I never in my ten years of watching TH-cam, I have never witnessed a more thorough and satisfying review, literally! You answered every single question I had, and then gave me answers to questions I didn't but definitely would have later. I'm overwhelmed at how good that was. Thank you.
@foodeater42 For a short 7 minute video, it was indeed VERY thorough, and too the Point. Read the title. (Burr vs Blade) Not how to Make Coffee... If you want to learn how to brew a cup of coffee, you should look that up. I'm sure there are plenty of videos explaining just that. I'm always amazed on no matter how much time and effort is put into these types of video reviews, (long or short) there is always somebody taking the time to complain about how they made them. I don't ever see the complainers making their own video review?
@@deevnn WHATEVER DAVE! Hmm, almost 7,000 likes! and little over 300 dislikes? There's one in every crowd. @ the time i was buying my first coffee grinder and didn't know anything about all the different types of grinders. I watched tons of videos and read many articles. This Video helped allot in my decision on which type to get. As the Title of the Video States...... Burr vs Blade? They are only trying to show some of the differences between the two types of grinders... So why don't you and Foot-Oder or what ever your new found friends name is go shack up & make your own Videos if this one has so much misinformation? 7,000 of us disagree with the two of you!
@foodeater42 that is why they took a broad pool of testers ranging from newbies to professionals. And a second round of professionals only if I heard it correctly. Still the preferences were split between blade and burr. So it's not really just taking their word for it. Of course, they didn't disclose the numbers and the people, that would have been even more thorough.
I'm so pleased this person is still presenting these reviews. She's professional, knowledgable and to-the-point. Excellent delivery of the info you need and want. ATK is fabulous and a trusted resource for me.
I was impressed with the large number and range of grinders they tested, and that they looked at usability as well as grind quality, but the huge issue is that they didn't carry that methodolgy into the taste testing or results. They don't say how the coffee was brewed (I guess Chemex or batch brewer from the look of it) for the taste testing so despite all that time and effort spent on comparing machines and grinds they then don't test the others popular home brew methods (e.g. pour over, espresso, aero & French press) - that makes the results next to useless for a lot of us. Of course all the different grind results from the machines are going to taste 'good' (and of course all different) if it's all just batch brewed. This was a thorough test of grinders' usability and grind quality, but only for drip/batch/Chemex. And to say (twice) that grind consistancy ('eveness') of grind 'doesn't matter' is just wrong.
you wouldn't know trust and quality if your life depended on it. fucking suckers. i hope i don't get complimented and thanked by you. it's a worthless fucking approval by an idiot.
heeheemanofHK maybe you should take a xanax and lie down, dear. You obviously have issues that go well beyond finding the right coffee grinder. Perhaps the Psychiatry Today youtube channel might be a more productive resource for you.
@@north.by.northeast These TH-cam videos are just trailers for the actual paid content on the website. Maybe they go into these details over there. They do give detailed test results for each product. I'm not willing to pay for that though.
@@north.by.northeast They provided evidence that the grind consistency does not matter. They did blind taste tests. Do you have any scientific evidence of blind taste tests showing that grind consistency does matter? Until you can provide higher quality test results, ATK has the most reliable info I've seen. I'm inclined to believe that coffee purists are like audiophiles, and they imagine differences in quality due to the placebo effect.
deV14nt indeed. If they’d done all that, I would not have watched, and I bet most other people wouldn’t have either. This was an ideal way to quickly review several competing devices at once. That’s the way ATK always does their reviews, and it’s why I watch them.
@@robsemail But their conclusions don't match anyone else's, I don't believe them, and they did nothing to prove otherwise. Enjoy your blade grinder. Meanwhile the best cup of coffee I had ever had at home was from doing nothing more than being given a burr grinder.
The Baratza machines are incredible. My Encore had a plastic ring break (about 6 years of almost daily grinding). I called them and they sent a new one for a nominal cost. Yes, you can fix ti yourself. Two years later a gear stripped inside. Called again and they said I could fix it rather than send it to them. About $20 in parts and a few days later I was back grinding. Incredibly they encourage you to fix your machine and have a YT channel to show how. That is customer service and standing behind your product. Worth the money anytime.
It's amazing how you take days or weeks of research and distill it all into a few minutes with a no-nonsense approach. I love how you stay impartial, and when there's little difference in the performance, of the products as in this review, you just say so, even though you're human and obviously have your own preferences. I rate your review methods best on youtube. Please keep your standards up, it's appreciated.
I'm watching this 4 years after its release and I'm super stoked because the best buy is the same KRUPS grinder I used for 5-6 years! They also came to the same conclusion I did which was that you have to shake the thing throughout the grinding!
Baratza Encore all the way for a first grinder. I love this person and her reviews, she does an excellent job and is professional and knowledgeable. Please keep the reviews coming, they are a tremendously valuable resource.
Happy to see our Sifter being used at 3:40 :) Glad to provide a way to calibrate and compare grinders to the fine folks at America's Test Kitchen! Interested to see how you will use our new specialty coffee KRUVE EQ glassware. Cheers!
Thomas Charter Grinders don’t put out completely uniform grounds. Some pieces are big and some are really fine. To get consistent extraction (all your cups taste the same) and proper extraction (the brew pulls out all the good parts of the bean and none of the bad), you need to be able to control how consistent the grounds are. For the best results, you could either buy a very nice grinder (several hundred to several thousand dollars), or use the Kruve sifters which have a number of different hole sizes. It works like a coin sorter and you throw away the grounds that are too big or too fine.
@@wassssupprod I believe this is it or very similar. I could not find this exact product on Amazon. www.krahics.com/interchangeable-silver-sieves--measure--home-twelve-sifter-cafes--calibrate--brewers--kruve-great-refine-or-12-accurately-baristas--for-grinds--coffee-helps
I've had the KitchenAid grinder with glass container for over a decade. Never once had a close call dropping or breaking it. Easy front grind adjustment and super simple on/off switch, with a large hopper and container. Heavy, built like a tank too. No complaints.
Great review! I already knew which burr grinder won. I've had my Baratza Virtuoso since the day it was released. I bought it directly from Baratza LLC. The Baratza owners/inventers (Kyra & Kyle) provided free improvement upgrades for the first few years. After around 15+ years of daily use, I have had ZERO problems! This is an excellent machine. I highly recommend it.
@krazmokramer I have the Baratza Sette 270 for espresso and it's amazing. I also bought it directly from Baratza and I plan on getting the Encore for the occasional pour over.
Also I'd argue consistency in ground coffee intended for esspreso would have a noticeable difference as you would be able to taste the coffee pucks that channeled badly.
absolutely, but for espresso you'd probably go to more specific channels (think James Hoffmann and the like) and also spend quite a bit more (the breville grinder seems to be decent, but you'd probably want a very different range of products to test), most people are likely here for french press / filter coffee so I don't think such testing would've been practical / relevant to them and telling people that they'll have to splurge out several hundred buckaroos on a niche zero or a weber for their $30 mr coffee would be more than pretentious
Worth mentioning as well that the makers of the Encore have a pretty legendary customer service reputation, and that the grinder itself can be easily disassembled and user-serviced if a part breaks.
I've upgraded the internals of my old Encore myself, and I can attest to Baratza's excellent service. The Encore has been my pour over and Aeropress grinding workhorse for around the last 5 years.
@@yoschmoyo I used to have a Virtuoso as well, and it wore out after 10 years of hard use. Since I only make drip coffee, I got the KitchenAid and learned to be careful with its glass container. I would prefer the Breville for espresso, for obvious reasons. The main problem with the Breville is that parts can be scarce.
@@ChristianMercadoAcevedo: I have just recently went into chat with Breville, and they have updated their site a few days ago. Everything is in stock, and they are well supplied with parts. So my information may be a bit dated. This would make both the Breville Souse Chef food processor and their Smart Grinder Pro among the best for the price, as well as the most affordable countertop home appliances to keep and maintain.
This is one of the best comparison reviews I've ever seen on TH-cam... And I've watched a lot of TH-cam reviews. Thank you so much, you have a new subscriber.
I now own both of the recommended grinders here and love them both. These thorough reviews are so incredibly helpful and make the buying process so much easier. I really can’t say thank you enough!
