Best Single Dose Grinder In 2023

Coffee fanatics, rejoice! 2023 brings us an impressive lineup of single dose grinders that will revolutionize the way we brew our favorite caffeinated beverages.

Single dosing is all about maximum freshness, precision control, and consistency in every cup – so why not invest in a grinder that delivers it all? In this article, we’ll explore the best options available for any budget and brewing style.

We Tested 25+ Single Dose Grinders – Here’s Our Results

In our quest to find the absolute best single dose grinder, we took it upon ourselves to rigorously test over 25 different models currently on the market.

From high-end to budget-friendly, we’ve evaluated them on a range of critical factors including burr quality, grind retention, grind settings, speed, noise levels, and of course, the freshness, clarity, and flavor of the coffee they produce. Here’s our 6 favorites.

The Ceado E5SD is a top-of-the-line single dose grinder with exceptional features, including 64mm flat burrs that use Ceado’s patented Opalglide technology for consistent and precise grinding.

Features & Description

The Ceado E5SD is widely regarded as the best single dose grinder currently on the market. This impressive machine features a 300-watt motor and high-quality Opalglide 64-mm flat burrs that are specially designed for single dosing, ensuring maximum freshness and evenness to grinds while using the fewest beans possible.

The Ceado E5SD also comes equipped with a bellow to minimize retention, preventing precious coffee beans from being wasted. Additionally, this grinder has a compact design that makes it easy to fit on any countertop or workspace, allowing you to grind your coffee quickly and efficiently whenever you need it.

Pros & Cons

Ceado E5SD boasts an impressive range of features, making it a top choice for serious coffee drinkers. However, like any product, it has its advantages and disadvantages. Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons of the Ceado E5SD:

The Niche Zero is a top pick for those looking for an all-around grinder, with zero retention of coffee grounds and the ability to switch between brewing methods effortlessly.

Features & Description

The Niche Zero is a highly sought-after single-dose coffee grinder that boasts of zero grind retention for maximum freshness and flavor. Its compact and stylish design makes it the perfect choice for home baristas who desire precise control over their coffee grinding process.

The Niche Zero’s user-friendly interface allows you to easily adjust the grind size according to your brewing method preferences, and its 63mm conical burrs provide an even grind consistency with minimal noise output.

Plus, the Niche has no less than 29 macro settings that can be fine-tuned with ease thanks to its stepless adjustment knob.

Pros & Cons

The Niche Zero offers a stellar combination of performance, aesthetics, and ease of use. It looks beautiful, can grind well from espresso all the way up to a coarse setting for French press or cold brew and while premium, represents good value for money. Let’s take a closer look at its pros and cons:

Features & Description

The Eureka Mignon Oro is a powerful and efficient single-dosing espresso grinder that boasts patented Diamond Inside 65-mm flat burrs. These burrs are designed to outlast and outperform stainless steel burrs, ensuring consistent coffee quality every time you grind.

The low retention rate of the Eureka Mignon Oro further guarantees maximum freshness and aroma.

In addition to its high performance, the Eureka Mignon Oro is compact in size and easy to use, making it perfect for at-home baristas who want to enjoy professional-level espresso drinks without having to leave their home.

Its stepless micrometrical grind adjustment provides precise control over grind size, allowing you to customize your coffee according to your preferences.

Pros & Cons

The Eureka Mignon Oro offers a myriad of advantages for home baristas and professionals alike, but it’s important to weigh its pros and cons before making a purchase decision. The following table provides a comprehensive overview of the Eureka Mignon Oro’s strengths and weaknesses.

Considering the Eureka Mignon Oro’s impressive performance, innovative features, and high-quality construction, it certainly warrants its status as the best single dose espresso grinder on the market. However, keep in mind that its higher price point and lack of filter coffee grinding options may not make it the perfect fit for every coffee lover.

Features & Description

The Fellow Ode Gen 2 is an excellent choice for those who prefer filter coffee. Unlike the Ode Gen 1, it boasts upgraded 64-mm flat burrs, which provide precise and uniform grinding to extract the best flavor from your coffee beans.

The grinder has stepped grind adjustment available, allowing you to control the size of your grind with ease.

Its low retention rate ensures that there’s less than 0.1g of ground coffee in the burrs after each session, ensuring a consistently fresh cup every time you brew.

With its compact design and a hopper capacity of up to 80 grams suitable for single dosing, it’s easy to use and store away when not in use. The auto-stop feature and built-in timer add convenience while providing consistent results that will satisfy even the most discerning coffee drinkers’ taste buds.

Pros & Cons

The Fellow Ode Gen 2 espresso grinder has its own set of advantages and drawbacks. To help you make an informed choice, we’ve assembled a list of pros and cons for you to consider.

