Best Budget Espresso Grinders

Choosing the right grinder is one of the most important things you can do for your espresso. Luckily, there are a lot of great options for budget-minded coffee lovers.

The Baratza Encore ESP is popular among espresso enthusiasts because of its sophisticated design and great grinding results. It has a small footprint and is easy to use.
Baratza Forte AP

The Baratza Forte AP is an all-purpose grinder designed to meet the needs of both home and commercial artisanal coffee grinders drinkers. Its 260 stepped settings and intuitive display make it easy to dial in the perfect grind for your favorite brew method. This model also has a portafilter holder for hands-free grinding into your portafilter and a shut-off hopper that keeps the grounds fresh until you’re ready to brew.

This grinder has a sleek case and a digital touch screen that makes it a great addition to any modern kitchen. It’s easy to program and the layout is simple to read. It also has a strong and quiet motor that can handle almost any brewing method you can think of.

Unlike other grinders on the market, the Baratza Forte AP offers a unique feature that allows users to save up to three different time and weight-based dosing settings. This feature helps to ensure that each cup of espresso is as consistent as the last, making it easier for baristas to get their drinks right. It also comes pre-calibrated at the factory, but if you want to customize it for your specific brewing methods, you can easily do so with the included calibration tool.

The Forte AP is designed for a variety of brew methods, including espresso, French press, and pour over. Its 54mm flat ceramic burrs are heat resistant and can grind a wide range of sizes, from fine for drip to coarse for French press. It has a total of 10 macro settings and 26 micro settings, giving you a lot of flexibility to choose the ideal grind for any brew method.

This grinder has a powerful, high-torque motor that is 70% more powerful than the Vario’s, but rotates more slowly to prevent heat transfer to the coffee. It also has a backlit, easy-to-read display and an automatic reset thermal switch.

This model is also highly versatile, featuring a dual cam grind adjustment that can adjust the grind from 230 to 1150 microns with a single click. Its powerful motor can grind over 300 cups of coffee per hour, and the 8 oz grounds container is easy to clean and has a convenient lid. The Forte AP is the ideal grinder for a busy cafe, office or small restaurant, as it can be programmed to grind on demand with either time or weight-based dosing.
Baratza Sette

This grinder is a fun, sleekly designed piece of machinery that offers a lot of usability for its price. It features a unique pass-through mechanism that allows the coffee to drop directly into a grounds bin or portafilter. This makes it easy to single-dose and reduces spillage. There is also a mat fitted to the base of the unit that efficiently catches loose grounds for disposal. The grounds bin itself is made of anti-static plastic and has a molded spout that allows for easy pouring.

It is also one of the most affordable options with a flat burr, which many believe delivers superior espresso flavor. Its fine to medium grind range is well suited for espresso and also for drip and pour over brewing. In addition, it can be upgraded with a BG (brew grind) burr to give a more coarse grind profile that works well for press brewing. The burrs are easy to replace and can be swapped in less than a minute with no tools or re-calibration.

Like other Baratza models, the Sette is built with precision and accuracy in mind. It features a built-in scale using weighing technology from Acaia, giving you precise and accurate weight-based dosing with a tenth of a gram sensitivity. The Sette can even be used to grind by weight directly into a portafilter.

The Sette also has 30 macro settings, which cover a wide range of brew methods. It is a step up from the entry level Sette 30 AP, which has only 24 steps and can be tricky to dial in for espresso.

The Sette has a nice Quick Burst feature, which lets you grind just a minute’s worth of beans to top off your portafilter. It also has a nice, easy-to-use interface that is easy to understand and use. Other features include a brew timer, a portafilter holder that’s easy to insert and remove, and an integrated cleaning brush. The Sette is an excellent option for the aspiring home barista who doesn’t want to spend a fortune but wants high quality, precision grinds that will give great results with any brew method.
Fellow Opus

The Fellow Opus is the first grinder from the brand to focus on espresso. It comes with a set of C6-40 burrs and a single-dose hopper with a magnetic grounds catch that slides right under the chute. It also offers tap-to-grind timed dosing and anti-static technology cribbed from the larger Fellow Ode. The Opus also promises a broad grind range for both espresso and brewed coffee grinder with an outer 41 step macro adjustment and an inner micro-adjustment ring that can be adjusted by 6 micro steps in either direction.

The Opus has an easy-to-use interface with a blue dial under the hopper for micro adjustments. It’s a bit tricky to use at first, especially for someone who is used to using a Baratza ESP, but with a little practice you can get the hang of it.

It’s easy to see how this grinder could be a game-changer for those who are new to specialty coffee or just want to up their morning routine a bit. It can handle a wide variety of grind sizes, has a small footprint, looks cute on the counter, and is affordable for its quality.

Another benefit is that this is a conical burr grinder, which produces more consistent grounds and fewer fines than flat burr grinders. This is important when it comes to espresso, as fines can make for a very inconsistent and bitter cup. In addition, it has a no-tool calibration system that keeps your grind consistent over time.

One of the reasons why this grinder is so great for beginners and people who are new to espresso is that it is very quiet. The lack of vibration, noise, and heat from the grinding process helps you focus on the aromas and flavor notes in your brew rather than the tumultuous ride that can often be associated with an espresso grinder. Additionally, the Opus can be a bit of a workhorse and is backed by a 2-year warranty (extended to 3 years when you register with Fellow). It’s also available in a beautiful black or white color.
MiiCoffee DF64 II

MiiCoffee DF64 II is an updated version of the original grinder and offers even better performance for an excellent price. It is the ideal single-dosing espresso grinder with its high efficiency, low retention, and user-friendly workflow. It is also highly customizable, making it the best espresso coffee grinder budget espresso grinder for home use.

It has a sleek and minimalist design that fits seamlessly with any kitchen countertop. It is built from solid metal and feels durable, suggesting it will last for years to come. It also has a smart grind adjustment collar with a metal dial indicator for precision. This feature is usually found on higher-end grinders, so it is a nice addition to this model.

The motor design of the MiiCoffee DF64 II minimizes noise, which is a plus for early risers and coffee enthusiasts who want to keep their home environment quiet. The grinder is also compact and has a short bean hopper, which reduces the overall size of the grinder and makes it easier to store. The short hopper also allows you to grind smaller portions for multiple shots of espresso at a time.

This stainless steel grinder is highly adaptable and can be used with a wide variety of brewing methods, including drip coffee, French press, and pour over. It has 40 grind settings, a digital timer display, and a user-friendly control panel, which is perfect for beginners and experienced manual vs electric coffee grinder enthusiasts alike. The machine is also easy to clean and maintain. Its components are easily accessible, so you can do most of the maintenance yourself without the need for professional assistance.

Although the DF64 is a great budget espresso grinder, it has some downsides. One of these is that the grind size can be uneven due to the small burrs. However, this can be remedied with a few upgrades. In fact, this grinder has become so popular that a cottage industry has grown around it, with people offering DIY solutions to its quirks. Some have even crafted 3D-printed parts and angled dosing rings to improve the user experience.

While the DF64 has many features that make it an excellent value, there are some important differences between it and the Baratza Sette AP. The DF64 is designed for espresso, while the Sette is a versatile grinder that can be used for a variety of brewing methods.