In today’s busy world, there’s nothing like a cup of your favourite coffee to help you keep up. Canadians love their coffee, and many have grown accustomed to having that daily cup of their preferred brew to get the day going. But the price of a gourmet cup of coffee from those brand-name coffee shops is through the roof. That’s why many in Canada have turned to grinding their coffee beans right from their kitchen counter.
With so many different types of coffee grinders on the market, it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. Fortunately, we’ve done the work for you by evaluating some of the best coffee grinders in Canada. Take a look at our list based on the features that Canadians care about the most to determine which coffee grinder is perfect for you.
Best Coffee Grinders for Canadians
- Best Overall: Breville Smart Grinder
- Best Large Capacity: Cuisinart Supreme Grind Burr Mill
- Best Quiet Operation: Shardor Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
- Best Fine-Tuned Settings: Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder
- Best Compact Size: Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
- Best for Easy Cleaning: Braun Burr Coffee Grinder
Why Did We Choose These Coffee Grinders in Canada?
Each of the coffee grinders on our list is there for a reason. We chose our recommendations based on the features that Canadians value most in a coffee grinder. Here’s the reason each of our selections made the list.
The Breville Smart Grinder is our choice for the best overall coffee grinder because of its digital display and large capacity. Other features we love include the many available grind settings and the intelligent digital timer.
The Cuisinart Supreme Grind Burr Mill made the best coffee grinder for large quantities, because of its extra-large capacity. This coffee grinder has a removable grind chamber large enough to hold enough ground coffee for up to 37 litres of coffee.
If you need a coffee grinder that is powerful but quiet, try the Shardor Conical Burr Coffee Grinder. This coffee grinder has a working noise level of fewer than 75 decibels, making it ultra-quiet.
If you’re the type of Canadian who prefers a specific grind, the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder is a great option for you. This coffee grinder has 14 preset grind settings, but a simple twist of the upper bean container allows continuously adjustable fine-tuning, so you can select the grind that best suits you.
The Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is our selection for the coffee grinder with the most compact size. With a footprint of only 16 by 11.9 centimetres, this coffee grinder won’t take up unnecessary space on your countertop.
Cleaning a coffee grinder can be frustrating, which is why we chose the Braun Burr Coffee Grinder as our choice for the best coffee grinder for easy cleaning. It features rounded edges instead of a square design, a removable top burr and container, and includes a special brush to make this coffee grinder one of the easiest to clean.
Best Overall
Breville Smart Grinder
Features:
- Material: Brushed Stainless-Steel
- Grind Type: Conical Burrs
- Hopper Capacity: 510 g
- Power: 165 watts
- Grind Settings: 60+
It's Great For:
- Canadians who want a top-of-the-line coffee grinder
- Using an easy-to-read digital display
- People who want the highest number of grind settings
- Grinding coffee into a variety of containers or filters
The Breville Smart Grinder is our choice for the best coffee grinder in Canada overall because of its features. This machine can make coffee grinding fast, easy, and customizable. The digital display sets this coffee grinder apart from its competitors, but that’s not where the helpful features end.
This coffee grinder is designed for the ultimate choice in grind options. It has 60 precise grind settings, from ultra-fine to very coarse. However, you can remove the top burr and adjust the dial either up or down for an even finer or coarser grind if you prefer. The Breville Smart Grinder also comes with a precision electronic timer, which allows you to adjust the grind time in 0.2-second increments. You can also pause the grinding operation and start grinding by either hitting the start button or simply pushing inward on the portafilter.
The Breville Smart Grinder holds up to 510 grams of coffee beans in the hopper, which is easy to remove for storage, transfer, or cleaning. One of our favourite features of this coffee grinder is the customizability of the grind container itself. You can choose to grind directly into the portafilter, the airtight grinds container, a gold-tone filter basket, or a paper filter. The portafilter comes with two different-sized cradles for convenience. Also included is the specialty cleaning brush.
The Highlights
We think the Breville Smart Grinder has the best combination of features for coffee lovers. The customizable grind selector, digital display, ultra-sensitive smart timer, and the ability to grind directly into a variety of containers makes this coffee grinder easy to use however you choose.
- Highly customizable grind selector
- Electronic timer with 0.2-second increments
- Grind into the portafilter, grind container, or coffee filter of your choice
- The easy-to-use digital display makes grinding the perfect cup a breeze
From the Test Lab
“The Breville Smart Grinder is a top-of-the-line coffee grinder, offering Canadians the best features, functionality, and customizable options coupled with a sleek, brushed stainless steel design.”
