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Best Burr Grinders Under 100
Best budget burr grinder options to consider for coffee.
Published March 17, 2022
Johan Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Coffee lovers often come in different flavours just like the coffee they drink. Some people prefer a quick cup of instant coffee while others prefer more complex speciality brews. Others like the sweeter lattes and cappuccinos that you can get from Starbucks. For many, however, the main joy of coffee comes from freshly grinding your own coffee beans at home. Whether you just want to be more involved in making the coffee that you drink or are trying to save money with fewer visits to the local coffee shop, the main thing that you are going to need is a burr grinder that is within your budget.
The best burr coffee grinder 2020 might be more expensive in general compared to blade grinders, but they are definitely worth paying more for to get a consistent grind that is going to help you brew the perfect mug. And the good news is that there are plenty of decent burr grinders that you can actually get for less than $100, which will soon start paying for itself when you’re grinding and brewing your morning coffee every day rather than paying a barista to do it for you.
What to Consider When Choosing a Burr Grinder
When choosing the best burr grinder 2020, such as a Delonghi Ariete, your budget is often the top factor to consider. Since all the models here are less than $100, however, there are some crucial factors to consider when getting the best burr coffee grinder under $100 or the best burr grinder for espresso under $100.
Shape: Flat vs Conial Grinder
Burr coffee grinders are available in two shapes – flat or conical. They both work in the same way to grind your coffee beans between one stationary and one rotary gear. Flat burr grinders have two grinding surfaces that are donut-shaped and keep a firm grip on the coffee beans. With this type of grinder, the beans don’t jump around as much as they do when being ground in a conical burr grinder, making them more likely to be a component of the best electric coffee grinder. Because of this, flat burr grinders offer an even more consistent texture for the grounds, making them one of the top coffee grinders. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that flat burr grinders do have some disadvantages, with the main ones being that they heat up faster and are louder. A conical burr might produce grounds that are a little bit uneven, but they are quieter to run and do not heat up as much.
If you got curious about the difference between those two shapes and would like to go more in-depth, you can read more about the differences between Flat and Conical Burr in the article.
Mechanics
Both the best electric grinder options and manual burr grinders are available for less than $100. The best electric grinder options have more speed and power, compared to manual coffee grinders, which you’ll need to be prepared to have a bit of workout with. Whichever you choose, you should also consider how good the grinder looks in your kitchen and how easy it is to clean. Many people assume that a faster grinder is the best choice as they have more power and are more convenient. However, they are often noisier, fussier, and are not designed to last as long. A slower burr grinder with a ‘direct drive’ feature is usually the better choice.
Material: Stainless Steel vs Ceramic
Burr grinders can be made with either stainless steel or ceramic. When choosing the material, you might want to consider the initial cost along with any maintenance costs such as getting replacement parts. Stainless steel is the cheaper option for both buying and replacing parts, however, this material will only last a few years at most. On the other hand, ceramic burrs will last for longer, but are more expensive to repair or replace when chipped. Along with the material of the burrs, you may also want to consider the material and capacity of the storage parts. These can be made of either plastic or glass and may be translucent or see-through. You may go for a grinder with just a bean hopper, or a bean hopper and coffee collector.
Coffee Grinder Settings
The settings on your burr grinder are another important factor to consider. When you get the best electric coffee grinder, they can be either stepped or stepless. These settings allow you to choose the texture and size of the coffee grounds that you want. The higher numbers will give you the finest particles. Stepped grinders come with a set number of millimeter markings. Stepless grinders, on the other hand, can be completely controlled allowing you to choose the exact grind size.
SHARDOR Electric Burr Coffee Grinder
This burr grinder has an unusual design that will immediately grab your attention, which is great for a burr grinder on a budget. It’s compact, so ideal for small kitchens, and has a wedge-shaped base that will keep it steady while grinding. The stainless steel burrs will grind between two and twelve cups at a time. The front dial controls the cup number and the side dial is for size settings. You can completely dismantle the grinder for easy cleaning. The body is made from a durable BPA-free black plastic and the burrs are metal.
