If you haven’t noticed, here at Coffee Bros., we are huge espresso enthusiasts, so much so that we considered changing our name to Espresso Bros. I am just kidding!

We are such big espresso lovers that we even developed several coffee blends and offerings to suit the espresso brewing method perfectly. Whether you're a home barista who relishes pure espresso shots or someone who enjoys their coffee with a dash of steamed milk and a touch of sugar, we've created a coffee tailored to suit both preferences.

We started our espresso journey years before starting our coffee roastery and were probably in similar shoes as those reading this article. Espresso brewing seemed complex, machines and features seemed endless, and knowing where to start and what espresso machine or grinder to buy seemed more like a guessing game than an informed decision.

Knowing where we have come from and where we are now, we wrote this article to outline the best coffee grinders for espresso at every price point and skill level. We also have recommendations in this article for espresso grinders that we do not sell or earn commission on. We recommend these espresso grinders because we believe they can consistently grind well, and they are ideal for beginners, experts, or those seeking a specific price point.

Strap in, grind a sub-par espresso (soon to be a great espresso), and hear some of our excellent recommendations.

The best espresso grinder for beginners: Baratza Encore ESP and DF64 II Single Dose Grinder

The best conical burr espresso grinder: Baratza Sette 270wi

The best flat burr espresso grinder: Eureka Mignon Specialita

The best espresso grinder under $200.00: Baratza Encore ESP

The best espresso grinders under $1000: Niche Zero and Baratza Sette 270wi

The best espresso grinders over $1000: Eureka Atom 75

The best espresso grinders for home barista experts: Weber Workshops The Key

The best espresso grinder for commercial or café settings: Mahlkonig E65S

The best manual espresso grinder: 1Zpresso Jx-Pro S

The espresso grinders you should keep your eyes on in 2023 and 2024: Mazzer Philos and Mx. Cool Aries

This question pops up often and is one where many folks are slightly misinformed. You, unfortunately, cannot use any coffee grinder for espresso (or any other finely ground brewing method like Moka Pot) as you will need to grind within a specific range to hit the fineness needed for espresso brewing.

What does this all mean? Well, espresso brewing requires coffee to be ground within a specific range when then compacted into a “puck,” and pressurized water (130 lbs. per square inch) is pushed through the coffee; you get an evenly flowing espresso that brews somewhere in the range of 30 – 40 seconds (depending on your recipe).

Some coffee grinders claim to grind across the spectrum of brew types, from highly coarse for cold brewing to very fine for espresso brewing. If you are jumping into espresso brewing for the first time, look for a grinder specifically built for espresso and can grind in the range of 180 – 400 μm (microns). Not all grinders will list their micron range, but those that market themselves as espresso grinder should fall in this range.

There are some fantastic coffee grinders for drip coffee or brew methods like French press, pour over, or cold brew that require a much coarser grind. For those who also love filter brewing, we recommend a dedicated filter coffee grinder like the Fellow Ode to handle the coarser end of the spectrum. For the finer brew methods (espresso, moka pot), a dedicated espresso grinder is not only ideal but highly recommended.

There are a few types of coffee grinders, and many may have heard of the most straightforward comparison between a low-cost ineffective blade grinder versus a burr grinder. The term “burr grinder” has become somewhat of a marketing term where burr coffee grinders represent quality though not every burr grinder is the same.

Burr grinders are the industry standard for espresso grinding and are placed into two categories: flat burrs and conical burr grinders (sometimes called cone burrs). The type of burrs, the material they are made of, and their size all affect how consistent and efficient your grind will be and impact the taste of your coffee (RPMs of your grinder also play a part here).

The surface level difference between flat burrs and conical burrs

Overall, it comes down to the versatility and profile range you are looking for in a grinder. If you prefer coffees that tend to lean toward the traditional espresso, heavier body, chocolatey side, then we would suggest a conical burr, while cleaner, more nuanced profiles with splashed acidity, then we would suggest flat burrs. Again, both burr styles can hit either end of the spectrum though conical and flat burrs will tend to stay toward their respective side and can be the more extreme of each profile type.

There are also electric espresso grinders and manual espresso grinders. You are most likely here for electric espresso grinders, but we will cover some fantastic manual espresso grinders later in this blog.

