slip-free handling Cons: If you find yourself looking for high-quality coffee while camping or traveling—or you're just looking for a power-free backup—this manual grinder is incredibly reliable. It has an intuitive design that allowed me to get started right away without reading through a manual. It also has an immediately apparent high-quality build, with an aluminum body, stainless steel blades and wooden handle. The dial to adjust the grind setting features 30 clickable settings to choose from, from fine coffee for moka pots to coarse coffee for French press. You won't get the most extreme ends of either spectrum with this model, but it still suits a wide variety of coffee brewing styles. We found this grinder to yield surprisingly consistent results on the medium setting. (According to Kaleena Teoh of Coffee Project NY, this is the grinder of choice for many Brewers Cup Competitors.) And though it requires some elbow grease (and patience) to achieve results, the rubber grip facilitates a slip-free experience, and it's easy to tell when grinding is complete by the obvious decline in resistance. Fellow Opus: Hailing from the same brand as our pick for the best splurge coffee grinder, the Fellow Ode Gen 2, the Opus offers a similar aesthetic and quality. It even offers more grind settings than the Ode, with the ability to achieve an ultra-fine texture for espresso. However, it spills grounds more than most of the grinders I tested, resulting in significant coffee waste. Baratza Encore: This model comes from a brand with cult coffee-lover following. However, I found that it yields inconsistent grounds time and time again, and its above-average noise and grind time kept me from including it in the list of top recommendations. Bodum Bistro: This is a budget-friendly pick with a compact design that could work well for some. But its flimsy material, loud motor and consistent spillage made it lose significant points during testing. Porlex Mini Grinder II : Another low-cost option, this manual grinder yielded decently consistent grounds during testing. However, its adjustment dial does not feature guided numbers or other measurements to know what setting you're on. Included instructions are also a bit difficult to follow. How I Tested The Best Drip Coffee Makers During testing, we evaluated the range of grind sizes from each machine to measure versatility and ... More consistency. MONICA PETRUCCI FOR FORBES VETTED I scoured the internet to find the most popular and highly rated coffee grinders on the market, in order to test a range of products and see which came out on top. Then I performed a series of science-backed tests, as well as user-experience evaluations, to compare features and rank them accordingly. Grind Consistency One of the most crucial components of a high-quality coffee grinder is how consistent its results are. I used a Kruve sifter to measure whether the yields from the machine fell within the appropriate range for the desired coarseness. For example, if a significant amount of grounds got stuck in the coarse or fine setting (or both) when set to a medium setting, that suggested an issue with inconsistent grounds. I also checked to see whether grinders that advertise an ability to achieve fine grinds for espresso truly fit within the appropriate particle size for authentic espresso grounds. Speed I used a stopwatch to time how long it took each grinder to grind the same amount of beans on the medium setting. For manual grinders, I tried to utilize the same pace and technique in order to get an idea of whether there was a significant timing difference between the models. Noisiness Noise pollution can be a major problem with coffee grinders, especially for anyone who grinds their coffee early in the morning, while others in the house may still be asleep. I used a sound decibel meter app to measure the noise levels from each machine, recording both the average number and the highest number it reached, in order to see how each machine compared to the others. Grind Settings Longtime coffee professional and co-owner of Stone Creek Coffee Drew Pond emphasizes the importance of looking for a grinder with ample settings to choose from, especially if you're not tied to one coffee style. 'If you're bouncing between pour over, French press and espresso, getting the grind dialed for your particular brew method matters big time,' he says. That's why I prioritized including grinders with ample settings, from fine to coarse. I also made sure to test each of these settings to ensure that they reached the correct size threshold for the associated brewing type. Messiness It's unfortunately common for grinders to leak grounds before or after grinding is complete, or for them to get them stuck in the chute, which results in messy counters and precious coffee wasted. I took that into account during testing, taking note of any grinders that spilled grounds on their own, as well as ones that spilled them when knocking or adjusting the grinder across the counter. Why Trust Forbes Vetted The home and kitchen team at Forbes Vetted is