Spice Grinders: Why You Need One and Our Top 12 Picks

Spice Grinders: Why You Need One and Our Top 12 Picks

Nothing amplifies a delectable meal more than freshly ground spices. And what’s the best way to produce them, you may ask? A quality spice grinder, that’s what!

A spice grinder is a must-have for all the nifty home cooks that enjoy fresh ground seasoning in their meals. It’s the modern-day mortar and pestle that gives you better control over how you want your favorite spices ground up. And it’s not just spices that work for these. You can toss in some seeds, nuts, and even herbs too! It’ll be incredibly useful for recipes like this Chinese-inspired 5-spice skillet chicken. It’s certainly an all-in-one kitchen tool! No need to exhaust an arm grinding up your own spices when you’ve got a fantastic spice blender in the kitchen.

In this guide, we’ll be showing you our top picks of grinders in the market. From cheap grinders to well-known branded ones from KitchenAid, we have it all. Keep reading to find the best spice grinder for your kitchen today!

Learn about a flavor-packed spice you can toss into these grinders known as Coriander Seeds: Herb or Spice and Its Uses.

Our Favorite Spice Grinders At A Glance

12 Best Spice Grinders (A Closer Look)

In this section, we’ve listed and reviewed the finest spice grinders for your modern-day kitchen. Everyone’s preferences are different, which is why it’s important to dive deep into our top picks. This will help you know which ones to choose depending on your needs.

In selecting these products, we took into consideration their quality, brand reputation, and general customer reviews. We chose those with excellent standards for your daily spice grinding needs. So go ahead and check out our spice grinder reviews below.

1. Best Overall: Cuisinart Electric Spice-and-Nut Grinder

What We Love

  • Two removable cups
  • Versatile
  • Non-slip feet
  • Large capacity

What We Don't Love

  • Not the greatest grind consistency

The Cuisinart Spice-and-Nut Grinder is a fan favorite among spice grounders. This electric spice grinder comes with a 200-watt motor and a grinding bowl that holds up to 90 grams of spices. That’s more than enough to help you season a delicious dish like this ginger-infused beef masala.

This spice and nut grinder is an easy-to-use kitchen device with a heavy-duty motor and stainless steel blades. It’s also called the cinnamon grinder by its many users, as it can grind through the toughest of cinnamon wood. Cusinart also lessens the worry of having to spill those precious spices, too. It comes with a built-in safety interlock that immediately stops the grinding process if the lock is not securely in place. Talk about great insurance to keep those flavors in!

It may not come with a ton of extra fancy equipment, but with its non-slip rubber feet, you don’t have to worry about it falling off your countertop. It’s also perfectly dishwasher safe so you can have it ready immediately for your next use. Enjoy a whopping 18-month product warranty and an awesome recipe book once you get your hands on it as well.

2. Best Budget-Friendly: Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder

What We Love

  • Quiet motor
  • Easy cord storage
  • Removable grinding chamber

What We Don't Love

  • Small capacity

Nothing screams affordable more than the Hamilton Beach Electric Coffee Grinder. Don’t be fooled by the name, as it also works as a dry spice grinder for spices like coriander, cumin, and cloves. Its stainless steel blades can grind up to two ounces of spices and nine tablespoons of coffee beans! Standing at seven inches tall, this 125-watt grinder can grind your beans or spices to your desired consistency. Simply press on that push-top trigger, and let the machine do its magic!

Did you know that there are coffee makers that come with built-in grinders too? Check out our article: Coffee Maker With Grinder: 12 of the Best For Coffeeholics

Not only is the Hamilton Beach a flexible coffee grinder, but it also does its job with less noise. Nothing is more jarring than a loud grinder, and we love that this appliance can give us a quiet time in the kitchen. Its cup also has helpful measurements so you can gauge the capacity of the beans and spices, so you don’t overwork those shiny blades. And when you’re finished? Just seamlessly remove the grinding chamber to easily clean up your spice blender.

As a bonus, this coffee and spice grinder has a cord that’s easily stored in a hidden compartment by wrapping it around its base. It keeps the cord neatly tucked away, so it doesn’t hang around and stays beautifully compact. Enjoy a full year of warranty with a user manual that shows the recommended spice capacity upon purchase!

3. Best Electric Grinder: Quiseen One-Touch Electric Coffee Grinde

What We Love

  • Grippable surface
  • One-touch operation
  • Inexpensive
  • Quiet

What We Don't Love

  • Small capacity

When it comes to getting the right electric spice grinder for your cooking needs, look no further than the Quiseen Coffee Grinder! For something high-tech, you would think it’d cost a lot. However, it’s incredibly inexpensive while still of excellent quality.

It’s a terrific grinder perfect for grinding not just beans for that cup of cold brew iced coffee, but spices as well! For its versatile purpose, it can grind up to 2.5 ounces of both coffee beans and spices. Its sturdy motor powers through at 150 watts to yield an incredible grind consistency.

