If you’re a coffee enthusiast who loves espresso and specialized coffee roasts, you’ve probably heard or dabbled with single dosing.
Single dosing is a technique where beans are weighed out before you grind them and added to an empty hopper to be ground directly into a portafilter.
What’s the point? Maximum control of your grind and freshness of the beans. It’s a popular method with at-home baristas who want an ideal solution to optimize the freshness of their beans.
At a Glance: Best Single Dose Grinders
Single dosing allows you to have the exact weight you want, at the exact grind you want, with little to no residue transferring from the previous roast that was ground.
It also allows you to keep your beans in an airtight container for maximum freshness, rather than the hopper that dries the beans out quicker.
Single dosing can be done in any type of grinder, but not all grinders are created equal and many are not made with single dosing in mind, which can add aspects that don’t mesh well with single dosing.
But don’t worry – we’ve done the research for you and found the five best single dose grinders that can meet every home coffee professional and barista’s needs.
Quick Summary: Best Single Dose Grinders
 | Our Top Choice Eureka Mignon Specialita Espresso Grinder |
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 | 1Zpresso J-Max Manual Coffee Grinder |
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 | Baratza Sette 270 Conical Burr Grinder |
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 | MiiCoffee DF64 Single Dosing Coffee Grinder |
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 | Fellow Ode Brew Grinder |
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Our Top 5 Single Dose Grinder Recommendations
Single dose grinders have their own little niche within the grinder world, and passionate coffee connoisseurs do not take single dosing lightly.
There are single dose grinders that are worth thousands of dollars and are marketed as family heirlooms, like the state-of-the-art technology grinders from Weber Workshops.
However, single dosing can be for the everyday, average espresso and coffee enthusiast as well, with lots of budget-friendly and more reasonable splurges. We’ve found the five top best recommendations that won’t break the bank.
Our Top Pick – Eureka Mignon Specialita Espresso Grinder
Starting off strong, we can’t recommend Eureka’s Specialita espresso grinder enough for the coffee and espresso enthusiast who wants to make a long-term investment.
Eureka has been manufacturing quality coffee grinders for over 100 years, and in recent years has started producing home-quality grinders.
The Specialita has a more hefty price tag, but with near silent grinding and touchscreen controls that are easy to navigate, it’s well worth the investment.
This grinder has a 55 mm stepless flat burr blade which allows the beans to have an incredibly consistent grind and the wide, anti-clumping chute has almost no retention and helps your grinds be clump-free and fluffy.
Eureka makes cleaning your grinder incredibly easy with their stepless burr blades that you can adjust from the bottom blade, allowing you to keep your grind setting in tack while dissembling.
The flat burrs also create much less pushback on the beans as they fall onto the blade, allowing them to easily be ground in single dose quantities without the weight of a full hopper to push them down.
Although single dosing is possible with the larger hopper, you can also get the single dose hopper for easier transfer.
The monochrome touchscreen is easy to navigate and use, allowing for near-infinite grind settings that you can pinpoint down to your precise liking and needs. You can program for one or two doses or for a continuous grind, while also utilizing the stop-and-go grinder setting for more even distribution of the grinds.
Being just over a foot tall and less than 5 inches wide, the design of this grinder is compact and small. It weighs almost 15 lbs, putting it on the heavier side, but is built to last for years and is one of the best quality noise-reduced grinders, being nearly silent.
With a one-year warranty that covers parts and labor, you can purchase with confidence and know that you’re getting a quality grinder that will last you for years.
1Zpresso J-Max Manual Coffee Grinder
For the at-home baristas looking for a more hands-on approach, check out this manual coffee grinder that has over 400 click settings that allow you to adjust at 8.8-micron intervals.
This gives you maximum precision control to get the exact grind you want.
The 48 mm conical burr grinder is coated, giving it maximum life quality and ease of control. It can also be taken apart for cleaning without needing to recalibrate to find your grind setting again.
The magnetic catch box makes it incredibly easy to detach and access your grinds and can hold up to 40 grams of grinds.
Being under 8 inches tall and weighing less than 2 lbs, this manual grinder is great for those without a lot of space, while also making a great travel companion as it can easily be stored away in its traveling case.
