Nothing tastes better than a cup of coffee made from freshly ground beans.
Therefore, if you're looking to make delicious coffee drinks at home, you should start with a good coffee grinder.
Sure, you can use a blender or food processor, but if you’re a coffee aficionado who loves pour over, it’s worthwhile to invest in a tool that lets you achieve a more uniform and consistent grind.
Today, we'll introduce you to the best coffee grinder for pour over plus four other choices to help you find the best product for your brewing needs.
Comparison Chart
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
Cuisinart DBM-8CRM Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
JavaPresse Manual Coffee Bean Grinder
OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
Mr. Coffee Cafe Grind Automatic Burr Grinder
Best Coffee Grinder for Pour Over: A Review
1. Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
This award-winning grinder is engineered with commercial-grade conical burrs and 40 grind levels so you can prepare coffee in different brewing methods.
Review
Here are the key features of the Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder:
- Build Quality
The Encore is an entry-level coffee grinder with amazing build quality.
It uses a high-torque DC motor that runs at low RPMs and a 40mm conical stainless steel burr that rotates at a slow speed.
This translates into reduced heat, noise, and static generation.
Also, even though most of its parts are made of plastic, they are high-quality.
In particular, they're made of 15% glass-filled thermoplastic, which is very durable and long-lasting.
Additionally, the machine has a heavy metal ballast that keeps the grinder stable.
- Ease of Use
The grinder is relatively simple and easy to use.
There are no timers or dose control features, so even newbies to coffee-making will be able to use it with ease.
The machine only comes with a two-way switch and a pulse grinding button.
To adjust the grind size, all you need to do is twist the hopper left or right.
Forty graduated markings indicate the grind size, from coarse to super-fine.
- Performance
In terms of output, the Encore grinder rocks.
Encore uses conical steel burrs, so grind quality is way better than most entry-level machines at a similar price point.
It does well not only for pour-over but also for French Press, Aeropress, and Stovetop espresso.
While the Encore produces some dust or "fines", they're not too much compared to other entry-level grinders.
However, you may find it challenging to use the grinder if your coffee beans are larger than average.
Even in the finest setting, the grind is still consistent.
However, at the maximum coarseness, the grind is somewhat inconsistent.
PROS
CONS
2. Cuisinart DBM-8CRM Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
If you're looking for a quality coffee grinder that doesn't break the bank, the Cuisinart DBM-8 fits like a glove.
Usually, a low price means inferior quality, but this model is an exception.
This entry-level coffee grinder is fitted with a burr mill instead of blades, giving you a consistent grind size each time.
Review
Here's what the grinder from Cuisinart has to offer:
- Burr Quality
The main selling point of this grinder is it uses burrs to process beans.
Unlike blades, burrs chop beans more consistently, resulting in similar particle sizes regardless of coarseness.
What does it have to do with your coffee?
Having a relatively uniform grind size is important to control the flavor extraction and prevent bitterness or harsh flavor.
- Build Quality
Overall, the build quality of this grinder is decent, and it's built to last longer than grinders at its price point.
The stainless steel finish looks slick and professional, but most of its parts are made of plastic.
The grinder's exterior has an aluminum finish and black accents, which look nice on a modern kitchen counter.
- Ease of Use
The DBM-8 is extremely easy to use.
You can start grinding with a press of a button and control the coarseness through the dial.
Since there aren't extraordinary features, it's nearly impossible to misuse the grinder.
Moreover, the bean hopper is fairly large, allowing you to place more beans at once.
Meanwhile, the grounds chamber can hold enough coffee for 32 cups, although this depends on the brewing method.
However, it isn’t airtight, so we don’t recommend storing your ground beans in there.
The DBM-8 has an additional feature, a built-in safety lock that prevents the machine from running until the hopper and chamber are properly in place.
Another feature to love about the DBM-8 is it's compact and portable.
The machine measures 6 x 7.13 x 10.75 with the hopper attached and weighs 4.7 pounds.
Since it's pretty sleek, you can place it on a skimpy counter or store it in your cabinet when not in use.
- Performance
The Cuisinart Supreme features 18 adjustable settings.
However, it doesn't seem to offer very specific coarseness.
While there's definitely a "coarse" and "fine" setting, everything else in between seems to produce a similar grind size.
PROS
CONS
3. JavaPresse Manual Coffee Bean Grinder
JavaPresse is a company that sells organic coffee and a few pieces of gear that stands out.
One of them is the JavaPresse manual coffee grinder.
This burr grinder is made from sturdy stainless steel, very lightweight and portable, and delivers consistent grinds in 15 different sizes.
Review
This manual coffee grinder has a lot to offer, including:
- Build Quality
As mentioned, the JavaPresse manual grinder is made of a durable stainless steel body.
Even the handle is stainless steel, so this grinder is built to last.
It measures 1.8 x 1.8 x 7.5 inches and weighs less than a pound.
Since it's extremely light and you don't need to plug it into an electric socket, you can carry the grinder anywhere.
You can easily fit the grinder in your backpack or for your camping trips or stuff it in your suitcase for your next travel vacation.
