You’re tired of buying a bag of coffee, just to have it start to go stale half way through the bag.
No matter how hard you try to keep it fresh, it always seems to taste slightly different the more coffee you drink from the beans. It’s a common problem with bagged grounds.
You decided this year you’d start grinding your own beans, but now don’t know what grinder to buy. We’ve listed two below that won’t break the bank and will give you a simple introduction to grinding without worry: The Bodum Bistro and the Capresso Cool Blade coffee grinders.
Bodum Bistro Coffee Grinder
The Bodum Bistro grinder is a simple blade grinder that is going to allow you entry into grinding your own beans without a large buy-in cost. The Bistro model doesn’t have a lot of extra pieces other than the housing and lid, and that is going to make it great to start with. It will grind beans with a pulsing or continuous grind with the stainless steel blade to your liking. It’s great for drip coffee or percolators as you enter new coffee territory.
Pros
Simple Design – The Bistro is a simple machine that doesn’t make grinding complicated. The beans go in the top of the machine, snap the lid down, and start grinding.
See Through Lid – The lid of the machine is clear plastic which allows you to visually see the coarseness of the grind. Since you are controlling the grinding action, you can visually correlate the grind to coarse texture of the beans. This will allow you to understand how long you need to grind the beans to your coffee satisfaction. It’s also fun to watch the machine work.
Cord Storage – The power cord has a storage compartment inside the base of the Bistro. If you’re cleaning up the counter, the cord can be wound into the base of the machine. You don’t have to leave it coiled up in the corner. It makes for a tidy counter-top.
Multiple colors – The Bistro is available in black, chrome, copper, matte black, and red. Pick your favorite of the five colors available, or use it as an accent to your other kitchen appliances already in your kitchen.
Low cost – After reviewing a few online retailers, the grinder can be found for under $35. Think of that as equivalent to seven of the medium specialized coffees from your favorite coffee shop in town. It can pay for itself in a couple weeks or a month easily and give you the fresh aroma and taste you have when getting coffee out.
Cons
Grind Types – The Bistro won’t grind well enough for an espresso coffee, and if that’s your favorite it might not be the grinder for you. It really does well with drip coffee machines, French press, and percolators. You may want to step up to a more expensive grinder made for espresso grounds if that’s where you want to be.
Capresso Cool Blade Coffee Grinder 
The Cool Blade coffee grinder is another simple entry-level grinder that will get you into the grinding game for little money and big value. The design is also very simple without the complication of multiple pieces to worry about. The operation is also simple with a pulse grind setting or a continuous grind depending on what you want for your coffee.
Pros
Basic Design – The Cool Blade grinder is a no-frills grinder that functions well, but doesn’t look like a work of art for your kitchen. The beans go in the top of the machine, tighten the lid down, and grind until the beans are at the level for your favorite coffee.
Large capacity – The Cool Blade grinder holds enough beans to make up to 15 cups of coffee. If you’re hosting a gathering once and a while, that may be enough for a couple cups for each guest before grinding more.
Clear Lid – The lid of the machine is transparent plastic which allows you to watch the machine grind the coffee to the consistency you need.
Quick Action – Depending on your grind consistency target, the machine only needs to be used for a few seconds. Just push the button for a few seconds at a time for a quick grind. The grinder runs at a high RPM to make the job quick.
Colors options to choose from – The Capresso Cool Grind is available in gloss black or a simple stainless finish to match your appliances already in your kitchen.
Low cost – Capresso lists the Cool Grind for less than $25. Grab it and some beans for a quick cup of coffee for little money invested. Use the savings for a new coffee cup or mug.
Cons
Limited color options – The Capresso Cool Grind is only listed with two color options, as opposed to the five available with the Bistro.
Grinding limitations – The Cool Grind won’t make a coffee ground good enough for espresso. You’ll need to stick to drip coffee, French press, or percolation with it.
Both of these grinders are budget friendly and come in pretty low on the scale for grinders. If you’re unsure about grinding your own beans, it makes sense to start with a simple low-end grinder to experiment with. As long as you’re wanting to use the grounds for drip, French press, or a percolator, you’ll be in good shape. Both offer similar operating with a simple push button, cord storage in the base of the machine to keep the counter tidy, and both come in black. The main differences are in color options and capacity. Pick the one you need for your next cup of coffee and you won’t go wrong.