I have a Krups, was thinking I need to upgrade to a burr, but now not so much. Mostly use an Aeropress now with a paper filter, if I'm feeling particularly finicky on the rare occasions I use my french press I have a hand powered burr grinder that cost less than a third of the electric ones, gives me something to do while I wait for the electric kettle.
I still have a krups like the one shown and it works unlike a $45 burr grinder that only lasted a few months before it just died. If you're satisfied with the results that's good to hear. Even though my burr died and it wasn't super consistent it was less hassle to get fairly even grinds from and if I invest in the future I'll be looking into another burr grinder. I have found some people can taste a difference while others can't. I admit to a point I can't tell a huge difference either but I love consistent easy results. Have a good cup and a great day.
I also have a krups blade grinder at least 25 years old and works just fine. A little rotate and shake while grinding gives really good results without big chunks.
The other point not made was the heat that is generated when grinding the beans is less in a Burr Grinder. However the trick with the Blade type is to pulse and shake and wait and not let the heat build up. The heat pulls the oils out of the beans and gives a more bitter brew. Burr Grinders do the low heat build up just touch better. The main thing is to remember is take your time when you grind! Build your cup of coffee slow and pay very close attention to brew water temperature. Each type of coffee beans need different temps to extract the best taste from them. Take your time and experiment and take notes on what you like best. Accurate water temps for brewing can not be over stated. With my pour over brew method I stir the grinds slowly while pouring over. The same with French Press I stir while adding the water. So have fun build the best cup of coffee you can. You will enjoy your efforts and be rewarded with a GREAT CUP OF COFFEE.
As a professional barista in a 3rd wave cafe this is not only accurate information but well dictated! Really good video on home grinders , my personal favorite is the breville grind pro. It’s legible with a digital screen and steel conicals that I’ve used for a year without needing to switch them out.
@@CocoaBeachLiving Sweet. Btw, if it ever does wear out and the beans aren't feeding correctly, there's a 3d printed part you can order for like 20 bucks. I've honestly thought about ordering one or 2 just in case they stop selling them. lol
One factor you left out: static. How easy is it to empty the hopper in dry winter conditions? This is where the simple design of the Kitchen Aid glass hopper excels. Plastic hoppers (especially the squarish ones with tight corners) are devilishly hard to empty without wiping with your finger or getting coffee everywhere. If you have the discipline to keep it on the counter, a glass hopper is superior in this regard. Otherwise excellent review. I own the Kitchen Aid Burr for home and also the Krups blade for travel...but my favorite travel grinder is a Hario Skerton hand cranked ceramic burr grinder. Works in the woods!
Yes I have the Cuisinart as well, the one they tested according to the video. I have used mine almost daily for over five years and it is still going although the start switch is getting a bit finicky now. It was also about $50, not sure why it was not the best buy in this ATK video?
I love my Cuisinart but I bought it knowing that while it would improve my drip coffee, it wouldn’t give me the fine grind I needed if I was making espresso. It suits my budget and my needs. I have a lot of respect for my old workhorse Krupps, but cold brew with the Cuisinart is now a breeze.
I got mine for $30 thanks to Kohl's sale and extra coupons. I clean it with uncooked rice every once in a while to prevent the oils gumming it up or getting rancid.
The real reason that pros use burr grinders is that they tend towards espresso-based coffee drinks. Using a blade grinder for espresso is an exercise in frustration and futility. I was happy to see that the Baratza did well. I have one and really like it. It breaks every year or so, but they sell replacement parts at great prices and have tutorial videos on replacing broken components. That said, for consistent espresso, one has to spend a lot more than they did for this test, or buy used. I got an old Mazzer Super Jolly from a bar that shut down and stuck some new burrs in it. It's a tank and is an amazing grinder.
Good review, but I think you left one important thing out. You said consistent size that you dont get for the spin grinders really didn't matter for taste, etc, but how was this coffee brewed? It really does matter for French press and especially for Chemex which I both use. In the French press, the fine ground particles that you get a lot of from the spin grinder slips through most French press screens and tastes off I think, and clogs up the Chemex filter making the process painfully slow at best. Thanks, very helpful.
I have been using a blade grinder for years and using it exactly as described in the video. Grind a few seconds, shake a few seconds and repeat. Transfer immediately to the coffee maker. I consistently get good coffee. Now I am thinking of a burr grinder after hearing a lot about the consistency. But this video clarified that if I only need a single cup, a blade grinder can do well. Thanks for an excellent review.
I have the bodum for coffee beans, and I now use the krups for spices. I used the krups for years for coffee and truth be told, I much prefer it. My husband bought the bodum and he prefers that. Good point about potential glass break in the container.
For those watching this video, please do not waste your time or money on a blade grinder, unless you also plan on using it to grind spices. Putting spices through a burr grinder will ruin it for coffee use. If anything, buy a blade grinder for your spices and buy a burr grinder for your coffee. Also, please don't skimp on the cost of a coffee grinder. As shown in the video, cheaply made and cheaply designed grinders will cause you headaches and mess. The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is a good example of what one should consider buying, especially if you want to eventually graduate from making drip & french press coffee to espresso in the future.
I have the Capresso burr grinder. I’ve been using it a few years with no problems. I use two grinds; one for espresso and one for a french press, so having 16 or 30 different grind settings is superfluous. Still, I have watched more of Lisa McManus’s reviews than I care to admit. They are the best I’ve seen and Lisa is an excellent and interesting speaker. Her review on 8” chefs knives was incredible, delving into metallurgy if you can believe it.
I bought my Krups so long ago I can't recall where or when I got it (I've lived where I am now for 26yrs). I'm not saying it's 20+ yrs old, but easily 15. Still going strong grinding that coffee.
Paul Smith I got a Krupa almost 10 years ago. drink coffee basically every day sometimes twice a day. still works perfectly even with a small chip in the lid!
All Krups users...see my comment just added 5 minutes ago. I also have a Krups blade grinder I bought in 1985...still works fine. The Krups burr grinder in this review is a winner in my book.
I have the Kitchenaid and yes the container is glass, but on purpose so static electricity does not build up and spew grounds everywhere like those with a plastic hopper. It is an excellent grinder, and works well and produces a great cup of coffee.
Thanks for the outstanding article. Being a competent roaster (some professional, most at-home), I can authoritatively say that the #1 mistake people make when using the Krups-like blade grinders is not filling the bowl with enough beans. ... or too many ... There is a sweet spot: filling the CUP to 'flat at top' with beans is almost exactly right. Then, unlike the proffered instructions of a shake-between-spins-every-second, from much testing, we found that pressing the button for 13 seconds while holding the whole unit in-hand, and gently tilting the unit while operating side to side gave the best results, the most reliably not-stuck-to-the-sides coffee. We still have the Krups, which is employed every day, 3 times at least, to grind our french-press coffee. 13 seconds, gentle tilting while operating, and a full receiver cup of beans. Makes exactly one medium-strong pot of French press -=b=-
Fantastic, no nonsense review. Very interesting to hear that the coffee experts ended up with a split decision. We’re always told that the blade grinders burn and ruin the beans so a burr grinder is an absolute must for good coffee.
Find me a coffee grinder that DOESN'T make coffee dance on a caution of static electricity and hop all over my counter. I've had 3 Cuisenart models (the Burr on the far left) over the years. Rock solid.
April 2022. I bought the Krups blade grinder at Walmart for $19. I wanted to up my coffee game just a bit when at home. I'm not a picky coffee drinker. So far the Krups has done well and has been easy to use.
Good information. I would have appreciated knowing the brew method for the blind taste test. It should probably be mentioned that the only burr grinder in the lineup that is truely capable of producing grinds fine enough for espresso is the Breville.
Just bought the Krups blade grinder $15.44 free shipping thru amazon prime. We have one already, but I couldn’t pass up the price, would also make a great gift for any coffee lover. ATK rocks.
First of all perfect test/review for the average everyday coffee lover, with even some explanation for those who want to get more in the know. I especially liked that you did test with more and less dense coffee. However, as you mentioned roasters and professionals multiple times, you raised a question in me: What water did you use? Assuming most of your viewers are not deeply into coffee it would make sense to take tap water. That in itself can widely vary in TDS and composition within one city, not even mentioning worldwide. However I doubt aforementioned professionals wouldn't have recommended water from RO systems or alike. Thank you for your answer in advance and keep up the great work your team does!
