The Top Coffee Grinders for Home Brewing, Tested
WIRED evaluated coffee grinders with particle-size measurements and taste tests across espresso, pour-over, drip, and Aeropress methods. The guide recommends six models, including the $200 Baratza Encore ESP as the best all-around choice and the $400 Fellow Ode Gen 2 for flat-burr drip brewing. It also highlights budget options such as the Oxo Conical Burr Grinder.
WIRED's guide draws on five years of testing dozens of grinders, with all top burr picks retested in the past year. The evaluation combined particle-size analysis with tasting across espresso, pour-over, drip, and Aeropress. Six recommended models include the $200 Baratza Encore ESP as best for most users, the $400 Fellow Ode Gen 2 for flat-burr drip and pour-over, and the $110 Oxo Conical Burr as a budget pick.
The update also added the Mazzer Mini-G and Fellow Opus 2. WIRED notes that grinding just before brewing helps preserve aroma and flavor compounds that fade as supermarket-ground coffee oxidizes. It frames grind consistency as central to even extraction, while acknowledging high-end options like the $1,595 Mazzer Philos.
This guide may influence home coffee enthusiasts and gift buyers by steering spending toward burr grinders at several price points. Greater attention to grind consistency could improve everyday cup quality and reduce waste from poorly extracted coffee, though higher upfront costs may limit access. Manufacturers may respond with more affordable precision models, while retailers and subscription services could see shifts in demand. Overall impact likely modest, centered on consumer choice rather than broad societal change.