1Zpresso offers a one-year limited warranty for any malfunctions that may occur and their customer service is quick to respond.
This is a fantastic one dose grinder for those who don’t mind doing a little manual labor for their grind. It gives maximum precision control, is consistent in grind size, and is easy to clean, making it ideal for switching between roast types.
Baratza Sette 270 Conical Burr Grinder
With 270 grind settings that you can tweak endlessly, Baratza has manufactured an awesome quality grinder that is affordable and can do it all.
The Sette features a unique steel conical burr set where the burr cone stays stationary while the outer ring burr rotates around it. This allows for a very fast grinding speed, boasting 5g a second.
This unique burr feature also makes cleaning incredibly easy as you can simply pop the cone out of the machine without having to readjust your grind setting. Baratza claims near-zero grind retention as the grinds fall directly from the burrs into the portafilter or catch bin, making them fluffy and even.
The convertible device holder supports most name-brand coffee products and standard-sized portafilters, making this grinder compatible with most brewing devices.
With control buttons and a bright digital display screen, you can use the three preset grind times or utilize the pulse feature to get precisely as many grinds as you need.
The grind size adjustment is directly connected to the cone burr, allowing you to adjust the grind in real-time. With macro and micro grind settings, you can make minute changes to perfect your espresso dial-in, while also being able to grind coarse for pour-overs or French Press.
The major complaint about this grinder is the noise level, which is quite loud. Grinds can also get messy if static, causing them to fall outside of the catch bin. This can be avoided by taking a wet spoon and running it through your beans before grinding.
Baratza provides a one-year warranty and is known for its great customer service. Their dedication to quality and customer satisfaction is shown by the awards this grinder has won like the Specialty Coffee Association Award Winning Grinders.
MiiCoffee DF64 Single Dosing Coffee Grinder
Boasting a 64 mm stainless steel flat burr, this single dose grinder from MiiCoffee is definitely a great find for a single dose enthusiast.
The stepless adjustment dial lets you fine-tune your grinds from very fine to coarse, making it perfect for espresso or pour-overs and everything in between.
Made with aluminum and being just a foot tall, the DF64 looks sleek and modern and does not take up too much room, although weighing 15 lbs it does take some effort to move.
However, the weight helps with decreasing the noise level of this machine, making it much quieter than your average coffee grinder.
MiiCoffee boasts of having near-zero retention as it utilizes a blow-out funnel that pushes the grinds completely out of the burrs. This feature does not work well with oily beans and will get clogged. Using as fresh and dry beans as possible is advised.
Most portafilters will fit in the portafilter rest, but MiiCoffee includes a 58mm food-grade transparent grind catcher that can be used to weigh out your beans before adding them to the hopper and also for catching the grinds.
Most consumers note that this is the least messy approach to catching your grinds.
MiiCoffee offers a full one-year warranty and is known for having a responsive and helpful customer service experience.
For being a 64mm flat burr single dose grinder, the DF64 is great quality for an excellent price point.
Fellow Ode Brew Grinder
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the Fellow Ode Brew Grinder. The Ode is a great grinder for the coffee enthusiast who enjoys pour-overs, French Press, cold brew, or drip coffee.
It’s excellent for swapping between single origins and blends with its near-zero retention. However, it does not have fine grind settings, so if you’re an espresso enthusiast, we suggest looking at our four other recommendations which are all great-quality espresso grinders.
The 64mm flat burr blades deliver a very consistent grind that you can dial in using the 11 grind settings and fine-tune with the 31 steps in-between settings. The grinds drop directly into the grind catcher with a lid, making it easy to scoop your grinds out.
The Ode also features a grind knocker to help knock down any remaining grinds, giving it that ~0.1-gram grind retention.
The small hopper is made specifically for single dosing and also helps make this grinder small and compact, reaching just over 9 inches in height. Built with steel and aluminum, it is sturdy while not being too heavy, and comes with a white or black finish.