Best Large Capacity
Cuisinart Supreme Grind Burr Mill
Features:
- Material: Brushed Stainless-Steel
- Grind Type: Wheel Type Burr Plates
- Hopper Capacity: 227 g
- Power: 500 Watts
- Grind Settings: 18
It's Great For:
- Grinding large quantities of coffee beans
- Customizing the coarseness of the grind
- Easy operation with just a few buttons
- Home or commercial use
Sometimes, you just need more coffee. If you’re planning on brewing a large quantity of coffee to serve to guests, expecting to drink several cups yourself, or just want to get ahead of the game, then the Cuisinart Supreme Grind Burr Mill is for you.
This coffee grinder has an extra-large capacity, in both the grind hopper and the chamber. You can store up to 47 litres in the grinding chamber with this coffee grinder. The large capacity makes this coffee grinder suitable for both home and commercial use.
The Cuisinart Supreme Grind Burr Mill uses wheel-type burr plates for a consistent grind quality every time. It features 18 grind settings, from ultra-fine to extra-course. Simply fill the hopper, slide the quantity selector to your preferred grind amount, select your grind setting, and hit the power button. This coffee grinder also includes an electric timer that automatically shuts off when the grind cycle is complete.
The grinds container is easy to access and seals the grinds so they won’t dry out before they can use them. This grinder takes all the guesswork out of grinding your own coffee, so it’s one of the best options for Canadians who are new to grinding their own coffee beans.
The Highlights
We prefer the Cuisinart Supreme Grind Burr Mill for its extra-large capacity and its simple operation. It’s a no-muss, no-fuss coffee grinder that lets you grind enough coffee beans for up to 47 litres. Use them all at once or store them in the chamber for later.
- Extra-large capacity grind chamber
- Automatic shut-off timer
- 18 individual grind settings
- Wheel-type burr plates for a consistent grind
From the Test Lab
“For Canadians who want to grind a large quantity of beans ahead of time, or even those who need a commercial grade coffee grinder, the Cuisinart Supreme Grind Burr Mill will fit the bill.”
Best Quiet Operation
Shardor Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
Features:
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic
- Grind Type: Conical Burr
- Hopper Capacity: 249 g
- Power: 500 Watts
- Grind Settings: 14
It's Great For:
- Ultra-quiet operation
- Large capacity bean hopper for easily grinding large quantities
- Easy cleaning with removable parts
- Easy operation
For Canadians who love to grind the perfect cup of premium coffee early in the morning without waking up the rest of the family, we offer our choice for the best quiet-operation coffee grinder: the Shardor Conical Burr Coffee Grinder.
This coffee grinder is ultra-quiet during operation, with a noise level of fewer than 75 decibels while the machine is grinding. Compare that to its competitors and you will see the difference. Typical blade-type coffee grinders operate around 85 decibels, and flat burr-type coffee grinders range between 75 and 85 decibels. For the quietest operation, the Shardor Coffee Grinder is the best choice.
This coffee grinder offers a great combination of features on top of its ultra-quiet operation. It has a safety lock feature that ensures the grinder won’t turn on if the lid is not in position. It uses a one-touch start button with an automatic shut-off timer. And it allows you to grind with 14 precision grind settings and a cup selector to choose between 2-12 cups at once.
It’s also extremely easy to clean this coffee grinder. You can remove the upper conical burr, as well as the hopper and grinding chamber. The grinder comes with a brush to make removing grinds easy, while many of the removable components are dishwasher-safe.
The Highlights
The Shardor Conical Burr Coffee Grinder features a large-capacity hopper, 14 customizable grind settings, and super-quiet operation for the best combination of functionality and power. It’s easy to operate and includes safety features and an automatic timer shut-off for worry-free coffee grinding.
- A super-quiet noise level during operation.
- Large-capacity coffee bean hopper
- 14-customizable grind settings
- One-touch operation, safety lock, and automatic shut off
From the Test Lab
“This coffee grinder is perfect for Canadians who want a large capacity coffee grinder that is easy to operate and super-quiet.”
Best for Fined-Tuned Settings
Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder
Features:
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic, Glass
- Grind Type: Conical Burr
- Hopper Capacity: 220 g
- Power: 160 Watts
- Grind Settings: 14+
It's Great For:
- Continuously adjusting the grind setting
- Small footprint to save space
- Low dust and easy cleaning
- Simple operation
For those Canadians who are extra picky about the quality of their coffee, we chose the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder. This coffee grinder features 14 preset grind settings, from fine to coarse. However, the burr grinder on the Bodum Bistro is continuously adjustable, making it different from other comparable coffee grinders. Simply twisting the upper bean container determines how finely ground the beans will be.
