De'Longhi, Coffee Grinder KG79, Black & DLSC058 Coffee Tamper, Stainless Steel

Product Information

The DeLonghi Burr Coffee Grinder KG79 has features that distinguish it from other coffee grinders. Here are some critical features of the KG79: Burr Grinding Technology You could single dose, and if you're single dosing (just throwing in the beans you're about to use) then you'll probably be fine adjusting the grind both ways while it isn't running, in which case two hands should suffice. At the time of writing, for example, the Molino is available for a price cheaper than even the blade grinders above, and it's quite a bit cheaper than the other two in this category, so I'd grab this if I was wanting a really cheap grinder and I wasn't too fussed about getting a better cup quality by investing in a grinder with proper burrs. Best entry-level burr grinders If I were going to use this grinder for espresso, I'd definitely want to do the mod above to turn it into an on-demand grinder to grind directly into the basket. It basically involves gluing down the sensor that tells the grinder the grinds container is in place and fitting a piece of pipe to extend the grinds chute out into your portafilter.

It's quite a nice-looking little grinder, it's really simple to use with grinding volume (dose) selections in the form of coffee beans, or continuous grinding when you choose the portafilter icon, and it's not particularly loud. Espresso With Standard, Traditional Baskets? This isn't a quiet grinder, but nor are the other similarly priced grinders I've tried, to be fair. The only negative for espresso is that worm dial adjustment grinders (see the Iberital MC2 below) give you a slightly better ability to finely tune in the grind, this is a stepped grinder although the steps are very small. Its features make it stand out from other coffee grinders on the market, including burr grinding technology, adjustable grind settings, a large hopper, and a ground coffee container.Some of the marketing blurb does have me shaking my head, if I'm honest, for example, this is listed as working for espresso, cappuccino, and Americano… The obvious error with this is that they're all the same thing, cappuccino and Americano are of course made from espresso, and actually, saying that a grinder is compatible with espresso is an error, too, although it's an error many of the grinder brands make. You don’t need to guess how well ground your coffee beans are. You can take a look inside the compartment and grind it further if you need to. Same goes for the coffee beans. You’ll know when you’re running low and need to refill. I, for one, don’t like to find that mid-grind there are no beans left. Cons Thanks to the see-through hopper, you can see exactly how many beans you have left. Ground Coffee Container The timer options seem like a good idea actually, instead of having to remember how long you ground for to achieve a particular grind size, you can just adjust the timer wheel, so once you find a grind size that works (well, a grind time, which should result in a similar overall grind size) you can just leave it at that setting. Best Grinding Wheel Grinders This is the latest “Zero” option from Eureka, and while the Oro Zero (below) is the zero retention version of the Mignon XL with the bigger, “diamond inside” burrs, this is the Zero retention single doser version of the Mignon Specialita, and at the price point they've set it at, I think it's a very interesting alternative to the Niche Zero.

So if you're looking for the cheapest grinder on the market with actual burrs, this is probably it. Personally, I'd usually try to avoid the very cheapest option with whatever I'm looking at buying, if I can help it. I've found that generally speaking, the best real value tends to be somewhere towards the middle. The difference in motor means a slightly quieter grinder, and in theory according to the blurb, increased flavour and aroma, due to the reduced RPM and less heat being introduced to the coffee while grinding. OK so as I've said, we've taken a big jump in cost price, and we're talking some serious grinder here, with 83mm flat burrs, super fine worm dial adjustment, and very smart macro adjustment. The size of the burrs comes into it, as does the cut of the burrs, meaning how the teeth (for want of a better word) on the burrs are shaped, but speed when it comes to the burrs is something that manufacturers of quality grinders often work hard to reduce, not increase.

De'Longhi KG89

While the Niche Zero doesn't look like a traditional coffee grinder, and I suspect there was some eyebrow-raising, and even some sniggering from the well established grinder brands towards this strange-looking grinder initially, I don't think anyone is laughing now… In fact, in my opinion, the Niche Zero has changed the market for home coffee grinders. Features: The Sette 270 is definitely a grinder I think you should have on your shortlist if you're looking at the entry to mid price range and if you're looking for a grinder for espresso and/or pourover, and if you've read negatives about this grinder or if you have a negative impression of it for some reason, I'd highly recommend reading below about the changes Baratza have made to this grinder. Features: I have to say I really like the look of the Oro Zero, it looks like they've really given Niche a run for their money with this grinder, although it's early days and the proof is in the pudding, which is a really weird saying. The only thing I have to say negatively is that I think it's a shame that Eureka didn't keep the touch screen programmable doses from the Mignon XL on the Oro, for anyone who wants that feature.

This grinder is about the lowest price “proper” burr grinder available in the UK. If all you're looking for is a true burr grinder for as little pennies as possible, then this is probably it, at the time of writing. This is clearly a commercial coffee grinder, but it's one that has the ability and the price point to make it a good choice for high-end home barista use too, especially with the short bellow hoppers that Baratza also offers. You don’t need to assemble it or be a barista to use the machine. It has two notches for adjusting the grind setting and how many cups you want to make. The grinder takes care of the rest. AffordableGrinding coffee involves burrs that have sharp “teeth”, for want of a better word, and the beans are relatively (depending on the grinder) precisely ground up into uniform-sized chunks. OK, you always have some fines and some bigger grinds, but with really blunt wheels like this, you're going get quite a bit of exploding coffee beans, leading to all manner of particle sizes. So if you can, I would very highly recommend that you skip this section and move swiftly on, but if you can't stretch the budget & you absolutely must get one of the cheaper blade grinders, then have a look at these: The Baratza Sette may seem to be a grinder that needs no introduction, but it probably needs a re-introduction, as I get the impression that many people aren't aware of the fairly fundamental changes that have been made to the Sette 270. On the positive side, it's not a blade “grinder”, it's a burr grinder, and it's really cheap. Even if it only lasts a year, this would work out at about 90 pence a week, although, of course, it's not great in terms of sustainability if this were to happen.