There is nothing better than getting the day started with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. But in the fine art of coffee making, all brews are not equal. Having a coffee maker and pre-ground beans might seem like a more convenient way to get the best homemade coffee, but that is not always the case. So, what makes all the difference?
Introduction
We spoke to many coffee connoisseurs, and they all agree on the same thing – “The oils from the beans need to be released evenly to get the best-tasting coffee.” Sadly, we cannot rely on pre-ground beans to give us that truly authentic taste. Investing in a coffee maker might seem like a good alternative, however your ground beans will lose their flavor a few days after grinding. Freshly ground coffee beans produce the best flavors within minutes after grinding.
Also, why go for two machines when you can get one to serve the same purpose and give much better results?
The last thing you want is to end up with bland coffee because you have bought the wrong beans. With that being said, here is a comprehensive guide on the different types of coffee that you can use as a reference before investing in a coffee maker with burr grinder.
Grind and brew coffee makers are the best solutions since they are dependable appliances for producing the best homemade coffee.There are a lot of coffee makers with burr grinders on the market, each with its own specifications and output. Deciding on the best one according to your personal preference can be somewhat overwhelming, especially if this is your first time buying one of these appliances.
That is why we have compiled this list to help you choose the best coffee maker with a Burr grinder to help you make the best possible decision. Having experimented with a lot of these machines, I found these coffee makers with burr grinders to be the most suitable choices.
6 Best Coffee Maker With Burr Grinder (Full Review)
1. Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker
Cuisinart is a market leader as far as manufacturing quality home appliances is concerned. They have built a good reputation over the years, and that is why they are first on our list of the best coffee makers with burr grinders for home use. The DGB900-BC is an excellent example of a quality product that suits the needs of Cuisinart’s customer base to a tee. DGB900-BC is designed with both plastic and stainless steel materials.
The coffee maker comes with a built-in, conical burr grinder that automatically grinds coffee beans immediately before brewing. All you need to do is set up the unit, feed the 8-ounce size bean hopper, and watch it grind and brew every time, just with a click of a button. Another great feature is the control button that lets you choose the number of cups you want to brew. It ranges from a minimum of two cups to a maximum of twelve cups.
One of the several unique features of this coffee maker is the strength selection control. This feature allows you to choose the strength of your brew, ranging from strong, medium, or mild coffee. The coffee maker basically determines how much coffee beans to grind based on the “Strength” selection. However, no matter which strength option you choose, the coffee maker consistently makes the best pot of freshly brewed coffee.
While it is up to you what beans you are adding to the hopper, the unit comes with a charcoal filter that improves the water quality. It cleanses the water and removes any impurities like chlorine. No chemicals are used; therefore, the water is not stripped from any salts or healthy minerals. The charcoal filter used in this coffee maker also eliminates bad tastes and odors from water.
Pros
- Fully programmable
- Insulated thermal carafe
- It has a hotplate that can keep the coffee temperature hot for a longer period.
- Uses charcoal water filter
Cons
- The grinder is loud.
- The unit is quite bulky
- Requires regular cleaning
2. Breville BDC650BSS Grind Control Coffee Maker, Brushed Stainless Steel
Before manufacturing this coffee maker, Breville carefully considered the feedback received from the previous model, BREBDC600XL. Breville BDC650BSS is a simple upgrade of the previous model, and the improvements achieved in this model make a world of difference.
Unlike the Cuisinart DGB900-BC, BDC650BSS can produce anything from a single cup of coffee brew to as many as 12 equally sized cups. You have three strength selections to choose from, including strong, medium, or mild. Breville recommends four cups at a time for a medium-strength coffee to get the best taste, but you can easily adjust to your personal preference. This unit measures single-cup brew in ounces, while carafe brew is measured in milliliters.
Now, let us look at the improvements made in this unit. First, the heating design in this model is more efficient. Unlike the previous model, the water heating sensor in this model is placed at an appropriate point on the machine where the sensor can accurately pick up the time programmed on the LCD. This ensures that you get your coffee served hot and on time. It also appears that the lid on the thermal carafe on this model is slightly modified to fit more snugly. This improvement may seem negligible, but it can determine how long your coffee stays hot.
Breville also included adjustable burrs within the grinder on this model. Based on your preference, this unit has a knob on the top of the bean hopper that helps make bean ground coarser or finer. The LCD panel on this unit has also undergone a revamp. The clearer and less boring screen displays information like how much water is remaining in the water tank, the strength setting of the brew, and the selected service size.
The LCD panel also lets you auto-program the coffee maker by giving you access to the menu to set brew clock, brew completion signal, and an optional auto-start function. You can also access the calibration function in the menu. This function allows the grinder to come on for 10 seconds. After that, the amount of ground coffee beans is weighed and inputted into the menu using the strength knob. The brewer then recalculates the grinder timer to obtain the correct ground to water ratio.
