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Best Burr Coffee Grinders for French Press
Find out what to consider when buying a burr coffee grinder and reviews of the best options on the market.
Published November 23, 2021
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Chandra Melo
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
There’s not much that beats the taste of hot, freshly brewed coffee in the morning. If you have been making your own coffee at home using a French press, you will know just how important it is to use high-quality coffee beans that are freshly ground. But, what do you know about the different types of coffee grinders that you can get for your French press, or any other coffee maker that you use? As it turns out, there are lots of different coffee grinders to consider. Since coffee made in a French press will always have the best results when you use beans that are coarsely ground, it’s important to make sure that you get the best coffee grinder for you. Keep reading to find out more about what to consider when buying a burr coffee grinder for your French Press and reviews of the best options on the market today.
What is a Burr Coffee Grinder?
Even if you have been brewing your own coffee at home for a while, you may not have heard of the burr coffee grinder. This type of grinder works using two burred plates rather than blades to grind the coffee beans. Some use conical plates while others use flat plates, but both will operate in a similar way. To grind the coffee beans down to a uniform size, one of the burred plates remains locked in place while the other one spins around.
Burr vs Blade Grinders
A simple blade grinder for coffee beans can be found in a lot of homes. They are typically small with two blades. To use, all you need to do is load it with the coffee beans and then push down on the lid to grind. However, instead of providing a consistent grind, these grinders are more likely to just smash your beans up, which leaves you with some chunks left in the powder no matter how long you grind for or how much you shake it. Using a burr grinder means that your coffee beans are ground more consistently. Along with this, the method also ensures that the beans aroma is preserved as much as possible.
Manual vs Electric
When it comes to choosing the best burr coffee grinder for you, there is always the question of whether to go for a manual or electric option. A manual ceramic burr coffee grinder might be the ideal option if you prefer doing things by hand, want a grinder that is fairly quiet to use for those super early morning coffees, or want to take it with you when you’re camping. On the other hand, if you prefer an option that is more convenient and requires less labor on your part, an electric grinder might be ideal for you, or you could even get a French Press and grinder combo for even more convenience.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular burr grinders available today:
Capresso Infinity Plus Conical
Providing a slow grind, this burr grinder is ideal for coffee beans that are going to be used in a French press, since less friction and heat is produced during grinding, which has a much lower risk of damage to the aroma and flavor of the beans. The grinder is built to last with commercial grade steel, and boasts consistent, precise, and flavorful results every time. You can easily adjust the coarseness thanks to sixteen fineness settings.
Platinum Brew Manual Coffee Grinder
If you are looking for one of the best manual burr coffee grinder for French press, this one could be ideal for you. A high-quality option, it comes with a built-in system for adjusting the settings, with eighteen different coarseness levels to choose from. It has a conical shape and comfort dial to make it easier to hold when grinding. The blades are made from ceramic, and designed to last a long time – even if you use it multiple times per day.
Maranello Caffe Manual Coffee Grinder
If you are looking for a burr grinder that produces as little waste as possible and is eco-friendly, then this is the perfect option to consider. It is very portable, making it a perfect option to take traveling or camping with you. The see-through grind cup is made from heavy-duty and durable plastic, with other components including the bolt, crank and hopper made from durable stainless steel. The burr is made from non-corrosive ceramic. You can easily adjust the coarseness of your grind.
ChefWave Conical Burr Grinder
If you prefer an electric model that will do all the hard work for you, this is a fancy coffee grinder worth considering. If you drink several cups of coffee each day and want the perfect brew every time, this grinder from ChefWave will be the perfect option for you, allowing you to easily have enough coffee grinds available for the entire day, with a capacity allowing it to grind enough for between two and ten cups of coffee at a time. It allows for coarseness adjusting with sixteen custom grind settings and comes with a handy auto shutoff.
Silva Manual Coffee Grinder
This manual ceramic burr coffee grinder from Silva is a classy, professional looking option with a sleek brushed stainless-steel exterior. It is quiet and does not require any power, making it a good option for traveling or camping with. Along with coffee, you can also use it to grind a range of other spices or peppercorn, giving it plenty of uses in the kitchen. It’s a robust option made from rust-proof and food-grade material that’s built to withstand a lot of wear and tear.
Chefman Coffee Burr Grinder
If you love a hot cup of coffee, you’ll be impressed by this grinder option from Chefman. The one-touch system means that’s it’s seriously easy to use, and maintenance is easy thanks to the fact that the parts are dishwasher safe and you get a cleaning brush included with your purchase for free. It comes with seventeen different grinding options and holds enough coffee grounds for two to twelve cups of coffee, making it perfect for families of coffee-drinkers or just one person who likes to drink a lot of Java. And, you can use it for more than just grinding coffee beans as it doubles up as a chopper for nuts, seeds, spices and herbs.
Khaw-Fee Ceramic Conical Burr Grinder
If you want a burr grinder that doesn’t cost the earth, this one could be the perfect choice for you. This manual grinder is very quiet, allowing you to easily get your favorite cup of coffee brewed freshly early in the morning without having to worry about waking anybody up. It’s made from ceramic and durable steel and comes with adjustable coarseness levels.
JavaPresse Conical Burr Mill
If you prefer to hand grind your coffee beans, this is another great option to think about. It does not require any electricity or batteries, which makes it an ideal choice for anybody who wants a burr coffee grinder that they can easily take with them almost anywhere. Ceramic combo burrs will last up to five times longer than stainless-steel blade, it comes with eighteen different grind click settings, and the best part is that, whenever you purchase a JavaPress coffee grinder, you’ll get a redeemable code for a free bag of whole bean coffee – perfect for testing your new grinder with.
Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee Grinder
This is an ideal electric coffee grinder for any gadget-lover. It comes with a cool backlit grounds bin and a super-modern digital timer display, so it’s no surprise that this is a firm favorite among baristas and other coffee professionals. Despite all the fancy features, it is a compact machine that will easily fit under most kitchen cabinets and will look great on your kitchen counter without taking up a huge amount of space. The hopper can hold up to eight ounces of whole coffee beans at once, and it has a massive forty grind settings to choose from.
Junoesque Manual Burr Coffee Grinder
With a sleek design and a grinding core made with high nitrogen steel, this manual precision grinder is a perfect choice. Like stainless steel, it is resistant to corrosion; however, these materials are twice as strong. It is perfect for both French Press coffee or espresso, with adjustable coarseness levels to choose from and the option to create extremely fine grinds. Since it’s manual, it’s perfect for traveling with, and even comes with a velvet bag to protect it while traveling, and a handy cleaning brush that you can easily pack with it.
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder
If you are looking for a high-range electric grinder and don’t mind spending a little more, this option from Baratza might be ideal for you. It does run a little higher in price compared to the other options, but users agree that paying extra for the features it offers is worth it, with forty grind options. These grinders are built to last and have high-quality parts including burrs made from hardened alloy steel burrs. It’s designed to run like a commercial grinder and, with the right care, can last you years or even decades.
When you’re making French Press coffee at home, the grinder you use to prepare your coffee beans can make the world of difference to the final cup.
About the author
Chandra Melo
Marketing as job, barista as passion. An authentic coffee lover, looking for the next fantastic cup of coffee that I will fall in love with. Coffee, for me, is more than a beverage. It's about community and connection - how can all the world consume the same fruit? And differently? How can we have so many different tastes? I also don't know. And because of this, I feel in love each day more for this world. Happy to share and make a change in the coffee community.
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