Excellent video for someone like me who is not a coffee geek, but still searches for a more consistent cup of coffee, be it French press, drip, or espresso. I moved to a burr grinder from a blade grinder a few years ago, and I agree that the burr grinder is superior mainly for the consistency. I believe I can taste the difference. It has been sobering to discover that my burr grinder cost me about 1/5 of what the top of the line costs. I like it anyway.
I bought a Krups less than two months ago as a spice grinder. $11 shipped online. I don't drink coffee. I've been using it to grind whole spices, including spices of very varying sizes (like tiny cardamom seeds and cinnamon sticks as big as will fit in the grinder together) for blends like garam masala. I'm only making fine grinds, but I've been very satisfied. It grinds fine and quite evenly for my cooking. I don't get powder like you get from commercial grinders, but it's totally adequate for my cooking, disappearing into my soups, sauces, curries, and other foods and adding abundant flavor. And it's so cheap and small that if I did drink coffee it would be no big deal to have another one for coffee (to prevent my spices smelling like coffee). It cleans well and easily. I had thought I might be better off with a washable interior, but actually I find it unnecessary. A minute of wiping with a damp (not wet) paper towel cleans the grinder well. A cheap paint brush, of dollar-store quality, can also work well, and are sometimes sold as grinder cleaning tools. I purchased and extremely cheap ($0.40) small shaving brush that is perfect for brushing the spices out and actually fits inside the machine when closed. I clean, dry, and then put the brush in the grinder and the lid on top. Also, if I keep shaking and flip the machine upside down before taking the lid off most of the grounds stay in the lid to begin with. You could get away even with just a dry paper towel or clean napkin. I'm glad I bought it.
One small change I would've made is this: you should have pulled shots of espresso with the burr grinders. Ensuring that you get really really fine and consistent coffee is crucial for espresso, trying to pull espresso shots with cheap or ineffective grinders results in uneven extraction and sometimes even spraying coffee and brew water everywhere at worst. While this doesn't make as much of a difference to a homebrewer who isn't making espresso, it is nonetheless an important factor.
Wife has two wood/metal bur grinders that are considered to be antiques. The smaller one was valued at about $100. She mainly has used it to grind herbs but the other does know what coffee tastes like.
The Encore is a solid choice for pour-over and filter coffee. None of the grinders tested are sufficient for espresso, however. And the lack of any Eureka models is a shame.
I'm not buzz marketing but I have been very happy a burr grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. It's made by a little company called KitchenMod. You would think Kitcheaid would have it's own branded attachment, but as they make stand-alone burr grinders, I suppose they'd rather you shell out for their purpose-built units. And maybe they ARE great, but for $80 I found the KitchenMod attachment to be a great value. Completely intuitive. No mess. Easy to clean. It comes in any color you like as long as it's white (hah-hah).
With blade grinders, I always held it at a 45 degree angle and did 1-2 second pushes of the button before shaking. Fixes the issue of leftover whole beans every time.
Thanks so much for being so through, clear and unbiased. I’m in the market for a grinder and really didn’t know where to start. Your work makes it easy for me!
Mo n I love hearing about good, solid appliances you buy once and never have to replace. Do your research on what you buy and they pay for themselves down the line
Really? Damn am a super coffee geek and my baratza vario which is a 500 dollar while it produced good tasting coffee was crap in reliability departmnet i had to chenge the belt on it to many times, i bought a ceado e6 and it has been a tank! I wouldlnt buy a baratza again personally
@@gigi9467 surprised to hear... I use it for espresso, french press and will even grind coffee for friends (drip) on it, and no issues at all... I paid around $250 CAD for mine and not a single issue... but good to know about another brand
My little Krups blade grinder (their blade winner) is now about 30 years old. Not only does it still worked like new, they haven't even changed the design after all this time. I suppose you can't improve on perfection! However, I didn't know about the shaking technique, so I will try that next time to see if it will prevent some of the sticking of fine grounds on the bottom. Great review!
After my burr grinder had issues I went back to an old Melitta blade grinder I had. It has worked for years. Grinds enough for our 12 cup Cuisinart drip maker. Grind 10 sec, shake, repeat 3 times. Perfect grind.
Had a Baratza Encore for years, and the motor eventually crapped out just as it did on my brother's. We had previously used a Krups blade grinder in an Airbnb and I was impressed with how well it worked, and so not wanting to spend $100 plus on another burr grinder, I bought the Krups. I only drink black coffee from a drip coffee maker and so I don't need very fine, or course grinds. The plusses for me besides the low cost is no static issues, and cleaning is far easier. I get better consistency than the method described here in this video of grinding, pausing, shaking, by shaking up and down, while grinding at the same time, forcing the beans into repeated contact with the blades. I also do this in short bursts to avoid overheating the beans. I can see the better results by looking at the grounds after brewing, as larger pieces will end up on top, and I get more consistent grounds doing it my way versus theirs.
Krups blade grinder has been my go to. Paid $14.00. You can grind fine or coarse and it’s doesn’t take up much New York counter space. It also has a nice safety feature. Even when plugged in the blades do not turn unless its lid is securely on and button is pressed. Peace of mind if you have kids in the house.
What is the practical difference between 40 grind settings and 16? If tasters can't come to a consensus between dramatically uneven grinds from a blade grinder, how could a 1/40 size difference matter?
Grind size changes how well coffee is extracted. The bigger particles dissolve slower than small particles. When you have a wide variety of particle sizes you will get small particles that are overextracted and add a bitter taste and bigger particles that are underextracted and add a sour taste to your coffee. So if you want a coffee that is sour and bitter, go for a blade grinder.
It's for espresso. Too fine you clog a non-pressurized basket; Too coarse and the water drips through too fast. Pressurized baskets make bitter espresso, in comparison, and it's what the cheap machines all now use. The good stuff, an art, is sweet and creamy with no sugar added. Most Americans have not achieved this, so they think they hate espresso and disguise the bitter shots with lots of milk and sugar and call it cappuccino, lattes, etc., which are also not as good, but disguise the bitter well. For American coffee, this review is right on. No real difference.
I wish someone would finally come up with an expensive model that has the ideal 739 paint ticks near the infinite dial so that I can ... ummm ... still just twist the dial to any position I want...
If you buy a Breville Smart Grinder, get the model that has the upgraded gear from plastic to metal. The first generation were faulty. I bought it, found out the hard way, paid $75 sent it in for repair and they sent me the newer one which is awesome. Pricey but Ill skip going out to dinner a couple of times to get something awesome that I use everyday.BTW ATK Rocks! These reviews are the gold standard of all reviews.
My goodness, this is the most extensive and unbiased review of something I have ever seen. You guys are really setting the bar high! Everything is answered thoroughly and the experiment is incredible.
Interesting. I watched this video a long while back. Despite their recommendations, I bought a KitchenAid burr grinder -- the one with the glass container that they broke. Why? Well, I only use two brewing methods: pour over, and French press. (French press about 80% of the time.) I found another review that pointed out that the KitchenAid yields very consistent course grind compared to most other home grinders. Yes, there are better commercial grinders for course grinds, but the difference is minimal at best. After a couple of years, I have been very satisfied with my choice, which, by the way, does cost about twice their recommended burr grinder. Somehow I have managed to avoid breaking the grounds container, but if I did, there are third-party plastic containers available. You can also buy replacement glass containers from the KitchenAid website. Also, coffee does not stick to glass so much as in most plastic hoppers. So, what's not to like? You should consider that KitchenAid considers this grinder to be non-repairable. Unlike a lot of better KitchenAid appliances, if it were to stop working, they do not sell spare mechanical parts, INCLUDING THE BURRS. Although it uses a flat vertical burr configuration (the choice of the best commercial grinders), burrs do wear out. You can't buy replacement burrs for this KitchenAid. I don't know how much coffee you have to grind before they wear out, but after almost two years, the grind quality has not degraded. (I generally, grind about 2 oz. of coffee per day, and more on the weekends.) Given that KitchenAid considers this appliance non-repairable, an extended replacement warranty might actually be wise for this grinder. Here's the lesson: when professional testers are trying to compare things like this and are working to provide recommendations for a somewhat wide audience, they are not going to consider subtle nuances of interest to individuals coffee drinkers. Yes, they brought in coffee experts, but experts in French Press brewing are pretty rare. (You just don't see French press in the commercial environment very often.) They failed to note that excessive fines in a course grinds are a colossal disaster for French press and cold brewing methods, contributing to a bitter brew. To be brutally honest, this fact puts both of their top choices out of the picture for French press fans. I suppose you can forgive them for missing this; I would have been surprised had they taste tested using French press coffee. Still, it seems a bit strange exclude a grinder from consideration, because someone in a busy test kitchen managed to bump the grounds container off the counter. Also, both of their recommended grinders will heat up the coffee due to the high speed motors used in those particular grinders. This is, perhaps, not big deal if you buy you coffee beans at Costco, but for that special $60 per pound coffee that you buy for Christmas and other special occasions ... just don't do it, please. In fact, heat would have been a lot less of a problem for several other grinders that they tested.
