Best Coffee Grinder For Chemex: 5 Fantastic Burr Grinders

Struggling to find out which coffee grinder would produce the perfect coarse grind for your Chemex brewing?

I’ve brewed more Chemex coffees than I can even count and used a ton of different grinders along the way. So, this article is my attempt to organize that experience into useful data points and detailed product reviews to help you find the best grinder for Chemex coffee brewing that meets your budget and expectations. Unfortunately, the brew quality in specialty coffee depends highly on price, but I tried to find some budget options that still produce a solid coarse grind.

Let’s hope you will find the ideal match!

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My Top 5 Favorite Chemex Coffee Grinders: Overview

Before diving into the geeky details of each grinder, let’s get a zoomed-out look at the five Chemex grinders and why I chose them, followed by a few more details about each one:

• Baratza Virtuoso+: Best Overall
• Baratza Encore: Runner-Up
• Hario Skerton Pro: Budget-friendly & Best Manual Coffee Grinder For Chemex
• Fellow Gen 2 Ode Brew Grinder: Premium Option
• Cuisinart DBM-8P1 Supreme Grind: Best Budget Electric Chemex Grinder

Keep reading to discover which features I considered when deciding on solid Chemex grinders.

Features & Product Aspects to Look For

Choosing the right coffee grinder for your Chemex is about more than just picking a popular or expensive product. Even amongst expensive grinders, some will be better suited to espresso and fail to produce solid Chemex grounds (aka coarse grounds.) And, other grinders play the part visually but fail to produce quality grinds.

So here are the primary aspects to keep in mind as you decide.

Consistency of Grind

You can read more science in this coffee-grinding ultimate guide, but the elevator pitch version to describe a quality coffee grinder is grind consistency. As water interacts with the coffee particles, you want it to extract flavor evenly from all pieces.

Inconsistent grind results in some particles being over-extracted while others are under-extracted, leading to a bitter (or simply underwhelming) taste in your coffee. Also, low-quality grinders produce more fines (aka coffee dust particles.) These fines over-extract and cause the water to drain too slowly.

Grind Size Adjustability

Any quality grinder should be able to produce a range of grind sizes. Adjusting the grind setting allows you to dial in the perfect extraction on any one method and to have the flexibility to try other methods. For example, my Baratza Virtuoso+ allows me to brew anything from espresso to French Press.

Note: This is why all grinders here are burr grinders—here’s why you should stay away from blade grinders.

More specific to this guide, the Chemex requires a coarser grind than other pour over brewing methods. So, I wanted to find grinders with a wide range of grind sizes while also performing optimally on coarser grinds.

Durability & Build Quality

A coffee grinder is a long-term investment. You want it to stand the test of time, especially if you are a daily drinker. So, take care to notice the material and build quality of a grinder. The better grinders have quality material in the burrs, body, and motor, meaning they won’t break down. When a company promises longevity with a solid warranty, it’s a good sign that they believe in the durability of their product.

Note: In terms of ceramic vs steel burrs, both are sufficiently durable, although it may surprise you that ceramics are harder than steel and tend to last longer.

Basically, don’t be fooled by a cheap price tag. If a grinder seems too good to be true, it probably is! Plus, who wants to be constantly replacing broken parts on a grinder over the years?

Noise Level

Noise level may or may not be a crucial factor for you. However, know that grinders can vary widely on how much excessive noise they make. And, the best grinders operate quietly without compromising on power or performance.

User-Friendly

On the user-friendly front, the idea is to find a grinder that non-experts can easily use. While the gigantic grinders in a coffee shop produce fantastic quality, they are insanely expensive and have a learning curve.

Also, besides operating, you want a grinder that is easy to take apart and clean. As coffee beans are oily, they will leave a residue in your grinder that can impact the taste of your brew over time if not cleaned regularly.

Lastly, if you ever have to replace the burrs years down the line, a simpler/user-friendly grinder is ideal.

Best Coffee Grinders For Chemex: Detailed Reviews

This section will cover more detail for each grinder, especially those that I’ve had more personal experience with.

Baratza Virtuoso+: Best Overall

If you’re looking for the best grinder for your Chemex, the Baratza Virtuoso+ is my top pick. Okay, I might be biased, considering that I’ve owned this grinder for many years. However, I think it speaks well to the Virtuoso’s durability and performance.

One of the standout features of the Baratza Virtuoso is its consistency. It provides superbly even particle sizes at medium and coarse settings, which is essential for delicious extraction on a Chemex. Sure, it’s not the cheapest option, but the “you get what you pay for” saying applies here, especially when you compare it with Baratza’s entry-level model the Encore.

The 40mm steel M2 burrs are a step up in quality from the Encore, allowing you to technically get into the espresso range if needed. My grind setting is usually 20-23 when brewing a Chemex at home, which leaves plenty of room for adjusting the grind as needed.

Baratza Encore: Runner-Up

The Baratza Encore is my second pick for a fantastic Chemex grinder, mostly because it is a reliable grinder that strikes the perfect balance between cost and quality. Also, I’ve used it plenty of times to brew V60 and Chemex coffee, and it worked similarly to my Virtuoso. And, like the Virtuoso, it has 40 grind settings and plenty of room to adjust around the Chemex’s coarser grind sizes.

