In brief: how we read the data
Based on spec sheets, not on measurements of our own.
For espresso, entry-level bracket
Baratza Encore ESP
Steel conical burrs of 40 mm, a 300 g hopper and a manufacturer that presents the model as built for espresso. Dosing is manual: you stop the grinder yourself.
- Grinder
- Steel conical burrs
- Dosing
- Manual
- Suitable for espresso (per manufacturer)
- Yes
- Bean hopper
- 300 g
Price at Amazon:£159.95Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£159.95
For timed dosing into the portafilter
Sage the Smart Grinder Pro (SCG820)
60 grind settings, timed dosing and a 450 g hopper, the largest of the five. In the UK it sits at the top of the entry-level bracket.
- Grinder
- Steel conical burrs
- Grind settings
- 60
- Dosing
- Timed
- Suitable for espresso (per manufacturer)
- Yes
- Bean hopper
- 450 g
Price at Amazon:£179.99Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£209.95
For filter and cafetière on a tight budget
De'Longhi KG79 Electric Burr Coffee Grinder
Steel flat burrs, 16 settings and a 120 g hopper. De'Longhi's manual says the finest position suits espresso machines; with 16 steps, the room for fine-tuning is limited.
- Grinder
- Steel flat burrs
- Grind settings
- 16
- Suitable for espresso (per manufacturer)
- Yes
- Bean hopper
- 120 g
Price at Amazon:£40.00Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£66.99
For grinding by hand
TIMEMORE Chestnut C3S Pro Manual Coffee Grinder
A hand grinder with 38 mm steel conical burrs and an aluminium body. Timemore describes it as fine enough for espresso, while reserving its finer dial for other versions.
- Grinder
- Steel conical burrs
- Dosing
- None
- Suitable for espresso (per manufacturer)
- Yes
Price at Amazon:£109.00Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
The models compared on the data
Table scrolls sideways →
| Model | Offer | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 De'Longhi KG79 Electric Burr Coffee Grinder | Steel flat burrs | not stated | 16 | not stated | Yes | 120 g | 150 W | not stated | Entry level | £40.00 | £66.99 | Check price on Amazon |
 Baratza Encore ESP | Steel conical burrs | 40 mm | not stated | Manual | Yes | 300 g | 70 W | 13 × 34 × 15 cm | Entry level | £159.95 | £159.95 | Check price on Amazon |
 Sage the Smart Grinder Pro (SCG820) | Steel conical burrs | not stated | 60 | Timed | Yes | 450 g | 165 W | 21.5 × 38.9 × 16 cm | Entry level | £179.99 | £209.95 | Check price on Amazon |
 TIMEMORE Chestnut C3S Pro Manual Coffee Grinder | Steel conical burrs | 38 mm | not stated | None | Yes | not stated | not stated | not stated | Entry level | £109.00 | not stated | Check price on Amazon |
| KINGrinder K6 Manual Coffee Grinder | not stated | 48 mm | not stated | None | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | Entry level | £99.00 | not stated | Check price on Amazon |
No model matches this selection.
Sources: manufacturer spec sheets and product pages. “not stated” means not stated by the manufacturer or not yet verified by us. Prices at Amazon: as of 10 Nov 2026, 10:31, checked once a day. They may have changed since; the price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase applies. Price stated by the manufacturer, excluding promotions. The retailer’s current price may differ. Photos: the respective manufacturers. Offer: Paid link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Which grinder for which use?
- If you make espresso and want an electric grinder in the entry-level bracket, the Baratza Encore ESP is the one its maker positions for that job, with 40 mm steel conical burrs.
- If you want the grinder to stop on its own, with the dose landing in the portafilter, the Sage Smart Grinder Pro has timed dosing and 60 settings. It is the natural partner for a Sage Bambino.
- If you brew filter coffee or use a cafetière, with the occasional espresso, the De’Longhi KG79 covers it with 16 settings in the entry-level bracket.
- If you grind one or two doses a day and do not mind the effort, a hand grinder takes little room and needs no socket: the Timemore Chestnut C3S Pro or the KINGrinder K6.
Buying a grinder to go with an espresso machine? The machine and grinder pairings page matches them bracket by bracket.
How to read the table
Three cells deserve a comment.
Power. The two hand grinders have no motor, so their power cell reads “not stated”. That is a limit of the table, not a missing figure.
