Mark MorphewIf you’re serious about coffee and want to brew the best-tasting cup, you must start with a solid foundation. By that, I mean using the freshest coffee beans available, heating your water to the correct temperature, and ensuring that your beans are uniformly ground.
One of the easiest and simplest ways to make sure your coffee beans are ground perfectly each time is to use a burr coffee grinder.
If you’ve hung around on Bean Ground before, you’ll probably already know that we only recommend burr grinders.
Our Top Pick: Best Value
You don’t have to break the bank to get one, and you can get a good burr grinder for under $100.
In this article, we will show a selection of handpicked burr grinders that will help take your coffee brewing to a whole new level.
For Under $100 They Will Be Mostly Manual
When shopping for a burr grinder for under $100, you’ll find that most of the offerings are manually operated.
Yes, you’ll have to put in some elbow grease and create a bit of sweat to get a great-tasting brew in the morning – but who said making coffee was going to be easy?
It doesn’t take a genius to understand why more manual burr grinders are readily available for under $100.
The main difference between electric and manual is the motor. The other mechanisms still operate the same, it just requires a bit more effort.
That being said, you can still get your hands on a good burr grinder that’s electric-powered. The Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder and the Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill are both excellent examples.
6 Best Cheap Burr Grinders For The Home
So now you understand why Burr coffee grinders are the best, let’s look at some of our top recommendations for under 100 bucks.
Both manual and electric burr grinders are in the mix, so depending on whether you want to break a sweat in the morning or press a switch, I’m sure there is the perfect burr grinder for you below.
Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder
For the money, the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder is an excellent buy for anyone looking for a good quality electric burr grinder for under $100 (ish). Even at its low-cost price, it can still keep up with the big boys flaunting the heftier price tags.
For example, the Capresso features commercial grade solid conical steel burrs for high precision grinding, multiple grind settings from extra-fine through to regular or coarse (a total of 16 settings), and the Capresso grinder also operates with very little noise. I must admit, even some of the other more expensive grinders do have an issue with it.
However, the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder isn’t without its drawbacks. If you’re grinding a lot of beans at one time, you’ll notice that the grinding chamber and chute become a magnet for the coffee grounds due to static buildup, which makes it a little harder to clean.
What We Love
- High-quality, precise burrs.
- It can grind fine enough for Turkish coffee.
- Extremely well-priced.
Take Note
- The grinding mechanism can get hot if you’re grinding large batches.
Hario “Skerton Pro” Ceramic Burr Coffee Grinder
The following budget burr grinder recommendation is the Hario Skerton Pro Ceramic Coffee Mill. If you’re looking for a manual coffee grinder, the Hario is a great choice and a favorite among craft coffee enthusiasts. The Hario burr grinder has been designed to provide coffee lovers with an inexpensive tool to grind coffee even while on the move, and its compact size means that it can be tucked into a bag or suitcase with ease.
There are only two parts to the Hario burr grinder; the top hopper, which incorporates the grinding arm, and the bottom container. The top hopper has been crafted from semi-smooth, translucent, durable plastic, and the bottom container is glass.
The Hario Skerton Pro features ceramic burrs, which are rare in a burr coffee grinder under $100; most in this budget range tend to be made from metal. Ceramic burrs will not get hot as metal burrs often do. This additional heat buildup can affect your fresh coffee beans as they’re being ground, so ceramic burrs are preferred.
The Hario burr grinder does have one flaw, in my opinion, and that is the top crank arm. I have found that this crank can become loose during prolonged grinding, but it’s not as bad with the new professional version as it was with the older models.
? Want to know more about this grinder? Take a look at my Hario Skerton Pro Review!
What We Love
- A slip-free rubber base makes for an easy grind.
- Easy to disassemble and clean.
- Hopper capacity: 100g (about 4 cups of coffee per grind)
Take Note
- Glass base means it’s more fragile in transport.
- Requires elbow grease to grind.
Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder
Bodum has become synonymous with clever, innovative designs and superior quality. One of my top-rated French Press pots is a Bodum. The overall construction on this particular grinder is durable plastic married together with silicone/nylon and borosilicate glass.
The Bodum comes with 14-grind settings from fine to coarse, giving you the flexibility to grind coffee suitable for almost any brewing device. That being said, one drawback is that you cannot churn out a coarse enough grind for the French Press. The highest setting on the Bodum Bistro grinder is unfortunately still small enough to let coffee grinds slip through the mesh plunger on almost all of the French press pots I tried.
On the plus side, unlike most other coffee grinders that utilize plastic containers for catching freshly ground coffee, the Bodum uses a borosilicate glass container to catch the grounds. This simple tweak to the design almost eliminates the static buildup.
Despite the Bodum Bistro’s alluring price tag and modern, attractive design, it seems that some corners were cut to keep the cost low. For example, The burrs themselves are made from steel (not ceramic), and the gears are plastic, which is not nearly as resilient as steel gears.
What We Love
- Extremely easy to operate, clean, and maintain.
- Very affordable.
- Comes in 5 different funky colors.
Take Note
- Only grinds on a set timer.
- You can’t grind fine enough for Turkish or espresso coffee.
JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder
The JavaPresse manual coffee grinder has been a workhorse in my daily coffee regime for quite some time; I even did a full review of the JavaPresse coffee grinder. As far as cheap burr coffee grinders go, the JavaPresse is a good buy, priced at around the $20 mark (at the time of writing), which isn’t too shabby for a ceramic Burr grinder. The overall build quality of the JavaPresse burr grinder is excellent for the price, and the brushed aluminum outer casing gives this manual grinder a great look and feel.
The JavaPresse burr coffee grinder can be broken down into four parts: the bottom collection chamber (with a glass section that allows you to eyeball the amount of coffee you have ground), on top you have the main body that fits snugly into the bottom chamber, the lid, and then the hand crank which you slot into the top.
The JavaPresse comes with an impressive 18 grind settings, and by simply turning the internal dial from left to right, you can select the coarseness of your grind.
What We Love
- Affordable in comparison to other manual grinders.
- Compact and lightweight.
- Durable stainless steel body.
Take Note
- Materials of lesser quality and durability.
- Grind settings can be tricky to set.
Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
The following recommendation for the best burr grinder under 100 dollars is the Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill which is very similar in design and features to the above Capresso Infinity. The Cuisinart burr grinder feels solid and has a brushed stainless steel housing combined with black accents in durable plastic.
The main parts such as the bean hopper, the plastic lid, the burr grinder parts, and the grinding chamber, can be easily removed for deep cleaning. A neat feature is the intelligent built-in safety feature that stops the grinder from operating when the hopper and the chamber aren’t in place.
The Cuisinart Supreme Grind comes with a heavy-duty motor and 18-grind settings from fine to extra coarse, which can be easily set by simply turning a dial. One innovative feature of the Cuisinart Supreme Grind is the ability to “set and forget.” Just adjust the amount of ground coffee required, which can be anywhere from 4 to 18 cups, and the grinder shuts off when the desired amount is reached.
What We Love
- Unbelievably low price.
- Very easy to clean.
- Simple to use
Take Note
- The all-plastic design means this grinder is prone to static.
Kalita Coffee Mill Retro One
Kalita is well known in the coffee world for their pour-over coffee maker, the “Kalita Wave,” so it should be no surprise that they have also produced a good budget burr coffee grinder to complement their famous coffee brewer.
For the money, this burr coffee grinder is a relatively decent buy and at the time of writing, it was priced under $100. However, the Kalita Retro one does seem to have some flaws, in my opinion. For one, the burrs of this manual grinder are not sharp, which means more work manually cranking the grinding arm and that your final grind is not going to be as consistent as some of the other grinders in this best burr grinders list.
Also, one other drawback is that the metal hopper lacks any lid, which means beans will fly all over the place if you are not careful when grinding. Besides those two issues, there isn’t much else really wrong with the Kalita Retro One. It is a surprisingly well-built manual burr coffee grinder for the price.
What We Love
- Very affordable price.
- Japan made.
- Able to grind ultra-fine through to extra coarse.
Take Note
- The handle is long, so you really have to crank it to grind the beans.
Burr or Blade Grinder, Which is Best?
Why are burr grinders the best? The blade grinder is probably the same type of coffee grinder that your mother was using back in the day. Blade grinders are less expensive than burr grinders, and you can easily find this sort of grinder for under $100.
But technically, they don’t actually “grind” your coffee beans, and they smash your beans to uneven bits and chunks and even powder with two very fast-moving blades.
One of the biggest problems when using a blade grinder is the inconsistent grind. You have no control, and it’s “pot luck” what your final grind will be after you have smashed your coffee beans into oblivion.
A burr grinder, on the other hand, offers a lot more control when grinding your beans, and they do “grind” your coffee beans rather than chop or smash them like the blade grinders tend to do.
The burr grinder is made up of two revolving abrasive wheels or plates called “burrs.” Your beans are pulled through these burrs a few at a time, where they are then ground to the desired grind – depending on your chosen grind settings.
The number one advantage of a burr grinder vs. a blade grinder is the ability to grind your coffee beans to a uniform size.
This makes for a better cup of coffee through a more even extraction. It helps avoid clogging problems at the brewing stage, and most importantly, it gives you the flexibility to grind your beans to the coarseness or fineness that best suits the kind of coffee brewer you’re using.
Burr grinders have two flaws; high-speed grinding can cause excess heat, which can adversely affect your coffee beans. So make sure you buy a burr grinder that has a low-speed setting.
Also, cheap burr grinders tend to have an issue with static buildup. When the coffee grinds build up a static charge, they’ll attach themselves to absolutely anything, which can be a pain when cleaning.
When he's not fiddling around with a new coffee gadget, you'll find him busy doing DIY projects around the home and taking his German Shepherd for a walk, who funnily enough is called Kona!
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Since the creation of the Bean Ground coffee blog in 2014, Mark and a small circle of coffee hobbyists have rigorously tested, reviewed, and researched coffee gear. In most cases, they have purchased the items themselves with the sole intention of rating and evaluating.
In that time, they have built up a list of quality points to look for and what makes specific equipment better than others. They cut through the noise and marketing hype that often surrounds products to give you their unbiased opinions so you can make clear decisions on your next purchase.
