Buyers Guide to Coffee Grinders
You have spent weeks, maybe months researching which espresso machine to buy and have finally made your decision, but wait, you still need a grinder! I know the research can be tedious but you won't regret putting in the time to select your grinder. It will be one of the most important tools involved in your home coffee setup. Don't underestimate the power of a good grinder, you will thank us later!
The purpose of this coffee grinder buyers guide is not to tell you which coffee grinder to buy, but to help you understand the differences between different grinder types, suggest a few factors to consider when researching and offer a few of our recommendations to help guide you. At the end of the day it is you, the customer who will be buying and using the grinder, so it should suit your preferences.
Give us a call if you're struggling with your decision we’d love to help out! +353 (091) 395776
This blog post has a lot of information in it so use our navigation menu if you are looking for a specific section:
Why do you need a good coffee grinder?
Having your own coffee grinder for home use instantly levels up your brew because you’re working with freshly ground coffee beans. I think people underestimate the impact that freshly ground beans can have on the taste of your coffee, as soon as coffee beans are roasted they begin to slowly lose some of their flavour and aroma. Everyone says something different but after you grind beans they begin to deteriorate and will be gone off in minutes, so when you buy pre-ground coffee from the shop you have no idea how long ago these beans were ground and how much of the flavour profile is left. As far as baristas are concerned, they’re already gone off. This alone sums up why a home coffee grinder is essential.
A common question from customers is "why can't I just buy a budget coffee grinder for €150, why do I need to spend more?" Our answer to this is grinders at that price point probably won’t grind finely enough or consistently enough to pull a good espresso shot. Your future self will be grateful that you invested in a quality grinder.
The purpose of a coffee grinder is to improve the taste of your coffee at home by giving you greater control over freshness and extraction.
- Fresher flavour: Grinding beans just before brewing preserves the coffee’s full flavour, resulting in a richer tasting coffee compared to pre-ground beans.
- Consistent grind size: A good grinder produces a uniform grind, which allows water to extract flavour evenly - essential for dialling in espresso.
- Adjustable grind settings: You can tailor the grind size to your brew method, ensuring optimal extraction and better overall taste.
Many of our customers buy an espresso machine and then decide to get a grinder at a later date this is fine as long as you understand that you are not going to be able to brew your coffee correctly with pre ground coffee from the shop. When you brew with pre-ground beans the gauge on your machine will not rise and there will be no crema on your espresso.
Matching brew type to grinder type
Different brewing methods require different grind sizes. The grind size directly affects extraction, too fine a grind can lead to over-extraction (bitter, harsh coffee), while too coarse a grind results in under-extraction (weak, watery coffee). When carrying out your research you need to make sure that the grinder you have picked can achieve the correct grind size for what you require.
| Brew Method | Grind Size |
| Espresso | Fine |
| French Press | Coarse |
| Pour Over | Medium |
| Greek | Super Fine |
The different types of grinders
There is a range of different coffee grinders available, in our collection we carry manual, timed, grind by weight and single dose grinders. The type of grinder you choose depends on your own preferences but understanding their differences will help you decide.
Manual Grinders
What is a manual/on-demand grinder?
When people hear “manual grinder” they usually think they will have to twist a handle for 30 mins whenever they want a coffee, you will be happy to hear this isn't the case. Our on-demand coffee grinders automatically grind beans directly into the portafilter whenever you want to make a coffee. This means the coffee is ground fresh every time as opposed to doser grinders that would grind beans and then store the ground coffee in a compartment in the grinder until someone wants to use it.
Our manual coffee grinders are the most basic grinders that we sell, when we say manual, we mean that they have no automatic timer function or weighing scales and you are starting and stopping the grinding manually. These grinders typically work by pushing in a button with your portafilter to start grinding the beans, then to stop the grinding you take the portafilter off the button, it could not be simpler!
Our Thoughts
We only find ourselves recommending manual grinders to beginners starting out their home barista journey. If this is your first grinder you will not feel like you are missing out on anything as you are not used to any additional functions, but if you have used timed grinders in the past, we would not suggest moving down to a manual grinder. That being said manual coffee grinders are user friendly, budget friendly espresso grinders and absolutely get the job done.
Recommendation: Eureka Mignon Silenzio
Timed Grinders
What is a timed grinder?
Timed coffee grinders have a built-in timer function giving you control over how long the beans grind. This function allows you to program the timer for a single or double shot, you simply choose the desired shot, and it will grind the beans into your portafilter for the set amount of time. It then automatically stops grinding when the timer has finished. Timed coffee grinders ensure that you are grinding your beans for the same amount of time, every time, so in theory giving you the same amount of coffee into your portafilter basket every time.