dedicated to getting hands on with products and diving deep into research to help you find the best products on the market, from drip coffee makers to cast iron skillets. Monica Petrucci is the author of this article and a commerce writer covering home and kitchen topics at Forbes Vetted. Before spending years testing and researching hundreds of kitchen products (like milk frothers and rice cookers), she was a barista for three years. During that time, she learned the ins and outs of coffee grinding, brewing and serving, and she used that knowledge to bolster her grinder testing and research. For this article, we consulted several coffee experts. We interviewed Heather Perry, a two-time United States Barista Champion, CEO of Klatch Coffee and former President of the Specialty Coffee Association. We also consulted Drew Pond of Stone Creek Coffee, who has over a decade of experience in the coffee industry, and Kaleena Teoh, co-founder and director of education at Coffee Project New York. These seasoned experts provided guidance on the most important features of coffee grinders, how freshly ground coffee impacts flavor and more. We tested almost a dozen of the top coffee grinders on the market, performing several science-backed tests on each for the most reliable ranking. We consulted consumer reviews for several of these products, making note of any long-term issues or commonly faced problems that we didn't run into ourselves during testing. We prioritize timeliness and accuracy in all of our content at Forbes Vetted. This article was last updated in July 2025. What To Consider With The Best Coffee Grinders There are a lot of features to consider when shopping for the best coffee grinders. MONICA PETRUCCI FOR FORBES VETTED When shopping for an at-home coffee grinder, you should consider your own coffee making habits, as well as how much you're willing to splurge for the best results. Blade Type We only included burr grinders on this list, as they are lauded by multiple experts as being much more effective than blade grinders. 'With blade grinders, we are chopping the coffee (like spices), but there is no consistency in the grind size distribution,' explains Teoh. 'With burr grinders, we adjust the distance between the burrs and when it grinds the coffee, it gives us a more consistent grind size distribution." There are two varieties of burr grinders: Conical burr grinders and flat burr grinders. Conical burr grinders crush beans between two cone-shaped burrs, while flat burr grinders—true to their name—squeeze beans between two flat, rotating disks. 'The shape of the burrs impacts the particle size distribution,' explains Teoh. Perry says conical grinders are known for producing a more consistent grind. Additionally, 'this design can produce less heat, which some espresso drinkers find preferable,' she says. Flat burr grinders, on the other hand, are known for particularly clean and bright tasting coffee. However, 'they can run hotter, which some enthusiasts prefer to avoid,' she says. They're also known for being noisier. 'Regardless of flat or conical burrs, both are able to produce a good cup of coffee if you know how to dial in properly,' Teoh says. Hopper Size According to Pond, a coffee grinder's hopper size is "only important if you're grinding for a crew or batch-brewing every day." He doesn't recommend storing a large amount of beans in a hopper over a long period of time, as hoppers are typically not airtight and can negatively impact the quality of the beans. 'I dose my beans before I brew, put the entire dose in the grinder and grind that amount,' Pond says. 'I leave the rest of my beans in the bag or my vacuum-sealed container.' Grind Settings It's important to be aware of what your personal coffee preferences and habits are. If you are loyal to regular drip coffee, you don't need to worry about shopping for a grinder that has ultra-fine settings for espresso, nor extra coarse settings for cold brew. 'Buy a grinder that is capable of giving you control over the ranges of grind size you need,' Teoh says. While there are grinders out there that promise the ability to achieve a wide range of grind sizes, Teoh says it's not common to find one that does everything well. 'If you are looking for espresso grinders, I would suggest looking for one that is built specifically for espresso,' she says. 'Same [goes] for drip coffee.' Control Panel The most important quality of a coffee grinder's control panel is intuitiveness. There should be very few buttons and dials, and it should be easy to start using it without poring over a manual. It's also helpful for the brand to include guidance on grind settings and how they correspond with certain coffee styles, so switching between grinding for AeroPress and French press, for example, is simple. 'If you're interested in precision, check out models with digital displays and controls that allow finer adjustments compared with manual adjustment rings or knobs,' Perry says. How To Clean A Coffee Grinder You might already know that it's important to clean your coffee maker on a regular basis, but grinder upkeep is just as important. As Pond puts it, 'do it more than you think you need to.' 