You are absolutely right about the importance of having very few 'fines' in French Press Coffee. I think French Press coffee has the absolute best taste because the coffee oils are not filtered out by paper filters. I have struggled to get a good cup of coffee because of the fines. The burr hand grinders do not do really well because the top burr (which is used to control coarseness of grind) is not supported on the bottom of the burr. This causes the burr to 'wobble' when grinding--leading to inconsistent grind. I have found a hand grinder that has fewer 'fines'. I press the coffee and let it sit for a couple of minutes before decanting into my cup. The 'fines' make the coffee taste like mud if I pour right after pressing. Let the testers drink that!! Fresh ground coffee that I purchase a local roaster is not much better, and the roaster's idea of how coarse a French Press grind should be is all over the place--to fine, too coarse, just right!
For espresso, you will want a better grinder such as my Rocky but these will do fine for drip, pour over, French Press, percolator(yuk), etc. Fewer machines can grind fine enough for Turkish coffee.
The Encore and Breville Smart Grinder will work for espresso on their finest setting but I much prefer the Virtuoso (step up from the Encore) or of course you can go even more pricy like the Rocky if you want. Whatever you do don't use a blade grinder for coffee. Even a cheap burr grinder will make coffee taste a lot better.
Breville Smart pro works great for espresso. Certainly not a coffee shop but home use. Plus more easy to switch to a grouse setting for grinding french press then right back to setting dialed in for whatever beans I have in for espresso. Great kit for half the price.
Very nicely done comparison, thank you. Espresso lovers wouldn't use anything but a burr grinder. Other methods are more forgiving. The most dramatic change in coffee quality I experienced was when I switched to a block burr grinder from GE. Then again when I upgraded to the Baratza Encore.
Top fact missed, burr grinders are essential for espresso. A few seconds difference on extraction time can make a lot of difference. Less so with most other methods of brewing.
I’ve used the Krups burr grinder for months and it’s never changed it’s setting. It’s actually takes a little oomph to change this setting. Not sure what they were doing here. Can’t complain for under $30 for a decent, price friendly burr grinder.
James would get a little kick out of the amateurism of this, and then would mostly be bothered by this reviewer's total lack of awareness of how to make good specialty coffee at home. Yes, buy the Baratza, although get the new Virtuoso+.
I’m a novice to the art of coffee! I appreciate this well organized and educational video. America’s Test Kitchen can always be called upon for organization and educational videos!
Ha, i actually did the opposite with my girlfriend the other week - we bought some peppercorns and didn't realise the mill we had before was one of those non-reusable ones, so we used her hand-cranked burr grinder, and as it turns out it's actually awesome for pepper! Just one crank gives you tons of perfectly sized pepper grounds.
Actually, the legendary Hario hand grinder is renowned by coffee snobs for its consistent grind, particularly with finer grinds like espresso which are more demanding. But it does take *forever* to grind enough for just one cup.
ROK manual grinder: Quick, easy, stepless for ultimate control of grind size, almost zero retention (grinds left in the machine), almost silent, doesn't need electricity, easy to clean, solid construction and replaceable parts. Downsides: No hopper (not a downside for me as I only grind what I need and keep beans stored in an airtight box), although easy and quick it is not as quick or easy as an electric of course (but still you will be finished long before your kettle boils).
Congratulations on being so so thorough, Taking time and doing a real scientific experimental process. Something few on youtube want or choose to do. I like real observation with real tools/ Even sifting the fines via a measured screen was nice. I was there in Seattle Coffee Fest when the Clover guys first arrived with their new brewing machine "auto French Press" I wanted only 1 fact, the screen size to let brew pass with no paper (not even a choice offered). i had learned the size already by my own trials- and had found the last productive size that efficienly let the brew flow close to paper and with enough time and just gravity cleared the majority of fluid without allowing too much oily soot. I still could have heatd about watts and rpm, just enough vs overkill heater. A good quality bearing, motor and shaft, and time may be best over a swinging ax.
I never in my ten years of watching TH-cam, I have never witnessed a more thorough and satisfying review, literally! You answered every single question I had, and then gave me answers to questions I didn't but definitely would have later. I'm overwhelmed at how good that was. Thank you.
@foodeater42 For a short 7 minute video, it was indeed VERY thorough, and too the Point.
Read the title. (Burr vs Blade) Not how to Make Coffee... If you want to learn how to brew a cup of coffee, you should look that up. I'm sure there are plenty of videos explaining just that. I'm always amazed on no matter how much time and effort is put into these types of video reviews, (long or short) there is always somebody taking the time to complain about how they made them. I don't ever see the complainers making their own video review?
ATK over thinks everything - in a good way; they're like the NASA of cooking.
@@KZ-1155 sorry...but you are wrong and foodeater42 is right. Wake up.
@@deevnn WHATEVER DAVE!
Hmm, almost 7,000 likes!
and little over 300 dislikes?
There's one in every crowd.
@ the time i was buying my first coffee grinder and didn't know anything about all the different types of grinders.
I watched tons of videos and read many articles.
This Video helped allot in my decision on which type to get.
As the Title of the Video States......
Burr vs Blade?
They are only trying to show some of the differences between the two types of grinders...
So why don't you and Foot-Oder or what ever your new found friends name is go shack up & make your own Videos if this one has so much misinformation?
7,000 of us disagree with the two of you!
@foodeater42 that is why they took a broad pool of testers ranging from newbies to professionals. And a second round of professionals only if I heard it correctly. Still the preferences were split between blade and burr. So it's not really just taking their word for it. Of course, they didn't disclose the numbers and the people, that would have been even more thorough.
I'm so pleased this person is still presenting these reviews. She's professional, knowledgable and to-the-point. Excellent delivery of the info you need and want. ATK is fabulous and a trusted resource for me.
I was impressed with the large number and range of grinders they tested, and that they looked at usability as well as grind quality, but the huge issue is that they didn't carry that methodolgy into the taste testing or results.
They don't say how the coffee was brewed (I guess Chemex or batch brewer from the look of it) for the taste testing so despite all that time and effort spent on comparing machines and grinds they then don't test the others popular home brew methods (e.g. pour over, espresso, aero & French press) - that makes the results next to useless for a lot of us. Of course all the different grind results from the machines are going to taste 'good' (and of course all different) if it's all just batch brewed.
This was a thorough test of grinders' usability and grind quality, but only for drip/batch/Chemex. And to say (twice) that grind consistancy ('eveness') of grind 'doesn't matter' is just wrong.
you wouldn't know trust and quality if your life depended on it. fucking suckers. i hope i don't get complimented and thanked by you. it's a worthless fucking approval by an idiot.
heeheemanofHK maybe you should take a xanax and lie down, dear. You obviously have issues that go well beyond finding the right coffee grinder. Perhaps the Psychiatry Today youtube channel might be a more productive resource for you.
@@north.by.northeast These TH-cam videos are just trailers for the actual paid content on the website. Maybe they go into these details over there. They do give detailed test results for each product. I'm not willing to pay for that though.
@@north.by.northeast They provided evidence that the grind consistency does not matter. They did blind taste tests. Do you have any scientific evidence of blind taste tests showing that grind consistency does matter? Until you can provide higher quality test results, ATK has the most reliable info I've seen.
I'm inclined to believe that coffee purists are like audiophiles, and they imagine differences in quality due to the placebo effect.
Dear America's Test Kitchen: your dedication and thoroughness is a service to us all. Well done, and thank you.
you excel at Marketing and Bullshit. you reviewed mostly shit garbage grinders and then the best shit garbage is still jesus christ Fuck Me garbage.
