The 5 Best Coffee Bean Grinders for Drip Coffee
As any coffee lover knows, the best way to get fresh and delicious coffee is by having quality beans. Of course, if you want to be able to respect your beans, you need to use the best coffee bean grinder for drip machines.
Drip machines are the simplest type of coffee maker: you pour hot water on coffee grounds and allow gravity and time to do the work for you. The hot water will move through the grounds, extract all the soluble oils, and drip down into your mug. Thus, the name: drip coffee maker!
Let’s dive into the best coffee bean grinder for drip coffee makers and how you can choose the perfect one for you.
The Different Grinds and How to Use Them
Before we go into how to find the best coffee bean grinder for making drip coffee, you need to know the different kinds of grinds and how you can use them in making a cup of coffee.
Here are the different grinds that you can make with a grinder and what type of brew they are best suited for:
- Coarse grounds – coarse grounds are the largest type of coffee grounds. They look like pieces of sea salt, and you can feel each individual particle between your fingers. Since this type of grounds has a small surface area, the water needs a longer contact time for proper extraction of the soluble oils. Coarse grounds are best used for French presses or for making cowboy coffee.
- Medium grounds – medium grounds look and feel like sand. This type of ground is the best grounds for drip coffee maker since the grounds have enough surface area for proper extraction of soluble oils through the combination of hot water and gravity. You won’t need to steep the grounds as long as for coarse grounds.
- Fine grounds – fine grounds have the appearance and consistency of powder. You won’t be able to feel the individual particles and this type of ground is best used for making espresso. Since the grounds have a large surface area but are usually compacted, you need pressure and heat to be able to extract the soluble oils.
If you're in a pinch, you can use coarse grounds in a drip coffee maker, but the coffee tends to taste weak and under-extracted. However, you don't be able to use fine grounds at all since you need to use an espresso machine to extract any flavor from your grounds.
Comparison Chart
Baratza Encore
The Baratza Encore is a straightforward machine to use: simply choose your desired grind setting and let the machine go to work! It makes a wide range from grinds to satisfy all your coffee drinking needs.
Baratza Virtuoso+
The Baratza Virtuoso+ is the next step up from the Encore. If you’re looking to upgrade your grinder or you want to invest in a high-quality grinder from the get-go, the Virtuoso+ has all the great features of the Encore plus a digital timer for precise grinding.
OXO BREW Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
If you’re looking for a grinder that’s affordable but still reliable, the OXO BREW Conical Burr Grinder is the best option for you. At less than $100, you’ll still be able to enjoy a reliable grinder that can grind your coffee quickly and quietly at the push of a button.
Rancilio HSD-ROC-SS Rocky Espresso Coffee Grinder
If you love making espresso, the Rancilio Rocky Espresso Grinder has a patented dosing chamber so that you can get the perfect amount of beans to tamp down for a shot.
Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Do you love being able to control every aspect of your grind? The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is the answer to your prayers. With 60 different grind settings, you can make extra-coarse to extra-fine, and everything in between!
Detailed Reviews of the 5 Best Coffee Bean Grinder for Drip
Baratza Encore
The Baratza Encore is a straightforward machine to use: simply choose your desired grind setting and let the machine go to work! It makes a wide range from grinds to satisfy all your coffee drinking needs.
Value
Functionality
Super easy to use and makes consistent grounds even for fine and super fine settings.
The Earls Overall Rating
If you’re looking for an entry-level coffee grinder that will give you a great combination of reliable performance and consistent grounds, the Baratza Encore is the machine for you.
PROs
CONs
Baratza Virtuoso+
The Baratza Virtuoso+ is the next step up from the Encore. If you’re looking to upgrade your grinder or you want to invest in a high-quality grinder from the get-go, the Virtuoso+ has all the great features of the Encore plus a digital timer for precise grinding.
Value
Although a bit pricey, the performance of the Virtuoso+ is superb! It’s quiet and easy to use and makes consistent grounds.
Functionality
Quiet and grinds quickly, but the bean hopper is difficult to clean.
The Earls Overall Rating
Whether you want medium grounds for drip coffee or you want extra-fine grounds for Turkish coffee, the Virtuoso+ can handle all these different grinding jobs without any difficulty.
PROs
CONs
OXO BREW Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
If you’re looking for a grinder that’s affordable but still reliable, the OXO BREW Conical Burr Grinder is the best option for you. At less than $100, you’ll still be able to enjoy a reliable grinder that can grind your coffee quickly and quietly at the push of a button.
Value
Very affordable, but no warranty from the maker.
Functionality
Easy to use, although it only has 15 grind settings so you won’t be able to make a wide range of coffee brews.
The Earls Overall Rating
One of our favorite things about the OXO BREW is that the hopper is removable so you can easily refill or even change the beans if you want.
PROs
CONs
Rancilio HSD-ROC-SS Rocky Espresso Coffee Grinder
If you love making espresso, the Rancilio Rocky Espresso Grinder has a patented dosing chamber so that you can get the perfect amount of beans to tamp down for a shot.
Value
Easy to use but very pricey!
Functionality
The grind settings dial is difficult to adjust for small changes in the grind size.
The Earls Overall Rating
The Rancilio Rocky Espresso Grinder is a powerful grinder that can handle fine grinds. For the espresso lovers, this is a machine that you must have in your home.
PROs
CONs
Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Do you love being able to control every aspect of your grind? The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is the answer to your prayers. With 60 different grind settings, you can make extra-coarse to extra-fine, and everything in between!
Value
Great range of grind settings but pricey.
Functionality
You really need to study how to use this machine to operate it correctly.
The Earls Overall Rating
If you’re looking for a grinder that can handle all the standard grind sizes and then some, the Smart Grinder Pro by Breville will give you ultimate control over your grinding options.
PROs
CONs
Wrap it Up!
There you have it, our choices for the best coffee bean grinder for drip coffee. By using a coffee bean grinder, you will be guaranteeing a fresh and delicious cup of coffee with the most flavor and aroma possible! If you want something budget-friendly, the OXO Brew Conical Burr grinder will do the trick. However, if you want a wide range of grinder sizes so that you can enjoy virtually every kind of coffee brew style, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro’s 60 different settings will surely fulfill all your needs.
Espresso can be made into many wonderful things. Can you use espresso beans for coffee? Being the tiny versatile bean that it is, questions abound regarding what it can do and what we can create from it. An espresso shot and a regular cup of coffee are two different species. Please do not be confused; they are actually two sides of the same coin.