You won't have to worry about breaking anything because it doesn't contain any plastic or glass parts.
By the way, the hand crank is detachable, so it's easy to store and stow away.
- Ease of Use
The JavaPresse grinder is easy to use. It’s a simple tool that will serve you well.
Simply pour the beans inside the chamber, close the lid and start turning the hand crank.
Of course, since it's a manual grinder, it will take you some time to finish grinding.
If you don't mind the time and effort, you will be rewarded with consistently ground beans perfect for your pour-over coffee.
However, you have to be careful because the crank tends to detach when you’re grinding too hard.
Moreover, cleaning the grinder is very easy. The bottom grind reservoir easily slips off, so you can dispose of the grounds quickly.
When taken apart, you will see a knob that looks like a star.
Turning the knob left to right or vice versa lets you adjust the grind size.
- Performance
Despite being a manual grinder, the JavaPresse has a built-in adjuster that lets you choose from 15 different grind options.
Thus, it's great not only for pour-over but also for other brewing methods such as French Press, Turkish, cold brew, and Espresso.
Behind the perfect grind is a ceramic conical burr which typically lasts longer than stainless burrs.
With the powerful conical burr inside, the JavaPresse produces uniformly sized coffee grounds.
However, this grinder is pretty small and can only grind beans for up to three cups of coffee.
PROS
CONS
4. OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
If you are new to coffee-making, the OXO burr grinder could be what you're looking for.
It's beginner-friendly, easy to use, and offers plenty of grind size settings.
Review
Here's what you'll expect from this grinder:
- Build Quality
The OXO grinder has stainless steel burrs that produce uniformly sized coffee grounds.
Most of its parts are also made of stainless steel, making it very durable.
Another thing to like about this grinder is its sleek design.
The OXO grinder measures 12 x 7.4 x 16 inches and weighs less than seven pounds.
Its slender appearance makes it a good choice if you have small counter space.
The hopper can hold up to 12 ounces of beans, while the grounds chamber can accommodate 110 grams of coffee, which is enough for 12 cups.
By the way, the hopper is airtight, so you can store your beans in there.
Inside the machine is a set of sharp conical burrs that create a smaller amount of friction, which translates to fewer clumps and buildup.
In addition, unlike flat burrs, conical burrs tend to spin at a slower rate, so it is a lot quieter than grinders with flat burrs.
Lastly, OXO products are backed with a two-year warranty which means all parts of your grinder are protected under acceptable circumstances.
- Ease of Use
The OXO coffee grinder features a straightforward interface. Simply push the OXO button to start the grinding process.
There's also a dial that sets the grinding time from zero to 30 seconds.
Another convenient feature is that the dial does not reset, so you can go ahead and press the "start" button.
On another note, the hopper can hold up to 16 ounces of beans.
There's also a built-in automatic no-bean detector and an automatic shut-off to prevent overheating.
- Performance
On the upside of the bean hopper is a circular dial that lets you select from up to 15 grind settings.
Overall, the machine produces a consistent grind, so it’s perfect for various drinks, from French Press to pour-over and espresso.
Given its above-average grind performance, the OXO coffee grinder makes your home-brewing life easier, but that’s if you don’t mind the hefty price.
PROS
CONS
5. Coffee Cafe Grind
Another grinder that made it into our top five list is Mr. Coffee Cafe Grind.
This grinder has a fully automatic system that dispenses and grinds coffee beans into your desired consistency.
Review
This grinder has the following features:
- Build Quality
Mr. Coffee Cafe Grind features a stylish stainless steel finish that looks modern and classic at the same time.
It comes with a large bean hopper that can hold up to half a pound of coffee beans and detaches easily for convenient cleaning.
The grounds chamber is also removable and is dishwasher-safe.
For safety, the grinder automatically shuts off when grinding is complete.
- Ease of Use
Mr. Coffee Cafe Grind is fully automatic. A dial on the side lets you adjust the grind level.
After that, you can set the number of cups or amount of beans and then press the front button to start the grinding process.
The grinder comes with a cleaning brush for convenience, and both the bean hopper and grind chamber are removable for easy cleanup.
Unfortunately, the grinder tends to produce a lot of static which causes clumps of coffee to stick everywhere in the chamber.
- Performance
The grinder has a flat burr that tends to produce a more consistent grind than a conical burr.
This makes Mr. Coffee Cafe Grind pretty impressive, given its price point.
You can choose from 18 grind settings, ranging from coarse to ultra-fine.
In addition, the grinder features a two- to 18-cup selector that lets you customize the amount of coffee grounds you want.
The selector, in a form of a dial, makes it easy to make a consistent pot of coffee each time.
PROS
CONS
Our Top Recommendation
Our pick for the best coffee grinder for pour over is the Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder.
Despite its relatively low price, it offers amazingly consistent grind quality that you will find in more sophisticated models.
Moreover, the Encore has 40 grind settings, making it a versatile tool for making different types of coffee, not just pour over.
However, if you’re looking for something handier, we recommend the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder.
It makes a great travel buddy as you can just tuck it into your backpack.
Although it takes some time and effort, the Javapresse delivers a consistent grind output.