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Upgrade Your Coffee Game with These Affordable Burr Grinders

Upgrade Your Coffee Game with These Affordable Burr Grinders

Burr grinders do the job of “grinding” more perfectly, unlike blade grinders, who typically chop the beans.

The supremacy of a burr coffee grinder is that it grinds beans uniformly and with consistency. A more consistent grind means a better cup of coffee, plus no clogging problems, and you get the complete flexibility to grind beans that best suits the kind of coffee or espresso maker you are using.

It has two burred plates and beans grind between them. The “burrs” can be flat or conical, depending on the model. One burr plate remains static, while the other revolves around grinding the beans.

If I had to choose the three best burr grinders in terms of quality and feature, I would choose Fellow Ode Brew Grinder – Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, Baratza Virtuoso+ Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, and Breville BCG820BSS Smart Grinder Pro. 

To explore more about burr grinders, keep on reading and find out the best burr grinder under $300.

Difference between a burr grinder and a blade grinder?

a coffee grinder next to a cup and a spilled jar of coffee beans

A burr grinder usually has two abrasive surfaces called burr and the coffee gets ground between them. On the other side, the blade grinder has a blade similar to a food processor.

Burr grinders can grind more coarsely and uniformly compared to blade grinders. 

You need to choose a burr grinder over the blade because you will get a more uniformly grind as you get more control over the grinding process than you have with the blade. 

However, the burr is more expensive than the blade, but the burr’s quality, consistency, and overall performance are worth that money if you are serious about coffee. 

And why you should not opt for the blade one is because of the problem with the smashing approach in the blade grinder. 

Blade grinders chop beans at high speed and end up grinding them in irregular size. It mainly gives you powder or chunks, which is not the right way to get the best flavors from your beans. Moreover, the powder from the grind can cause clogging in your espresso or french press.

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How does coffee taste better with the burr grinder?

Burr grinders provide consistent size and shape grinds that make a more even and clean brew that tastes better. 

It contains rough and small conical devices that revolve around conjunction to grind coffee beans between them. You get more control over how the burr grinder grinds your coffee.

You can adjust the space between the burrs and the speed of the machine to grind according to your preference. Beans allow water to extract more flavors from the surface of each particle when you brew your java. 

Take a look at this video to see the difference between a burr grinder and a blade grinder:

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How much do burr grinders usually cost?

A burr grinder can cost you anywhere from $15 to $500, depending upon type, material, quality, and brand. 

There are different burrs grinders in the market, manual and electric.

Electric cost you more than manual, but it makes your job easier. A small manual burr grinder can range from $15 to $40, whereas an automatic burr grinder may cost you $40 and $100.

A large size manual grinder can cost you $50 and $70. In contrast, the automatic one may range between $100 and $300.

A quality grinder can last for 5-7 years if properly managed. 

Is getting a burr grinder worth it?

Burr grinders are definitely worth the price. They are expensive but are more consistent and precise than blades grinders.

Most java enthusiasts tend to choose burr grinder on the frontier of today’s coffee world. Coffee lovers will likely prefer to grind their beans at home with a quality burr grinder. 

If you’re new to coffee grinders and need help with picking which one is best for you, you can read my article where I talk about how to choose a coffee grinder.

ground coffee

Best burr grinders under $300

I have listed down my three favorite grinders for under $300. If you can afford one, then definitely get one of these as their price is much reasonable if we compare them with a high-end barista or cafe coffee grinders

Here is a quick table to look at to know the price, material, and size of the best burr grinders: 

Burr Coffee Grinder Material Dimensions Price 
Fellow Ode Brew Grinder – Electric Burr Coffee GrinderAluminum4.7 x 9.5 x 9.4 inches$295.00
Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee GrinderMetal6.69 x 6.69 x 12.6 inches$349.00
Breville BCG820BSS Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Bean GrinderStainless steel8.5 x 6 x 15.5 inches$199.95
Best Burr Grinder Under $300

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder – Electric Burr Coffee Grinder

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder is a winner in every category because of its balance of style and features. This elegant-looking burr grinder is aluminum, which complements your modern kitchen counter. 