The Fellow Ode Brew Grinder is an excellent single dose grinder for those who enjoy brews with coarser grinds.
| Eureka Mignon | 1Zpresso | Baratza | MiiCoffee | Fellow Ode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 4.7 x 7 x 13.7 inches | 7.9 x 2.4 x 7.7 inches | 9.45 x 5.12 x 14.96 inches | 5.3 x 10 x 12 inches | 11 x 24 x 24 cm |
| Burrs | 55 mm flat burrs (stainless steel) | 48 mm conical burr | 40 mm Cone conical burr | 64 mm flat burr (stainless steel) | 64 mm flat burrs (stainless steel) |
| Grind Settings | Stepless | Over 400 step settings | 270 settings | Stepless | 31 (coarse settings only) |
| Grind Speed | 2 -3 grams per second | N/A | 5 grams per second | 2 -3 grams per second | 3 – 4 grams per second |
| Capacity | 300 g | 40 grams | 300-400 grams | 70 grams | 80 g single dose hopper |
What Sets Single Dose Grinders Apart?
As you can see by our list of recommendations, not every single dose grinder is made exclusively for single dosing.
Some have full-sized hoppers and can accommodate grinding many grams in one go.
So what elements exactly are necessary for a grinder to be fit for single dosing? Read on to see the key features you want in your grinder for single dosing.
Grind Retention
Grind retention might just be the single most important factor for single dosing.
You want as few grind particles left in the burrs as possible to eliminate the need to clean or cleanse the grinder between each roast.
What elements help minimize grind retention? A flat burr blade usually retains less than a conical, and you’ll note that most of our recommendations have flat burrs.
The grind funnel can also contribute to less retention and some single dose grinders have features that help blow the grinds out of the funnel. Others eliminate the need for a funnel altogether by grinding directly down into the portafilter.
Grinder Speed
Another key element to consider when looking at single dose grinders is the speed and rate of your grinder.
Single dosing adds additional steps to your coffee routine – getting the beans and weighing them out and then adding them to the hopper.
Home grinders are already much slower compared to industrial grinders used in cafes and that’s because of a smaller motor being used. However, they shouldn’t take more than a minute to grind 20-35 grams.
The key factor to speed is not only the motor, but the burr size used. The smaller your blades, the longer it will take.
Having a burr blade that’s bigger than 45mm is key to having a quick grind.
Grind Settings
Knowing the range of grind settings available is definitely important when considering a single dose grinder.
If you like a wide variety of brewing types, you’ll want as many settings as possible so you can do everything from fine grinds for espresso and moka pot to coarse grinds for French Press or cold brew.
Some single dose grinders are made exclusively for fine grinding or coarse grinding only. Be sure you check the grind settings available before making a purchase.
Sound Levels
All grinders are going to be loud to some degree, there’s no avoiding it. But some manufacturers will add insulation or other noise-canceling features to help reduce the noise of your grinder.
If you live alone, this may be bottom of the priority list for you. But when sharing space with other people, kids or pets, you should certainly be considering when and where you’ll be using the grinder and factor noise level into that.
FAQ
What Are Single Dose Grinders?
Good quality single dosing grinders are designed for minimum grind retention, maximum grind control, and quick speed in grinding. All of these components allow you to get the maximum flavor extraction from your beans and help streamline your espresso setup.
Why Use a Single Dose Espresso Grinder?
Single dose grinders can help make your espresso process more streamlined and give maximum freshness and evenness to your grinds while using the fewest beans possible.
Single dose grinders also make it easier to switch between coffee roasts without impacting each other’s flavor profiles.
Should You Buy a Single Dose Grinder?
If you like changing between different roasts frequently (think regular to decaf, espresso beans to a light roast, etc), then having a single dose grinder makes it much easier to switch.
Single dose grinders also make brewing espresso easier by getting the accurate weight of grinds and getting the best flavor extraction from your shot.
In Conclusion
Whether switching between single origins and blends or enjoying a variety of espresso roasts, having a single dose grinder can open up a whole world of specialty coffee that you don’t have to compromise on freshness for.
Check out our recommendations for excellent grind quality, competitive price ranges, and convenient and stylish designs.
Then, simply store your different roasts in airtight containers, weigh them out and grind them fresh when ready to enjoy.
Happy Caffeinating!
