Last week I talked about How to Make a Good Cup of Fair Trade Coffee and pointed out the benefits of using freshly ground beans. Today Fair Trade Coffee Review is providing its opinion of coffee grinders in its coffee grinder review. There is a diverse price range when it comes to coffee grinders, so I am going to start today by just looking at grinders under $200.
Before I get started, I have to preface this review by stating that I did not obtain and test with these grinders (I only looked at the 30 most popular models and there are many more in the under $200 category). I researched 8 common retailers and product review sites for the 30 most popular grinders and analyzed the ratings information along with pros and cons provided in comments. Based on that analysis, here are the results:
Please keep in mind that prices can change.
Best buys are marked with an *
Under $100 Category:
I found three coffee grinders rated almost identical. All three are just under the $100 limit and they all weigh approximately 4 lbs. The Baratza’s Maestro has more grind settings and was rated higher for grinding espresso than the others, but comes in black. The other two come in a more attractive stainless steel finish:
- *Baratza’s Maestro
- Jura-Capresso’s Infinity 560 (black)/565 (stainless steel)
- Breville’s BarAroma BCG450XL
($99.95 at either Amazon.com or Cooking.com)
(560 is $89.99 at Amazon.com and 565 is $99.99 at either Amazon.com or Cooking.com)
($99.95 at either Amazon.com or Cooking.com)
There were a couple of popular blade grinders in the $20-30 range, however, the Cuisinart DBM-8 (and a similar Cuisinart Supreme Grinder) are fairly rated burr grinders at $49.99 (At either Amazon.com or Cooking.com). The better uniformity of grind and the ability to store beans in the hopper, makes the blade grinders obsolete.
$100 to $200 Category:
I found two coffee grinders in this range that stood out from the crowd. The Virtuoso has 40 grind settings and weighs in at 9 lbs. The ProLine has a variable grind setting and weighs 12 lbs. The Virtuoso is probably a slightly better grinder in a more compact frame, compared to the ProLine which is more stylish and slightly cheaper. The Maestro Plus is a very popular model, but seems to be similar to the Maestro. There are many reviews suggesting to just buy the Maestro or move up to the Virtuoso.
- *Baratza’s Virtuoso
- *KitchenAid’s ProLine
- Baratza’s Maestro Plus
($199.00 at Amazon.com)
(There are different finishes but most are around the $159 range, at either Amazon.com or Cooking.com)
($149.95 at either Amazon.com or Cooking.com)
Please support my work on providing this review by viewing Cooking.comor the category that I have set up on Amazon.com with the reviewed coffee grinders.
I certainly hope that you have found this helpful.
Enjoy
Ian
Tags: Coffee Grinders, Product Reviews