Krups Burr Grinder Review

Should you or should you not buy the Krups burr grinder? That is really the reason that we have written this article; to give you an honest and detailed review of this popular entry-level burr coffee grinder.

The Krups burr grinder is Krups effort to produce a burr grinder cheap enough to be affordable but reliable enough to satisfy coffee lovers. And there is no denying that they have at least nailed the first part of the brief; this Krups coffee grinder is about as affordable as it comes for burr grinders. But the real question is does it live up to the second? 

Well hopefully by the end of the article you will be able to answer that!

Specifications of the Krups Burr Grinder

Difference Between Burr and Blade Coffee Grinders 

One of the main selling points of the Krups burr grinder is the fact that it is a burr grinder. But what does that mean and does it matter? 

Well basically any coffee grinder has the goal of turning whole coffee beans into smaller particles that are as consistent in size as possible. Blade and Burrs are simply two different ways of trying to achieve that.

A blade coffee grinder uses a rotating metal blade to chop up the coffee beans. This works okay but tends to produce very inconsistent grind particles which in turn makes for very unpleasant coffee.

For this reason, as any coffee enthusiast will heatedly tell you, burr coffee grinders are almost universally preferred. A burr grinder uses two rotating disks called burrs to effectively crush rather than dice a coffee bean. One of the burrs will be stationary while the other rotates and all the coffee beans will have to pass between the burrs producing a fairly consistent overall grind size.

So yes, burrs are unquestionably better than blade coffee grinders. And the difference between entry-level burr grinders such as this one and high-end commercial grinders is in large part determined by the quality and size of the burrs used. To really get your head around coffee grinding see our article here.

Krups Burr Grinder Review

About Krups

Krups are a well-known German kitchen appliance company, with a wide range of products. The company began in 1846, and was named after its founder Robert Krups. Originally the company was known for its precision kitchen scales. Robert Krups himself was reputed to have once said “My most profound wish is to achieve the highest level of technical perfection with my products”.

And that wish was largely realized as Krups began to produce a range of quality kitchen products. It was in the 1950’s that Krups began to shift its focus to the world of coffee with the production of both coffee makers and coffee grinders. In fact one of their coffee grinders even featured in the classic 1985 Back to the Future movie!

So they have been in the coffee industry for a while now and produce a range of coffee related products including grinders, espresso machines, and coffee makers. They are a generally reputable company whose products tend to be affordable and of a reasonable quality. 

Usability of the Krups burr Grinder

One of the greatest strengths of the Krups coffee grinder is how simple and intuitive it is to use. To grind coffee, you simply make sure you have sufficient beans in the hopper, set the grind size on the side, set how many cups of coffee you want to make with the adjustable knob on the front, and then push go. 

It really is that simple. The adjustable knob on the front lets you choose anywhere between 2 and 12 cups of coffee or if you prefer you can do it manually by weight (which would be our preference). And if you do happen to grind too much coffee for your given coffee maker you can store the excess coffee grinds in the built in 7 oz. storage container. This is a helpful wee feature and the storage container is designed to be both anti-static, and to let in minimal amounts of light and air. However we still wouldn’t recommend keeping grinds in there for long!

One frustration that some users have expressed is that you can’t set the adjustable knob on the front to a single cup. 

Grind Consistency of the Krups Burr Grinder 

Ultimately, the most important question you must ask before buying any coffee grinder is how consistent are the grinds it produces? As this will directly impact the flavor of the coffee you go on to brew. 

So, how well does the Krups coffee grinder grind? Well it comes with 45 different grind settings. These are divided into 9 main grind settings with 5 intermediary settings between these. In theory this amount of grind settings could cover any coffee brewing method from espresso to French Press. However, in practice, this machine struggles, particularly with coarse grinds. As such it really is best suited to pair with coffee makers that use a medium or finer grind, such drip coffee makers, entry-level espresso, or pour over.  

The biggest problem with the grinding capabilities of the Krups burr grinder is the production of what is called fines. These are tiny dust-like coffee particles that sabotage the flavor of coffee by over-extracting. This has been particularly noted in for coarse grinds such as would be used for French Press. If you are looking for a grinder that will excel at coarse grind settings see our best coffee grinder for French Press article here. 

So it really is a matter of perspective. If you are fairly new to coffee brewing and this is your first foray into grinding your own beans, then the Krups professional burr grinder is not a bad option. Especially if you are using fresh and quality beans you will notice a marked improvement in flavor from pre-ground beans. 

However, if you are a veteran in the coffee world, that knows the lingo and is looking for excellent grind consistency, then the Krups coffee grinder is probably not for you. You will find that the Krups struggles to meet your standards and we would recommend instead the Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder.  

Cleaning and Maintenance 

Another strength of the Krups burr grinder is how simple it is to clean and maintain. All coffee grinders really do need to be cleaned semi-regularly to last well. And as grinders go, this model by Krups is fairly user friendly in this regard. The 15 oz. hopper and top burr both come off for cleaning and Krups even throw in a free cleaning brush which is a nice extra!

Design 

Finally, it would be remiss to neglect to note that this is also a very aesthetically pleasing grinder. It has a fairly small footprint so will easily fit on most benchtops, and overall just looks sleek. It has a very modern look and feel to it, which certainly can not be said of all coffee grinders! So you won’t feel you need to hide this appliance whenever guests turn up!

Who is the Krups Burr Grinder For? 

So ultimately, who should buy the Krups burr grinder? Well we have answered that in part in the grinding section, but basically the beginning coffee brewer, looking for a cheap entrance into coffee grinding. This burr grinder is remarkably affordable, and could be a great doorway for many into the world of coffee grinding. 

As mentioned above the two types of people who shouldn’t buy this grinder are those who typically brew coffee that requires a coarse grind setting (ie. French Press, Cold Brew) of the more discriminating coffee lover. 

This is an entry-level Krups grinder and so as the price should suggest (despite the rather ostentatious use of ‘professional’ in the name) it is designed for those just starting their coffee journey. If that is you then this might be a great way for you to up your coffee game and get into the fantastic world of coffee grinding. 

Tips for Using the  Krups Burr Grinder

• Use high quality beans – it doesn’t matter how good your grinder might be, the flavor of your coffee will never exceed the quality of the beans you use. We recommend finding a local specialty coffee roaster near you (there will be one, trust me!).
  

• Use Fresh Coffee Beans – Another thing that many beginning coffee brewers don’t realise is that coffee beans are technically fresh produce and so go stale over time. It is recommended that coffee beans tend to be at their best for both flavor and aroma in the first month after they have been roasted. A good tip is that if a bag of beans has a used by date avoid it, but if it has a ‘roasted on’ date it is likely fresher and better quality.
  

• Make sure that you get the right grind setting for your coffee maker – As mentioned, the Krups coffee grinder has a dial on the side, with which you adjust your grind size. We have created the following chart as a good starting point for which setting to do for different brewing methods.

Happy Buying!