If you're ready to invest in one of the best coffee grinders for cold brew, there are a few things you should know at the top. First, you're going to want to buy a burr grinder. As opposed to a blade grinder, which can very quickly grind coffee beans into a fine powder, burr grinders work much slower, grinding only a few beans at a time.
How they work: Burr grinders have two abrasive surfaces (called burrs!) that rotate, grinding a few beans at a time, allowing you to create a coarser, larger coffee ground. For a delicious cup of cold brew, you'll want to brew it with a coarser ground, since water seeps more slowly through coarser coffee grounds, thus picking up the maximum amount of flavor.
So, what else should you know? Well, generally you can get burr grinders in one of two varieties: manual and electric. Here's where your decision comes down to personal preference. Both manual and electric burr grinders can produce a great cup of cold brew, but electric models tend to be more expensive. In turn, they require less labor on your part, since you can just turn a dial or push a button instead of cranking a manual burr grinder.
But, enough talk. Your cold brew is waiting. Without further ado, here are the four best coffee grinders for cold brew.
And, in case you might need it, here are the best cold brew coffee makers.
1The Best Overall Manual Burr Grinder
With the backing of nearly 6,000 Amazon fans, this manual burr grinder is a great pick for cold brew drinkers. The built-in grinder is adjustable and can be set to one of 18 different settings, giving you the versatility you need to find a coarse grind that you love. It doesn't run on batteries and is lightweight (just 9 ounces!), making this a great portable choice for travelers or campers. It's also designed with a near-silent hand crank system that allows you to grind up your beans without waking anyone else who is still asleep nearby. You'll have to hand-wash it, but it's a small price to pay for an affordable, manual burr grinder that reviewers can't stop talking about.
What fans say: "It's a simple, and excellent way to grind coffee. I feel like I've accomplished something when I use it. It's silent and is rather satisfying to use. It gives me the perfect grind for my cold brew coffee."
2The Runner-Up Manual Burr Grinder
To be frank, there's a lot to love about this manual burr grinder, as well. Price-wise, it's pretty neck and neck with the best overall manual grinder above, and it also allows you to adjust the coarseness of the grind you're making. One reason why it's the runner-up: It doesn't clearly indicate (on the grinder or in the instructions) what level you should set it to in order to get the right grind for specific types of coffee, like cold brew, espresso, or drip coffee. So, even though this model is pretty similar to the manual grinder above, it falls short in that way. It does allow you to churn out more coffee grounds, since reviewers estimate it can hold around 8 ounces, more than double the capacity of the manual grinder above. But, given that 8 ounces is enough for 24 cups of cold brew, it's unlikely you need all the extra grounds.
What fans say: "This grinder is absolutely perfect! I can coarse grind for my cold brew coffee AND medium grind for our Melitta cone. We can also take it with us when we're in our RV--we camp off the grid & have had to suffer with canned coffee until now!This grinder is very well made, the instructions for adjusting the grind are very clear... What's not to love?"
3The Best Electric Burr Grinder
If you're going the electric grinder route, you'll be hard pressed to find a better one than this Capresso conical burr grinder. With this grinder, you can choose between one of 16 coffee settings segmented into four categories, "coarse," "regular," "fine," and "extra fine." Fill the top of it with up to 8 ounces of coffee beans and then simply twist the dial to your preferred ground setting (remember, coarse is best for cold brew). You can set the built-in timer to anywhere between 15 and 60 seconds and walk away. When you come back you'll have up to 4 ounces of consistently-ground coffee beans. It also comes with a cleaning brush and a measuring cup, so you'll have everything you need to prep your coffee, make your grounds, and then clean your machine. But, don't take my word for it: Almost 4,000 Amazon fans are singing its praises.
What fans say: "I was looking for an affordable coffee bean grinder to use with my cold brew coffee maker. This grinder is fast, easy to store, easy to clean and has a coarse grind that I like for my cold brew system. A huge improvement over an electric blade coffee mill."
4The Runner-Up Electric Burr Grinder
For a slightly higher price point, this OXO electric burr grinder will give you the widest range of settings. Each of the 15 different settings has built-in micro-settings that allow you to further customize the quality and consistency of your grounds. The conical burrs inside are designed with stainless steel, giving this model added durability. You can easily set the timer to grind for a specific amount of time (up to 30 seconds), push one button, and walk away.
Compared to the Capresso, this grinder can hold a few more ounces of unground beans in the clear top. But, don't be fooled. The bottom container that holds your finished product has a similar capacity to the Capresso above, so practically the capacity of its top container doesn't make a huge difference. The bottom line: There's nothing to fault this burr grinder, but you'll get a similar experience and save a bit of money if you go with the Capresso electric burr grinder instead.
What fans say: "I had a bodum grinder for about a year and it never did grind coarsely and I had to replace the bit. Then it died. Grinder works great. Great course grind for cold brew coffee. Very consistent not very noisy and doesn't throw grinds all over the kitchen. Would highly recommend this."
Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Bustle's editorial and sales departments.
