Coffee is best drank fresh. The best way to get fresh coffee is using freshly grounded coffee. However, in some situation having a full size grinder is not always ideal. You might be traveling or perhaps you just have little counter space. Thankfully there are a lot of great Small Coffee Grinder on the market. Most are manual but they all give great results. The Best Small Coffee Grinder are those that use Burr Grinder. They provide the most even grind for the best tasting coffee.

Why Use a Coffee Grinder?

These days, most people use pre grounded coffee. The reason why this is not preferable is because of oxidization. As food gets exposed to air, it starts to degrade. This means flavor will start to decay. If you get whole bean coffee and grind it, you will get the best flavor. Imagine opening a fresh bag of coffee each time.

Electric vs Manual

These days, most coffee grinder are small. The electric models typically use a blade to grind it. It works by pulverizing the beans into a fine dust. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always provide the best result. There are few small electric burr grinder. These are preferred if you want the most even grind from your beans.

You can get around this by going manual. High ends small manual coffee grinder are plenty. They usually have excellent milling and build quality. While some cost hundreds, affordable option exist.

One thing to note about the Manual Coffee Grinder is that it can take a while. This is especially true if you plan on making espresso. Its not unheard of for it to take minutes for a single shot. Grinds for Drip or French Press take less time.

Which Grind Setting?

Hopefully I have convinced you of the benefit of a Coffee Grinder. When it comes to use, its pretty simple just load the bean and grind. However, deciding the right grind setting is equally as important. First decide how you are going to make the coffee. You have French Press, Drip or Espresso. All models make good coffee but you do need to get the right consistency.

French Press style usually requires the coarsest grind. While Drip requires a medium setting. If you want espresso, you need a grinder that can make the coffee really fine. Without a fine grind, you wont be able to build pressure and extract enough coffee. I recommend you experiment and find the best grind setting. Each grinder is a bit different.

1Zpresso K-PRO Manual Coffee Grinder (Best Overall)

1Zpresso K-PRO Manual Coffee Grinder is one of the best manual coffee grinder on the market. You get consistently even grind and you have 35 different setting. All you need to do is turn the tab on the bottom of the grinder. However you only have 35g capacity. So if you want drip coffee, you might have to grind it twice. It might get a little tiring if you have to do it twice. There are a few different models for different coffee. You get the most consistent grind base on the model you choose. The one link is more for all around coffee.

Hario”Skerton Pro” Ceramic Manual Coffee Grinder, Black (Best Buy)

Hario is a good alternative to the 1zpresso. Its made in Japan and provide good result. Instead of a stainless steel burr, it uses ceramic. While its not as durable as the 1zpresso, it is a fraction of the price. The glass container also means you get more capacity at 100g. You dont have to empty it twice for regular drip coffee. Best of all, this model is made in Japan. The build quality is excellent and you wont be dissapointed.

Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder for Beans (Best Electric Small Coffee Grinder)

When I say best, I mean best for your money. These blade grinder are all about the same. You might as well get a affordable one. If you truly want a good one, then get a Rancilio Rocky, its just really expensive and big. The Hamilton Beach model is a good small and affordable option.

Is a Small Coffee Grinder Worth it?

If you are low on space and want good coffee, yes. There are a few option available. For the small form factor, go for the manual one. They give you the best results. Just be aware, they do make them specifically for different type of coffee. The Hario is a good mid ground. They are affordable and make good coffee all around. But for electric, just get a cheap blade model. Dont waste your money on the higher end one if you want it compact.

Want Foamy Milk for your Coffee? Check out our article on the Best Handheld Milk Frother.