Dosing. “Timed” means the grinder runs for a set time and stops. “Manual” means you start and stop it yourself. “None” is the hand grinders: you weigh or count the beans before grinding. The KG79’s cell is empty because De’Longhi describes a cup selector with automatic stop without explaining how it measures the dose.
Suitable for espresso. This column reports what the manufacturer says, nothing more. It is not a result of ours.
The buying criteria, with the figures
Burrs: shape, material, diameter
Four of the five manufacturers state the burr shape. The KG79 has flat steel burrs. The Encore ESP, the Smart Grinder Pro and the Timemore have conical steel burrs. KINGrinder gives the K6’s burr material, stainless steel, and its diameter, but the pages we read do not spell out the shape, so the grinder-type cell stays empty.
Burr diameter is published for three grinders: 38 mm on the Timemore, 40 mm on the Baratza and 48 mm on the KINGrinder. De’Longhi and Sage give none.
A larger burr has more cutting surface. What that changes in the cup, in grinding time or in heat is exactly what a spec sheet cannot show; it is on our list of things to measure.
Grind settings: the figure that matters most for espresso
Espresso reacts to small changes in grind size, so the number of steps, and how small they are, counts for more here than for filter coffee or a cafetière.
Two figures are published: 16 settings on the KG79 and 60 on the Smart Grinder Pro. Sage describes its range as running from espresso to French press. De’Longhi’s manual says the finest position of the KG79 is suited to espresso machines: that is the manufacturer’s statement, and it leaves you a single zone of a 16-step dial to work in.
Baratza’s product page did not give a number of settings for the Encore ESP, so the cell is empty; the grind is set by turning the hopper. The two hand grinders are adjusted by clicks. On the K6 the adjustment ring is on the outside of the body; on the Timemore, the manufacturer’s range page reserves its finer espresso dial for the versions labelled ESP. The grind size guide explains how to move from one setting to the next without wasting coffee.
Dosing: who decides when to stop?
With the Smart Grinder Pro you choose between shots and cups on an LCD display, set a time, and the grinder stops by itself. It comes with portafilter cradles, including one for Sage’s own 54 mm portafilters, so the coffee falls straight into the basket.
With the Encore ESP, dosing is manual: you decide when to stop, and Baratza supplies a dosing cup. With the KG79 you turn a cup selector and the grinder stops automatically. With a hand grinder, the dose is whatever you put in.
If you want repeatable doses without a set of scales, timed dosing is the feature to look for. If you weigh your beans anyway, it matters less.
Capacity and footprint
Hoppers hold 120 g on the KG79, 300 g on the Encore ESP and 450 g on the Smart Grinder Pro. A large hopper is convenient if you always use the same coffee; if you switch beans often, you will be emptying it.
For the hand grinders we publish no capacity: both manufacturers give different figures from one page to the next.
On the worktop, the Encore ESP takes 13 cm of width and stands 34 cm tall; the Smart Grinder Pro takes 21.5 cm and stands 38.9 cm tall. Check that height against the gap under your wall cupboards, since beans go in at the top. De’Longhi’s pages give the KG79’s measurements in an inconsistent order, so we publish only its weight, 1.6 kg.
Electric or manual?
An electric grinder suits several cups a day or a household: fill the hopper, press, done. A hand grinder suits one or two doses at a time, a small kitchen, or travel. Both hand grinders here have an aluminium body, and the Pro version of the Timemore has a folding handle.
What we cannot tell you is how long a dose takes to grind by hand, or how much effort an espresso-fine setting requires. Neither manufacturer publishes it.
The five models, one by one
Entry level, flat burrs
De'Longhi KG79 Electric Burr Coffee Grinder
The simplest electric grinder of the five: flat steel burrs, a cup selector with automatic stop and an upper burr that comes out for cleaning. For espresso, the manufacturer points to the finest position only. De’Longhi’s website and manual disagree on power and weight; the database follows the manual.
- Grinder
- Steel flat burrs
- Grind settings
- 16
- Bean hopper
- 120 g
- Power
- 150 W
- Weight
- 1.6 kg
Price at Amazon:£40.00Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£66.99
Entry level, positioned for espresso
Baratza Encore ESP
Conical steel burrs, manual dosing and a grind adjusted by turning the hopper. The motor is rated at 70 W, the lowest of the three electric grinders. Baratza’s UK page states a 2-year manufacturer warranty. Neither the number of settings nor the weight appeared on the product page we read.