Pros
- BDC650BSS brews hot coffee at 200 degrees
- The thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for a long time
- The coffee maker can brew a single cup size as well as up to 12-cup size for carafe mode
- It has an adjustable strength setting.
- Easy to clean
- Adjustable ground size for optimal flavor
Cons
- The LCD panel functionality may be tricky to operate
- A bit slow on the single cup mode
- The unit is quite tall and may struggle to fit under most cupboards
- Requires regular cleaning
3. KRUPS Grind and Brew Auto-Start Maker with Builtin Burr Coffee Grinder
Beauty is not usually a significant consideration when shopping on a budget, rather than practicality. However, KRUPS Grind and Brew Auto-Start Maker virtually deliver on every front as far as a tight budget goes. This coffee maker has two to ten grinding selections and is equally equipped with a five-setting conical burr grinder that makes either coarse or fine grounds.
Before getting your brew settings just right, be ready to experiment for a while. You might notice that the coffee maker has difficulty figuring out the right proportion of beans to make for the selected brew size.
Another great feature of this coffee maker is that it can brew pre-ground coffee beans. To achieve this:
- Pour the desired amounts of water and pre-ground beans into the water reservoir and filter basket, respectively.
- Always make sure that the glass carafe is in place to avoid seeing it slide off and break.
- Ensure that the LCD screen is active; you can press any button to turn on the blue light.
- Press the ‘Grind Off’ button once to deactivate the grind function.
- Press the ‘Grind/Brew’ switch once.
After a considerable pause, water will begin to flow into the filter basket containing the pre-ground beans and into your carafe. This coffee maker uses a gold-tone filter. Experience has shown that gold-tone filters do not keep out coarse bits of beans. Admittedly, the feedback of several buyers using this product indicates that this also happens with this unit. It is worth mentioning that this coffee maker makes scalding hot coffee, and the carafe can keep your brew hot for as long as possible. It sits on a hotplate that can be programmed to keep it hot for up to two extra hours.
Pros
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Easy to operate
- Keeps coffee hot
- Affordable
Cons
- It does not regulate the strength of coffee effectively
- Brew setting demands experimentation to master.
- Quite loud
4. Capresso 465 CoffeeTeam TS 10-Cup Digital Coffeemaker With Conical Burr Grinder and Thermal Carafe
But wait, that is not all. The 465 CoffeeTEAM TS is a fully programmable ten-cup capacity coffee machine with an integrated conical burr grinder in one compact design. It has three adjustable brew strengths: strong, regular, and mild, with two brewing options that allow you to make coffee with or without the beans grinder when using pre-ground beans.
This coffee maker features some unique components like a permanent gold-tone filter and a see-through window that allows you to check that ground beans flow smoothly into the filter holder. It also features a charcoal water filtration system with an electronic indicator that automatically displays when the charcoal filter needs replacement.
Unlike the KRUPS Grind and Brew Auto-Start Maker, Capresso 465 makes coffee brews that are strong enough without reducing the amount of water in the internal storage. The brew cycle seems to take slightly longer than usual, however. But, the company noted that the product’s slow burr grinding, which is the reason for the longer brew cycle, imparts minimal heat and helps preserve more of the aroma and flavor of the coffee beans. That sounds like a suitable compromise for a quicker brew.
The timer on this coffee maker is remarkably on target, so you can expect to get your coffee at the exact time it was programmed for. Programming the unit for your morning brew is relatively easy, and you can check your unique setting by holding down the ‘Program’ button, which will reveal your setting in this format: Eight cups, dark aroma, 5:45 am. Thankfully, your other brews do not affect the programmed setting during the day, so you do not have to reprogram it every day.
One of the noticeable advantages this coffee maker has over its rivals is its thermal carafe design. The lid does not leak and creates a mess when pouring coffee from the carafe into the cup. Leaky carafe lid seems to have been a common design flaw that coffee maker companies have found virtually impossible to fix. This hurdle could have resulted from the designers’ inability to find a way to create a free-flowing carafe lid without compromising the carafe’s heat preservation.
Oily beans always cog the chute of virtually all grind and brew coffee makers over time, but this tends to occur more frequently with Capresso 465. It is best to equally avoid using oily beans in this coffee maker to save yourself the stress since they always get caught in the feeder channel. If you have oiled beans, you will find it helpful to dry them out for a couple of hours or days on a paper towel before feeding them into the machine.
Generally, Capresso 465 is top-notch and unarguably one of the best coffee makers with burr grinders, not to mention the company’s friendly and efficient customer service. You will find their sense of concern and directions extremely valuable if the need for lodging a complaint arises.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Effective timer
- Reliable
- Easy to clean
- It comes with reusable filters
- Carafe does not spill content
- Great customer care service
Cons
- It does not have an external water gauge
- A bit pricey, but it’s worth it
5. DeLonghi ECAM 35075SI Dinamica With LatteCrema Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver
Espresso machines are a different class of programmable coffee makers. They are innovative, complete, and offer a superior taste experience. Unlike the traditional Grind and Brew coffee makers, espresso machines offer a wide range of different coffee experiences. They make it seem like you have a coffee shop right inside your kitchen.
