Whether your personal water-to-grounds ratio is a rich 15:1 or a mellower 20:1, whether you prefer a bold Sumatran blend or a floral Ethiopian, and whether you're team pour-over or team French press as a morning ritual, there's actually another coffee-making element recommended by coffee pros that potentially plays a bigger role in a great cup of joe than anything else.
If you're still buying pre-ground beans, or even if you're grinding whole beans to order with a blade grinder, then this one's for you. For the best coffee results, everyone would be better off with a burr grinder.
"A burr grinder gives you maximum control," says Kaleena Teoh, co-founder and Director of Education for Coffee Project New York, "and gives you the power to brew the coffee exactly the way you want it to be."
A burr grinder gives you maximum control over the beans you use to make a cup of coffee -- it's one of the most important coffee tools you can own. Patrick Holland/CNET
Looking for something to gift a coffee lover in your life this season, or looking to treat yourself for making it this far in the hellscape that has been 2025? This is a device that can help you enjoy life just that little bit more every day. Here's everything to know about coffee professionals' not-so-secret tool for an exceptional brew.
Below, we'll explain what a burr grinder is and why it's superior to other grinders you'll find.
Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
What is a burr grinder and how does it work?
Unlike a blade grinder, which grinds coffee beans by actually slicing them, burr coffee grinders work by crushing them. Burr grinders rely on two abrasive or notched discs or plates, known as burrs, which rotate either parallel to one another or concentrically.
Burr grinders are able to grind beans evenly and to a precise coarseness. Kuzmik_A/Getty
... continue reading