When you buy an entry-level coffee grinder, there’s usually a tradeoff. While some will have inconsistent grinds, others will be plagued with clogging problems. By covering both these fronts, the Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder offers excellent value without cutting corners.
If you’re looking for a relatively quiet machine, this is it. The Bodum Coffee Grinder does come with issues, but none that I would consider a deal breaker. Read more to see my thoughts:
The Bodum Bistro's Main Features
Normally, when I pick a coffee grinder, appearance is the least of my concerns – as long as it doesn’t look like an oversized disaster. Thankfully, there appear to be a few talented product designers that are not just obsessed with coffee. The result is an eye-catching grinder with a small footprint (7.6” x 7.1” x 12.5”). There are five different colors for you to choose, perfect for those who are looking for something to match or create a contrast with their kitchentop.
The housing is all-plastic but tough nonetheless. It did get bumped on a corner as I was trying to find a new home for it on the counter. My heart almost jumped, but it didn’t scratch or dent.
The coffee grinder comes with a 7.8oz bean hopper with a rubber lid on top. The hopper is easy to remove, and retains the corkscrew design that is commonly used in a lot of entry-level machines. You control the operation with a timer switch that you can set between 5 – 20 seconds and a manual pulse button. You can also control the grThis prevents the beans from clogging the machine and reduces wastage.ind size with a dial that comes with 14 adjustable settings. To make things simple, it also comes with 3 recommended levels for Espresso, Drip Coffee, and French Press.
At the entry-level price range, one of the best feature of this electric grinder is that it has a small cover that stops coffee beans from falling into the machine unnecessarily. This prevents the beans from clogging the machine and reduces wastage.
Lastly, the Bodum Coffee Grinder comes with an 11oz borosilicate glass coffee ground container that prevents static. This stops the grinds from sticking around and creating a huge mess.
Grinding With The Bodum Bistro
As an entry-level machine, the Bodum Bistro offers incredible grind quality. This burr grinder uses 35mm conical steel burrs, 160w motor, and produces high-quality and consistent grinds for its price range, whether it’s fine grind or medium grind.
Talking about grind size, this coffee grinder comes with 14 adjustable settings, although I usually just stick with the preset settings – they work just fine for me.
Who's This Coffee Grinder For?
This electric burr coffee grinder is perfect for home use. It’s excellent value and produces high-quality grind consistency from the fine to medium grind size; perfect for Espresso, AeroPress, Drip Coffee.
However, don’t go for this burr grinder if you’re planning to brew French Press, the coarser coffee ground it produces are just too inconsistent.
Video Review
Pros
- Compact footprint
- Aesthetic design including 5 attractive colors to choose from
- Quieter than most entry-level models
- Not messy and easy to clean
What I like about this coffee grinder is its appearance. It has a very small footprint and unique colors. For this price, this machine also performs quite well with 14 different grind settings and consistent results. With the glass container, it also produces less static and reduces the likelihood of creating a mess.
Cons
- Inconsistent coarse grinds
- Performance varies every single time
- Produces lots of heat that taints the bean's natural flavors
When I was using the Bodum Bistro, I noticed that the coarse grind the machine produces were fairly inconsistent. This is problematic for French Press people, but its fine if you’re brewing something else.
I also noticed if you repeatedly grind (which I rarely do), heat builds up fairly quickly. To prevent this, simply wait a few minutes after using it a few times.
Lastly, be sure to be careful when you’re around the glass ground container. The glass looks quite thin and could potentially break from a small accidental bump.
Alternative & Similar Products
Although this electric grinder offers great value, I think other slightly more expensive grinders offer significantly more – such as the Capresso Infinity or the Baratza Encore.
For those who prefer French Press, if you really want to stick with this budget, then you’ll have to go with manual coffee grinders. Coarse grinds are difficult to perfect, but in my opinion, the best choice is either the Hunt Brothers Coffee Grinder or the Hario Skerton (with the additional upgrade kit).
Lastly, check out our affordable coffee grinder guide for a list of products that delivers the greatest value!
The Coffee Barrister's Verdict [CONCLUSION]
The Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder gives you more reasons to buy it than not. If you are looking for a coffee grinder with a conical burr grinder that can grind espresso quality even with oily beans without spending more than $100, you’ve just found it. It does have a few minor niggles, but none that makes you want to overlook it for another grinder with the same price point.
- The Bistro Burr Grinder consistently crushes beans between stainless steel...
- Push button, pre-set timer allows users to grind the exact amount of coffee...
- 12 Adjustable grind settings allow users to go from Espresso to French...
