best budget espresso grinder Conical Burr Coffee Grinders

Grinding your own coffee beans is a great way to enhance your morning cup. There are a variety of grinders on the market.

This OXO grinder makes use of conical burrs that create a grind that works well for drip, French press and espresso. coffee machines with grinder enthusiasts who are hardcore may require more precision from this grinder, but it's a fantastic option for beginners.

OXO Brew

If you're into making your own coffee at home, then you are aware that it requires a high-quality smart grinder to produce the most flavorful coffee. However, a high-quality burr grinder can cost upwards of $200, which may be a bit expensive for someone who's not certain if they'll be using it frequently or not. That's why the OXO Brew is an excellent 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. Its stainless steel body features a permanent water tank at the back, and an insulated thermal carafe in the front. The carafe and tanks have been shaped so that the body can be installed in smaller kitchens. The controls are recessed beneath the carafe to reduce the clutter. There is also a light to let you know when the carafe is heating or making.

Oxo consistently brewed well during our tests. The temperature of the water was within a small range (197.4 F to 205.0 F) throughout the entire test according to thermocouples located in the basket for the grounds. The brewing time was very close to the Specialty Coffee Association's recommended times for a quality drip.

The OXO Brew also has a single-serve function that lets you to pour coffee directly into your cup. This feature isn't available on other high-end models. It can be an excellent benefit for those who prefer to make individual servings of their coffee, but don't like the hassle of brewing the entire carafe.

The only downside to the OXO is that it has no clock or automatic start time. This can be a problem if you are working on a tight timeframe. Additionally the water tank can be tricky to remove due to its lid that needs to be removed to access the reservoir. It also has an integrated descaler that assists in preventing mineral deposits from accumulating within the machine.

Baratza Encore ESP

The Baratza Encore is the best burr mill for coffee enthusiasts. This version of the original Encore has been re-engineered with improvements that make it compatible with a broader range of brewing techniques and offers more flexibility than ever before. It's for baristas in the home who are just starting out and anyone looking to have a range of brewing options in one grinder. It has a an adjustable stepped grind and simple controls for beginner baristas as well as notched and labelled settings for consistency. The M2 burrs provide uniform grinding, and the hopper comes with a quick release feature that makes cleaning easy.

The ESP uses an non electric coffee grinder motor with high-torque and gear reduction, similar to the original Encore. However, it runs at lower speeds in order to minimize static charge and heat. It's also quieter than classic Encore and comes with a new plates made of metal that increases stability and burr consistency. It comes with 40 mm conical burrs, similar to those found in the more expensive Virtuoso plus. This allows it to achieve a better grind size distribution and consistent shots.

The ESP grind adjustment is 9 microns between each step, ensuring excellent resolution for espresso and pour over. It has a new dosing cup that fits both 54 and 58 mm portafilters which improves the ergonomics of manual dosing. The grinder can be used in conjunction with the traditional grounds bin in the event that you prefer a hopper-based workflow.

One downside of the ESP is its inconsistent performance when it comes to back-to-back consistency tests though it still performs better than many other grinders in this price range. The stepped settings are inconsistant making it difficult to locate the best setting for your brewing method. However, the ESP is ideal for various brewing methods and offers an amazing value for the versatility it offers.

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 due to its amazing capabilities. It can grind espresso and filter brews, and utilize the shims included to maximize its performance for pour over 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 improve performance and the hopper is sufficient to accommodate a range of sizes of grinding. The DF64 is also easy to use and maintain with only a few moving parts. It's a great choice for those seeking a top-quality grinder at a low cost.

The DF64 Gen 2 is a significant improvement over the previous model and will be hard to beat by any other grinders that are priced similarly. The new model comes with an entirely new style that is more appealing to the eye. It is a flat-rounded base which can withstand up to 20 grams of beans at a time, and a single dose cradle. It also comes with an hose made of rubber that pushes air through the grinder to force out any grinds that are not needed.

One of the major problems with the original DF64 was popcorning, which is when coffee grinder compact 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 Coffee grinder 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.