The best espresso grinder doesn’t exist. They’re each as unique as your business and its requirements. So how is a cafe owner supposed to know they’re picking the right espresso grinder without going overboard—and without missing out on key features?
We’ve been helping coffee businesses evaluate espresso grinders for three decades, so we broke down our top recommendations so you can shortcut your research phase.
Whether you’re running a high-volume espresso bar or brewing for your family at home, you’re sure to find the right grinder for you in this article.
Read on to find out:
- Why you need a dedicated grinder for espresso
- The pros and cons of flat and conical burr grinders
- Our recommendations for which grinder to pair with your unique setting
Let’s dive right in.
⭐ Looking for business discounts? Sign up for a business account with Espresso Parts.
What To Look For In An Espresso Grinder
The perfect shot of espresso requires a much finer grind than the rest of your coffee menu. Most standard grinders just won’t do the trick. And even ones that can are best avoided—having to adjust the grind constantly between drinks will make it hard to dial in any sense of consistency and slow down your barista’s workflow.
Here are the three things you need to look for in a dedicated espresso grinder:
Flat or Conical Burrs?
These are the rings that crush the whole coffee beans and turn them into grounds. They come in two main types:
- Flat Burs: The beans are crushed between two flat rotating disks. Flat burrs tend to bring out sweeter, chocolatier notes in a bean. But the high-speed rotation generates heat—which can affect the flavor profile of your espresso if there’s no cooling system in place.
- Conical Burrs: Two—you guessed it—cone-shaped rings crush the beans. The extraction is less uniform than flat burrs, leading to a variety of grind and particle sizes—something veteran baristas claim improves the taste of espresso. These burrs generate less heat and bring out the brighter and fruitier notes in a bean.
Overall, the type of burrs you choose will probably come down to other features on the grinder. With the amount of power produced by flat burrs, most modern commercial grinders these days implement cooling technology with flat burr grinders to alleviate the risk of temperature affecting your beans.
📘 Also Read: 18 Must-Have Espresso Accessories For Coffee Shops
Stepped or Stepless?
Don’t lace up your dancing shoes just yet. Whether a grinder has stepped or stepless adjustment simply refers to the mechanism for adjusting how fine the grind is.
- Stepped Adjustment: These grinders have adjustment rings with small precise steps which lock the adjustment ring once the grind is set. This allows adjustments within small, predefined amounts. This is great for the ease of dialing in, as you can know exactly how many steps you have adjusted, and find the perfect grind quickly.
- Stepless Adjustment: Because there is nothing to stop the adjustment ring from moving, the dial can turn in any amount either direction. Once set it will stay in place due to the friction designed into the assembly. This allows small or large adjustments to be made, and requires more concentration and skill to dial in your grind.
Doser or Doserless?
Does the espresso grinder have a special compartment for storing grounds or does your barista grind it directly into the portafilter when preparing the shot
- Doser: Chambers for storing grounds allow you to beat large queues and save time. It also helps guarantee a consistent flavor across drinks. But freshness can be a concern if the grounds are sitting in the doser for a long time.
- Doserless: With the doserless, you must grind each shot as it’s ordered. On one hand that guarantees freshness and lowers waste, but it’s marginally slower than a doser. Despite the slightly slower speed, most coffee businesses these days opt for doserless grinders in order to produce the freshest coffee possible.
Your business requirements dictate what type of grinder you need. So take a look at your menu, think about the type of beans you have, the flavor notes you want to highlight, and what type of experience you want to give customers in your store.
💵 Looking for flexibility? Check out our flexible equipment financing options.
The 9 Best Commercial Espresso Grinders
Fiorenzato F4 EVO: Best commercial espresso grinder for the value
The Fiorenzato F4 EVO is a premium, straightforward espresso grinder that delivers consistent results without breaking the bank. Drawing only 250 watts of power and standing at 18.75 inches tall, it’s a great choice for businesses looking for a compact espresso grinder without compromising on quality. Fiorenzato has been in the coffee industry for over 80 years, so you can rest assured that you’re buying a great product!
The F4 EVO comes with 58mm flat burrs and stepless adjustment. It’s great for low-volume shops, home use, or as a backup or decaf grinder in high-volume shops. Plus it’s doserless, which helps you pull only the freshest shots of espresso.
More features include:
- EVO technology monitors grinder temperature
- User-friendly touchscreen display
- Single + double dose with manual mode
Mahlkonig E65S GBW: Best espresso grinder for small cafés and coffee carts
The Mahlkönig E65S Grind-By-Weight is a popular choice for cafés and coffee services that want consistency and efficiency while saving on counter space. They’re hand-manufactured in Germany and have an excellent reputation for durability and consistency.
The E65S GBW has stepless adjustment, flat burrs, and is doserless. Its grind-by-weight technology is powered by a high-precision load cell that weighs the grounds 6000 times per second during the grinding process. The powerful motor is equipped with a cold air intake to prevent the beans from the impact of rising temperatures.
It also features:
- Volumetric dosing presets
- High-res display with a wide viewing angle
- Adjustable, illuminated, and removable spout that fits any portafilter
Fiorenzato F83 E PRO: Best commercial espresso grinder for high-volume with flat burrs
When your business needs are demanding, you need an espresso volume that can keep up with the highest volume of customers without missing a step. Enter: the stepped adjustment Fiorenzato F83 E PRO.
The F83 E PRO’s massive 83mm flat steel burrs will churn through coffee beans with ease. Its intuitive touchscreen allows you to easily program doses, and Fiorenzato’s PRO technology allows for easy access to the grind chamber–without affecting your settings as you see with other grinders on the market.
Other great features:
- Customizable touchscreen - add your logo and brand colors!
