Transform your coffee routine with the budget-friendly and team-favorite Hamilton Beach coffee grinder.
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Hamilton Beach Coffee Grinder Review: A Simple, Compact and Budget-Friendly Option
Updated on Mar. 10, 2025
Sometimes, simplicity is best. Such is the case with the Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind coffee grinder, which is a compact and efficient grinder that will become an essential part of your coffee-making routine. It’s a manual coffee grinder, but it’s very simple to use. All you have to do is dump beans into the grinder, press a button and get your brewing equipment of choice ready to go.
We named Hamilton Beach a runner-up pick on our list of the best coffee grinders. It joined other high-performers (with higher price points!) from brands like Cuisinart, Krups and Breville. Here’s everything you need to know about this mini-yet-mighty coffee tool.
On Sale
Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder
This pick is proof you don't have to spend a lot of money for an efficient manual grinder.
What is the Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind coffee grinder?
The Hamilton Beach coffee grinder is a manual grinder—you have to push and hold the button to grind the beans. There isn’t any way to program how finely ground you’d like your beans or how many cups you’d like to grind, but I’ve used manual grinders for many years, and all it requires is some practice. Considering that the price point of this is a fraction of most automatic coffee grinders, that’s a worthwhile compromise.
The Hamilton Beach coffee grinder can grind enough beans for up to 12 cups of coffee, which means that you can grind enough for a single cup or a whole pot, depending on your needs.
It’s small and compact, even more so than our space-saving favorite, the OXO coffee grinder, so it’s ideal for smaller kitchens. Since it’s light enough to transport, I’ve even taken similar models on road trips to ensure I can grind beans fresh on vacation.
The Hamilton Beach grinder has cord storage, which we appreciate for keeping countertops clean and making it easier to stash the grinder somewhere else when not in use. The cord management compartment is on the bottom of the grinder—you twist it to open. It unscrews just enough to access the cord via a small opening.
While we found that the device feels a little cheap, it gets the job done at a very reasonable price point. We evaluated this specifically as a coffee grinder, but it can also grind herbs and spices.
Psst! If you’re looking for a burr grinder instead—which typically uses two plates with teeth to grind the beans, rather than blades—the Baratza and Bodum options both impressed our team.
How We Tested the Hamilton Beach Coffee Grinder
We started by testing out how well the Hamilton Beach coffee grinder performed. We ground 30 grams of whole beans for 30 seconds (using a manual timer) to achieve what we felt was a medium coarseness. More than half of the beans (about 17 grams) achieved that medium coarseness, while about a third seemed coarse.
Using the machine was very intuitive and self-explanatory. If you’re new to home-brewing, check out our guide to how to grind coffee beans.
Because what really matters is what you do with the beans you grind, we made a cup of coffee using the grounds and the Hario pour-over. The coffee was smooth, though it had a slightly bitter aftertaste. One member of our Product Testing team noted that the pour-over had a “cleaner” taste than using a French press at home.
We were also pleased to see that the grinding process was pretty mess-free. There weren’t many staticky grounds stuck on the lid, and though there were some grounds packed in the bottom, all we needed was a small brush to remove them (a brush was not included with the grinder).
Cleaning the grinder was as simple as using it. The cover comes off easily, and you can remove the interior grinding chamber. They both can be wiped with a damp cloth or put into the dishwasher. You can wipe the exterior down with a damp cloth. There were a few grounds stuck in between the grinding chamber and the plastic that were harder to reach.
Pros
- Affordable
- Good cord management
- Simple and intuitive to use
- Removable chamber
Cons
- Loud while grinding
- Small chamber
Final Verdict
If you’re only grinding a small amount of coffee each morning, the Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind is the perfect size to get the job done. Its budget-friendly price and intuitive use make this a top pick for cost-conscious consumers. While it does have some drawbacks, most notably its size and sound, they’re small sacrifices.
Where to Buy the Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder
On Sale
Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder
For a back-to-basics coffee grinder, you can't go wrong with this under-$20 option from Hamilton Beach.
The Hamilton Beach coffee grinder is available in black and white colorways from a number of retailers, including Amazon, Wayfair and Walmart. It sells for around $20.
FAQ
How do you clean a Hamilton Beach coffee grinder?
To clean a Hamilton Beach coffee grinder, you can remove both the interior grinding chamber and the cover, and wipe with a damp cloth or pop it into the dishwasher. Use a damp cloth to clean the exterior.
Does grinding coffee fresh make a difference?
Yes, freshly ground coffee retains more flavor and aroma, which gives you a richer and more enjoyable cup compared to pre-ground coffee.
How do I change the settings on my coffee grinder?
On most Hamilton Beach coffee grinders, you can adjust the grind size by turning the adjustable dial or using preset grind settings, depending on the model. For the Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder we review here, there is only one grind setting.
Why does my freshly ground coffee taste weak?
Weak coffee can result from using too coarse a grind, not using enough coffee or under-extracting during brewing. Try a finer grind or increasing the coffee-to-water ratio.
Is coffee stronger if you grind it finer?
Yes, a finer grind increases the surface area of the coffee, which gives you a stronger extraction and a more intense flavor. Be careful, though, because too fine a grind can cause over-extraction and bitterness.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our Product Testing team set out to find the best-of-the-best coffee grinders at a variety of price points and styles to meet the needs of different types of coffee drinkers. The best coffee grinders for espresso aren’t necessarily going to be the best for those who favor a single-cup pour-over, for instance. To determine the top performers, we evaluated a wide range based on several factors, including how much space they took up, the length of their cords and how well they ground (naturally). We made a cup of coffee with those grounds to test the bitterness and strength. Grounds from our favorites were used to make espresso shots with the best espresso beans.
I’ve written numerous gift guides and product reviews, many of them in the coffee space, and I have a strong understanding of what’s on the market and what lives up to its promises. As someone with a cup of coffee nearly always on hand, I got into my home-brewing games with manual coffee grinders, so I know first-hand the need to find one that does the job well.