They literally provided no individual reviews or comparisons
deV14nt indeed. If they’d done all that, I would not have watched, and I bet most other people wouldn’t have either. This was an ideal way to quickly review several competing devices at once. That’s the way ATK always does their reviews, and it’s why I watch them.
@@robsemail But their conclusions don't match anyone else's, I don't believe them, and they did nothing to prove otherwise. Enjoy your blade grinder. Meanwhile the best cup of coffee I had ever had at home was from doing nothing more than being given a burr grinder.
@@samsun01 Sorry you can't afford even the cheapest model. Who would cuss at a woman's review? Ahh, a broke liberal.
Please let Lisa do every video test from now on. I love this woman. She should have her own show
The Baratza machines are incredible. My Encore had a plastic ring break (about 6 years of almost daily grinding). I called them and they sent a new one for a nominal cost. Yes, you can fix ti yourself. Two years later a gear stripped inside. Called again and they said I could fix it rather than send it to them. About $20 in parts and a few days later I was back grinding. Incredibly they encourage you to fix your machine and have a YT channel to show how. That is customer service and standing behind your product. Worth the money anytime.
It's amazing how you take days or weeks of research and distill it all into a few minutes with a no-nonsense approach. I love how you stay impartial, and when there's little difference in the performance, of the products as in this review, you just say so, even though you're human and obviously have your own preferences. I rate your review methods best on youtube. Please keep your standards up, it's appreciated.
I'm watching this 4 years after its release and I'm super stoked because the best buy is the same KRUPS grinder I used for 5-6 years! They also came to the same conclusion I did which was that you have to shake the thing throughout the grinding!
Baratza Encore all the way for a first grinder. I love this person and her reviews, she does an excellent job and is professional and knowledgeable. Please keep the reviews coming, they are a tremendously valuable resource.
Happy to see our Sifter being used at 3:40 :) Glad to provide a way to calibrate and compare grinders to the fine folks at America's Test Kitchen! Interested to see how you will use our new specialty coffee KRUVE EQ glassware. Cheers!
link! link! link!
Excuse my ignorance but what exactly is it that your sifter does? Thank you for your reply
Thomas Charter Grinders don’t put out completely uniform grounds. Some pieces are big and some are really fine. To get consistent extraction (all your cups taste the same) and proper extraction (the brew pulls out all the good parts of the bean and none of the bad), you need to be able to control how consistent the grounds are. For the best results, you could either buy a very nice grinder (several hundred to several thousand dollars), or use the Kruve sifters which have a number of different hole sizes. It works like a coin sorter and you throw away the grounds that are too big or too fine.
I was so pumped to see they used a Kruve! My next question would be which sieves they used! #coffeenerd
@@wassssupprod I believe this is it or very similar. I could not find this exact product on Amazon. www.krahics.com/interchangeable-silver-sieves--measure--home-twelve-sifter-cafes--calibrate--brewers--kruve-great-refine-or-12-accurately-baristas--for-grinds--coffee-helps
I've had the KitchenAid grinder with glass container for over a decade. Never once had a close call dropping or breaking it. Easy front grind adjustment and super simple on/off switch, with a large hopper and container. Heavy, built like a tank too. No complaints.
And the Kitchenaid is quiet, without the static cling that absolutely drove me nuts with the Baratza Encore.
Great review! I already knew which burr grinder won. I've had my Baratza Virtuoso since the day it was released. I bought it directly from Baratza LLC. The Baratza owners/inventers (Kyra & Kyle) provided free improvement upgrades for the first few years. After around 15+ years of daily use, I have had ZERO problems! This is an excellent machine. I highly recommend it.
@krazmokramer I have the Baratza Sette 270 for espresso and it's amazing. I also bought it directly from Baratza and I plan on getting the Encore for the occasional pour over.
Curious to James Hoffman's thought on these results from the blind taste test.
Me too, he would say there should be more grinders and higher quality ones
He is pretentious and would say all of these are garbage.
Also I'd argue consistency in ground coffee intended for esspreso would have a noticeable difference as you would be able to taste the coffee pucks that channeled badly.
absolutely, but for espresso you'd probably go to more specific channels (think James Hoffmann and the like) and also spend quite a bit more (the breville grinder seems to be decent, but you'd probably want a very different range of products to test), most people are likely here for french press / filter coffee so I don't think such testing would've been practical / relevant to them and telling people that they'll have to splurge out several hundred buckaroos on a niche zero or a weber for their $30 mr coffee would be more than pretentious
Worth mentioning as well that the makers of the Encore have a pretty legendary customer service reputation, and that the grinder itself can be easily disassembled and user-serviced if a part breaks.
I've upgraded the internals of my old Encore myself, and I can attest to Baratza's excellent service. The Encore has been my pour over and Aeropress grinding workhorse for around the last 5 years.
Unfortunately, my Baratza Virtuoso broke enough times that I gave up and bought the Breville Smart Grinder Pro.
@@yoschmoyo I used to have a Virtuoso as well, and it wore out after 10 years of hard use. Since I only make drip coffee, I got the KitchenAid and learned to be careful with its glass container. I would prefer the Breville for espresso, for obvious reasons. The main problem with the Breville is that parts can be scarce.
I want to confirm this. Their replacement parts are dirt cheap and their customer service is perhaps the best I've experienced.
@@ChristianMercadoAcevedo: I have just recently went into chat with Breville, and they have updated their site a few days ago. Everything is in stock, and they are well supplied with parts. So my information may be a bit dated. This would make both the Breville Souse Chef food processor and their Smart Grinder Pro among the best for the price, as well as the most affordable countertop home appliances to keep and maintain.
Lisa McManus is a national treasure.
No doubt
I've had my manual Krups coffee grinder for many years now. Still working like new and coffee is great! Thank you for your good reviews👌
This is one of the best comparison reviews I've ever seen on TH-cam... And I've watched a lot of TH-cam reviews. Thank you so much, you have a new subscriber.
I now own both of the recommended grinders here and love them both. These thorough reviews are so incredibly helpful and make the buying process so much easier. I really can’t say thank you enough!
My KRUPS grinder (came in white back in the day) works like a charm. Late '90s and still going strong. 👍
We have had one that my husband has used for many years.
I have a Krups, was thinking I need to upgrade to a burr, but now not so much. Mostly use an Aeropress now with a paper filter, if I'm feeling particularly finicky on the rare occasions I use my french press I have a hand powered burr grinder that cost less than a third of the electric ones, gives me something to do while I wait for the electric kettle.
I still have a krups like the one shown and it works unlike a $45 burr grinder that only lasted a few months before it just died. If you're satisfied with the results that's good to hear. Even though my burr died and it wasn't super consistent it was less hassle to get fairly even grinds from and if I invest in the future I'll be looking into another burr grinder. I have found some people can taste a difference while others can't. I admit to a point I can't tell a huge difference either but I love consistent easy results. Have a good cup and a great day.
My only complaint about blade grinders is that they make a lot of powder, not good for french press
I also have a krups blade grinder at least 25 years old and works just fine. A little rotate and shake while grinding gives really good results without big chunks.
The other point not made was the heat that is generated when grinding the beans is less in a Burr Grinder. However the trick with the Blade type is to pulse and shake and wait and not let the heat build up. The heat pulls the oils out of the beans and gives a more bitter brew. Burr Grinders do the low heat build up just touch better. The main thing is to remember is take your time when you grind! Build your cup of coffee slow and pay very close attention to brew water temperature. Each type of coffee beans need different temps to extract the best taste from them. Take your time and experiment and take notes on what you like best. Accurate water temps for brewing can not be over stated. With my pour over brew method I stir the grinds slowly while pouring over. The same with French Press I stir while adding the water. So have fun build the best cup of coffee you can. You will enjoy your efforts and be rewarded with a GREAT CUP OF COFFEE.
I'm buying your top pick, based pretty much on this review. I'll let you know how it goes...
Edit: Two weeks later. I'm happy with my purchase.
As a professional barista in a 3rd wave cafe this is not only accurate information but well dictated! Really good video on home grinders , my personal favorite is the breville grind pro. It’s legible with a digital screen and steel conicals that I’ve used for a year without needing to switch them out.
I've had the Breville burr for 7 years, still going strong, my favorite.
No problem with the bean impeller wearing out? I've heard that happens with those since it's a plastic part.
@@DrewBoggess none so far.. I keep it clean.
