Best Burr Coffee Grinders Under £150 (2026)
A cheap blade grinder is the single biggest reason home coffee tastes worse than a café's — it pulverises beans unevenly, which makes bitter and sour notes hit your cup at the same time. A proper burr grinder, even a modest one, fixes most of that. Here's what actually matters under £150, and which grinder to buy for which situation.
What actually matters under £150
Burr size and type matter more than the settings-count marketing copy on the box. A 40mm conical burr — the size used by every grinder in this guide — grinds more consistently than the tiny burrs found in cheaper unbranded machines, because larger burrs generate less heat and chew through beans in fewer rotations. Beyond that, the differences that matter are: how fine the grinder can go (espresso needs a genuinely fine, consistent grind, not just "fine" on a dial), how easy it is to dial in and repeat a setting, and hopper size if you grind a lot at once.
Comparison table
| Grinder | Typical price | Burrs | Settings | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Basics Burr Grinder | ~£29 | Conical | 30 | Testing if you like grinding fresh at all |
| De'Longhi KG79 | ~£49 | 40mm conical | 13 | Filter coffee on a tight budget |
| Sage Dose Control Pro | ~£99 | 40mm conical | 60 | Best value all-rounder |
| Wilfa Svart Aroma | ~£129 | 40mm stainless conical | Stepless | Filter/pour-over specialists |
| Sage Smart Grinder Pro | ~£149 | 40mm conical | 60 | One grinder for everything |
| Baratza Encore ESP | ~£169* | 40mm hardened steel conical | 40 + micro-adjust | Espresso-focused households |
| Fellow Opus | ~£195* | 40mm conical | 41 micro-adjustable | Single-dose, design-conscious buyers |
*Slightly over £150 — included because they're a small step up worth knowing about. Prices fluctuate; always check the current price before buying.
Our picks
Sage Dose Control Pro — ~£99
The same 40mm conical burr set as Sage's pricier Smart Grinder Pro, in a simpler body without the digital timer display. If you don't need programmable dosing, this is the better buy — you're paying for grind quality, not the screen.
Check current price on Amazon UK →Baratza Encore ESP — ~£169
Baratza built this specifically for espresso, adding a micro-adjustment collar on top of the standard Encore so you can make the tiny grind-size changes espresso demands. If you're mainly pulling shots rather than brewing filter, this is worth stretching the budget for.
Check current price on Amazon UK →De'Longhi KG79 — ~£49
Only 13 settings and a small 120g hopper, but it uses the same 40mm burr size as grinders three times its price. Fine for filter and cafetière; don't expect fine enough or consistent enough for good espresso.
Check current price on Amazon UK →What we'd skip
The ultra-budget Amazon Basics Burr Grinder is a genuine step up from a blade grinder, but reviewers consistently flag durability concerns with its mostly-plastic build. It's a reasonable way to find out whether fresh-ground coffee is worth it to you before spending more — just don't expect it to last for years of daily use.