If you're shopping for a new coffee set-up, you might have seen our Top 5 Best Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines, but don't forget a high quality burr grinder to go along with your new espresso machine. Today we’re picking our Top 5 Best Coffee Grinders for Espresso in 2022.
Best Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines of 2022
The categories range from Best Entry-Level Coffee Grinder, up to our Favorite Grinder for Single Dosing. We’ll have picks for Best Values in Prosumer Level and Home Use grinders, and our choice for the Best Multi-Purpose Grinder, which works for multiple brewing methods and gives decent results for espresso. Along with our top coffee grinders in each category, we’ll have some honorable mentions for your consideration.
The Complete Guide to Coffee Grinders
Our picks and opinions are based on our staff’s experience testing, using, and servicing most every available coffee grinder, and real-world feedback from our customers. Our technicians service hundreds of grinders every year, and we work directly with manufacturers on grinder design and upgrades.
Now, you may have opinions of your own. And as always we’d love to hear them. So whether you agree or disagree with ours, please let us know what you think.
Best Budget Coffee Grinder - Eureka Mignon Facile
$349.00
Are you just starting your espresso journey? We know it can seem daunting. All the machines and accessories; admittedly, the price tag can become a bit startling. That's why these two machines are our top choice for coffee and espresso fanatics who might be on a budget. You can get grinds fine enough for espresso without breaking the bank!
Our pick for best value grinder is the Eureka Mignon Facile Espresso Grinder. Coming in at just $399, the Eureka Mignon Facile is a Whole Latte Love exclusive grinder that borrows the best features of the Mignon Silenzio and incorporates them into an incredibly competitive machine. With micrometric grind adjustment and the Silent System, the Mignon Facile is the perfect first grinder for the aspiring home barista.
As for controls, the Mignon Facile is simple: a single start/stop button that is activated using the portafilter. A totally manual machine, you can grind as much or as little as you want, by just pushing in the portafilter. Plus, the portafilter holder fork is adjustable to work with any portafilter on the market.
The Facile is equipped with Eureka's signature Silent System, an innovative grinder design feature that reduces the noise generated by grinding. As a result, the Facile is one of the quietest grinders at its price point.
With Eureka's patented micrometric adjustment, you expect smooth, stepless adjustments when dialing in the grind. This stepless grind is what enables the Eureka Mignon Facile to grind fine enough for espresso, all while keeping the price low. But this grinder is all purpose, so you can adjust for Turkish, espresso, moka, drip, and French press.
For performance, it's equipped with 50 mm flat hardened steel burrs and a strong 1350 RPM motor. Eureka's ACE system helps prevent clumping by eliminating static in ground coffee, which in turn ensures dose consistency.
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Now, for our next category, we move up to espresso specialists. These are coffee grinders with larger burrs, stepless grind size adjustment, and more powerful motors. While our entry-level grinders have a lot of plastic used in construction, these grinders are built to last.
Best Value Coffee Grinder - Ceado E5 Pro & Eureka Mignon Magnifico
Our winner for Best Value in Prosumer-Level Espresso Grinders is a tie between the Ceado E5 Pro and Eureka Mignon Magnifico.
$599.00
First a bit about the E5 Pro. This is another grinder exclusive to Whole Latte love that was designed to bring back the portafilter activated grinding. The E5 Pro allows for both push and grind operation with a spouted portafilter, and features a side mounted pulse button to grind for bottomless portafilters.
The Ceado E5 Pro is a commercial quality grinder with 64mm burrs that is all business, no frills. Our favorite feature has to be Ceado’s Steady Lock Burr technology. This design keeps the burrs at a constant distance from one another, whether they’re grinding for one shot or one hundred. In short, this means that grinding with the Ceado E5 Pro is seriously consistent — one less thing for you to worry about!
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When it comes to picking your grind fineness, the Ceado E5 Pro is of course stepless. Simply turn the collar to adjust fineness, so that you in charge of even the most minute adjustments. A stepless collar also means you can grind even for brew methods that require a coarser grind.
Review of Ceado E5P Espresso Coffee Grinder
Now onto the Eureka Mignon Magnifico. This is an easy-to-use burr grinder with 55 mm burrs and a touch screen display that makes all the difference. It grinds quietly and its controls are simple and responsive.
The Magnifico features specially designed "diamond inside" burrs which keep their edge for longer compared to stock burrs. Diamon Inside is a patented cryonic treatment used on the burrs that results in greater hardness and resistance to wear, ensuring longer burr life. When grinding for espresso, the Mignon Magnifico has an output of up to 1.8g/sec.
Of course, Eureka's patented stepless micrometric adjustment is precise and easy to use. When preparing espresso, that level of control is vital when dialing in the grind. Additionally, the Eureka Mignon Magnifico is quiet, measuring in at about 73 dBA, so you won't ever need to stop a conversation to make your drinks.
Best Single Dosing Coffee Grinder - Ceado E37SD
Single dosing is becoming more and more important, so this year I had to put a grinder on the list that did it best. That grinder is the Ceado E37SD. Last year the E37S was at the top of our list as the most respected Ceado grinder, but this year the E37SD is the latest version that’s specifically made for single-dose grinding with zero grind retention and quickly ranked as the best single dosing grinder.