@@CocoaBeachLiving Sweet. Btw, if it ever does wear out and the beans aren't feeding correctly, there's a 3d printed part you can order for like 20 bucks. I've honestly thought about ordering one or 2 just in case they stop selling them. lol
@@DrewBoggess good to know, do you have a link to the part? Thanks, It's a definitely one of the easiest, low maintenance burr grinders I've owned 👍
@@DrewBoggess much appreciated 👌👍
I love my Kitchen Aid grinder, have had it for 17 years and have never broken the container.
One factor you left out: static. How easy is it to empty the hopper in dry winter conditions? This is where the simple design of the Kitchen Aid glass hopper excels. Plastic hoppers (especially the squarish ones with tight corners) are devilishly hard to empty without wiping with your finger or getting coffee everywhere. If you have the discipline to keep it on the counter, a glass hopper is superior in this regard. Otherwise excellent review. I own the Kitchen Aid Burr for home and also the Krups blade for travel...but my favorite travel grinder is a Hario Skerton hand cranked ceramic burr grinder. Works in the woods!
Really appreciate the amount of actual testing that goes into these videos.
I have the cruisinart burr grinder. I paid $50 and I love it. It has gotten louder after a year and a half.
Yes I have the Cuisinart as well, the one they tested according to the video. I have used mine almost daily for over five years and it is still going although the start switch is getting a bit finicky now. It was also about $50, not sure why it was not the best buy in this ATK video?
I started with the better Cuisinart model but gave up as the static was too troublesome and I love my capresso..
I love my Cuisinart but I bought it knowing that while it would improve my drip coffee, it wouldn’t give me the fine grind I needed if I was making espresso. It suits my budget and my needs. I have a lot of respect for my old workhorse Krupps, but cold brew with the Cuisinart is now a breeze.
I got mine for $30 thanks to Kohl's sale and extra coupons.
I clean it with uncooked rice every once in a while to prevent the oils gumming it up or getting rancid.
The real reason that pros use burr grinders is that they tend towards espresso-based coffee drinks. Using a blade grinder for espresso is an exercise in frustration and futility.
I was happy to see that the Baratza did well. I have one and really like it. It breaks every year or so, but they sell replacement parts at great prices and have tutorial videos on replacing broken components. That said, for consistent espresso, one has to spend a lot more than they did for this test, or buy used. I got an old Mazzer Super Jolly from a bar that shut down and stuck some new burrs in it. It's a tank and is an amazing grinder.
Good review, but I think you left one important thing out. You said consistent size that you dont get for the spin grinders really didn't matter for taste, etc, but how was this coffee brewed? It really does matter for French press and especially for Chemex which I both use. In the French press, the fine ground particles that you get a lot of from the spin grinder slips through most French press screens and tastes off I think, and clogs up the Chemex filter making the process painfully slow at best. Thanks, very helpful.
This is everything I have ever wanted to see. As someone who really loves analyzing things to a t, this is anazing
Do what they say: get a Baratza Encore. Simple, efficient, makes great coffee.
I Think I have bought every winner from this series and it is never wrong.
I own the Encore and love it for the reasons given. Thumbs up!
I have been using a blade grinder for years and using it exactly as described in the video. Grind a few seconds, shake a few seconds and repeat. Transfer immediately to the coffee maker. I consistently get good coffee. Now I am thinking of a burr grinder after hearing a lot about the consistency. But this video clarified that if I only need a single cup, a blade grinder can do well. Thanks for an excellent review.
I have Krups that I've used for years now. I like the fact that I can have multiple uses for it and not just coffee
Good point Jojo
I have the bodum for coffee beans, and I now use the krups for spices. I used the krups for years for coffee and truth be told, I much prefer it. My husband bought the bodum and he prefers that. Good point about potential glass break in the container.
For those watching this video, please do not waste your time or money on a blade grinder, unless you also plan on using it to grind spices. Putting spices through a burr grinder will ruin it for coffee use. If anything, buy a blade grinder for your spices and buy a burr grinder for your coffee. Also, please don't skimp on the cost of a coffee grinder. As shown in the video, cheaply made and cheaply designed grinders will cause you headaches and mess. The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is a good example of what one should consider buying, especially if you want to eventually graduate from making drip & french press coffee to espresso in the future.
I have the Capresso burr grinder. I’ve been using it a few years with no problems. I use two grinds; one for espresso and one for a french press, so having 16 or 30 different grind settings is superfluous. Still, I have watched more of Lisa McManus’s reviews than I care to admit. They are the best I’ve seen and Lisa is an excellent and interesting speaker. Her review on 8” chefs knives was incredible, delving into metallurgy if you can believe it.
i've had it for years, it's messy as hell
I bought my Krups so long ago I can't recall where or when I got it (I've lived where I am now for 26yrs). I'm not saying it's 20+ yrs old, but easily 15. Still going strong grinding that coffee.
We've had our Capresso Infinity for YEARS. Probably ground a metric ton of beans with it. Absolutely love it. It's quiet and consistent.
I've had a Krups for almost 2 decades. Still going strong!
Which model
@@jianhoang type 208, made in Hong Kong.
Paul Smith I got a Krupa almost 10 years ago. drink coffee basically every day sometimes twice a day. still works perfectly even with a small chip in the lid!
Me too.
All Krups users...see my comment just added 5 minutes ago. I also have a Krups blade grinder I bought in 1985...still works fine.
The Krups burr grinder in this review is a winner in my book.
Holy coffee beans, you guys killed it at how throughly you covered every aspect. 1,000,000 thank you and likes 👍
And for 3 days after ATK's staff went on an insane cleaning binge
LOL! Cleaning up coffee grounds isn't simple!!!
@@patriciawickholm3617
It's a caffeine joke.
I have the Kitchenaid and yes the container is glass, but on purpose so static electricity does not build up and spew grounds everywhere like those with a plastic hopper. It is an excellent grinder, and works well and produces a great cup of coffee.
Unless you want espresso. The kitchen aid is not very capable. Especially on good machines
This is what I call product review 👍 liked, subscribed and bought the product (krups) from link provided in description. Keep up the good work 👍
Thanks for the outstanding article. Being a competent roaster (some professional, most at-home), I can authoritatively say that the #1 mistake people make when using the Krups-like blade grinders is not filling the bowl with enough beans. ... or too many ... There is a sweet spot: filling the CUP to 'flat at top' with beans is almost exactly right.
Then, unlike the proffered instructions of a shake-between-spins-every-second, from much testing, we found that pressing the button for 13 seconds while holding the whole unit in-hand, and gently tilting the unit while operating side to side gave the best results, the most reliably not-stuck-to-the-sides coffee.
We still have the Krups, which is employed every day, 3 times at least, to grind our french-press coffee. 13 seconds, gentle tilting while operating, and a full receiver cup of beans. Makes exactly one medium-strong pot of French press
-=b=-
Lisa, that was another GREAT presentation.
Fantastic, no nonsense review. Very interesting to hear that the coffee experts ended up with a split decision. We’re always told that the blade grinders burn and ruin the beans so a burr grinder is an absolute must for good coffee.
Find me a coffee grinder that DOESN'T make coffee dance on a caution of static electricity and hop all over my counter. I've had 3 Cuisenart models (the Burr on the far left) over the years. Rock solid.
kinugrinders.com/index.php?page=m_home_page.public.home_page&Block=HOME&Language=none#
th-cam.com/video/oOzcSrhwT7M/w-d-xo.html
April 2022. I bought the Krups blade grinder at Walmart for $19. I wanted to up my coffee game just a bit when at home. I'm not a picky coffee drinker. So far the Krups has done well and has been easy to use.
Good information. I would have appreciated knowing the brew method for the blind taste test. It should probably be mentioned that the only burr grinder in the lineup that is truely capable of producing grinds fine enough for espresso is the Breville.
Why do you say Breville only? Do you have experience with all the others?
Just bought the Krups blade grinder $15.44 free shipping thru amazon prime. We have one already, but I couldn’t pass up the price, would also make a great gift for any coffee lover. ATK rocks.
First of all perfect test/review for the average everyday coffee lover, with even some explanation for those who want to get more in the know. I especially liked that you did test with more and less dense coffee.