Another fabulous feature of the Bodum Bistro is the borosilicate glass coffee ground container. This design helps reduce the static electricity that can cause coffee grounds to jump and stick, making it easier to clean and less likely to produce flying coffee ground dust. The grip around the top of the container is even rubberized for additional static reduction.
This coffee grinder uses a push-button operation and a pre-set timer function for easy grinding operation. To make it even simpler, the lid of the coffee bean hopper doubles as a grinding guide. Just line up the size and type of brew based on the included chart, and you get the perfect grind every time.
If you value the quality of your coffee but also want your kitchen to look great, you’ll love the aesthetic of the Bodum Bistro grinder. It comes in multiple colours, including bright splashes of red, white, green, and orange in addition to the traditional black.
The Highlights
The Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder makes selecting the perfect grind easy and customizable. With a continuously adjustable grind selector, 14 presets, and easy push-button operation, making the perfect cup of coffee couldn’t be any simpler.
- Continuously adjustable grind selector and 14 pre-set selections
- Anti-static coffee ground container
- Grinding guide included on the coffee ground hopper lid
- Push button grinding and pre-set timer
From the Test Lab
“For the pickiest of Canadian coffee aficionados, the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder is the way to go. With the continuously adjustable grind selector, nothing is stopping you from finding the perfect brew, every time.”
Best Compact Size
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
Features:
- Material: Plastic
- Grind Type: Conical Burr
- Hopper Capacity: 142 g
- Power: 220 Watts
- Grind Settings: 40
It's Great For:
- Saving space in the kitchen
- Coffee customization
- Basic, entry-level coffee grinding
- Easy-to-use operation
If you’re looking for a powerful coffee grinder with lots of customizable settings, the Baratza Encore conical Burr Coffee Grinder is the perfect option you for. It has the smallest footprint on our list. The base is only 16cm by 11.9cm, so you can avoid another bulky appliance cluttering up your kitchen counters. It is short enough to fit snugly underneath most kitchen cabinets, too. Still, it holds up to 142 grams of coffee in the bean hopper at once.
Baratza is an award-winning coffee grinder brand and is preferred by many professionals. This model is considered their “go-to,” entry-level grinder, but don’t let that designation fool you into thinking the Baratza Encore has nothing to offer. While it offers simple operation and multiple no-nonsense features, it’s still very capable of delivering your perfect brew every time.
This little powerhouse has 40 pre-set grind settings, plus an advanced burr set. This makes selecting the perfect grind simple and easy. You can use this coffee grinder to assist you in an extensive range of brew methods, including espresso, manual, and rip coffee brewers. The Baratza Encore uses a straightforward, easy-to-use design with an on/off button. Just grind until you’re satisfied, and you’re on the way to a great cup of coffee.
The Highlights
For smaller homes or Canadians who just want a clean, uncluttered kitchen, the Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder is a great choice. It still has decent capacity and power and offers 40 individual grind settings for customizing your grind.
- Small footprint and compact size
- Large capacity considering its small size
- 40 grind settings for easy selection
- Simple operation
From the Test Lab
“The Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder is small but mighty and offers Canadians everything they expect from a coffee grinder twice its size.”
Best for Easy Cleaning
Braun Burr Coffee Grinder
Features:
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic
- Grind Type: Flat Burr
- Hopper Capacity: 454 g
- Power: 250 Watts
- Grind Settings: 15
It's Great For:
- No-fuss cleaning
- Easy operation
- Consistent grinding
- Safety and overheat protection
Make your life a little easier by investing in a coffee grinder that’s easy to clean. Other grinders are prone to making huge messes when you open the grinds container. If you don’t want grinds flying everywhere in your kitchen, the Braun Burr Coffee Grinder might be the perfect option for you. It includes several features that are designed to make cleaning (and the coffee grinding process) easy and hassle-free.
It starts with the rounded edges of the grinder itself. You won’t find any corners in this coffee grinder, which means no trying to dig out grounds and particles that get wedged in the cracks. Then there’s the antistatic coating, which keeps grounds from flying around or sticking to the components of the machine.
That’s not all. The Braun Burr Coffee Grinder uses a flat burr design instead of a conical burr or bladed design. This makes cleaning the burr easier, especially since the top burr is completely removable for easy cleaning. Included with your coffee grinder is a specially designed-brush to help you clean the machine inside and out.
This coffee grinder has 9 main grind settings and 6 intermediate options for a total of 15 unique choices for fine-tuning your coffee grind for any style brew. The all-metal, flat burr blades ensure a uniform grind for consistency. Easy push-button start and automatic shut-off adds to the convenience. And this grinder features an over-heat protection signal to prevent your beans from burning.