Mr. Coffee Burr Grinder Automatic
When you’re choosing a budget coffee grinder for your kitchen, one of the main things to consider is the physical size in relation to the size of your countertop. This model from Mr. Coffee is quite lightweight at just under four pounds, however, it’s quite tall at one foot tall, so you will need to make sure that there’s a space with enough vertical clearance in your kitchen. It does have a cord that is two feet long, which gives you more flexibility when it comes to positioning as your grinder doesn’t need to be close to the power socket. The bean hopper and grinder mechanism are both removable making for easy maintenance and cleaning. The burrs are stainless steel and the grinder is powerful with 160 watts. The positioning and style of the grinder make it safe to use on spices. It has eighteen grinder settings and grinds half a pound at once.
JavaPresse Manual Burr Coffee Grinder
If you want a portable coffee grinder that you can do on the go, this one is an ideal choice. It’s one of the best hand coffee grinder under $100 models. Aside from the crank, this cute coffee grinder has a brushed stainless steel cylinder, a 1.8in diameter and stands at seven and a half inches tall. It can comfortably fit in your backpack or handbag. While it’s a manual grinder that you need to work yourself with the crank, this can be great for letting off some steam or waking yourself up by grinding your own coffee to brew when you are feeling tired. The conical burrs are ceramic, and this is a quieter option compared to an electric grinder. It weighs just under 10oz. It’s definitely a quiet burr grinder to consider if you’re looking for a quiet grinder option to avoid waking the family up early in the morning.
KRUPS Precision Grinder Flat Burr Coffee Grinder
It can be tricky to compare burr grinders, especially when there are lots of statistics to consider. This burr mill from KRUPS is a great option that provides 33% better results compared to competitors making it one the best home electric coffee grinder models to choose from. The flat burr means that there isn’t as much grinding noise, static or heat production, meaning that your coffee beans and grinds aren’t going to burn. It is convenient to clean with a rotary top bar that comes off. The grinder also comes with a brush for the burr mill that is built in. It comes with a grinder setting dial on the side and a front-facing dial that you can use for the cup number. All you need to do to work this grinder is press the one-touch power button. It has flat metal burrs and the hopper is positioned at the back, rather than the top of the grinder, which makes it more compact. The flat disc burrs are uniform, making it an ideal choice for finer ground coffee textures like espresso or Turkish coffee. Since KRUPS is a German brand, you can expect great engineering quality, making it an ideal choice for the best espresso grinder under $500. However, it’s not a great choice for grinding spices, so stick to coffee.
Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind
Cuisinart is one of the most trusted and reputable brands in the coffee world. It is well-known for both quality control and aesthetics. This model is one of the most convenient options and the best coffee grinder under £100 to consider. However, you will need to make sure that you have enough space on your countertop for it as its dimensions are 10.75x7.13 inches. It’s six inches deep so make sure that you have enough space for it to fit. The grinder weights 4.5lbs in total. The cord is designed to tuck neatly out of sight so there’s a lower risk of accidents despite it being quite large. You can easily remove the hopper for cleaning and storage. It grinds any amount of beans from four to eighteen cups using the slider, and it has eye-level grinder settings that make choosing the right particle size hassle-free. It has block stainless steel burrs and comes with a scoop that makes accurately measuring the right amount of beans for your drink easy. It also comes with a brush included to make cleaning easier. The timer feature will allow you to further fine-tune your grinding process, and there are eighteen grinder settings to choose from.
When it comes to making the best coffee at home, a burr grinder is the best option. While they are more expensive than blade grinders, these are the best choices available under $100.
About the author
Johan Hedlund
I´m living in Karlstad, Sweden with my family. Been working the last 25 years with several start ups in the tech industry. Coffee has been an integral part, both professionally and privately. Eager to learn new things and happy to be a member of the era of we community.
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