'Cleaning on a regular basis isn't just for flavor; it also assists in keeping your grinder in tip-top shape for the best possible performance," Perry says. 'Buildup of old grounds and oils can force the grinder to run slower and work harder, or eventually clog completely.' The first step is to consult your grinder's manual for instructions on how to properly disassemble and clean your grinder. But for most grinders, there are a few foolproof steps to follow. First, empty the hopper and grinder fully, tapping and brushing out any remnants of beans or grounds inside. Then, add Urnex Grindz cleaning tablets, which are food safe and specifically designed to clean burr grinders by absorbing coffee oils. Grind the tablets through the machine completely, and then empty the grinder again. You'll then need to 'flush' the grinder with about an ounce of coffee beans to rid it of any cleaning tablet remnants. Once that's done, unplug the machine and disassemble the blades so that you can get into the nooks and crannies with cotton swaps or pipe cleaners, cleaning off built-up residue. Finally, wash the hopper according to the brand's instructions (usually warm, soapy water is fine here), and once all the pieces are clean and dry, put everything back together again. How often you need to clean your grinder depends on how often you use it, as well as the roast level. 'Darker roast coffee will need more frequent cleaning than lighter roast coffee,' Teoh says. What Is The Best Coffee Grinder For Home Use? After performing several science-backed tests, we found the KitchenAid Burr Grinder to be the best when it comes to consistency, versatility, speed, noise and user experience. It's a great pick for coffee novices and longtime brewers alike. Is A High End Coffee Grinder Worth It? When it comes to coffee grinders, you don't have to opt for the fanciest pick in order to achieve high-quality coffee at home. However, it is advised to skip low-cost blade grinders, as these struggle with consistency and can damage the integrity of the beans. Burr grinders are a much more worthy investment. How To Choose A Good Coffee Grinder? Beyond prioritizing a grinder with burr blades and an intuitive interface, it's important to consider your own habits when shopping for a coffee grinder. If you tend to brew mostly espresso, you want to invest in a machine that has proven to yield ultra-fine grounds. Cold brew lovers, on the other hand, should shop for something on the other side of the spectrum.
New York Times
04-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
SailGP's Anna Weis on breaking boundaries: ‘Women in all sports are subject to more criticism'
The weight of making history is often heavy. The attention is always more focused on those creating the path for others to follow. As the first and only woman to take on the highly physical role of grinder in SailGP, Anna Weis feels pressure not just to succeed but also to propel women's professional sailing. 'Overwhelming,' a 'huge responsibility' and an 'extra burden' are the words she uses to describe her position as a female groundbreaker in her sport. Advertisement 'Women in all sports are subject to more criticism. We've seen it not only in sailing, but especially in SailGP with it being so male-dominated,' the 27-year-old American tells The Athletic. Each SailGP team has to have at least one female as part of the six-person crew. Of the 12 teams competing in the fifth season, 10 of those have allocated their female team member to the role of strategist at the back of the boat. Weis and Brazil's Martine Grael are the exceptions, both being the only women in the sport's short history to compete in their positions of grinder and driver respectively. 'The women are looked at more closely just because there's only one of us (on each SailGP team),' she adds. 'I look at Martine (Grael) who's driving the Brazilian boat, and for me stepping into the grinding role, it can seem pretty overwhelming just because you're doing something that no woman has done before. 'We are breaking boundaries. And I think it comes with huge responsibility to prove that we can do those roles. It just adds a little bit of an extra burden that women have to deal with.' The strategist is a position that requires speed and clarity of decision-making as they plot a weaving a path through the high-speed traffic for the driver steering the F50 foiling catamaran. But it's also a role that requires minimal physical strength, certainly by comparison with the job of the grinder, which is almost entirely about converting muscle power into hydraulic power by turning the handles of the grinding pedestal. Mike Buckley, co-owner of the U.S. SailGP team, had given himself the strategist's role, so he approached Weis to see if she'd be interested in taking on the challenge of muscling up for the grinder's spot. 