The Highlights
This coffee grinder features rounded edges with no corners to speak of, which makes it a great aesthetic for most kitchens. The flat burr design offers a more consistent grind. You won’t have to worry about static with the easy-clean design and removable parts. If you worry about scorching your beans, you’ll be happy to hear about this coffee grinder’s overheating signal.
- Rounded edges and no corners
- Flat burr design for a consistent grind
- The easy clean design includes anti-static material and removable parts
- Overheat signal to prevent scorching
From the Test Lab
“For Canadians who want to enjoy their specialty brews without adding to their chore list, there is no better choice than the Braun Burr Coffee Grinder.”
Why Trust Us?
Our team is dedicated to helping Canadians make the best choices in lifestyle and household products of all kinds. If you use it in your home or for your family, we have probably evaluated it. We recommend the very best, highest-quality products with Canadians in mind.
We compile our list of the best of the best based on our own lab evaluations. After we complete our own testing, we send the products to our team of dedicated testers for further evaluation and feedback. With those combined experiences and knowledge, we compiled our list of the best coffee grinders in Canada based on the features and specifications that Canadians value most, including:
- Capacity. Coffee grinders range in size from small and compact to large and in charge. We chose a variety of coffee grinders of different sizes and capacities, including the capacity of the coffee bean hopper and the grind container itself. Based on those specifics, we included a range of sizes to meet different needs.
- Grind Type. Some coffee grinders use blades to grind the coffee. Others use a mechanism known as a “burr,” which grinds the beans. There are also different kinds of burr designs, including flat burrs and conical burrs. We tried to include the best options for Canadians and those kinds of grinders that will ensure the best consistency and operation.
- Number of Settings. The settings on a coffee grinder allow you to customize the fineness or coarseness of the grind. This is useful because specialty coffee brews require a certain type of grind. We included coffee grinders that offer numerous grind settings, which makes it easier to brew the type of coffee you enjoy the most.
- Features. Coffee grinders today include many design features that make the experience easier, safer, and more enjoyable. We looked for coffee grinders that included a variety of the most sought-after features, including an easy-to-clean design, digital displays, over-heat signals, and customizable containers.
Why Use a Coffee Grinder in Canada?
Coffee grinders are used to grind coffee beans down to a powder for brewing. This method is used rather than whole-bean coffee brewing because it offers several benefits and produces a stronger, more flavorful cup of coffee. Here are some of the benefits of using a coffee grinder in Canada.
- For Freshness. When you buy store-bought coffee grounds, you can expect a decent cup of coffee. However, the coffee beans used to produce that bag of coffee were likely ground days or months before they ever reached the store shelves, or perhaps even longer. When you grind the coffee beans yourself immediately before brewing, you get the ultimate level of freshness and a bold flavour every time.
- For a More Flavorful Brew. When you grind down coffee beans, it releases the oils in the coffee bean. Brewing coffee with ground coffee instead of whole bean coffee means that those oils are included in the brew instead of lost. A cup of coffee brewed from freshly ground coffee beans will be bolder and more flavorful because of this fact.
- Consistent Grind. Old-fashioned hand grinders might get the job done in the long run. However, they don’t offer nearly the same consistency as modern, electric coffee grinders. A consistent grind means a more flavorful cup of coffee. No matter what type of bean you are grinding, an electric coffee grinder like the ones on this list can help you achieve a better cup of coffee.
- Brew Specialty Coffees. If you’re a coffee connoisseur who is tired of paying high prices at your local name-brand coffee shop, a coffee grinder might be the next best thing. Specialty coffees come in a wide variety of brews, and each requires a specific type of grind. Some brews require the coffee beans to be ground very finely, while others need a very coarse grind. Having a coffee grinder in your own home gives you the ability to brew those delicious specialty coffees without spending a fortune and without ever leaving your house.
Types of Coffee Grinders in Canada
Coffee grinders come in three different varieties based on how the beans are ground: Hand grinders, blade grinders, and burr grinders. Each variety grinds the beans using a different mechanism.
Hand Grinders
Hand grinders, also known as manual grinders, use a hand crank to grind the coffee beans. The coffee beans are placed inside a container that is typically either tall and cylindrical in shape or round and stout. When you turn the hand crank, the beans are ground using an internal burr. The longer you crank the mechanism, the finer the grind will be.
Blade Grinders
Blade-style coffee grinders use internal metal blades to chop the coffee beans into smaller pieces. The longer you let the blades spin, the finder the grind on the coffee will be. The downside of bladed grinders is that they create friction, which generates heat. That heat can alter the taste of your coffee and make it harder to clean the internal parts of the grinder because the coffee grounds may stick. Grinding with blades also results in a fairly inconsistent texture, which can also affect the taste and quality of the brew.
