A grinder that grinds beans to a uniform size for optimal extraction is the single most important piece of equipment for making good coffee. Even the best coffee beans run through the best brewing process will taste overly bitter and sour with uneven grounds. After more than 40 hours researching the category and testing nine top-rated coffee grinders, the Baratza Virtuoso was by far the best grinder for making coffee at home. Of the nine models we tested, it produced the most uniform grind consistency, with an output comparable to that of the $2,500 Mahlkönig EK43 commercial-grade grinder. Our science editor couldn’t even tell the samples apart after examining them under a microscope.
The Virtuoso may appear homely compared to other machines in the $200 price range, but its simplicity is a virtue. Its only controls are grind size, an on/off button, and a timer dial so you don’t have to hold the button down for larger batches. There’s no built-in scale like you’d find in the OXO On or automatic dosage adjustments like those in Breville’s Smart Grinder Pro. But neither of those machines came close to matching the Virtuoso’s grind consistency. Besides, we didn’t find those features to be all that useful in our testing. Our only significant complaint is that its open-top grind receptacle has a tendency to leak coffee dust onto your counters. Overall, the Virtuoso is just a simple-to-use and very accurate grinder that will pummel whole beans into the correct particle size you need for whatever method you’re brewing with.
If the Virtuoso is sold out or you don’t want to spend that much on a coffee grinder, the Baratza Encore typically sells for around $100 less and delivered the second-best performance among electric grinders in our testing. It actually uses the same motor as the Virtuoso but has less-precise grinding burrs, no timer switch, and a plastic body instead of a cast zinc one. It works the same and also has the coffee-dust-on-counter issue, but is a bit louder during use due to its lighter housing.
Source : http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-coffee-grinder/
John Whittaker Blog 