- Compatible with the PUQpress M4 automatic tamper
- Up to 50% less coffee retention than other commercial grinders
Fiorenzato F71 EK PRO: Best commercial espresso grinder for high-volume with conical burrs
Much like the F83 E PRO, the F71 is a high-volume specialist. You would be pressed to find another commercial grinder that can keep up in terms of not only volume, but control, thanks to its revolutionary conical burrs.
Utilizing 71mm conical burrs, this grinder is a workhorse that can handle the busiest of cafes, even speeding up drive thru orders. Baristas have a little bit more freedom to dial in their desired grind with stepless grind adjustment and seemingly endless settings. For extra speed support, it is equipped with Fiorenzato’s PRO technology for easy cleaning and IPS touchscreen for easy control.
Other great features:
- Stepless grind adjustment that works well in a high volume location
- Controlled dosing ensures less waste and a cleaner work area
- Equipped with a flavor protective cooling system
Mahlkönig X54: Best budget espresso grinder
Looking for a quality espresso grinder for under $800? Look no further than the Mahlkönig X54. And the best part? It’s not just an espresso grinder–the X54’s stepless platform grinds as fine as espresso and as coarse as filter brew!
Serious home baristas will love the X54’s flexibility that adapts as your needs change. Espresso one day, pourover the next–all adjustable with the X54’s simple dial. The face of the grinder can be swapped to accommodate a portafilter or grounds container depending on how you choose to brew. And shhhhhhh! Don’t worry about waking sleeping partners or children–the X54 is the quietest home grinder on the market with a peak volume of only 70 decibels!
It also features:
- 16.5-inch height to fit under standard kitchen cabinets
- LED display with 4 timer presets and manual mode
- A 1.1-pound bean hopper
La Marzocco Vulcano Swift: Best commercial espresso grinder with automatic tamping
La Marzocco is known for building excellent coffee machines, so the quality of their espresso grinders will come as no surprise. Retro Italian design and top-notch engineering combine for a machine that is ideal for high-volume businesses.
The Vulcano Swift can handle the busiest of businesses without stalling while maintaining a consistency of dose to within a fraction of a gram. And there’s nothing like auto-tamping! Just slide your portafilter into the slot, and the Swift grinds directly into it and tamps automatically. This makes it a great fit for coffee businesses that want to eliminate the inconsistency of poor tamping (a huge pain for quality-conscious shops with high turnover or new trainees).
It comes with conical burrs, volumetric dosing, and stepless adjustment to minimize coffee ground wastage. Plus it’s the only commercial grinder that also tamps on demand.
It also features:
- Large 4-pound hopper
- 63mm ceramic burrs to minimize heat build-up during high RPM grinds
- Easy to operate: Grind, dose, and tamp with just one touch
Fiorenzato F64 EVO PRO: Best all-around commercial espresso grinder
The Fiorenzato F64 EVO PRO is a barista’s grinder. It’s predictable, comfortable, and makes pulling a consistent shot of espresso that much easier. No matter the size or type of your coffee business, the F64 EVO PRO is sure to fit right in.
The EVO technology is perfect for busy cafés. This intuitive climate control system monitors the temperature of the motor and prevents your beans from overheating. Say hello to consistency! PRO technology gives baristas easy access to the grind chamber with just the lift of two handles–this makes mid-shift cleaning a breeze.
It also features:
- A large touchscreen with programmable doses
- A built-in tamp
- Compatible with the PUQpress M4 automatic tamper
Fiorenzato AllGround: Best home espresso grinder
When it comes to making great coffee at home, one thing can make or break your brew–your grinder. Have no fear with the Fiorenzato AllGround! This robust home grinder will help you pull delicious shots of espresso, but it can also grind for moka pot and filter brews. That’s right–three brew methods in one beautiful, compact grinder.
The crown jewel of the AllGround is its set of 64mm Redspeed Titanium coated flat burrs. With a life expectancy of 6-8 years, these burrs will deliver plenty of quality coffee. The AllGround also has an easy-to-use touchscreen with two dose settings for espresso and manual controls for moka pot and filter brew.
This grinder also features:
- Casing engineered to eliminate vibration and noise
- Stepped adjustments for easily switching between brew methods
- 6 different color options
Pietro Manual Coffee Grinder: Best manual espresso grinder
Are you someone who likes to travel with your coffee setup? Or do you want more flexibility on your brew bar? Then you’ll love the Pietro Manual Coffee Grinder. With commercial construction and massive 58mm flat burrs, you’ll always have the upper “hand” when it comes to brewing.
Pietro isn’t just another hand grinder. It’s the only one with vertical flat burrs! And it’s not just a one-trick pony–Pietro grinds for espresso AND filter brew. With six color options available, there's something for everyone. Portability and flexibility: that’s Pietro.
Some more unique features include:
- Stepless adjustment - each dial click is approximately 15 microns
- Airtight grounds container for keeping your coffee fresh
- Retractable handle for saving space while storing
The Breakdown
|
Category |
Machine |
|
Best commercial espresso grinder for the value |
|
|
Best espresso grinder for small cafés and coffee carts
|
|
|
Best commercial espresso grinder for high volume with flat burrs |
|
| Best commercial espresso grinder for high volume with conical burrs |
|
|
Best budget espresso grinder |
|
|
Best commercial espresso grinder with automatic tamping |
|
|
Best all-around commercial espresso grinder |
|
|
Best home espresso grinder |
|
|
Best manual espresso grinder |
What’s The Right Grinder For You?
Choosing the right grinder for your coffee shop can be tough. But after analyzing your business needs and delving through this list, you can’t go wrong. Each of these machines will get the job done and done well—all you need to do is decide your business priorities. And remember—flexible financing options are available!
Need some extra advice? Our team of coffee shop experts is here to help. We’re ready to advise you on the best commercial espresso grinder, whatever your situation.