Timed grinders come in a range of prices; there are budget espresso grinders right through to mid-range options. They are generally more expensive than manual grinder but in the long run it is usually worth paying a little bit more for the timer, just for convenience alone!
Our Thoughts
I find myself circling back to timer grinders quite often, the main reason being for the efficiency. Just pop the portafilter in and the grinder does all the work, perfect for a quick coffee. Timer grinders produce a more consistent grind than the manual does which goes a long way in the brewing process. I use a timed grinder in my own home and even after trying out other types of grinders, timed grinders are still my top choice. If there are other people in your home that will be making coffees, timer grinders are really simple for them to use once they are set up.
Recommendation: Eureka Mignon Specialita
Grind by Weight
What is a grind by weight grinder?
Grind by weight coffee grinders do exactly what the name suggests, instead of grinding for a set amount of time they grind until the beans reach a specific weight that you have programmed in. The grinder has built-in scales that measure the coffee as it falls into the portafilter then once it reaches the specified weight it stops automatically. This means that no matter what, you are getting the exact same dose every single time.
The reason weight matters so much in coffee is because the density of coffee beans can vary depending on freshness and other factors. A timed grinder doesn’t take this into consideration, so you could grind for the same amount of time and still end up with slightly different doses each time. A grind by weight espresso grinder solves that issue.
Our Thoughts
Grind by weight grinders are a step up from timed grinders in terms of precision and they are the perfect combination of consistency and convenience. They do tend to sit at a higher price point than manual or timed grinders, but if accuracy is important to you it is definitely worth looking into these grinders. These grinders work amazing when they are set up correctly but they can be quite finicky to calibrate.
We only sell one grind by weight grinder and we believe it offers excellent grind quality and precision for the price point, but if it's not calibrated and used correctly it can throw up lots of errors (FH) and this does frustrate some of our customers so be prepared to spend time calibrating it.
Recommendation: Eureka Mignon Libra
Single Dose Grinders
What is a single dose grinder?
Single dose grinders have become very popular and trendy in recent years, these grinders are built around a very specific workflow. Rather than keeping a hopper full of beans sitting on top of you grinder, you weigh out exactly the amount of coffee you need for one shot and drop it straight in. You only grind what you need, nothing more. It is a more hands-on approach than the other types of grinders but for a lot of coffee geeks that’s exactly the appeal!
The biggest advantage of single dose grinders is freshness. The moment coffee is exposed to air it begins to degrade, so a hopper left full of beans for days will slowly lose its flavour even if you have high quality beans. With a single dose setup your beans stay sealed in an airtight container right up until you use them. Another big benefit is grind retention, which refers to the ground coffee that gets left behind inside the grinder after each use. This stale residue mixes into your next dose, single dose grinders are designed to minimize coffee retention, so what goes in is exactly what comes out.
Our Thoughts
Single dose grinders take up a lot of time but they are great for experimenting, if someone in your household drinks decaf coffee, or you enjoy comparing different origins and roasts, a single dose espresso grinder makes those changes effortless. No purging, no cross contamination, just weigh and grind.
Many of our customers were unsure if they wanted to commit to a single dose grinder so they purchased the Profitec Twist A54 (timer grinder) alongside the Profitec Single Dose Bellow and use it as a single dose grinder at the weekend. This gives them the flexibility to run it as a timer grinder during the week for quick coffees and switch to single dosing on the weekends when they want to experiment with new beans or enjoy a longer process. The Eureka Single Dose Kit also allows users to switch any Eureka Mignon grinder to a single doser.
Recommendation: Profitec Twist SD54
Problems with Grinders + What Helps
There are a lot of factors for you to consider when shopping for a grinder, almost too many! Here are a few issues that cause our customers hassle, make sure you are thinking about these when doing your research!
Clumping
The Problem - Ground coffee clumps together because of static electricity in coffee grinders. It's annoying, it messes with your dose and it can lead to channeling when brewing.
What Helps - A WDT clump crusher tool breaks the clumps up before you tamp.
Retention
The Problem - Most grinders hang onto a bit of coffee inside the chamber after grinding. That stale leftover gets mixed into your next dose.
What Helps - Single dose grinders are designed to minimise coffee grinder retention. If you don't have a single dose grinder a common technique people use is to run the grinder for a second before your real grind to purge the old stuff. It wastes a bit of coffee each time but it works. Even if you don't have a single dose grinder you may be able to convert yours into one! You can purchase a single dose kit to minimise retention if your grinder is compatible: Profitec Single Dosing Bellow, Eureka Mignon Single Dosing Kit.
Numbering System
The Problem - A lot of grinders have numbers on the dial that are tiny, poorly marked or just wear off over time. If you can't read where you are on the dial, dialing in your grinder becomes a nightmare guessing game.