Read my full Baratza Encore Review for even more details.

However, there is a reason this model is Baratza’s entry-level grinder: it relies on plastic/cheaper internal parts. The outside casing is also plastic. Generally, these are all signs of a less durable and precise grinder. But, Baratza is a fantastic company that focuses on quality, so this grinder is remarkable for its price. There is a reason it is their best-selling product.

Hario Skerton Pro: The Best Hand Grinder for Chemex

For those on a more constrained budget, the Hario Skerton Pro is a terrific hand grinder for Chemex and other standard brewing methods. It was also my first grinder for many years before I upgraded to the Baratza Virtuoso+. As a hand grinder, it is perfect for travel or camping, and you get a surprisingly consistent grind quality for its price.

As I wrote in this guide to the best manual grinders, choosing a hand grinder can be a money-saving way to get fantastic grind quality. There are even some models that are more expensive than electric burr grinders. And, almost all hand grinders will be better than a blade design.

Also, this model is the Pro, Hario’s updated design of this classic hand grinder. Besides the more sleek look, the most notable new aspect is a stabilization feature that makes the grind size more consistent than the previous model. Plus, the 100-gram glass bowl means you’ll have plenty of room to grind for large Chemex brewing, something not all manual grinders can handle.

Yes, the physical effort needed to operate it is a drawback. However, for the price, you will get a better grind quality than most budget electric burr grinders.

Fellow Gen 2 Ode Brew Grinder

Next is the Fellow Gen 2 Ode Brew Grinder, the most expensive grinder in this lineup. This premium machine comes with a hefty price tag, but the grind consistency and operation are exceptional. Without going for a commercial machine, this is the best burr grinder for Chemex and other pour over drippers you will find.

See Also: Are Expensive Coffee Grinders Really Worth It?

Typical of the Fellow aesthetic, this product is sleek and modern, and it will visually look fantastic in any kitchen. But looks aside, the 64mm stainless steel burrs are flat and produce professional grind quality (the pros love flat burrs for their precise adjustment ability.) You might think the 31 settings are a downside, however, this grinder is purposefully designed to excel at brewing, not espresso.

As such, you can expect a fine adjustment ability in the pour-over range of the Chemex. You’ll also get plenty of usage from this for anything from AeroPress to French Press. Lastly, for such a professional-level product, it was remarkably quiet.

Cuisinart DBM-8P1 Supreme Grind

For those seeking a budget electric option, the Cuisinart DBM-8P1 Supreme Grind should be on your radar—I chose it as the winner of this lineup of the best budget coffee grinders. You can consider this machine an entry-level grinder for people beginning to get interested in specialty coffee. Of course, more advanced brewing techniques and dialing in will be tricky.

However, considering the price, the functionality is surprisingly acceptable and certainly better than stale pre-ground coffee. The 18 grind settings have markings to help you find the right territory. Plus, considering it’s a budget grinder, the stainless steel material and sleek exterior were surprising.

Overall, it seems this grinder sacrificed unnecessary features like touch screens and dosing buttons that can make these products expensive. However, if you do not mind manual grinding, you can get way better grind quality for the same price from a hand grinder.

Alternative Burr Grinders For Chemex

While the five coffee grinders you just read about are commendable and well-suited to brewing with Chemex, everyone has differing tastes, preferences, and most importantly, budgets. Plus, I was not able to try every grinder out there. So in this section, I will provide you with a few more options to consider if none of the previous grinders stood out to you.

See Also: The Best Coffee Grinders For Every Budget

Let’s be honest, some people know they will never deal with the annoyance of manual coffee grinding, even if the grind consistency is superior at the same price. So if you’re budget is super strict, consider this SHARDOR Burr Grinder to be the cheapest electric model you will find.

I haven’t been able to personally try it yet, but after reading a bunch of reviews, it seems to be the best electric burr grinder under $50.

If you like the concept of getting a hand grinder to get fantastic grind quality at a fraction of the price electric models go for, consider this TIMEMORE Chestnut C3 PRO. The cost is usually just below $100, and the grind quality is on par with Baratza’s grinders. The primary downside is the 20-gram capacity, which means you’ll have to reload mid-grinding when making Chemex coffee.

Lastly, you can save a bit by going for the earlier model, the C2 Hand Grinder.

Finally, I wanted to include this  Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder in the lineup since I’ve had some personal experience making Chemex brews with it while staying at a friend’s house. The coffee was certainly acceptable, and far better than wasting my beans on their cheaper coffee machine.

However, I noticed a ton of boulders and it was hard to get the right coffee flavors to pop with clarity. Again, for the same price, I would tend to say getting a quality hand grinder will produce way better results.

Chemex Coffee Grinder FAQs

For anyone still confused, I compiled some answers to the most common questions people ask when researching Chemex grinders.

Finding The Best Grinder for Chemex Coffee: Final Thoughts

As you can tell, finding the ideal coffee grinder for brewing on a Chemex is a personal decision. Of course, you want a grinder that has fantastic consistency at the coarse grind size. But, you also want a product that will fit into your routine and your budget.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this information helps you find the perfect Chemex grinder!