Best Conical Burr Coffee Grinders
Grinding your own coffee beans is a great way to improve your morning cup. However, there are a variety of grinders available.
This OXO grinder has conical burrs that produce a grind suitable for French press espresso, drip coffee and French press. commercial coffee grinder coffeee.uk is an excellent choice for beginners, but those who are serious about coffee will require a more precise grind.
OXO Brew
You probably know if you make your own coffee that a quality grinder is essential to get the most flavor. However, a high-quality burr grinder can cost upwards of $200, which may be a bit expensive for someone who's not sure if they'll use it frequently or not. This is why the OXO Brew is a great alternative for those who want to enjoy freshly ground coffee without spending hundreds of dollars.
The OXO Brew's design isn't flashy, but it's stylish. The stainless steel body features an in-built water reservoir that is permanently located at the rear and a thermal caafe at the front. The tanks and carafe are designed so that the body can be easily fitted into smaller kitchens. The controls are placed below the carafe in order to minimize clutter, and there is an indicator light that lets you know whether it's heating up or brewing.
In our tests in our tests, the Oxo brewed consistently well. Its water temperature remained within a narrow range--197.4 F to 205 F--for the entire test which was measured by thermocouples located in the grounds basket and the water tank. Its brewing time was also close to the time that the Specialty Coffee Association recommends for an excellent drip.
The OXO Brew also has a single-serve function that lets you brew coffee directly into your cup. This isn't a feature found in other models of high-end, and it can be an enormous benefit for those who like making their own servings of coffee but don't want the hassle of brewing a full carafe of coffee.
The only drawback to the OXO is that it has no clock or automated start time. This can be a problem if are on a strict schedule. The water tank is also difficult to remove since it has a lid which has to be slid in order to access the reservoir. It also has an inbuilt descaler, which helps prevent mineral deposits from accumulating within the machine.
Baratza Encore ESP
The Baratza Encore is the most popular burr mill for coffee lovers. This version of the original Encore was revamped to include upgrades that make it more adaptable to a wider range of brewing techniques and offer more flexibility than ever before. It's designed for beginner home baristas, as well as anyone looking to keep their brewing options open by using a single grinder. It features steps for grinding and simple controls for beginners, with labeled and notched settings to ensure consistency. The M2 burrs guarantee uniform grinds. The hopper comes with a quick release feature that makes cleaning simple.
The ESP uses an electric motor with high-torque and gear reduction, just like the original Encore. However, it runs at lower speeds to minimize static charge and heat. It's also quieter than the classic Encore and has new plates made of metal which improves stability and consistency. It's equipped with 40mm M2 conical burrs that are similar to those in the more expensive Virtuoso Plus that help it get a better distribution of grind size and more reliable shots.
The ESP grind adjustment has 9 microns between each step, ensuring excellent resolution for espresso and pour over. The new dosing cups can be used with both 58mm and 54mm portafilters. This improves the ergonomics for manual dosing. The grinder can also be used in conjunction with a traditional grounds bin for those who prefer the hopper-based method of working.
One drawback of the ESP is its inconsistency during back-to-back consistency tests however, it still performs better than other grinders in this price range. The stepped settings can be inconsistent as well, making it difficult to find the right setting for your particular brewing process. The ESP is a versatile brewer that can be used for different brewing methods.
The Encore ESP is also a bit more expensive than some of the other models on this list, but it's well worth the extra cost for its impressive flexibility. It can grind espresso or filter brews and use the included shims to optimize its performance for pour over the brewing.
Baratza DF64
The Baratza DF64 is a good grinder that works well with espresso and pour over brewing. The burrs can be upgraded to enhance performance and the hopper is sufficient to accommodate a range of sizes of grinding. The DF64 is also easy to use and maintain with a minimal number of moving parts. This is a great choice for anyone looking for a top-quality, budget-friendly grinder.
The DF64 Gen 2 is a significant improvement over the initial version and will be difficult to be beaten by any other grinder that is priced in the same range. The new model has a new style that is more appealing to the eye. It has a simple flat-rounded base that can withstand up to 20 grams of beans at a time, and a single dose cradle. It also comes with a rubber bellows that is able to push air through the grinder when you do your dose to force out the excess grinds and decrease retention.
One of the major problems with the original DF64 was popcorning, which is when coffee beans bounce upward out of the burrs instead of grinding down. This is a common problem with hopper-based grinders that can affect the consistency of your grind. The new DF64 has a much-improved anti-popcorning system that eliminates this problem.
Other issues with the DF64 included a poor quality build, a loose design that caused gaps around the edges of the hopper, a heavyweight, a mandatory use of bellows, regular alignment challenges, a plastic adjust collar that mis-threaded easily, vinyl wrap instead of powder coating, and the all-but-mandatory need for two aftermarket upgrades (anti-popcorning, declumper). The DF64 Gen 2 addresses these issues and many more.
The DF64 has a powerful 250W motor that spins the burrs at about 1,400 RPM. This is a little faster than the Encore ESP, but it’s still slower than other popular burr grinders like the Mahlkönig EK43. The DF64 is also less noisy than the Encore ESP, making it easier to work with in a busy cafe environment.
The DF64 has an easy-to-read, step-by-step adjustment system that allows you to fine-tune your grind size for different brewing methods. It also comes with a wide selection of burrs, which makes it possible to experiment and find the perfect grind for your particular coffee bean. The DF64 also has a convenient dosing system, which allows you to direct the ground coffee directly into your portafilter or mug.
Fellow Ode
A popular maker of home coffee equipment, Fellow makes some seriously aesthetically appealing gear. Their kettles, French presses, and other home coffee brewing machines have an elegant and modern matte finish that suits any kitchen aesthetic. With this in mind, it should be no surprise that their grinders look equally as good. The Ode is a sleek and compact grinder with a number of easy-to-use features designed for precise, single-dose brewing.
The Ode is unique among coffee grinders because it uses flat burrs, rather than conical ones. Usually, you only see flat burrs on professional or commercial grinders due to their ability to reduce grind time and heat generation and improve grind particle consistency. The 64mm flat burrs in the Ode also give it a much smoother grind than you would find in a typical home appliance grinder. And they are designed with single-dosing in mind, meaning that the grinder shuts off as soon as the hopper is empty. This helps to prevent over-grinding, which can rob your brews of flavor and aroma.
The hopper itself holds 100 grams, which is enough for one large pour-over or two small cups of espresso. The Ode has a variety of other neat features, including a built-in scale and a cool grind size chart that is mapped out on the underside of the lid. This shows the brewing methods that each setting is most suitable for, with pour-over and cold brews on the fine end of the range, and French press on the coarse end.
Another great feature of the Ode is that it has a quiet, almost purr-like sound during operation and is very fast. The grinder has a high-force spring that knocks excess ground beans and chaff into the catch, which helps to reduce grind retention and make clean-up a breeze. It’s also very easy to disassemble and is compatible with coffee tablet cleaners.
Despite some minor hiccups in the initial launch, the Ode is still a top contender for those looking for an excellent and aesthetically pleasing conical burr grinder. Fortunately, the company is committed to improving the product and recently released the Gen 2 version, which addresses some of the issues with the original. However, for those who want a better-suited grinder for espresso, the Baratza DF64 is an excellent alternative that is both visually and functionally superior to the Fellow Ode.