Guide · Grinders
Best burr grinder under £50: the cheapest grinders worth buying
Under £50 you can still get a proper burr-style grinder, as long as you know what it can't do. We compare electric, rechargeable and hand options with UK prices checked 3 Oct 2026.
Looking for the best burr grinder under £50? Here’s the honest version: at this price you’re buying a grinder for cafetière, filter and pour-over coffee, not for espresso. That’s still worth doing. Even a basic burr or disc grinder crushes beans to a more even size than a blade grinder, and freshly ground beans make a noticeable difference to everyday coffee. The trick is to avoid the cheap blade grinders that sit alongside them in search results. We haven’t tested this in person. This guide is based on makers’ published specs, UK retailer listings and prices checked 3 Oct 2026. Read how we compare.
Best burr grinder under £50: the short answer
Get the Melitta Molino if you want a mains electric grinder for cafetière and filter coffee. Melitta UK lists a stainless steel disc grinder, 17 settings and a dial that grinds enough for 2 to 14 cups. It was £40.00 at Melitta UK, checked 3 Oct 2026.
Who it isn’t for: anyone hoping to grind for espresso. Melitta reserves just settings 1 to 3 for espresso, so there’s little room to fine-tune.
Get the Lakeland Electric Coffee Grinder if you want the cheapest option that still lists burrs. Lakeland describes ceramic conical burrs, 40 settings and a rechargeable battery. It was £19.99 at Lakeland, checked 3 Oct 2026.
Who it isn’t for: anyone grinding for a family. Lakeland says it holds enough beans for a couple of cups at a time.
Choose the AdHoc Moro if you’re happy to grind by hand. It was £39.00 at John Lewis, checked 3 Oct 2026, with a ceramic grinding mechanism and a container for about 25g of ground coffee.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants numbered settings to return to. John Lewis describes an adjustable setting but doesn’t list numbered steps.
Skip blade grinders if even grounds are the goal. Several of the cheapest grinders on Currys, such as the De’Longhi KG200, are blade grinders, which chop rather than grind.
Who it isn’t for: if you only want to blitz spices or a few beans now and then, a blade grinder is fine.
What you get, and give up, under £50
A sub-£50 grinder is a big step up from pre-ground coffee or a blade grinder. It isn’t a small version of an expensive grinder, though. Here’s what to expect:
- Good at medium and coarse. Cafetière, filter machines and pour-over are where these grinders make sense.
- Weak at fine. Espresso needs very fine, very precise steps. None of the grinders here is built for that.
- Simpler motors and housings. Expect more noise and more static than pricier models.
- Small capacities on rechargeable and hand models. They suit one or two cups.
If you think you’ll want espresso later, it’s usually better to save for a dedicated grinder than to buy twice. Our guide to burr grinders under £100 explains where the next tier starts.
Who it isn’t for: if you already own an espresso machine, start your search above this price.
Electric picks
- Melitta Molino: £40.00 at Melitta UK, checked 3 Oct 2026, shown as in stock. Melitta lists a stainless steel disc grinder, 17 settings (1 to 3 espresso, 4 to 12 filter, 13 to 17 French press), a 200g bean container, 100W and automatic switch-off. The upper disc lifts out for cleaning, and a brush is included. See it at Melitta UK
- Lakeland Electric Coffee Grinder: £19.99 at Lakeland, checked 3 Oct 2026. Lakeland lists ceramic conical burrs, 40 settings with an external adjuster, one-touch control, a rechargeable battery, an anti-jam feature and a three-part design that comes apart for cleaning. See it at Lakeland
- AdHoc Rechargeable Electronic Coffee Grinder: £49.00 at John Lewis, checked 3 Oct 2026. John Lewis lists a CeraCutXL ceramic grinder, stepless adjustment from fine to coarse, a ground coffee container for about 30g, USB-C charging and a reverse-grind self-clean. It’s wipe-clean only and comes with a 2-year guarantee. See it at John Lewis
The Molino is the one to pick for bigger batches, because it runs from the mains and holds 200g of beans. The two rechargeable grinders trade capacity for convenience and a smaller footprint.
Who it isn’t for: if you’re short on patience, small rechargeable grinders take longer per batch than a mains grinder.
Hand picks
- AdHoc Moro: £39.00 at John Lewis, checked 3 Oct 2026. John Lewis lists a CeraCut XL ceramic mechanism, a crank handle, a removable collection container for about 25g and a size of 18.8cm tall. It’s hand wash only. See it at John Lewis
Hand grinders at this price are quiet and don’t need charging, which makes them handy for travel or a small kitchen. The aerolatte Hand Coffee Grinder (£34.95 at John Lewis, checked 3 Oct 2026) has four preset settings marked by brew method, but John Lewis doesn’t say what its grinding mechanism is, so we haven’t listed it as a burr grinder.
Who it isn’t for: anyone making several cups every morning. Grinding by hand takes time and effort.
Just over £50
If you can stretch a little, two electric options sit just above the line. The Cuisinart Professional Burr Mill was £59.99 at Lakeland, checked 3 Oct 2026, and the Krups Expert Burr GVX231 was £62.99 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, with 17 settings and a 225g bean capacity, according to Currys. Both are aimed at filter and cafetière coffee, and both are mains grinders with room for more beans.
Who it isn’t for: if £50 is a firm limit, stick with the Molino. You can compare more models on our coffee grinders page.
Best uses for a cheap burr grinder
These grinders fit best with brew methods that are forgiving about grind size:
- Cafetière: use the coarse end. Our guide to the best coffee grinder for French press goes deeper.
- Filter machines and pour-over: use the middle settings. See our pour-over grinder guide if you brew by hand.
- Moka pot: possible with care, at the finer end of the filter range. Our guide to the best coffee grinder for a moka pot explains why it’s a step harder.
Who it isn’t for: espresso machines with single-wall baskets need a finer, more precise grind than these grinders are built for.
Downsides to know about
- Not for espresso. All four main picks are filter and cafetière grinders first.
- Limited published detail. Retailers rarely list burr size or material in depth at this price, so we’ve used their wording.
- Capacity. The Lakeland and both AdHoc grinders suit one or two cups at a time.
- Prices and stock change. Melitta’s site listed the Molino as in stock on 3 Oct 2026, but check before you buy.
FAQ
Is a burr grinder under £50 worth it? For cafetière, filter and pour-over, yes. It grinds more evenly than a blade grinder. For espresso, it’s better to save up.
What’s the difference between a disc and a burr grinder? Melitta calls the Molino a disc grinder: two flat grinding discs. That’s the same idea as flat burrs, crushing beans between two surfaces rather than chopping them with a blade.
Are ceramic burrs any good? Ceramic burrs are common on budget and hand grinders. AdHoc says its ceramic mechanism resists wear and corrosion and doesn’t pass on taste or odour, but how evenly any grinder works depends on its whole design, not just the burr material.
Can a cheap grinder do espresso? Not well. You need very fine, small adjustments for espresso, which these grinders aren’t designed to give.