Getting a good coffee grinder is a key step in improving your home made coffee.  Any web site you go to for coffee information will tell you to get a burr grinder.  What this means is that the coffee is literally “ground up” rather than sliced/chopped by blades spinning at high speed. Those spinning blades heat up. Heat is bad for the coffee at this stage.

Burr grinders produce less heat and a more uniform grind.  And in espresso, grind uniformity is paramount. So, this being such a critical step in making good espresso, you can expect the cost of the equipment to be commensurate for a good machine. Just do a search and you will find a dizzying variety of burr grinders.  Flat burr, connical burr, hand cranks, doser, doserless – a dizzying array of models, and costs ranging from $40 to well over $1000.  But, do you really need a $1000 coffee grinder?  Well, if you are the type of person that doesn’t read reviews, perhaps.  On the other hand, if you do, you will come the the same conclusion that I and many others have, and find that you can spend $300-$400 for a high quality machine that will last you a looooong time.

For my first “good” grinder, I personally chose the Baratza Preciso Coffee Grinder 685 after reading a ton on the subject.  You can read my short review here.  My main influences were reviews from people that ran coffee shops, and the constant theme of the Baratza customer service quality.  The Preciso is no longer manufactured, but mine is still going strong more than 10 years later. If you are in the market today, the Baratza Encore ESP is a worthy replacement — a current Baratza grinder built specifically for espresso, with the same legendary customer support.

Fast forward a decade and some change, and I eventually took the plunge on a serious upgrade: the Timemore Sculptor 64s. Flat burrs, stepless grind adjustment, brushless motor — a whole different league. The Baratza served me faithfully for years, but the Sculptor took my morning ritual to another level entirely. The consistency is almost unsettling. If you want the full existential deep-dive on whether it’s worth it, read my full review here. Or just grab the Timemore Sculptor 064S on Amazon and find out for yourself.

And while your at it, pick up a tamper.  You just ground up the coffee really nicely.  Pack it into the portafilter nicely now too.