In the box, you will find a 1.8 l/60 oz water tank, measuring scoop, total hardness test strip, cleaning brush, Descaler 100ml, removable water spout, and a milk jug.
Setting the coffee maker up can be tricky, especially if you have not done it before, and the instruction manual is not very helpful either. You will find the setup videos on the De’Longhi YT channel more useful. Apart from the difficulty in setup, every other procedure involving this machine is easy to handle.
The DeLonghi ECAM 35074 coffee maker offers about 17 styles, including ristretto, doppio, and cappuccinos. It can also make two ristretto or two lungo coffees simultaneously, one through each spout. Some of these beverages are directly displayed on the LCD screen, while others are accessed through the drink menu.
This coffee maker has a ‘My Menu’ button. This function allows you to customize your drinks and save the setting for quick access in the future. When you select your beverage and push its button, the coffee maker grinds the coffee beans, tamps it, and automatically expels the leftovers into the bin. If you select a milk-based beverage, the machine heats and froths (if desired) the milk directly into your cup before adding the coffee. The dial on the top of the milk container lets you choose from three froth levels: hot milk (no froth), minimum and maximum.
It’s recommended to have a “rinse cup” on hand. When you are done making a drink or not making a drink, put the rinse cup under the spouts to catch any rinse water when the machine automatically cleans and rinses itself. Alternatively, you can let the rinse waterfall into the reservoir below; however, having a rinse cup would save you the hassle of cleaning the reservoir frequently.
Pros
- Reliable for fine grind and brew
- Offers different types of coffee
- Easy to use and maintain
- Control over your drinks
- Great design
Cons
- The instruction manual is not very user-friendly
- Buttons under the LCD screen do not light up when pressed
- Requires frequent descaling
- It feels a bit bulky
6. Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel
The Breville BES870XL package includes virtually everything you need to enjoy a fully brewed experience. So you may not need to buy an extra part. The items in the pack include a dosing tool called razor, 54mm stainless steel portafilter, 1 and 2 cup single and dual wall filter baskets, coffee scoop, integrated tamper, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning disc, brush tool, an Allen key, cleaning tablets, water filter, and filter holder.
It is easy to spot improvements made on the model compared to its previous model, BES860XL. This appliance features a redesigned coffee bean hopper, more control over brew temperature, a hot water dispenser, an auto shut-off function, and a tiny float indicator that indicates when the drip tray requires emptying. More so, BES870XL’s power input is at 1600 watts versus the 1450 watts in the BES860XL.
Pros
- The machine is sturdy
- Easy to set up
- Easy to clean
- Easy to operate
- Quite reliable
Cons
- Bulky
- The machine has no water level indicator.
- Pricey, but worth it
Buyer’s Guide for Best Coffee Maker With Burr Grinder
Coffee makers with burr grinders have been rated better than standard coffee makers with blade grinders because they make superior coffee. It’s not propaganda, but rather plain and simple science! Coffee grinders with burr grinders grind your coffee beans consistently, unlike blade grinders. You can be guaranteed that your coffee will be thoroughly extracted and has a smoother feel.
Grind Settings
The best coffee grinders do not necessarily have to have every single setting you can think of. They have just enough to keep things simple and easy to use. However, if you know that you will be using your coffee maker a lot, it would not hurt to have a couple of handy extra features. Some coffee makers have a pulse button that you push to activate the grinding feature. The unit will stop grinding when you lift your finger off the button. Pretty simple right?
Some grinders have an auto grind feature, while others have the timed grinding option, which allows you to program your coffee maker. Evaluate your coffee usage and do not overcomplicate things when buying a coffee maker. The extra features can make your life easier, and who would not want that? It all boils down to you and what you want your coffee maker to accomplish. You may think more is better but does it actually do that? Depending on how you like your coffee, the number of additional settings you need on your coffee maker would vary.
Burr Material
Burrs are typically made out of two things; ceramic and steel. Ceramic is more rigid than steel, which means it will take longer for the burr to dull. But Ceramic is also more brittle than steel, which means that if your coffee maker happens to take a trip to the floor or something harder than a coffee bean finds its way into your grinder, the burr will not survive. Because of this, there are more coffee makers with steel burrs in production.
Budget
The cost of the coffee maker might just be the most crucial factor you’d consider. It would help if you found a mid-point between functionality and price. Some high-end coffee makers may feature rather impressive features that you may never use. Considering cost implications also includes the amount of energy the appliance consumes.
