Always use a coffee grinder built for the brewing you intend to do. There is a big difference between a coffee grinder meant for drip coffee versus one for espresso. Espresso grinding needs to be very fine and many grinders cannot reach the level of fineness to properly extract an espresso.

When looking for the best grinder for espresso you first need to find a grinder that can grind fine enough to properly pull an espresso shot.

Attributes to look for include:

1. Flat burrset at 55mm or larger
2. Stepless grind settings for infinite number of grind settings
3. Digital control for grind volumetrics and settings for single and double shots
4. Low coffee retention, what you put in you should get back out without too much or any retention
5. A powerful motor capable of reaching at least 1000 RPMs

Visually, your espresso grinds should look almost like confectionary sugar, but the real test, if you ground correctly, will be running it through your espresso machine.

If your espresso puck preparation is performed well, pulling an espresso shot that runs too fast or too slow could be contributed to less-than-ideal grind size. If your espresso pulls too quickly, you may need to grind finer, and the opposite would be true if your espresso brewed too fast.

The grind settings needed for espresso change as a coffee ages and what may have worked a day ago may not work today. Finding the ideal grind setting for your espresso is called “dialing in” your grinder.

Dialing in your espresso refers to the fine-tuning process that a barista carries out by adjusting the grind size of the coffee beans, preparing the puck, and tamping to achieve the optimal extraction time for the best-tasting shot. This process involves finding the right balance between coarser or finer grinds, puck preparation, and tamping to produce the perfect shot.

Steps would include:

1. Set your grinder to the intended grind size.
2. Purge a small amount of coffee as the coffee in the grinder previously may impact the new grind size setting.
3. Your grinder is either set by time or volume. Grind and weigh your coffee and ensure you are hitting the total intended volume. If you weigh your grounds and the weight is too high, adjust the timer function on your grinder.
4. Prepare your puck for brewing, using an even 30 pounds tamping force to ensure this part of the equation is not factored in when dialing in your espresso.
5. Pull your espresso shot based on your intended recipe.
6. If your brew takes too long or too short, it is time to repeat the above steps by changing your grind settings to either finer or coarser. Always purge coffee first before using the new grind settings.
7. Repeat the above process until your coffee weight and espresso extraction is where you intended it to be. This is an exercise that should occur daily, especially if you switch coffees.

Look at the manufacturer's website for your machine to see how much their single and double baskets can hold. Usually, baskets are graded by grams, and a basket that states 16g would brew properly using between 14 – 16 grams of coffee. When looking at basket sizes, always use a + or - 2g scale.

A single shot basket typically holds between 7-12 grams of ground coffee and is used to prepare a single serving of espresso. The basket has a funnel-like shape and is typically paired with a single spouted portafilter. This combination allows for the optimal extraction of flavor from the ground coffee for a rich and full-bodied espresso shot.

A double basket typically ranges in size from 14 to 21 grams and is commonly used for brewing double shots of espresso. It is characterized by straight or slightly tapered walls. This basket is ideal for preparing espresso-based drinks with milk, such as lattes, as it provides a consistent and balanced extraction for a rich and full-bodied flavor.