When dealing with limited counter space in a kitchen, finding the best small coffee grinders involves balancing size, functionality, design, and finding a good place to store it. If you’re tight on kitchen space but still want a good coffee grinder, go for a small, efficient one. Manual burr grinders often come in travel size, so they fit nicely in a cabinet. Electric grinders come in various shapes and sizes and can sometimes be larger than the coffee machine itself!
Small coffee grinders are about more than just saving space. They offer remarkable benefits:
- Space-Saving: Perfect for small kitchens or office spaces.
- Portability: Ideal for travel or outdoor adventures.
- Convenience: Easy to use and clean, making them perfect for daily brewing routines.
In this post, we’re diving into the best small coffee grinders, exploring their features, and showcasing some of the best options on the market.
Understanding Your Options: Manual vs Electric and Blade vs Burr
When it comes to small coffee grinders, your choices can be broadly categorized into manual vs electric and blade vs burr grinders:
- Manual Grinders: These are quieter and offer a more hands-on brewing experience.
- Electric Grinders: Known for their speed and consistency.
- Blade Grinders: These are generally more affordable but less consistent in grind size.
- Burr Grinders: They offer a uniform grind, which is important for consistent and repeatable flavor extraction.
Safe to say you’ve got a few choices to choose from. Check out our favorites down below.
Best Small Coffee Grinders
JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder
The JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder is our favorite small manual burr coffee grinder. Why? Because it’s inexpensive, it weighs less than a pound, and it’s about the size of a water bottle. It doesn’t get much smaller than this at 1.8 inches wide, 7.5 inches tall. Designed with a professional-grade ceramic conical burr, it’ll last forever too. It provides a consistent grind for various brews while operating quietly and it has 18 size settings. Its stainless steel frame adds to its durability and convenience, especially for travel. Just be prepared for a small arm workout, it does take about 7-10 minutes to grind enough coffee.
Features:
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- Adjustable grind selector with over 18 settings for complete control over grind coarseness.
- No need for batteries, power, or long cords, making it suitable for camping, hiking, or backpacking.
- Hand crank mechanism reduces noise significantly, allowing for quiet operation.
- Ceramic Burrs are crafted to last 5x longer than stainless steel, ensuring durability and consistency.
- Dimensions: 1.8 x 1.8 x 7.5 inches
- Weight: 9.4 ounces
Fellow Opus Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
The Fellow Opus is our first pick because it knocks it out of the park as a compact burr grinder at only 5 inches wide! It’s designed with a compact footprint, making it suitable for most countertops, about the width of a small coffee machine. It’s also a versatile burr grinder, handling a wide range of grinding styles from coarse to super fine. It features a high-torque motor and 6-blade burr set for consistent grinding, and 41+ precision settings, ensuring the right consistency for every cup.
Features:
- Over 41 precision grind settings, accompanied by an intuitive guide
- Anti-static technology for a cleaner grinding process
- Equipped with C6-40 Burly Burrs, featuring 6-blade 40 mm conical burrs for uniform grinding
- Produces 6 Nm of torque with a 350 RPM burr speed
- Includes timed autostop feature for convenience
- Features a magnetic catch cup for easy handling of ground coffee
- Designed to retain minimal ground coffee residue
- Grinds up to 110 grams of coffee per batch
- Supports single-dose loading for optimum freshness
- Spouted catch for straightforward transitions between grinding and brewing
- Compact design, maximizing space efficiency
- Dimensions: 8.2 x 5 x 10.5 inches
- Weight: 5 lb / 2.3 kg
Shardor Adjustable Coffee Grinder
The Shardor Adjustable Coffee Grinder is one of the smallest electric coffee grinders available. A versatile and efficient grinder, it is a blade grinder and not a burr grinder. The difference is the blade (as pictured above) which resembles something you’d find in a blender. So it’s less ‘grinding’ and more ‘chopping’ than anything. It’s good for regular coffee if you just need something to get the job done, but we recommend either sticking to one of the above grinders if you’re into anything like espresso, Turkish coffee, or anything that might need a specific and consistent grind size.