Though you are out to get the best tasting homemade coffee, you also do not want to increase your electric bill significantly.
Lastly, you need to factor in the cost of your appliance accessories. Ideally, it is best to go for a coffee maker with a reusable filter. Replacing disposable filters will cost you a lot more in the long run, especially if you drink coffee on a daily basis.
Burr Size and RPM
This is a tad bit more technical, but it makes a ton of difference if you factor it into your decision-making. There are two types of grinders; low-speed grinders and high-speed grinders. Grinder speed is measured by revolutions per minute (RPM). And this is where it gets a bit tricky. The higher the RPM, the more consistent the grind. The more consistent the grind, the more heat is generated during grinding.
Having heat in contact with your beans in this stage has the effect of affecting your coffee beans, making them bitter.
High-speed grinders get around this problem with big, flat burrs and a very powerful motor. Having larger burrs results in faster grinding, which means the grinding is over and done with before heat has a chance to build up.
This means your high-speed grinder is perfect for super consistent grinding, making it ideal for expressos.
Low-speed grinders have conical burrs and grind at lower speeds to prevent heat buildup. If you’re a fan of expressos, high-speed grinders are the one for you. Meanwhile, for more manual brewing techniques, low-speed grinders are optimum. When it gets to burr shape, it really is a matter of personal taste; whether you prefer flat or conical burrs.
Convenience
Your coffee maker should make your life easier, not harder. So think about what you want. Do you need a simple “One/Off” appliance? Or, are you in need of something you can program to brew your coffee at a set time? You need to know what features are convenient for you. Additionally, you need an appliance that is easy to clean and maintain after use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do I need a burr grinder for coffee?
Most coffee experts agree that using a burr grinder for coffee beans delivers the most advanced and tasteful brew experience. Burr grinders make more pristine, consistent, and flavorful coffee beans ground. If you are a coffee enthusiast and always want your beans perfectly made, then a burr grinder is your best bet.
2. Are Coffee makers with built-in grinders good?
The aromatics of coffee beans are volatile and quickly dissipate when the beans are broken or ground. Built-in grinders allow you to capture the freshness and essential oils from the coffee beans by grinding right before brewing, without exposing the ground to open air.
3. Why is a burr grinder better than a blade grinder for coffee?
The difference between blade grinders and burr grinders mainly lies in how they break the coffee beans into the ground. While burr grinders use revolving abrasive surfaces to grind the beans, blade grinders, on the other hand, use high-speed spinning blades to chop the beans. Burr grinder produces the best result because their grinding mechanism produces a more even ground, unlike blade grinder.
4. Is burr grinder worth it?
Burr grinder makes the best beans ground. They produce more even ground which is important for a great brew. So it is worth your investment and a place on your cabinet.
5. Why are burr grinders so expensive?
A lot goes into the design of burr grinders. They use less plastic, and it costs a lot to get the quality metal that will produce a reliable burr service.
6. How often should you clean a burr grinder?
This depends on the brand and model of the burr grinder. Companies usually provide cleaning recommendations for their products. Your experience using the burr grinder may help identify when a burr grinder needs some cleaning or not. The kind of beans you grind in the machine may also determine how often you need to clean the unit. Oiled beans tend to clog in the grinder’s chute easily. So this will mean that the burr grinder will require cleaning more often.
7. How do I know if my burr grinder needs replacing?
As a rule of thumb, steel burrs need replacement after grinding 1000 lbs (or approximately 450 kilograms) of coffee beans. However, there are some signs to look out for to know if your grinder needs replacing. A worn grinder will produce uneven ground, and grounds begin to come out in clumps. When you start to notice these, they usually mean your burr grinder needs a replacement. You can also feel the edges of the burrs. If they are worn, then you need to get new ones.
8. Are burr grinders better for coffee?
Yes, they grind coffee beans into uniform-sized particles, resulting in better coffees. Burr grinders help you avoid clogged beans and allow you to grind beans to the texture that suits your taste.
9. What happens if I don’t clean my coffee grinder?
Coffee dust will settle in every part grinder over time, and oils will coat the hopper, burrs, and grind chamber. Fine particles can overwork a motor and cause it to fail if not cleaned out, while oils can go rancid and harm future brews if not cleaned out.
10. Is it worth grinding your own coffee?
Yes, grinding your own is worth it. When you do it yourself, you have control over the coarseness of the ground, which gives you better tasting cups of coffee.
Conclusion
The best coffee makers with burr grinders are ideal options for coffee lovers. They save you some cabinet space, ultimately making you superb cups of coffee. You also save some cash that you otherwise would have spent at coffee shops like Starbucks. Although grind and brew coffee makers are exceptional, we understand you may choose not to go for one at the moment. If you would rather go for a regular coffee maker, here are some useful tips on how to choose the best coffee makers available on the market.