However, as you mentioned roasters and professionals multiple times, you raised a question in me: What water did you use? Assuming most of your viewers are not deeply into coffee it would make sense to take tap water. That in itself can widely vary in TDS and composition within one city, not even mentioning worldwide.
However I doubt aforementioned professionals wouldn't have recommended water from RO systems or alike.
Thank you for your answer in advance and keep up the great work your team does!
Excellent video for someone like me who is not a coffee geek, but still searches for a more consistent cup of coffee, be it French press, drip, or espresso. I moved to a burr grinder from a blade grinder a few years ago, and I agree that the burr grinder is superior mainly for the consistency. I believe I can taste the difference. It has been sobering to discover that my burr grinder cost me about 1/5 of what the top of the line costs. I like it anyway.
I have a Krups grinder and it grinds course, medium and espresso. I love it.
I love your reviews and scientific experimentation. I trust this channel when making my purchases. Saves me a ton of money! Many thanks.
I bought a Krups less than two months ago as a spice grinder. $11 shipped online. I don't drink coffee. I've been using it to grind whole spices, including spices of very varying sizes (like tiny cardamom seeds and cinnamon sticks as big as will fit in the grinder together) for blends like garam masala. I'm only making fine grinds, but I've been very satisfied. It grinds fine and quite evenly for my cooking. I don't get powder like you get from commercial grinders, but it's totally adequate for my cooking, disappearing into my soups, sauces, curries, and other foods and adding abundant flavor. And it's so cheap and small that if I did drink coffee it would be no big deal to have another one for coffee (to prevent my spices smelling like coffee). It cleans well and easily. I had thought I might be better off with a washable interior, but actually I find it unnecessary. A minute of wiping with a damp (not wet) paper towel cleans the grinder well. A cheap paint brush, of dollar-store quality, can also work well, and are sometimes sold as grinder cleaning tools. I purchased and extremely cheap ($0.40) small shaving brush that is perfect for brushing the spices out and actually fits inside the machine when closed. I clean, dry, and then put the brush in the grinder and the lid on top. Also, if I keep shaking and flip the machine upside down before taking the lid off most of the grounds stay in the lid to begin with. You could get away even with just a dry paper towel or clean napkin. I'm glad I bought it.
I read this comment in Lisa's voice
Paelorian Whenever I grind sonething hard to remove, I follow it up by grinding a teaspoon of oats to clean out my Krups grinder.
Just bought a burr grinder. Wow, so much better than my blade grinder I can hardly believe it.
really? can you describe how so? specifically, does it change the flavor?
One small change I would've made is this: you should have pulled shots of espresso with the burr grinders. Ensuring that you get really really fine and consistent coffee is crucial for espresso, trying to pull espresso shots with cheap or ineffective grinders results in uneven extraction and sometimes even spraying coffee and brew water everywhere at worst. While this doesn't make as much of a difference to a homebrewer who isn't making espresso, it is nonetheless an important factor.
Wife has two wood/metal bur grinders that are considered to be antiques. The smaller one was valued at about $100. She mainly has used it to grind herbs but the other does know what coffee tastes like.
The Encore is a solid choice for pour-over and filter coffee. None of the grinders tested are sufficient for espresso, however. And the lack of any Eureka models is a shame.
I'm not buzz marketing but I have been very happy a burr grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. It's made by a little company called KitchenMod. You would think Kitcheaid would have it's own branded attachment, but as they make stand-alone burr grinders, I suppose they'd rather you shell out for their purpose-built units. And maybe they ARE great, but for $80 I found the KitchenMod attachment to be a great value. Completely intuitive. No mess. Easy to clean. It comes in any color you like as long as it's white (hah-hah).
I use the Krups, amazing grinder. 5/5 stars! :)
With blade grinders, I always held it at a 45 degree angle and did 1-2 second pushes of the button before shaking. Fixes the issue of leftover whole beans every time.
i really love my Bodum Bistro grinder. Big fan
Thanks so much for being so through, clear and unbiased. I’m in the market for a grinder and really didn’t know where to start. Your work makes it easy for me!
I've had a Baratza for 12 years... excellent grinder!
Mo n I love hearing about good, solid appliances you buy once and never have to replace. Do your research on what you buy and they pay for themselves down the line
Really? Damn am a super coffee geek and my baratza vario which is a 500 dollar while it produced good tasting coffee was crap in reliability departmnet i had to chenge the belt on it to many times, i bought a ceado e6 and it has been a tank! I wouldlnt buy a baratza again personally
Dr. Zebra get a ceado they are tanks!
@@gigi9467 surprised to hear... I use it for espresso, french press and will even grind coffee for friends (drip) on it, and no issues at all... I paid around $250 CAD for mine and not a single issue... but good to know about another brand
Mo n am tougher on them its all about the espresso maybe thats the difference but my baratza didnt last, mu ceado e6p on the other is a tank
You are so professional, concise, and informative. I love your reviews!!
I love America's Test Kitchen.
My little Krups blade grinder (their blade winner) is now about 30 years old. Not only does it still worked like new, they haven't even changed the design after all this time. I suppose you can't improve on perfection! However, I didn't know about the shaking technique, so I will try that next time to see if it will prevent some of the sticking of fine grounds on the bottom. Great review!
The thoroughness of this is awesome. Thanks!
Ahhhh, no it isn't....
After my burr grinder had issues I went back to an old Melitta blade grinder I had. It has worked for years. Grinds enough for our 12 cup Cuisinart drip maker. Grind 10 sec, shake, repeat 3 times. Perfect grind.
Had a Baratza Encore for years, and the motor eventually crapped out just as it did on my brother's. We had previously used a Krups blade grinder in an Airbnb and I was impressed with how well it worked, and so not wanting to spend $100 plus on another burr grinder, I bought the Krups. I only drink black coffee from a drip coffee maker and so I don't need very fine, or course grinds. The plusses for me besides the low cost is no static issues, and cleaning is far easier. I get better consistency than the method described here in this video of grinding, pausing, shaking, by shaking up and down, while grinding at the same time, forcing the beans into repeated contact with the blades. I also do this in short bursts to avoid overheating the beans. I can see the better results by looking at the grounds after brewing, as larger pieces will end up on top, and I get more consistent grounds doing it my way versus theirs.
This is okay for drip coffee, French press, etc., but did this even address why you DO want a high quality burr grinder for espresso?
Krups blade grinder has been my go to. Paid $14.00. You can grind fine or coarse and it’s doesn’t take up much New York counter space. It also has a nice safety feature. Even when plugged in the blades do not turn unless its lid is securely on and button is pressed. Peace of mind if you have kids in the house.
What is the practical difference between 40 grind settings and 16? If tasters can't come to a consensus between dramatically uneven grinds from a blade grinder, how could a 1/40 size difference matter?
I have had the capresso infinity for more than 7 years and I am well pleased with it although I have the stainless steel model.
Grind size changes how well coffee is extracted. The bigger particles dissolve slower than small particles. When you have a wide variety of particle sizes you will get small particles that are overextracted and add a bitter taste and bigger particles that are underextracted and add a sour taste to your coffee. So if you want a coffee that is sour and bitter, go for a blade grinder.
Because pretentious
It's for espresso. Too fine you clog a non-pressurized basket; Too coarse and the water drips through too fast. Pressurized baskets make bitter espresso, in comparison, and it's what the cheap machines all now use. The good stuff, an art, is sweet and creamy with no sugar added. Most Americans have not achieved this, so they think they hate espresso and disguise the bitter shots with lots of milk and sugar and call it cappuccino, lattes, etc., which are also not as good, but disguise the bitter well.
For American coffee, this review is right on. No real difference.
I wish someone would finally come up with an expensive model that has the ideal 739 paint ticks near the infinite dial so that I can ... ummm ... still just twist the dial to any position I want...
If you buy a Breville Smart Grinder, get the model that has the upgraded gear from plastic to metal. The first generation were faulty. I bought it, found out the hard way, paid $75 sent it in for repair and they sent me the newer one which is awesome. Pricey but Ill skip going out to dinner a couple of times to get something awesome that I use everyday.BTW ATK Rocks! These reviews are the gold standard of all reviews.
FANTASTIC INFORMATION!!! Thank you
I can rely on this woman to give me the straight and critical information that I need. Plus, they thoroughly test everything on site.
I've used the Capresso conical burr grinder every day for about 10 years. It still performs perfectly.
