This showdown takes hold of the fascinating world of affordable grinders. The Bodum Bistro and the Cuisinart DBM-8.
Two electric, and eclectic grinders coming in at a great price level, especially for the novice coffee makers. It’s likely that either of the two compared here will do the job, but there are many details to consider when buying a coffee grinder.
Let’s match these two up and find the best investment for your beans.
If you could pick the brain of your favorite coffee superstar or just average connoisseur, they’d likely explain the major hole in your coffee game is that in order for coffee beans to develop their full flavor profile, they must be ground right before coming in contact with hot water.
This means just moments before the brew. Since your pre-ground coffee is going to cut it, then finding a suitable grinder is the next step.
What Kind of Grinder
If you’re looking to save money there are a few different options that can make the cut. Wait!
Let’s not take that too literally, in fact cutting the beans with a blade grinder is the last mistake you’d make around the true coffee masters of the world.
A blade grinder will repeatedly and haplessly bash the coffee bean into pieces, coming at it with heat each time. Say goodbye to the precious oils that come alongside the beans, and contribute to the excellent flavor profile of a true brew. Adding heat to any grind session will seriously impact the quality of your coffee, for the worse.
Leave the negative side effects behind, you won’t have those problems with a burr mill. The coffee bean is split just once and that is the end of it. The oils remain intact and the flavor profile remains unaffected by the process.
Using a burr mill to grind your beans is a good way to produce a uniform and regular grind of coffee. Most burrs will produce a grind ranging from the very coarse to the ultra fine. If you’ve got basically any coffee creating device then you should be able to find a grind setting that works for you.
Now, applying electricity can often improve the user experience while grinding. However, you’re looking at the issue of volume now. much more so than a manual coffee grinder. So in the Choose Your Own Adventure book of coffee making, it’s important that you make a choice, manual or electric coffee grinders?
The Bodum Bistro Grinder
Burr mills come in a variety of styles. The one in the Bodum Bistro is a conical burr grinder. Some will argue it’s among the best, others might try to talk you down on it. One thing is for sure, it’s a great burr style for a starter grinder.
The Bistro coffee grinder comes looking great and made from sturdy materials. A borosilicate glass container to catch the grounds is not only aesthetically pleasing but is inherently static-free. This greatly reduces the pains of a traditional grinder.
No more ‘jumping’ coffee grounds. No more coffee ghosts.
The catcher and silicone band around the unit are also made of the static free material equates to a more hygienic grinder itself.
Additionally, the special glass that so carefully keeps static from wreaking havoc on your grinds, is scratch proof. This is a great bonus when you care about how nice your coffee gear looks, just in case you’re trying to impress someone.
If you’re already familiar with the Bodum brand, or maybe you live on a coffee-less planet elsewhere in the cosmos, you know that there’s a running standard of quality design at work. This is a grinder that’s simply great to look at. Let’s say you’ve already invested in some beautiful Bodum coffee gear, then this will fit in perfectly.
The grinder itself is wonderfully designed and looks great on any countertop. The light footprint means that it’ll make efficient use of space. It’s not likely that you’ll be taking either of these out into the woods for coffee and camping, but they’re great for the home coffee practice. Additionally, it comes in a variety of colors, if you need to match your kitchen!
On the other side of the coin, it offers relatively few grind settings compared to a high-quality grinder or many of the others on the market, but its quality of grind is on the upswing. What you select is what you get, a feature hard to find among inexpensive burr grinders.
This grinder is great for the beginner on a budget, looking for an intro to the world of manual coffee. For the quality you get, the Bistro is a steal, and a bargain you should be proud to own.
The Cuisinart DBM-8 Grinder
Cuisinart has long been a manufacturer of domestic appliances aimed at making the most of their roles in the household without breaking the bank. The coffee grinder market, often dominated by hugely expensive investments, now has a newcomer with the DBM-8.
No, it’s not a sentient robot bent on grinding the homes coffee supply while you sleep. It’s rather a much simpler grinder than what you might find by spending the big bucks. This can be a pro and a con for some, so how full is your glass?
The DBM-8 is a grinder that has many features if you’re looking for simple and affordable. There’s one big plus, and it’s likely the reason it’s such a great matchup against the Bodum Bistro. Many features against the few. So how does it hold up against the Bodum?