We base our grade for each coffee grinder on the topics below and score from 1 – 5 stars. None of the grinders we reviewed were perfect, and the highest score we gave a machine was 4.5 stars. Finding the ideal coffee grinder at any price point is challenging, as all grinders come with nuances and slight flaws. That said, we were strict on the grading as we didn’t want to score everything 5 stars and make an unrealistic assessment of an espresso grinder you may consider purchasing.

1. Ease of use
2. Build quality
3. Function and features
4. Price to feature comparison

We will also list the pros and cons of each coffee grinder and the basic stats like burr type, grind settings and adjustments, burr size, adjustment type, display and programs, build quality, burr speed, warranty, and much more.

Regarding espresso grinders for beginners, we typically suggest one or two options based on your intended or current setup and the coffee you want to brew.

For those who want pure convenience when it comes to espresso brewing and currently do not have an espresso machine, we constantly push individuals towards espresso machines with built-in grinders. You will likely find little variety here in terms of brand, and all grinders in this category will be conical burr grinders, so expect a more classic flavor profile from these grinders and setup.

If this seems like the route you might want to take, then read our article on: The Best Espresso Machines for Every Price Point and Skill Level

For those who want a separate espresso machine and grinder, one of the best grinders, believe it or not, falls under the $200.00 price point. And yes, it is a “burr” grinder, conical or cone burr, to be exact, with just enough features to make espresso grinding and brewing relatively straightforward.

Say hello to the best espresso grinder under $200.00, the Baratza Encore ESP. It is also our pick for the best coffee grinder for espresso beginners! There shouldn’t be any surprise here, as there aren’t too many solid options under the $200.00 price range from time-tested machines and from brands you can trust.

We have two great espresso grinders in the under $1000 range worth exploring further. First is the Niche Zero, a 63mm conical burr grinder with little to no retention and a large fanbase that speaks volumes of this grinder. Second is the Eureka Mignon Specialita, a powerful, well-built 55mm flat burr grinder that will last time.

Both are great options, and many customers are deciding between these two grinders when exploring the under $1000 price point. While the Niche and Eureka Mignon Specialita and two different burr types expect closer than-expected flavor profiles from each of these grinders.

Espresso grinders start to get pretty pricey for the $1,000 range and you quickly start to get into commercial or café build materials. Do you need a $2,000 espresso grinder to produce a fine cup of espresso? The answer in most cases is no – but do they help in café settings where you are pulling potentially hundreds of shots of espresso a day – absolutely!

One thing you will find on the lower end of the scale for grinders over $1,000 is two things.

1. Grinders will have better build quality; including higher quality motors and burrs which should last much longer than its predecessors.
2. With potentially larger burrs and a stronger motor, espresso grinders at the $1,000 or higher price point and faster, more efficient, and often quieter.

There are also some other fantastic features you can find with grinders at this price point – read more below to find out.

When looking at the best espresso grinder for experts and enthusiasts, it is tough to look past Weber Workshop’s The Key conical burr grinder.

A few things set this grinder apart from all others in its price point. While extremely expensive for the home barista, you will be working with a grinder that pushes the boundaries of innovation and design with a beautiful and fun workflow and one that produces delicious coffee.

When seeking the best commercial or café espresso grinder, you must place a few things above everything else.

1. Build quality: You want to ensure the machine you purchase can withstand time and handle tens to hundreds of drinks a day.
2. Speed: Your commercial espresso grinder should be fast and quickly handle back-to-back grinding without overheating or heating too much, which may impact the next grind.
3. Consistency: You will need a café quality espresso grinder that is consistent from one shot to the next and is low maintenance.

Further, you want to purchase a grinder so that you know spare parts and servicing are readily available in your area. While that innovative and new espresso grinder might look like the one, is it time tested, with parts available, and individuals who can service it on a whim?

You must be scratching your head when seeing a suggestion for a manual grinder for espresso, but hear us out.

While there are some objective benefits of grinding with a manual grinder, there are also some negatives.

First, and if you caught our review of the Weber Workshops The Key grinder, you will notice a fantastic feature of RPM speed integrated into the grinder. Faster RPMs mean the grinder moves through coffee faster, which is ultimately a desirable benefit when operating a busy coffee shop, but does that always result in a better cup of coffee? Not necessarily, as studies suggests that slower RPMs may improve extraction and grind accuracy, but there is still discussion on how slower RPMs may improve taste. Some users of manual coffee grinders swear by them when it comes to pour-over brewing, while others use them exclusively for espresso grinding. While manual grinding may not be practical for most (it may take upward of 45 seconds to grind 18 grams of espresso), it may be worth exploring for some.

