How to pick a grinder

1. Burrs, not blades

Blade grinders chop beans into a mix of dust and chunks, and the size depends on how long you hold the button. Burr grinders crush the beans between two rings set a fixed distance apart, so the grounds come out much closer to one size and the setting stays the same from cup to cup. Every grinder on this site is a burr grinder.

2. What you brew decides how fine you need to go

• Filter only (pour-over, AeroPress, French press, cold brew): you need medium to coarse grounds and steady consistency. Most grinders do this well; filter-focused burrs bring out clarity and fruit.
• Espresso: needs very fine grounds and tiny steps between settings, because a small change moves the shot a lot. Look for “espresso-capable” and small steps (or stepless adjustment).
• Both: an all-rounder works, but check how many turns or clicks it takes to move between espresso and filter. On some grinders it is a long trip.

3. Hand or electric

• Hand: for the same money you get better burrs, it is quiet, and it travels. Grinding one 15–20 g dose takes about 30–60 seconds for filter, longer for espresso. Fine for 1–2 cups a day.
• Electric: no effort, faster, better for 3 or more cups a day or for a household. Costs more for the same grind quality.
• Travel: look for a hand grinder under about 750 g that packs small.

4. A few more things to check

• Stepped or stepless. Steps (clicks) are easy to repeat and share. Stepless lets you set anything in between, which helps for espresso but is harder to return to exactly.
• Single dose or hopper. Single-dose grinders grind exactly what you weigh in, so you can switch beans easily. A hopper holds a bag’s worth and suits one bean used every day.
• Retention. Some grounds stay inside every grinder. Low retention means less stale coffee in your next cup.
• Conical or flat burrs. Both can be excellent. Flat burrs are often described as clearer, conical as rounder and more forgiving. It matters less than overall quality and alignment.
• Parts and support. Brands that sell replacement burrs and parts in Canada keep a grinder going for years.

5. Rough price bands (Canada)

• Under CA$150: entry hand grinders (Hario, Timemore C2, KINGrinder P2). A big step up from a blade grinder for filter.
• CA$150–350: very good hand grinders for filter or both (1Zpresso, Timemore S3), and entry electric (Baratza Encore, OXO, Fellow Opus 2).
• CA$350–700: top hand grinders (Comandante, Kinu), filter-focused electric (Fellow Ode Gen 2), and capable all-rounders (DF64).
• Over CA$700: espresso-focused electric and high-end single-dose grinders.

Prices change often. Each grinder page lists the price we found and when.