I can attest to the reliability. I’m actually shocked since it feels somewhat cheap compared to my commercial grinders. But I do enjoy it tremendously
I mean I think this works well for coffee, but for espresso the size & consistency really does matter
Exactly! Who would buy a $200 burr grinder for making coffee in a $50 dripper?
@@dontblameme6328 Its a fundament before you get the esspresso machine
"Project Farm" of kitchen appliances 😎 Thank you for all you do
I wanted to see what was the rating of the other grinders, since I just have access to a handful of those.
My goodness, this is the most extensive and unbiased review of something I have ever seen. You guys are really setting the bar high! Everything is answered thoroughly and the experiment is incredible.
Interesting. I watched this video a long while back. Despite their recommendations, I bought a KitchenAid burr grinder -- the one with the glass container that they broke. Why? Well, I only use two brewing methods: pour over, and French press. (French press about 80% of the time.) I found another review that pointed out that the KitchenAid yields very consistent course grind compared to most other home grinders. Yes, there are better commercial grinders for course grinds, but the difference is minimal at best. After a couple of years, I have been very satisfied with my choice, which, by the way, does cost about twice their recommended burr grinder. Somehow I have managed to avoid breaking the grounds container, but if I did, there are third-party plastic containers available. You can also buy replacement glass containers from the KitchenAid website. Also, coffee does not stick to glass so much as in most plastic hoppers. So, what's not to like?
You should consider that KitchenAid considers this grinder to be non-repairable. Unlike a lot of better KitchenAid appliances, if it were to stop working, they do not sell spare mechanical parts, INCLUDING THE BURRS. Although it uses a flat vertical burr configuration (the choice of the best commercial grinders), burrs do wear out. You can't buy replacement burrs for this KitchenAid. I don't know how much coffee you have to grind before they wear out, but after almost two years, the grind quality has not degraded. (I generally, grind about 2 oz. of coffee per day, and more on the weekends.) Given that KitchenAid considers this appliance non-repairable, an extended replacement warranty might actually be wise for this grinder.
Here's the lesson: when professional testers are trying to compare things like this and are working to provide recommendations for a somewhat wide audience, they are not going to consider subtle nuances of interest to individuals coffee drinkers. Yes, they brought in coffee experts, but experts in French Press brewing are pretty rare. (You just don't see French press in the commercial environment very often.) They failed to note that excessive fines in a course grinds are a colossal disaster for French press and cold brewing methods, contributing to a bitter brew. To be brutally honest, this fact puts both of their top choices out of the picture for French press fans. I suppose you can forgive them for missing this; I would have been surprised had they taste tested using French press coffee. Still, it seems a bit strange exclude a grinder from consideration, because someone in a busy test kitchen managed to bump the grounds container off the counter. Also, both of their recommended grinders will heat up the coffee due to the high speed motors used in those particular grinders. This is, perhaps, not big deal if you buy you coffee beans at Costco, but for that special $60 per pound coffee that you buy for Christmas and other special occasions ... just don't do it, please. In fact, heat would have been a lot less of a problem for several other grinders that they tested.
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You are absolutely right about the importance of having very few 'fines' in French Press Coffee. I think French Press coffee has the absolute best taste because the coffee oils are not filtered out by paper filters. I have struggled to get a good cup of coffee because of the fines. The burr hand grinders do not do really well because the top burr (which is used to control coarseness of grind) is not supported on the bottom of the burr. This causes the burr to 'wobble' when grinding--leading to inconsistent grind. I have found a hand grinder that has fewer 'fines'. I press the coffee and let it sit for a couple of minutes before decanting into my cup. The 'fines' make the coffee taste like mud if I pour right after pressing. Let the testers drink that!!
Fresh ground coffee that I purchase a local roaster is not much better, and the roaster's idea of how coarse a French Press grind should be is all over the place--to fine, too coarse, just right!
I absolutely love how much thought America's Test Kitchen puts into these reviews.
For espresso, you will want a better grinder such as my Rocky but these will do fine for drip, pour over, French Press, percolator(yuk), etc. Fewer machines can grind fine enough for Turkish coffee.
The Encore and Breville Smart Grinder will work for espresso on their finest setting but I much prefer the Virtuoso (step up from the Encore) or of course you can go even more pricy like the Rocky if you want. Whatever you do don't use a blade grinder for coffee. Even a cheap burr grinder will make coffee taste a lot better.
Breville Smart pro works great for espresso. Certainly not a coffee shop but home use. Plus more easy to switch to a grouse setting for grinding french press then right back to setting dialed in for whatever beans I have in for espresso. Great kit for half the price.
The Hamilton beach blade grinder which is basically a reworked Melita grinder does very well. Ultra uniform and customizable timed grinds.
That was super thorough. Thank you very much for this wonderful review!
Very nicely done comparison, thank you. Espresso lovers wouldn't use anything but a burr grinder. Other methods are more forgiving. The most dramatic change in coffee quality I experienced was when I switched to a block burr grinder from GE. Then again when I upgraded to the Baratza Encore.
Top fact missed, burr grinders are essential for espresso. A few seconds difference on extraction time can make a lot of difference. Less so with most other methods of brewing.
I was pretty much dead-set on buying a burr grinder and figured I'd spend upwards of $80.. but you just saved me at least $60! Thank you! :)
Excellent work, ATK!
I’ve used the Krups burr grinder for months and it’s never changed it’s setting. It’s actually takes a little oomph to change this setting. Not sure what they were doing here. Can’t complain for under $30 for a decent, price friendly burr grinder.
Don’t let James Hoffmann see this
EDIT: IT WAS A JOKE JESUS CHRIST PEOPLE
@Google User paper filters filter out the oils which result in a cleaner cup compared to a metal filter
loool
He made a video about getting decent results with a blade grinder.
I think that James Hoffmann would actually approuve of this video. Further, everyone agrees with the top pick.
James would get a little kick out of the amateurism of this, and then would mostly be bothered by this reviewer's total lack of awareness of how to make good specialty coffee at home. Yes, buy the Baratza, although get the new Virtuoso+.
I love this lady so much she is such a Boss and not to be messed with:) oh man if you don't love America after watching this, you never will:)
I wonder what james hoffman thinks of this
I'd also like to see this done with espresso even though home espresso is obviously out of the realm of most consumers
Y'all are amazing. Thanks for showing people how to properly test things and deflate unnecessary hype.
unless you're making drip coffee you don't want a blade grinder...
I've had one of those capresso ones for years now, works great.
I’m a novice to the art of coffee! I appreciate this well organized and educational video. America’s Test Kitchen can always be called upon for organization and educational videos!
Put coffee beans in a pepper mill and spend 3 hours grinding for a single cup of coffee
Ha, i actually did the opposite with my girlfriend the other week - we bought some peppercorns and didn't realise the mill we had before was one of those non-reusable ones, so we used her hand-cranked burr grinder, and as it turns out it's actually awesome for pepper! Just one crank gives you tons of perfectly sized pepper grounds.
Yes! the true artisanal way or its not real coffee
... or, get your cordless drill and connect it to the mill shaft. It's a bit awkward, it's also much much quicker.
Actually, the legendary Hario hand grinder is renowned by coffee snobs for its consistent grind, particularly with finer grinds like espresso which are more demanding. But it does take *forever* to grind enough for just one cup.
ROK manual grinder: Quick, easy, stepless for ultimate control of grind size, almost zero retention (grinds left in the machine), almost silent, doesn't need electricity, easy to clean, solid construction and replaceable parts. Downsides: No hopper (not a downside for me as I only grind what I need and keep beans stored in an airtight box), although easy and quick it is not as quick or easy as an electric of course (but still you will be finished long before your kettle boils).
Congratulations on being so so thorough, Taking time and doing a real scientific experimental process. Something few on youtube want or choose to do. I like real observation with real tools/ Even sifting the fines via a measured screen was nice. I was there in Seattle Coffee Fest when the Clover guys first arrived with their new brewing machine "auto French Press" I wanted only 1 fact, the screen size to let brew pass with no paper (not even a choice offered). i had learned the size already by my own trials- and had found the last productive size that efficienly let the brew flow close to paper and with enough time and just gravity cleared the majority of fluid without allowing too much oily soot. I still could have heatd about watts and rpm, just enough vs overkill heater. A good quality bearing, motor and shaft, and time may be best over a swinging ax.