Espresso grinders, or coffee grinders in general, are some of the most hyped products in the industry, from known companies launching the next best coffee grinder to unknown brands on Indiegogo and Kickstarter campaigns launching a well-backed machine.

There are two coffee grinders to hit the market in 2024 that we have been keeping an eye on. Both are innovative and build upon what home and prosumer users have been looking for.

The first grinder is from a well-known Italian coffee manufacturer that is homing in on the single-dose, large burr set grinder market. The second, a currently unknown coffee manufacturer from Taiwan, has built a massive 83mm conical burr grinder with variable grinding speed adjustments.

The Mazzer Philos is a vertically designed single-dose 64mm flat burr grinder with a rear adjustment dial and an extremely well-designed feeder and pre-breaker to ensure consistency throughout the entire grind.

Mazzer built the grinding chamber in a way where cleaning or changing burrs does not require tools, and due to the rear adjustment dial, users will not lose their grind setting when pulling the burrs out.

Mazzer also focused on product features home baristas look for, including; near-zero grind retention, reduction in static electricity, the ability to swap burr sets quickly, and optimized grinding duct to control popcorning and ensure constant and even flow of coffee beans into the grinding chamber.

We have our eyes on the Mazzer Philos as a potential high-end prosumer flat burr grinder to hopefully hit the market in early 2024. As soon as we can get our hands on this coffee grinder, we’ll provide an even more in-depth review.

The Mazzer Philos also has the option of two burrs for varying espresso grind and flavor preferences. The Mazzer burrs include:

• I200D (factory-fitted): characterized by a very uniform particle size distribution, these innovative burrs generate low fines and outstanding flavor clarity, enhancing pleasant acidity and fruity notes.
• I189D (factory-fitted upon request): the evolution of the iconic Mazzer Mini burrs, they are the right choice if you seek full-bodied extractions and a rich velvety mouthfeel. Easy to dial-in and great with medium-dark roasts, they are the best pick for traditional Italian espresso.

The Mx. Cool Aries pushes the boundaries of conical burr grinding with their large 83mm titanium burr and adjustable grinder speeds of 90 – 150 RPMs.

If you read our review of the Weber Workshops Key coffee grinder, you will note that both have 83mm conical burrs and adjustable RPM speeds as some of the main features of their products.

The Weber Workshops grinder has a 350W motor, while the Mx. Cool Aries houses a 200W motor. Both can adjust RPM speeds, though the Key allows users to adjust between 30 and 150 RPMs.

While we have not tested the Mx. Cool Aries grinder, a few things to note are the cool operating temperatures of the machine as well as the quick 3-second burr disassembly for easy cleaning. Users who have been able to test the Aries note low grind retention, silent grinding, and balanced-tasting espresso with a slightly heavier mouthfeel.

The Mx. Cool Aries notes that it is compatible with various brewing methods like, French press, Pour-over, Moka pot, and Espresso.

Our most significant advice when buying an espresso grinder, especially one with higher price points, is to look to the brands and manufacturers with quality builds, strong warranties, and available parts and service centers that work on these machines.

Buying an obscure espresso grinder with hard-to-find parts will make the machine unserviceable. If you run a café, it will cause even more significant problems that can temporarily halt your operation.

Call your local service center if you plan on buying a more expensive machine and see if they work on it. Alternatively, look for machines with solid warranties that can be serviced within the country you purchase them from.

We presented you with many great options, from the best espresso grinder for beginners to the best grinders for various skill levels and intentions. We have given you our thoughts on some of the entry-level espresso grinders and hopefully steered you toward solid options across multiple price points. When searching for the perfect espresso grinder, you should better understand what to look for, from conical burrs to flat burrs, motor size, build quality, available parts and servicing, and strong warranties.

If you are starting, start small and inexpensive, learn what you like, and then upgrade from there. Some mid-tier options, like the Eureka Mignon are grinders that even the more expert-level home baristas still use due to their convenience, longevity, and consistency.

Feel free to shoot us a note if you have any other detailed questions about espresso grinders.