It features a powerful 200W motor and is equipped with multiple settings, allowing for various grind sizes based on a timer. The more fine, the longer it runs, but it is lacking the power of a burr grinder which uses a set measured distance between the mechanism which gives it that consistency.
Features:
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- Voltage: 120V
- Power: 200W
- Grind settings: 14-35, providing options from fine to coarse
- Capacity: Can grind 2 to 12 cups at a time
- Bean Hopper Capacity: 8.8oz
- Grinding Chamber Capacity: 3.35oz
- Metallic flat burrs for consistent grinding
- Large hopper for convenient bean storage
- Removable pieces for easy cleaning
- Includes a two-in-one brush/spoon combo for maintenance
- Dimensions: 7.87 x 4.72 x 11.81 inches
- Weight: 4.5 lb / 2.04 kg
Cuisinart Touchscreen Burr Grinder
The Cuisinart Touchscreen Burr Grinder is one of the smallest burr coffee grinders on our list. It combines modern style with innovative technology, making it a great fit for contemporary kitchens. The intuitive controls make it easy to choose from 18 grind consistencies and the number of cups to brew. The grinder can grind the right amount of coffee for up to 32 cups. It also features a sleep mode for the LCD screen when not in use, enhancing its sleek 5 inches-across appearance on the countertop.
Features:
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- Burr mill for uniform grind and optimal flavor
- Removable Bean Hopper with up to 1/2 pound capacity
- Touchpad controls with Reveal screen technology
- Easy-to-read LCD display
- 18-position Grind Selector for a range from ultra-fine for espresso to extra-coarse for French press
- Cup selector from 1 – 14 cups
- Manual feature for customizing the amount of coffee to grind
- Removable Grind Chamber with enough capacity for 32 cups
- Heavy-Duty Motor
- Scoop/Cleaning Brush
- Limited 18-Month Warranty
- 32-ounce bean hopper
- Touchscreen controls for easy selection of grind size and coffee amount
- Capacity to process beans for up to 14 cups at a time
- Countdown timer display and automatic shutoff
- Dimensions: 7.34″(L) x 5.0″(W) x 11.14″(H)
- Weight: 5.525 lbs
Bodum Bistro Burr Coffee Grinder
The Bodum Bistro Burr Coffee Grinder is an electric burr grinder with 12 adjustable settings, this grinder is versatile. It can cater to various brewing methods, from a fine coffee powder grind for Espresso to a coarse grind with less surface area for French Press or cold brew coffee. It stands out for its ability to maintain the true flavor and aroma of coffee beans, a notable improvement over standard blade grinders. Here are its key features:
- Friction Clutch for Gear Protection: The grinder includes a friction clutch, a thoughtful feature that helps protect the grinding gear. This clutch plays a crucial role in safeguarding the mechanism, particularly if small stones are present among the coffee beans.
- Precise Grinding with Timer Control: The Bodum Bistro is equipped with a push-button, pre-set timer. This allows users to grind the exact amount of coffee needed, ensuring freshness and reducing waste. This feature helps in maintaining the beans’ freshness by grinding only what’s required for each brew.
- Borosilicate Glass Catcher: The grinder boasts a dishwasher-safe borosilicate glass catcher with a grip. This catcher is designed to minimize static cling, a common annoyance with coffee grounds. It’s large enough to hold a substantial amount of beans, making it convenient for regular use.
Can You Grind Coffee Beans in a Food Processor
Of course, you can, but the real question is if the coffee will come out well, and the answer is probably not. This is because the food processor will chop the beans at an inconsistent size, resulting in a wide range of coffee from chunks to smaller pieces. This is essentially what a blade grinder is too. This means the water will steep the coffee differently across the brew, which may end up with a weak cup or a super bitter cup, depending on how the coffee is brewed.
Wrapping Up: Enhance Your Coffee Experience
A small coffee grinder can significantly elevate your coffee experience, offering the freshness and quality of grind that you’d expect from a café. Whether you opt for a manual or electric blade or burr grinder, the key is to find one that fits your lifestyle and brewing preferences.