Burr Grinders
A burr-style coffee grinder uses two plates that crush the coffee beans instead of slicing them. Burr grinders are available in either plate style or conical style. In either case, the beans are forced against the burrs with pressure, which grinds the coffee beans. Burr-style coffee grinders allow for the finest grind and the most flavorful cup of coffee. Many specialty coffees, such as espresso, require a very fine grind.
Grind Size and Why It Matters
Most coffee grinders have settings that allow you to adjust how thoroughly the coffee beans are ground. This makes a difference in the way the coffee is brewed and how it tastes for a couple of reasons.
First, the coffee grind will affect how much flavour is extracted from the coffee beans. This is because the size of the grind will change how much surface area is exposed to the hot water. This changes the rate at which the flavours are extracted from the coffee. A finely ground coffee allows for more surface area, and therefore more flavour. A coarse grind lessens the surface area and leads to a less flavorful brew.
The coarseness of the grind will also change how quickly the water flows through the coffee brewer and into the cup. When coffee is finely ground, the water moves through more slowly because there is less space between the grounds. A coarse grind allows the water to flow more freely.
There is no right or wrong answer to how coarse or fine your coffee grounds should be. It depends a lot on what type of coffee maker you are using and what type of flavour you want from the end result.
Coffee Grinder Uses – Types of Coffee
Using a coffee grinder to grind your coffee beans before brewing is already guaranteed to produce a bolder and more flavorful cup of coffee. But if a standard cup of joe simply isn’t enough for you, and you’ve been spoiled by the espresso machine at your local coffee shop, then you might be interested in learning how to brew specialty coffees from the comfort of your home. A coffee grinder will allow you to do exactly that because you can customize the coarseness of the grind.
- When it comes to specialty coffee brews, the options are almost endless. Many specialty coffees require a specific kind of machine to produce, such as an espresso machine or a French press. We’ve listed a few of the most popular choices below, based on the coarseness of the grind.
- Very coarse grinds are typically used for brews that require a long time to extract, such as cold brew coffees and French presses.
- Medium grinds are used for traditional drip coffee makers and flat-bottom pour-over styles.
- Fine Grinds are popular for use with AeroPress and for espresso-style coffee drinks that brew very quickly and have bolder flavours.
Coffee Grinder Additional Features
The following additional features are important while you search for your ideal coffee grinder.
Grinder Size
The size of the machine can make a huge difference for many Canadians. If you have a smaller kitchen (or need to store the grinder under your countertops between uses), you should look for a machine with a smaller footprint. Of course, smaller machines will have lower capacities for both the hopper and the grinds container. Regardless, they can be just as capable as larger machines.
If you have the counter space to spare, you shouldn’t worry too much about the size of your coffee grinder. The only real concern is the height of the machine. Since you need to access the hopper, you should make sure that the grinder will fit without any conflict with the bottom of your hanging cabinets.
Grinder Volume
How loud is the coffee grinder? If you use your coffee grinder in the morning, you’ll probably want a quieter option to avoid disturbing your household. By their very nature, coffee grinders can get loud. If you want a quieter option, look for one with a lower decibel (dB) rating. A rating of below 65dB will be quieter than most models, but it might still be too loud for use first thing in the morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it okay to grind coffee beans ahead of time?
The best coffee grinders in Canada provide ample room for storing already-ground coffee beans. While you can choose to grind just enough coffee beans to brew a single cup, or pot, of coffee, you may also choose to grind much more all at once. Pre-grinding your coffee beans and storing the grounds until you’re ready to use them is perfectly acceptable. However, you will sacrifice some taste as the grounds lose their freshness. For the freshest and boldest flavour, use the coffee grounds immediately after grinding is completed.
Should I freeze my coffee beans in Canada?
Freezing large quantities of coffee beans is a great way to extend their life, help maintain their freshness, and save some money by purchasing in bulk. However, placing frozen coffee beans directly into a coffee grinder can cause the machine to clog because they will be harder to grind down. You can let the coffee beans thaw slightly to improve the operation of your coffee grinder.
Will a coffee grinder burn coffee beans in Canada?
Operating a coffee grinder continuously or for too long without pausing will create heat. That heat can actually scorch your coffee beans and may damage the components of the coffee grinder, leaving you with a bitter-tasting cup of coffee. Many coffee grinders have preset timer settings or safety features to prevent overheating. Others only have an on-and-off switch. In this case, you can pause the grinding operation momentarily to allow the heat to dissipate before continuing with grinding.