What Helps - It sounds basic, but check this before you buy. Look for clear, legible markings you can actually read while grinding. Search for real world photos or videos before you commit, marketing photos won't always show you how reliable the dial is.
Dial Size
The Problem - A small adjustment dial means any tiny turn changes the setting quite a lot, it is difficult to make small, precise tweaks. With espresso especially, a fraction of a gram can make a difference in your shot.
What Helps - A bigger dial spreads those adjustments out so you've actually got room to be precise. It's one of those things that sounds minor until you're fumbling around at 7am trying to save a shot. The Eureka King Size Grind Dial was designed for exactly this, it is an enlarged dial you can add on to your Eureka Mignon grinder designed for precise grind adjustments.
Stepped vs Stepless
The Problem - Stepped grinders click between fixed settings, sometimes the gap between two clicks is bigger than you'd like and you can't land exactly where you need. Stepless grinders let you go anywhere, but it's easy to lose your spot and hard to get back to a setting that was working
What Helps - If you're just getting started then a stepped grinder is easier to use. If you're deep into espresso dialling in and always chasing that perfect shot, a stepless grinder gives you the control you need.
Noise
The Problem - Some grinders are genuinely loud, like wake the whole house up loud. This is something that people only find out after they've bought their grinder.
What Helps - Look up video reviews on YouTube before buying, this way you can hear for yourself. Models with silent grinder technology (like Eureka Mignon Silenzio and Specialita) are worth considering if you're an early morning coffee drinker.
A Few Tips on Beans
Getting your grinder dialled in is only half the battle - the beans you choose matter just as much.
Buy smaller bags, use them faster. Once coffee is exposed to air it starts going stale almost immediately. Smaller bags mean you're always working with fresher coffee beans, and ideally each time you fill your grinder you're opening a fresh bag rather than reaching into a 1kg bag that's been sitting open on your counter for a week.
Don't go mad buying lots of small bags of different types of beans. It sounds like a fun idea to try a few different 250g beans, but by the time you've dialled in the grind settings for a 250g bag, it's gone. Then you're starting from scratch with something new and you never quite get there. You want to spend that time building confidence using your grinder not constantly changing up the grind.
Stick to a consistent blend while you're learning. This is probably the most important tip. Blends like Trismoka are specifically designed to be consistent bag to bag, which makes the whole coffee dialling-in process so much easier. Your local artisan roastery might be producing incredible single-origin coffees, but the flavour profiles can vary a lot from one roast to another. This is the last thing you need when you're still finding your feet. Once you've got your technique down and you're pulling shots that you are happy with, then absolutely start exploring!
Our Recommendations
Best Budget Option - Eureka Mignon Specialita
If you want a proper espresso grinder for home use without breaking the bank, the Eureka Mignon Specialita is where we would send you first. It produces low-retention fluffy grinds with its 55m flat burrs, and the timed dosing means you can just press a button and get a consistent dose without weighing every time. It also features silent grinder technology, so early morning coffees won't wake the whole house. Reliable, easy to live with, Italian made, we think it's a great starting point.
Note: You can also convert the Eureka Mignon Specialita into a single dose grinder with the Eureka Single Dose Kit.
Best for Efficiency - Profitec Twist A54
Step up in budget and the Profitec Twist A54 (Item No: 20300 / GR500004-00) rewards you with an impressive level of precision for a home espresso grinder. The Twist features a worm-gear grind adjustment mechanism that allows for extremely small shifts, up to 50 times more precise than a standard adjustment knob. For a grinder in this price range, that is a remarkable amount of control. Barista Mode lets you select your dose with a single press of the microswitch - one press for a single, two for a double - which makes your daily home barista workflow quick and effortless. Great for someone who wants to dial in espresso properly and then just get on with their morning.
Top Quality - Ceado E37S
If you're serious about espresso and want the best grinder in the range, look no further than the Ceado E37S. It features massive 83mm flat burrs, a touchscreen display and three programmable dose presets. What really sets it apart is the Steady Lock Grinding System, this unique feature keeps the burrs locked at a constant distance regardless of use, ensuring your grind consistency stays exactly where you set it. The motor sits on rubber mounts making it around 30% quieter than comparable grinders. This is a grinder built for people who refuse to compromise.
Final Thoughts
If you've made it this far you are clearly serious about your coffee! Our honest advice? Don't rush your selection process. Think about how you actually make coffee in the morning, are you someone who wants to press a button and walk away, or do you enjoy the process? The best coffee grinder isn't the most expensive grinder it's the one that fits into your life.
Learn your grinder well and stick to a consistent bean while you're finding your feet. Shots will go wrong along the way but that's all part of the process.
If you're still unsure please reach out to us. We would much rather you ask a few questions and get the right grinder than end up spending your money on something that frustrates you!
Give us a call +353 (091) 395776 we would love to help you make the right decision.