'One of my biggest strengths as a sailor has always been my fitness and strength and power,' said Weis, who rowed to a high level in college before setting out on an Olympic sailing campaign, culminating in her teaming up with helmsman Riley Gibbs in the fast and furious Nacra 17 foiling catamaran. They won the U.S. ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Games and finished ninth overall. For the next few years, she hopped onto another foiling craft, this time the iQFOiL windsurfer, although she missed out on the U.S. spot for Paris 2024. With Weis's strong background in hydrofoiling and her thirst for physical challenge, Buckley believed her to be the ideal candidate, even if she'd never actually been a grinder on any boat before. 'When Mike called and asked me if I was even interested in grinding, it sounded really intriguing to me because I've always loved that aspect — the fitness side of sailing and of sports generally, and I felt like it was right up my alley. From my background as a rower at college, I already had that mindset of just doing crazy psycho fitness things,' she laughs. Advertisement The rowing background has been as important to her success in SailGP as her sailing credentials, Weis says. 'I was a D1 rower, basically the top division of rowing competing around the country. We were a varsity rowing team, and it was a full-on schedule. Wake up at 5.30am, get to the boathouse by 6.15am, ready to warm up. We did that six days a week with practice sessions in the afternoon too, and there was a team element to it which has been really helpful for integrating into the team at SailGP.' While the speeds of the F50 in SailGP — over 60mph (100 kilometers an hour) — are the highest in competitive sailing, Weis says her grounding in the smaller Olympic foiling classes has prepared her well. 'Some of the scariest days I've had have been on my iQFOiL or the Nacra, because they're so much looser, kind of skittish. Getting comfortable with sailing at high speeds on any kind of foiling boat or board is always going to help when you get back on the F50.' Weis has committed herself fully to adapting to the role. The Fort Lauderdale native has piled muscle onto her 5ft 9in frame and weighs 11.81 stone (75kg). But no matter how much muscle and fitness she brings to her game, Weis knows she is up against male grinders who weigh 14 to 16 stone. The perception is that Weis will never be able to match the men for pure power in the stronger winds. On the other hand, in lighter winds when the crew of all the teams is reduced from six to as few as four, the U.S. team is perceived to have a power advantage because Weis is now in a grind-off against the smaller female strategists who have had to go forward in the cockpit to help add their limited muscle to the grinding pedestal. Weis concedes there might be some truth to that analysis, but counters: 'Something that we've learned is that, even in the bigger breeze, maybe the other boats have more power, but for us it doesn't seem like the low-hanging fruit, and I think that we're not lacking power. For the light winds, every team has its own playbook about sharing out the jobs between fewer people, but I think my position (as grinder) is a strength because I have experience trimming the jib (the small sail at the front).' Advertisement In a recent interview with The Athletic, Taylor Canfield, the U.S. team's driver and de facto leader, described Weis as an 'incredible sailor.' 'She is one of the stronger people in the league, and by far the strongest female athlete in the league,' he said, before explaining that of the all-American team's difficulties this season, power was not one. 'The input we're getting back from on board tells us it's not a problem,' he said. As Weis and her teammates head into the New York leg this weekend, they're highly motivated to make up for the U.S. boat's underperformance at the previous two events in Los Angeles and San Francisco. New York is the final opportunity of the season to show the home fans what they can do before the SailGP bandwagon moves across the Atlantic for a summer of European events. Currently down in 11th place on the leaderboard, home fans expect better of their sailors in a sport where the USA has traditionally been strong. Critics have been clamoring for a change in personnel and the U.S. team will feel the scrutiny more keenly than ever under the imposing backdrop of New York's skyline. 'We've been working really hard behind the scenes on understanding what went wrong in San Francisco and the last few events and what we can improve on,' says Weis. 'Fortunately, we've got some training days in New York City and we're looking forward to going at it as hard as we can, right away.' Weis knows the best she can do this weekend is to shut out the noise and focus on doing her job. 'I take pride in my strength and power as a woman, and I want to own that. I want to show that women can perform in these more male-dominated roles. 'In SailGP, I think we're starting to prove that we can be in those roles. Hopefully, we're looking at a future where there's more opportunity for women to step into more critical roles on the F50 and in sailing generally.'