Features & Description

The MiiCoffee C38 is another single dose coffee grinder and it’s the go-to option for those on a tight budget, while still providing impressive results. With a 30-gram capacity and an impressive 120 grind settings, this affordable choice has much to offer.

Its efficient design ensures that there’s little or no coffee retention within the burr chamber, thereby guaranteeing maximum freshness and aroma in every cup.

At its price point, this grinder provides excellent value for money as it allows you to have precise control over your grinding needs with minimal effort required. Some of its standout features include a digital display screen, worm gear adjustment system, and customizable timed dosing options.

Pros & Cons

When it comes to the MiiCoffee C38 grinder, there are several pros and cons to consider before making a purchase. Below, we’ve listed these advantages and disadvantages to help you decide if this budget-friendly grinder is the best fit for your brewing needs.

Features & Description

The Turin DF64 is a commendable budget-friendly grinder renowned for delivering exceptional performance. Its 64mm flat burrs and high-quality motor provide consistent grounds, rendering it a versatile choice for a variety of brewing methods, including espresso and pour over.

What sets the Turin DF64 apart is its compatibility with a diverse range of burrs from multiple manufacturers. This flexibility allows users to tailor their grinding experience to their specific needs and preferences.

The DF64 shines brighter due to user-driven modifications. These improvements include a redesigned chute and a new declumper, which have been introduced to address issues with retention and clumping, significantly enhancing the grinder’s overall performance. Moreover, the stepless adjustment dial provides precision and stability, enabling meticulous control over grind size.

Though the grinder’s motor is sufficient for espresso, it’s worth noting that some users have reported fluctuations in RPM during grinding, particularly when using certain burr types.

This grinder excels in creating vibrant acidity and excellent body for espresso shots and offers impressive clarity and flavor profile preservation for pour over coffee.

Pros & Cons

The Turin DF64 provides excellent value for money, striking a balance between affordability and superior performance, thus making it an excellent choice for those operating on a budget. Here are some of the pros and cons:

The Turin DF64 is an excellent choice for those seeking a cost-effective grinder without compromising on the quality of their brew. Its versatility and the potential for customization and upgrades make it particularly appealing.

Great for the espresso geek seeking vibrant, syrupy shots with pronounced acidity, or the pour over lover looking for clarity and flavor preservation, the DF64 by Turin may just be the best value for money in the coffee grinder market right now.

Understanding Single Dose Coffee Grinding

Single-dose coffee grinding is a method of grinding coffee beans in which the grinder only grinds the amount of beans needed for one serving, ensuring maximum freshness and minimizing waste.

Advantages Of Single Dose Grinders

One major advantage of single dose grinders is their ability to deliver maximum freshness and flavor from your coffee beans. By grinding only the precise amount needed for each brewing session, you are consistently providing freshly ground coffee without any residual grounds from previous sessions affecting the taste.

Furthermore, they offer greater control over grind size and quantity, ensuring consistent results tailored to your preferred brewing method (e.g., espresso, pour over, or French press).

With features such as zero retention and stepless grind adjustments found in top models like the Eureka Atom and Baratza Sette 270, at-home baristas can refine their technique while reducing waste caused by excess grounds.

Additionally, they are easy to clean between uses since they don’t have complex dosing mechanisms that accumulate stale coffee particles over time.

Disadvantages Of Single Dose Grinders

Despite the numerous advantages that single dose coffee grinders offer, there are a few drawbacks to consider before investing in one. One primary concern is the potential for coffee bean waste when grinding each dose individually.

Unlike traditional grinders with a hopper where beans can be stored and ground as needed, using a single dose system requires precise measurements of coffee beans for each brewing session.

Another disadvantage associated with them is their generally higher price point compared to other types of coffee grinders. High-quality models like the Ceado E5SD or Niche Zero tend to cost significantly more than their counterparts with hoppers or timed dosing functions.

Additionally, some users find the workflow of utilizing a separate container for storing and transferring beans to be cumbersome compared to having an integrated hopper system found on more traditional coffee equipment.

How To Choose The Best Single Dose Grinder

To find the best single dose grinder for your specific needs, consider important factors such as burr size and shape, grind retention, brewing method preferences, and more.

Brewing Method Preferences

One of the crucial factors to consider when choosing a single dose grinder is your brewing method preference. Different grinders excel at various grind sizes, suited for diverse brew methods such as espresso, pour-over, French press, or Aeropress.

Keep in mind that preferences may change over time; it’s always wise to invest in a grinder with versatile capabilities. The Ceado E5SD excels specifically for espresso grinding with its 83mm titanium burrs ensuring exceptional consistency and quality.