- Grinder
- Steel conical burrs
- Burr diameter
- 40 mm
- Dosing
- Manual
- Bean hopper
- 300 g
- Power
- 70 W
Price at Amazon:£159.95Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£159.95
Entry level, timed dosing
Sage the Smart Grinder Pro (SCG820)
The highest stated number of settings, the largest hopper and the only timed dosing of the five. In the UK it sits at the top of the entry-level bracket; Sage’s euro-zone list price would put it one bracket higher. Sage publishes neither burr diameter nor weight. A simpler Sage grinder without a display, the Dose Control Pro, exists but is not in our database.
- Grinder
- Steel conical burrs
- Grind settings
- 60
- Dosing
- Timed
- Bean hopper
- 450 g
- Width
- 21.5 cm
Price at Amazon:£179.99Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£209.95
Entry level, hand grinder
TIMEMORE Chestnut C3S Pro Manual Coffee Grinder
A hand grinder with conical steel burrs in a one-piece aluminium body; the Pro version sold in the UK adds a folding handle. Capacity is not recorded because the manufacturer’s pages disagree with each other; weight and dimensions were not found.
- Grinder
- Steel conical burrs
- Burr diameter
- 38 mm
- Suitable for espresso (per manufacturer)
- Yes
- Hand grinder
- Yes
- Dosing
- None
Price at Amazon:£109.00Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
Entry level, hand grinder, larger burr
KINGrinder K6 Manual Coffee Grinder
A hand grinder with a 48 mm stainless steel burr, the largest diameter published among the five, and an adjustment ring on the outside. KINGrinder describes it as an all-rounder and keeps its espresso recommendation for another model, so we do not present it as an espresso grinder.
- Burr diameter
- 48 mm
- Hand grinder
- Yes
- Dosing
- None
Price at Amazon:£99.00Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.
What this comparison cannot tell you
This ranking rests on manufacturer data. We have not ground a single bean with these grinders: nothing here describes how even the grind is, how much coffee stays inside the grinder, how loud it is or how long it takes. No manufacturer publishes a noise level. Our own measurements will be added as we buy equipment, starting with an entry-level grinder.
Two sources call for extra caution. We could read KINGrinder’s website only through an automated summary, so treat the K6’s figures as provisional. And the Timemore range page we used carries the label “sample page” on the manufacturer’s own site.
Go further
- The machines these grinders feed: espresso machines compared and espresso machines for beginners.
- One brand for both: the Sage range.
- Burr, dose, retention: the glossary covers the terms.
- Would you rather not grind at all? A bean-to-cup machine has the grinder built in, and the chooser below helps you decide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best coffee grinder for espresso?
On manufacturer data, two electric grinders are the clearest candidates. The Baratza Encore ESP is presented by its maker as built for espresso and has 40 mm steel conical burrs. The Sage Smart Grinder Pro states 60 grind settings and timed dosing, and comes with portafilter cradles. The De'Longhi KG79 is declared suitable for espresso on its finest position, but has only 16 settings. We have not measured grind quality on any of them.
Are these burr grinders or blade grinders?
All five are burr grinders: the beans pass between two burrs set a fixed distance apart, and that distance is what you adjust. A blade grinder chops the beans with a spinning blade, and the result depends on how long you let it run. We compare burr grinders only, because the grind setting is the thing a spec sheet can describe.
Is a hand grinder good enough for espresso?
The manufacturers answer differently. Timemore writes that the C3S is fine enough for espresso, yet keeps its finer espresso dial for the versions it labels ESP. KINGrinder presents the K6 as an all-round grinder and does not claim espresso suitability for it. So the K6 cell reads “not stated”. Whether either produces a good espresso is a question for measurement, not for a spec sheet.
How many grind settings do I need?
It depends on the brewing method. Filter and cafetière tolerate coarse steps. Espresso reacts to small changes in grind, so more and finer steps give you more control. The published figures here are 16 settings for the De'Longhi KG79 and 60 for the Sage Smart Grinder Pro. Baratza's page did not give the number for the Encore ESP, and hand grinders are adjusted by clicks, which we do not record as a comparable figure.
Are flat burrs better than conical burrs?
The spec sheets do not settle it, and neither do we. Of the five grinders, the De'Longhi KG79 has flat steel burrs; the Baratza, the Sage and the Timemore have conical steel burrs; KINGrinder does not state the shape of the K6's burr in the pages we read. Burr shape is one design choice among several, alongside diameter, material and how finely the adjustment is stepped.