Ceado E37S Electronic Coffee Grinder Review
The E37SD features massive 83mm titanium burrs and the Quick Set worm gear for precision adjustment. Now, unique to the E37SD, is that direct feed into the grinding chamber. There's no hopper, so you'll be weighing out your dose with a scale and dropping your beans directly into the grinder. With the bellows on top, and just a few presses, you can expect an exact dose in your portafilter. This is by far the E37SD's most important feature and one you won’t get on any low-end grinders.
Ceado E37SD
For operation, the E37SD is full, manual control. The interface has a simple start and stop button and that's all, so if you're used to timed presets, keep that in mind. Now, something else that's important to keep in mind is that the E37SD gets you a full grind range, which is something you don't see on most grinders at this level. Usually, grinders in this class become more and more specialized, but E37SD gives that control back to you.
Now, we know you can make micro-adjustments with the Quick Set gear, but you can also make macro adjustments using the collar. For anyone who loves their espresso, but also loves pour over or French press, well, you can do that too.
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Included with the E37SD are an RDT Sprayer (that's Ross Droplet Technique for those who don't know), a WDT Cup, and an Espresso Funnel. The cup is where you'll put your beans before dosing, which is where the sprayer comes in. You'll want to lightly spray the beans while they're in the cup. This helps eliminate static so grinds don't cling to surfaces before reaching the portafilter. The Espresso Funnel sits on top of your portafilter to direct every last particle of your grinds into the basket.
For coffee enthusiasts who are particular about precise measurements and consistent results, and really want to get the most out of their grinder, the E37SD is your way to go.
Honorable mention in near-zero retention goes to the Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose Grinder.
This is a compact and Italian made single dosing grinder, engineered for near-zero retention grinding with incredibly precise micrometric grind adjustment and 65 mm Diamond Inside treated flat burrs, which boast a grinding lifespan of over 3,000 lbs of coffee. For a grinder this compact, the 65 mm diameter may seem too large. However, it helps ensure consistent particle distribution and contributes to a high speed output that range from 2.3g/sec to 3.3g/sec across the entire grinding spectrum.
Eureka Mignon Magnifico's Diamond Inside Burrs Are Forever
The Mignon Single Dose marries performance, convenience, and aesthetics like few products can. It is the perfect grinder for anybody looking to explore multiple brew methods with minimal waste. Outside of its performance, its authentic Italian origin and tasteful wood accenting make this grinder a welcome and gorgeous addition to any kitchen.
By going onto our website, you can pre-order the Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose Grinder before we get them in stock this November. Doing so is probably a good idea, since the Oro Mignon is set to be a popular item this season.
Best Prosumer Coffee Grinder - Ceado E37S Quick Set
Our last category is for the Best Prosumer Espresso Grinder. These are grinders that are capable of pairing well with prosumer and semi-automatic machines and offer consistent results for rich and flavorful espresso. Our winner for Best Prosumer Espresso Grinder is the Ceado E37S Quick Set.
The E37S has been an incredibly successful grinder for Ceado and it seems to get better and better every year. While some manufacturers have made very few changes to their designs over the years, Ceado redefined espresso grinding with their steady-lock design for locked-in grind size. It’s also one of the very few grinders that allows you to get into the grinding chamber with minimal effort and no need to recalibrate after putting it back together.
Adding to the list is the new Quick Set gear: a worm gear that lets you make incredibly fine adjustments with the turn of a knob. Previously, you had a small lever you would push back and forth for your adjustments and it could get a little difficult over time. Now, with the Quick Set gear, all you need is two fingers and a twist of the wrist.
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Other important features: massive 83mm burrs powered by a 400-watt motor, and the silent grind system which uses a special isolating motor mount to reduce noise. Ceado says their silent system makes for a coffee grinder that’s 30% quieter than the competition, which is something to consider if you need your morning espresso but don’t want to wake up your family or be disturbed by jarring grinding sounds from the kitchen.
For operation, there's the intuitive touchscreen display that features programmable timed single and double shot doses, adjustable within a tenth of a second, and manual grinding which starts when the portafilter-activated switch is pushed in and stops when the switch is released.
The E37S is a fast and powerful grinder with very little retention, really only beaten out by the E37SD. It even keeps coffee from gumming up the threads in the grinding chamber, which is a very common issue with some grinders.
Runner up for Best Prosumer goes to the E6P. This grinder features 64-millimeter flat steel burrs, two timed grinding presets, and hands-free grinding into a portafilter. A couple of things that make the E6P a standout: first is the E6P’s steady-lock system. It’s a design feature found on Ceado’s more expensive grinders that maintains burr position under heavy use so there are no problems with grind size changes due to thermal expansion.
So those are our picks for the best in espresso grinders. Again whether you agree or disagree with our picks we’d love to hear your opinions or questions.
I’m Marc from Whole Latte Love. Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll come back soon for more of the best on everything coffee.