The best espresso grinders under £250

Most grinders under £250 are made for filter coffee and cafetières, which need a much coarser grind than espresso. The few at this price that can grind fine enough for espresso usually manage it with small conical burrs (the toothed parts that crush the beans) and careful design, since there isn’t the money for a big motor.

Every grinder on this list can grind for espresso. After that, they’re ranked on four things. Stepless adjustment comes first, because it lets you make the very small changes espresso needs. Then we look at how little coffee stays inside the grinder after each use, and whether it either grinds straight into the portafilter (the handle that holds the coffee) or is designed for weighing out one dose at a time. Price comes last.

How this list is chosen

Every grinder we cover that's in stock up to £250, ranked for “best overall”. Favours stepless adjustment for fine espresso control, low retention, single-dose or portafilter convenience, then value for money. It updates as prices and stock change. How we recommend

What you get at this price

The burrs are small, usually conical and around 40 to 50mm across. They grind well for medium and dark roasts, which covers most espresso blends. Light, fruity roasts are harder to grind well for espresso, and you’ll reach the limits of these grinders sooner with them. Grinders with larger flat burrs handle those coffees better, at a higher price.

Most grinders at this price adjust in fixed steps, or clicks. That works as long as the steps are small, because espresso tastes noticeably different from one setting to the next. A stepless grinder can be set anywhere, which makes dialling in easier. Dialling in means finding the setting that tastes right for a new bag of coffee.

Grinders also differ in how you dose. Some keep a hopper full of beans on top and grind into the portafilter for a set number of seconds. That’s quick, and it works well if you buy the same coffee each time. Others are made for single dosing, where you weigh the beans for each shot and grind all of them. It takes a little longer, but almost nothing is left in the grinder to go stale, and you can change coffee whenever you like.

Two different approaches

The Sage Dose Control Pro and the Fellow Opus 2 are good examples of each. The Sage grinds into the portafilter on a timer. The Fellow is built for weighed single doses and has stepless adjustment.

• The Dose Control Pro has stepped adjustment; the Opus 2 stepless.
• The Dose Control Pro stands 34.2cm tall; the Opus 2 26.7cm.
• The Dose Control Pro grinds straight into the portafilter; the Opus 2 grinds into a cup.

	Dose Control Pro	Opus 2
Price from	£146.99	£196.99
Grind adjustment	Stepped	Stepless
Burr size	40mm	48mm
Grind settings	60	—
Built for single dosing	No	Yes
Dosing control	Timed	Manual
Grinds into the portafilter	Yes (better)	No

Compare every spec→

A timed grinder is easier if you want to press a button and get about the same amount of coffee every morning. If you don’t mind weighing your beans, single dosing keeps each shot fresher and lets you switch between coffees.

Which machines these suit

A grinder at this price goes well with an entry-level or mid-range machine, especially one that comes with both pressurised and standard baskets. With a heat exchanger or dual boiler, it will usually hold the machine back. If that’s what you’re buying, our guide to splitting your budget explains how much to set aside for the grinder, and our Mignon Specialità and Niche Zero comparison looks at two popular grinders a step up.

We haven’t used these grinders ourselves. The picks are researched from manufacturer specifications and owner reports. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, and it doesn’t change which grinders appear or the order they’re in.