This coffee and spice grinder comes with durable stainless steel grinder blades that go to work with an effortless push of a button. It has a compact, modern design made with a safety lock to secure those tasty coffee beans and spices. Also, we know grinders tend to move around during the grinding process. Amazingly, Quiseen has lessened the worry of the grinder falling off the counter. With its sleek, grippable surface, you can hold that grinder down with very little effort.

And if you’re worried about over-grinding your coffee beans and spices, fret not! This easy-clean product has a wide cup and a transparent top that gives you a great view of what you’re working with. Best of all? It’s one of those quiet spice grinders that won’t rattle you up in the morning. So, you can grind up your coffee beans and enjoy the quiet moments before the day starts!

4. Best Manual Grinder: Kuhn Rikon Adjustable Ratchet Grinder

What We Love

  • Adjustable for coarse or fine grinding
  • BPA-free materials
  • Easy to fill up

What We Don't Love

  • Not dishwasher safe
  • Not good with oily spices (such as anise, cloves, etc.)

Now, we know what you’re thinking. What am I going to need a manual spice grinder for? Apart from being inexpensive on its own, it’s great to have one to easily top off your meals. That’s what the Kuhn Rikon Ratchet Grinder provides. It’s a manual, hand spice grinder that helps you turn the ratchet knob back and forth with its easy-grip handle. Its high-quality ceramic grinding stone gives you a consistent grind of your salt, pepper, and spices every time.

We love how this grinder’s hand-twisted dial lets you decide how coarse or ground you want your spices to be. Filling up this grinder is fuss-free as well, thanks to its easy-to-open front door. Its transparent window gives you an aesthetic view of those lovely spices, too. With that, it makes an amazing grinder to finely season hearty meals like this confetti macaroni salad recipe.

Kuhn Rikon’s easy to clean feature makes it a nifty little grinder for your everyday cooking. Wiping it clean with a towel or handwashing does the easy trick of keeping your hand crank spice grinder tidy. This grinder is also made of BPA-free materials, so it’s safe to use for your daily cooking! Pick from three amazing colors of black, white, or red to compliment your kitchen. And lastly, enjoy a 2-year warranty upon purchase.

5. Best Versatile: SHARDOR Coffee and Spice Grinder

What We Love

  • Removable cups
  • Two types of blades
  • Durable
  • Dishwasher safe

What We Don't Love

  • Can be loud

Nothing screams “multi-purpose” more than the SHARDOR Coffee and Spice Grinder. Its versatility makes it a seed, herb, and nut grinder as well. Not only can you grind up coffee beans and spices with it, but it’s great for chopping vegetables in small quantities too. Talk about an all-around electric coffee and spice grinder! And that is made possible with its 4-blade feature that comes as a bonus to its 2-blade primary.

Its 2-blade cup works the best for coffee beans, nuts, and seeds. Whereas its 4-blade option grinds up spices, garlic, and can also be a powerful herb grinder. At 200 watts, its powerful motor can grind up to six ounces of spices! That’s a great large capacity for your baked chicken samosas or other mass-cooking needs. And with its strong grinder blades, you’ll able to get a consistently fine powder in a matter of 15 seconds.

This grinder’s stainless steel grinder bowl comes in two, one for coffee beans and one for spices. Now, you don’t have to worry about your spices tasting like bitter coffee! Both stainless steel bowls are also removable and are dishwasher safe for a great cleanup! Upon purchasing, it comes with a 2-in-1 coffee spoon and a cleaning brush. These are beneficial for your coffee or spice grinding needs and are a fun bonus to come with an already high-quality product. Lastly, enjoy a 2-year warranty along with a helpful user manual when purchased!

6. Best Large Capacity: KitchenAid Blade Coffee and Spice Grinder

What We Love

  • 4-ounce removable bowl
  • Comes with an accessory kit
  • Easy to clean
  • Quiet

What We Don't Love

  • Uneven grind

KitchenAid is one of the most trusted companies for all your culinary equipment. And they surely deliver with their large-capacity coffee and spice grinder! This electric spice grinder comes with two stainless steel bowls that can hold up to 20 grams of spices and four ounces of coffee beans. That’s enough to grind up more than two spices for dishes like this spiced beef jerky recipe, as well as up to 12 cups of coffee. It’s a durable 160-watt grinder with stainless steel blades that seamlessly work on your aromatic spices.

This stainless steel spice grinder has one-touch control for premium performance grinding. It comes with a clear top, so you can easily see how well your spices are doing. And if you’re fussed about measurements, worry not! Its removable bowl comes with measurement markings to let you know much you already have. These bowls are dishwasher safe as well, so you’ll have a fuss-free clean-up in no time.

Because KitchenAid only provides the highest quality, expect their metal spice grinder to come with an accessory kit. Store up your spices and ground coffee beans by topping them off with their storage lid. If you’re ready to sprinkle your spices over tasty snacks like this spicy Italian popcorn, use the shake or sprinkle lid.

7. Best Compact: Golden Bell Spice and Herb Grinder

What We Love

  • Comes with mesh screen filters
  • Magnetized lid
  • Easy to use

What We Don't Love

  • Low capacity

When you’re off a camp and need to season your vegetable foil packets, use this portable and stylish Golden Bell Spice and Herb Grinder! It’s a manual spice grinder made of zinc alloy, which provides better resistance to corrosion. Standing at 2-inches tall, it’s a great grinder to simply keep in your pocket and whip up when it’s time to spice things up.

