Wirecutter

For a steeper price, the Virtuoso+ has everything we like about the Encore in terms of reliability and consistent grind size, plus a few improved features.

TechGearLab

If you're shopping for a large family or small office of caffeine addicts, our top recommendation is the Baratza Virtuoso+. It can pump out a very consistent grind size and is also kitted out with more industrial-grade components than most of its consumer-level competitors. This means it is more likely to stand the test of time and shake off the abuse of multiple people making multiple cups of coffee each day. It had a long stint as our office grinder, where it consistently churned out 20+ cups of ground beans per day like a champ. 
The high price tag of the Virtuoso+ may be the main deterrent. Additionally, its grind consistency is slightly less impressive than some less durable models we've tested. However, the grind consistency isn't very far off from that of top performers, and its components are likely to last longer when subjected to heavy use, which should save anyone that grinds lots of coffee money in the long run.

If you're shopping for a large family or small office of caffeine addicts, our top recommendation is the Baratza Virtuoso+. It can pump out a consistent grind size and is also kitted out with more industrial-grade components than most of its consumer-level competitors. This means it is more likely to stand the test of time and shake off the abuse of multiple people making multiple cups of coffee daily. It had a long stint as our office grinder, where it consistently churned out 20+ cups of ground beans per day like a champ. 
The high price tag of the Virtuoso+ may be the main deterrent. Additionally, its grind consistency is slightly less impressive than some less durable models we've tested. However, the grind consistency isn't very far off from that of top performers, and its components are likely to last longer when subjected to heavy use, which should save anyone that grinds lots of coffee money in the long run.
Read more: Baratza Virtuoso+ review

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Also Great

The Krups F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder is the lowest-profile electric grinder we tested. For a small grinder, it houses a powerful 200-watt motor and performed very well. It kept up with the pack with grind consistency, offering similar performance to the Hamilton Beach model. We like the simplicity, particularly the simple power button on the lid and the fixed-cup design. It was the easiest to use and clean, and its slim design made pouring spices easy. It outperformed the Quiseen model in grind performance and design.
As the cup is fixed, we did find that pouring spices or coffee from it was a little less comfortable than the models with removable cups. However, its slim, oval shape and steep walls helped keep spices and coffee in place better than the Quiseen model. This is a great model for someone looking for a simple design to get the job done with no fuss and no frills.

America's Test Kitchen

This grinder, our previous favorite, once again received top marks for its clean, relatively even grinding and simple, easy-to-use design. We particularly appreciated its wide, clear lid, which afforded us the best view of the grinding process, and we liked that its grind button was situated off to the side so we didn't obscure the lid with our hands during grinding. Its grinding chamber was a roomy oval that provided a wide base for us to cleanly load and empty the coffee. It held enough coffee beans to grind 70 grams of coffee, enough for a full 10-cup pot from our top-ranked coffee maker, and its low-lying blade ensured that no whole beans were left after grinding. It's also our favorite electric spice grinder. However, if you regularly grind both coffee beans and whole spices, we recommend you invest in a second grinder to prevent flavor crossover.

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For those who need an affordable hand grinder, the Timemore Chestnut C2 was the best in its class for speed, ease of grinding, and portability.

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This compact machine produces a consistent grind, but you have to work for it.

If you're looking for the best possible starting point for your morning brew, we can't recommend the Breville Smart Grinder Pro highly enough. It earned the highest score in our all-important grind consistency metric and was a frontrunner in every other metric as well. It can even grind finely enough to make proper espresso. This model is definitely for you if you're seeking something that offers clean operation, is easy to use, surprisingly quiet, and produces impressively consistent grinds.
Apart from the fact that you have to pay a premium for its top-notch performance, the only downside of the Smart Grinder Pro is that it struggles a bit when grinding on the coarse end. In this range, which is what you want for cold brew and what many want for French press, it tends to create a good number of fines &#40;dust-like grinds&#41; that can cause a muddy and more bitter brew. However, if your preferred brewing method is anything from pour-over to espresso, this machine will treat you to an incredibly consistent, high-quality grind. 

If you're looking for the best possible starting point for your morning brew, we can't recommend the Breville Smart Grinder Pro highly enough. It earned the highest score in our all-important grind consistency metric and was a frontrunner in every other metric. It can even grind finely enough to make proper espresso. This model is definitely for you if you're seeking something that offers a clean operation, is easy to use, surprisingly quiet, and produces impressively consistent grinds.
Apart from the fact that you have to pay a premium for its top-notch performance, the only downside of the Smart Grinder Pro is that it struggles a bit when grinding on the coarse end. In this range, which is what you want for cold brew and what many want for French press, it tends to create a good number of fines &#40;dust-like grinds&#41; that can cause a muddy and more bitter brew. However, if your preferred brewing method is anything from pour-over to espresso, this machine will treat you to an incredibly consistent, high-quality grind. 
Read more: Breville the Smart Grinder Pro review

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Consumer Reports

CR’s take: If you’re an aficionado of fresh ground coffee, you should give the Breville The Grind Control BDC650BSS a close look. This drip coffee maker grinds whole coffee beans just before brewing. As a result, the appliance is capable of making a great pot of coffee. It’s easy to use and clean, earning a rating of Very Good in our convenience tests. It allows you to adjust brew strength, it’s programmable (so you can set it to grind and brew just before you wake up), and it uses a thermal carafe to keep your coffee warm for hours.

CR’s take: If you’re an aficionado of fresh ground coffee, you should give the Breville The Grind Control BDC650BSS a close look. This drip coffee maker grinds whole coffee beans just before brewing. As a result, the appliance is capable of making a great pot of coffee. It’s also easy to use and clean, earning a rating of Very Good in our convenience tests. It allows you to adjust brew strength, it’s programmable (so you can set it to grind and brew just before you wake up), and it uses a thermal carafe to keep your coffee warm for hours.

The Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind 4.5oz Electric is an affordable, modest grinder. It's a quiet powerhouse that boasts a great design. At equal consistency, it kept up with the specialty electric grinders and grinding spices, including cinnamon, cumin, and coriander. It has a 200-watt motor housed in a slim plastic housing; this model is one of the smaller electric models we tested. For how powerful it is, we're impressed by its consistency in creating a fine grind. It was the quietest model we tested while grinding coffee or spices and also has a removable cup that clicks into the base like a blender. The cup is constructed of stainless steel and plastic and has convenient measurement lines for the maximum capacity of coffee and spices. 
This quiet little grinder is sleek, but it has the smallest capacity of all the grinders for spices. The max line on the cup for spices holds two ounces, compared to 4.5 ounces at the max line for coffee. After a day of testing, we noticed that the blade was loose and wobbly unless snapped into the base. Once the cup and base were connected, the blade seemed more secure; this made us often question if the mechanism that connects the blade to the cup was properly attached.

Coffee Grinder Comparison