Meanwhile, Fellow Ode Gen 2 specializes in delivering consistently coarse grinds perfect for filter coffee enthusiasts.

Burr Size And Shape

The size and shape of the burrs in a single dose burr grinder can greatly affect the quality of your coffee. Bigger burrs are generally better, as they can grind more beans at once and produce a more consistent grind.

For example, both Ceado E5SD and Niche Zero boast 64mm burrs that allow for precision grinding with zero to minimum retention. On the other hand, conical burr grinders often produce more fines due to their shape, which may result in over-extraction or an inconsistent cup.

A single dose flat burr grinder like Eureka Mignon Oro is perfect for espresso lovers who want a uniform grind and speedy dosing without sacrificing flavor nuances.

Grind Retention

Grind retention is the amount of coffee that remains trapped inside a grinder after each cycle, which can negatively impact dose accuracy and overall coffee flavor.

With traditional hopper grinders, grind retention can be as much as 7 grams or more, leading to wasted beans and stale coffee grounds. This is where single-dose grinders shine, with almost zero retention ensuring maximum freshness and minimal waste.

Innovative designs feature straight-down chutes, bellows or knockers to minimize retention even further. The Ceado e37sd Single Dose has zero retention thanks to longer-lasting 83mm titanium burrs while the Turin DF64 retains only about 0.2 grams of coffee due to its unique design.

In my daily usage of the Niche Zero, I found it retains about one gram of coffee per shot of espresso. This relatively inexpensive bellows on Etsy brought the retention down to 0.

Speed

The speed of a single dose grinder plays a crucial role in determining the quality and consistency of your coffee grind. Faster grinders tend to produce more heat, which can impact the flavor and aroma of your coffee beans.

For example, the Baratza Sette 270 has high-speed grinding capabilities of up to 5g/second with minimal retention, making it an excellent choice for those who value speed and precision in their coffee brewing routine.

The Eureka Atom 75 also boasts impressive grinding speeds while minimizing noise levels with its sound-insulated burr chamber.

Grind Settings

Choosing the right grind setting is crucial to achieving the perfect cup of coffee, and it’s even more important when using a single dose grinder.

Many of the top rated single dose grinders feature stepless or micro-adjustable grind settings that allow you to fine-tune your grind size with precision.

However, be aware that not all burr coffee grinders are created equal. The Fellow Ode is amazing for filter, but when you need to grind finer for Aeropress or espresso, it does a poor job. So make sure you plan ahead for the style of coffee you enjoy drinking the most.

Noise Levels

Consumers should consider noise levels when choosing the best option for their needs, especially in shared or noise-sensitive environments. Some grinders have sound-canceling features that minimize noise and vibration levels during operation.

For example, the Eureka Atom 75 is designed with an insulated motor to reduce noise levels while grinding coffee beans. Similarly, the Fellow Ode Gen 2 has a minimalist design with noise-canceling materials to help make it one of the quietest grinders available on the market today.

In contrast, many competing models produce a loud and disruptive sound when grinding beans. Therefore, consumers must be mindful of this factor when selecting one that meets their requirements.

Grinders That Allow Customization

Several coffee grinders in the market can be customized for single doses, enhancing their performance and precision grinding. These include:

• The Baratza Forte AP: This classic has a weight-based dosing system that allows you to program specific doses, making it ideal for single dose brewing.
• The Mahlkonig EK43: This coffee shop staple features stepless adjustment and conical burrs, making it perfect for home baristas seeking precise control over their single-dosing grinds.
• The Ceado E37S: With its 83mm titanium burrs, this grinder is built to suit the needs of coffee enthusiasts who grind fresh beans before every brew.

Other noteworthy options include the 1Zpresso J-Max, the Breville BCG600SIL Dose Control Pro, and the Mazzer Mini. These all offer customizability suitable for single dose applications with highly specialized design elements like flat burrs blades or timed dosing adjustments.

Customizable single dose grinders can make a world of difference in brewing specialty coffee at home. As you consider purchasing one of these machines, take note of how they will fit into your routine and affect your overall coffee experience.

Conclusion

In 2024, single-dose coffee grinders have become a must-have for all coffee fanatics. The Ceado E5SD and Niche Zero top the list as the best overall grinder and all-around grinder, respectively.

The Eureka Mignon Oro is your go-to choice for espresso, while the Fellow Ode Gen 2 is perfect for filter coffee lovers. On a budget? No worries – the MiiCoffee C38 has got you covered! Each of these grinders has unique features that make them stand out in their own right.

With precise control over grind size and quantity, plus maximum freshness guaranteed, upgrading your home brewing setup with one of these grinders is more affordable and effective than ever before.