Best brew grinder in 2021?

#1: Post by **Auctor** » October 3rd, 2021, 2:01 pm

Would love to hear people's opinion on the best brew grinder in the market today. I've browsed the HB archives quite a bit, and I couldn't find a recent thread (2019 or sooner) that has some good comparisons or anecdotes about more modern grinders. Focused on light and medium roasts, but if there's a brew burr that does all manner of roasts, all the better.

Agnostic to Flat vs conical, though If there's an argument that leans to one vs the other, would love to hear that too. No price limitation per se, but no price floor either. If the Baratza holds its own against most of the competition, I'm okay to hear that.

My history is that I've used espresso-first grinders to brew coffee, and I'm debating what brew grinder to pickup to complement my existing setup. Thanks!

#2: Post by **ira** » October 3rd, 2021, 2:19 pm

Of the three I have, Ode, Bunzilla and Apex, at the moment the Apex wins. But the Ditting 807 Lab Sweet seems to be the one currently considered at the top of the heap.

Ira

October 3rd, 2021, 2:56 pm

Nautilus would be my pick, although I refuse to believe that there is a 'best' grinder. Different coffees, roasts, brew methods, genetics, taste preferences ... all make a difference.

#4: Post by **ira** » October 3rd, 2021, 3:59 pm

Nautilus is mentioned so rarely I forgot it and maybe a Max, if and when Dennis gets around to making Shuriken brew burrs for it.

Ira

#5: Post by **txxt** » October 3rd, 2021, 4:03 pm

Of all the grinders I've used (Encore, Virtuoso, Forte, Comandante MK3, EG1, and K804 LS), I would say my latest acquisition the 804 has the most consistently good brews. The EG1 was great but the 804 is more consistently great from what I've gathered with a few months of use. I could imagine easily that the 807 is better by a nudge.

#6: Post by **boren** » October 3rd, 2021, 4:45 pm

@txxt - how significant is the difference between the three Baratza grinders that you owned? How far behind is the best of them from the 804?

#7: Post by **shotwell** » October 3rd, 2021, 10:33 pm

The December batch of Kafatek max units is apparently shipping several with shuriken 'coarse' burrs meant for brew methods.

#8: Post by **Yan** » October 3rd, 2021, 11:01 pm

For my sub 500usd grinders collection Apex, C40, M47 & Timemore G1 definitely Apex is the best in the cup follow by C40 and the last G1/M47 for brew.

October 4th, 2021, 10:16 am

This is helpful, thanks all. Sound like the <$1,000 winner is Apex.

ira wrote:Nautilus is mentioned so rarely I forgot it

baldheadracing wrote:Nautilus would be my pick

I've been thinking about Nautilus as well - why do you guys think this is a good choice? I keep hearing that you can't get both espresso and brew from the same burr / grinder.

Since I have the Max, certainly I've thought about the Shuriken brew burrs. But I don't have a sense of why I'd pay $3600 for a Max just for brew, vs the Apex, or something else. A little early to declare Kafatek a competitor in my mind (just my two cents).

#10: Post by **Jeff** » October 4th, 2021, 10:53 am

I'd throw the Fuji Royal into the sub-$1,000 consideration, based on its ghost-tooth burrs and descriptions of others of its build quality and performance.