The body is rock solid with a consolidated layout characteristic, impressive aesthetics, and has amazing features.

The new model version comes with updated burrs that provide finer quality grind. The Fellow is easy-to-use and is super quiet compared to other expensive grinders. It is a little expensive compared to other grinders on this list, but it is quite sturdy and produces your dream grind.

There’s a ton of little feature that makes fellow stand out, firstly the magnet that helps snap the coffee cup in place and help the spring with retention.

Moreover, it comes with a brush to help clean every leftover particle. The metal cup helps with static electricity that works like a magnet for some coffee particles.

Overall, the construction is impressive that helps make this grinder a lot less messy, definitely the best coffee grinder with a price tag of $300.

Pros

  • Elegant design
  • Low Noise
  • Consistent grind

Cons

  • Outlet hopper design is poor
  • Machine generates static
  • Cleanup is not easy

Baratza Virtuoso+ Conical Burr Coffee Grinder 

Virtuoso+ has a sleek design, perfect fitting chamber, and a digital screen in the front for convenience. 

The manufacturer has done a great job explaining details in easy-to-understand instructions to set up the device. 

On the back, you can find optimal settings for brewing methods like AeroPress, espresso machines, or Chemex. The best part is instead of a timer like on the older model, this one has the digital face that lets you modify the clock in 0.1-second increments.

The machine does remember its last setting input and that’s a plus point. The hopper capacity is 1/2 lb, so I suggest using an airtight canister as storage.

It is more feature-packed and is a versatile expert-level machine. Overall, this is a solid, respectable machine.

Pros

  • Even and consistent grind
  • Semi-pro and sturdy 
  • Digital timer that can be adjusted for precise and repeatable grinds

Cons

  • Difficult to use 
  • Noisy
  • Require a frustrating assembly

Breville BCG820BSS Smart Grinder Pro 

This Smart Grinder Pro by Breville uses dosing technology to grind intelligently.

The coffee grinder comes with Portafilter Cradle( 50-54 mm), Portafilter Cradle(Large 58 mm), with one grind container with a lid. It has a sealing cap conical burr cleaning brush for easy cleaning.

The machine lets you grind directly into the portafilter, an airtight container. The LCD screen shows the grind setting, grind time, and the number of shots or cups you have selected.

It has 60 grind settings and you can set the machine to make the grind perfect for Espresso to French Press. 

It comes with a portafilter cradle and makes more of a professional barista-like coffee at home. You can grind directly in the portafilter instead of spooning them out. So if you own a real espresso machine, the whole coffee-making process becomes less messy. 

It comes with durable stainless steel conical burr. You can control the grind amount by using the front signal knob and two buttons on the front side. 

The machine has a control knob on the left side. This lets you adjust the grind to a more refined or coarse size.  The best thing is to separate the ground tray from dumping or spilled coffee and easy cleaning. 

Pros

  • Brushed Stainless Steel
  • Large hopper
  • Easy to clean 
  • Magnetic removable catch tray
  • Magnetic portafilter holders

Cons

  • Lacks Durability
  • Emits a high-pitched noise when plugged in
  • Not grind coarse enough for french press

To sum it up

coffee beans inside a grinder

Overall, burr grinders do make a noticeably more delicious cup of coffee.

Personal these three, in my opinion, are the best burr grinders:

  • Fellow Ode Brew Grinder – Electric Burr Coffee Grinder
  • Baratza Virtuoso+ Conical Burr Coffee Grinder 
  • Breville BCG820BSS Smart Grinder Pro 

The top advantage of having a quality burr coffee grinder at home is that it grinds beans to a uniform size of particles, so you enjoy the best coffee each day. 

Burr grinder provides grinds that avoid clogging problems and gives you the control over the size that best suits the kind of java you want to make. 

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