The DBM-8 isn’t much to look at if we have to match the two grinders up that way. In fact, some common complaints are in reference to the exterior and it’s typical kitchen look. It’s not something you’ll see behind the counter at the local cafe. However, if you’ve already invested in an arsenal of Cuisnart or similar domestic appliances then this grinder will fit right it. There’s no need to worry about it looking out of place, and calling it ugly would be a pretty unfair assessment as well.
Despite claims of a terrible appearance, it’s actually quite a slick grinder. Coated with stainless steel, and still compact despite having a well-sized hopper, the DBM-8 is traditional and offers a classic look.
Keep in mind, this is one of the best selling grinders on Amazon, and it’s for a slew of good selling points.
The price is simply impressive. This grinder is easy to find on sale and can regularly be found at half price or less. so you’d be spending much more on the average blade grinder. Then you’re discussing a mortal sin against coffee, so we shall not be going down that road. Instead, turn towards the DBM-8 again and take note of the durability that this machine boasts. Most electric grinders at this price point will fall apart sooner rather than later unless you’re spending more on the top of the line models, that’s just not the case with the industrially made entity. Those high-performance grinders are great options too if you’re willing to invest more, we’ve reviewed the top electric grinders of 2018 if you’re interested in perusing those too.
This grinder has great style and definitely looks the part of a professional grinder. The DBM-8 is one to have on hand even as a backup.
Pushing The Grinder Limits
For the sake of your grinder’s longevity, cleanliness is key. The Bistro is a machine that attacks that problem at the source and doesn’t resort to wishful thinking by tossing in cleaning tips in the manual.
The static-free materials used in the Bistro will keep it free from waste buildup, and grounds will flow freely through, reducing the need to clean and extending the grinder’s lifespan. The anti-static materials will also ensure that grounds go nowhere but your brewer.
The Bodum bistro boasts a conical burr grinder system, which is really an impressive way to grind coffee. The Cuisinart is made with flat burrs that process the beans well, but it’s a different process altogether from the Bodum. The Bodum also boasts the lack of static. None, it’s a miracle.
You want a clean grinding experience, but want to use fresh, tasty, and oily beans?
Most conical burr grinders aren’t going to handle a hearty coffee bean very well. Why is that? It’s not due to the quality of the grinder, it’s actually due to the static cling. Static makes grinders susceptible to constant cleaning. This is the case for many grinders. Painstaking cleaning becomes a painful chore.
Another note about the importance of keeping your grinder clean is that is will add to the lifespan of the grinder significantly. In fact, the number one cause of grinder malfunction originates with debris affecting the moving parts and pieces within. It’s not common that your grinder will fail due to much of anything else unless there’s some hidden manufacturing flaw. So the major point of static free materials is somewhat of a hard science, coffee fact.
Some grinder makes and models only need cleaning about once a month, while others need it just about every other grind. The Bistro, on the other hand, hardly ever needs to be cleaned at all, and this is because it is designed to be static free. That’s a great point that one will rarely see in an affordable grinder.
The Final Showdown
Among beginner grinders, a low price isn’t typically going to get you an impressive piece of coffee equipment. You can easily bring one of these machines home without breaking into the triple digits, the trick is finding something long lasting that will perform it’s given task well.
When it comes to grinders, especially on the high-end side, one will find that they rarely do every kind of coffee grind well. You’re much more inclined to find a grinder that is specifically for espresso grind, or does drip coffee grinds much better. It’s unlikely you’ll find a jack of all trades grinder or even a master of none grinder. You’ll likely be investing in a grinder that performs just a specific grind, and that’s okay, but you have to know at least what coffee range you’ll be preparing primarily.
Regardless of whether you’re interested in getting higher end grinders or simply want a grinder that will last, either of these options will make for a promising choice. Spend some time considering the positives of each, but we have to say these are both great and certainly affordable grinders. As you know by now, there are a plethora of grinders on the market, but it’s up to you to pull the trigger, grind the bean, what-have-you.
Also, if you need to do further research, then we’ve got you covered, check out our coffee gear reviews over here.