Espresso grinders

What Kind of Coffee Grinder Do You Need for Espresso?

Published · By the Espresso Shortlist editors · Prices and specs as of that date, from the pages under Sources

Summary

You need a burr grinder that its maker designed to reach espresso fineness and that can change the grind in very small steps inside that range. The burr shape matters less than people expect. Past that, the choice is about how you dose: from a hopper that holds a stock of beans, or one weighed dose at a time.

Fine isn't enough; the steps have to be small

Espresso is brewed in a narrow band of grind sizes, and moving a little finer or coarser inside that band is how you slow down or speed up a shot. A grinder that jumps from too coarse to too fine in one click leaves you stuck between the two.

Grinder makers deal with this in two ways. Baratza's Encore ESP uses numbered steps but makes them uneven on purpose. Its manual splits the dial into an espresso range, settings 1 to 20, where each click is a small change, and a filter range, 21 to 40, where each click is "relatively larger." Fellow's Opus 2 and Eureka's Mignon Specialità go the other way with stepless adjustment, so you can stop anywhere on the dial. Eureka calls its version a "Stepless Micrometric Regulation System" with "infinite adjustment points."

Neither approach wins by default. Stepless gives you every position in between; numbered steps give you a setting you can write down and return to.

Espresso only, or everything

A grinder that also handles filter coffee has to travel a long way between the two. Fellow describes the Opus 2 as "designed for espresso, pour-over, electric coffee makers, French press, AeroPress, and cold brew," and the Encore ESP's manual lists starting settings from 15 for espresso to 32 for French press. If your grinder moves back and forth every day, that range is part of what you're paying for.

If the grinder will only ever make espresso, a grinder built around that job gives you features you'll use at the machine, such as the Mignon Specialità's two programmable timed doses and a fork that holds the portafilter while it grinds.

Hopper or single dose

This is the choice you'll feel every morning. A hopper grinder keeps beans loaded; the Mignon Specialità holds 300 g, and you grind by time. A single-dose grinder starts empty: you weigh the beans for one shot and pour them in. The Opus 2 is built this way, with a 100 g load bin and what Fellow calls "near-zero grind retention," meaning little old coffee is left inside to mix into the next dose.

Hoppers suit a household that drinks the same coffee all week. Single dosing suits someone who switches beans often, or who wants the weight in the cup to match the weight they put in.

Shopping for one? Shop espresso grinders →

Sources

  1. Baratza — Encore ESP Operations Manual (v1.0, January 2023)
  2. Fellow — Opus 2 Conical Burr Grinder
  3. Eureka — Mignon Specialità

We have not tested these products. Specs, prices, stock and terms are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.

More espresso grinders guides

Espresso grindersDo Conical and Flat Burrs Make a Real Difference for Espresso?Less than the debate suggests. Both conical and flat burrs are used in grinders built for espresso, and two grinders with the same burr shape can…Read the guide →Espresso grindersShould Your Espresso Grinder Be Manual or Electric?Either kind can grind for espresso. The two compared here, the 1Zpresso J-Ultra and the Baratza Encore ESP, both cost about $199, so price won't…Read the guide →Espresso grindersWhat Is a Single-Dose Espresso Grinder, and What Does Zero Retention Mean?A single-dose grinder is built to be loaded with the beans for one drink at a time and ground empty, instead of holding a stock of beans in a hopper…Read the guide →Espresso grindersHow Do the Fellow Opus 2, Encore ESP, DF54, DF64 Gen 2 and Eureka Mignon Differ?They split first by how beans go in. The Encore ESP and the three Eureka Mignon models grind from a hopper, while the Opus 2, DF54, and DF64 Gen 2 are…Read the guide →Espresso grindersIs the OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder Fine Enough for Espresso?OXO says so. Of its 15 grind settings, OXO's own guide assigns 1 through 5 to espresso, and the product page describes the range as running from fine…Read the guide →Espresso grindersWhat Does Each Extra $100 Buy in an Espresso Grinder?Baratza's current US lineup lays the steps out clearly. At $199.95 the Encore ESP gives you stepped adjustment with its finer half reserved for…Read the guide →Espresso grindersHow Do the 1Zpresso J-Ultra, KINGrinder K6 and Timemore C3 ESP Pro Compare for Espresso?The three differ most in how finely each click moves the burr. The J-Ultra moves 8 microns per click, the K6 16, and the C3 ESP Pro 23. Turn each dial…Read the guide →Espresso grindersCan the Burr Grinder You Use for Drip Coffee Also Grind for Espresso?Sometimes, and the box usually won't tell you. SHARDOR sells a 48-setting grinder that goes "from the finest espresso to the coarsest french press…Read the guide →Espresso grindersHow Do Breville's Smart Grinder Pro and Dose Control Pro Differ for Espresso?Both have 60 grind settings and stainless steel conical burrs, but the Smart Grinder Pro gives espresso half of that dial, settings 1 to 30, while the…Read the guide →Espresso grindersCan the Fellow Ode Gen 2 Grind for Espresso?No, and Fellow says so directly: "Ode is not intended for espresso." Its help center explains that the Ode's 64 mm flat burrs and motor "are geared…Read the guide →

All espresso grinders guides · All guides and search