This metal spice grinder comes with four pieces and three chambers with various functions. The first two pieces are in the first chamber and are sharp, diamond-shaped teeth that are used to grind the herbs and spices. They also contain a thin Poly O-Ring for a smoother grind. The third piece has a fine mesh screen and is the middle chamber that can filter the pollen of the grind. The fourth and final piece and the chamber are then what collects what’s been ground.

For easy cleanup, this grinder comes with a pollen scraper to get rid of that fine pollen. On top of all those pieces and chambers, it also comes with a magnetized lid that reduces spillage. Your spices are sure to be protected and well ground with this handy grinder.

Golden Bell’s small spice grinder comes with great value for such a quality product. They also make amazing gifts for your food-loving friends, as they come in eight colorful designs. Enjoy them in gorgeous colors of ancient silver, green, and even rose gold. Enjoy a lifetime warranty upon purchasing this functional and compact grinder!

8. Best Salt and Pepper Mills: Eparé Dual Salt & Pepper Grinder

What We Love

  • Dual mill
  • Good capacity per compartment
  • Adjustable grinding settings
  • Limited lifetime warranty

What We Don't Love

  • Not great for wet herbs and spices

Some days, a good ol’ salt and pepper mill is just what you need to complete the kitchen setup. With Eparé’s Dual Salt and Pepper Mill, it can show off your spices in their elegant spice mill. It’s a manual spice grinder that not only works for salt and pepper but dry herbs as well. Its acrylic container contains two compartments that separate the spices of your choice. Standing at 8 ¾-inches tall, this large spice grinder can fit up to 1 cup of seasoning per compartment. That’s a lot of spices to hold up in one grinder!

This spice mill grinder has a ceramic burr grinder that grinds the toughest peppercorns and salts in a jiffy! It’s made of stainless steel tops and bottoms and looks posh with its acrylic container. Each steel cap end comes with adjustable grind settings for the desired coarseness. Simply twist and turn to get the perfect seasoning to top off delicious egg salad recipes and more. Each steel end also comes with a cap, so once you’re done seasoning, just pop it back in for no-mess storage. It’s an easy-to-use, efficient 2-in-1 grinder that’s sure to make seasoning meals a piece of cake.

9. Best Wet and Dry: HadinEEon Electric Coffee Grinder

What We Love

  • Washable grinding bowl
  • Powerful motor
  • Adjustable modes, including manual
  • 3-year product warranty

What We Don't Love

  • Motor may overheat when overused

It’s difficult to find a grinder that can grind up ingredients like garlic and chili. Some would cause rust for certain metals and ruin a perfectly good grinder. But the HadinEEon grinder is here to do both thanks to its stainless steel grinder bowl. With a powerful 300 watts motor, this electric spice grinder can grind in as fast as six seconds! In that amount of time, it can hold for up to 3.53 ounces of your ingredients as well. Its four stainless steel blades have high-speed rotation and overheat protection. Thus, it yields a precise grind that gives you the best coarse or finely ground coffee beans and spices.

Its sleek 304 stainless steel bowl is also removable and easy to clean after grinding. To function, the HadinEEon has three adjustable modes for specific consistencies. Slow speed “1” works as a spice and seed grinder, and does well with softer ingredients. The fast-speed “2” grinds coffee beans and other tougher ingredients. And lastly, the manual mode “P” allows you to control it to your desired grind size, no questions asked! With such specific modes, you’ll have perfectly ground-up ingredients in no time.

You don’t have to worry about overworking the machine as well, thanks to the innovative heat vents. There are two vents on the side and bottom, which also help to preserve the aroma of your coffee beans. This wet and dry spice grinder is also designed with non-slip rubber feet to keep that grinder from shaking its way off your counter. And when you’re through, simply detach your bowl and pop them in the dishwasher for a fuss-free cleanup.

10. Most Quiet: KRUPS Silent Vortex Electric Grinder

What We Love

  • Fast grinding
  • Silent
  • Dishwasher safe

What We Don't Love

  • Single-mode grind setting

It’s rare to find a grinder that won’t wake up your next-door neighbor. Luckily for us, the KRUPS Silent Electric Grinder exists for the sole purpose of quiet grinding! This electric spice grinder has a patent-pending Vortex Spin Technology that whirls ingredients in for a fast grind. Its one-touch operation makes this coffee, spice, and herb grinder a piece of easy equipment to use. With a 200 watts motor, its stainless steel blades can grind up to 90 grams of coffee beans and spices.

Grinding your spices for your slow-cooked pastrami sandwich or your morning coffee has never been effortless! This is because it also grinds up to 12 cups of freshly ground beans and 3 ounces of spices in just 15 seconds. This plastic 3-in-1 grinder’s stainless steel grinding bowl is removable and dishwasher safe. And if you’re not feeling up to cleaning up just yet, just pop on its handy storage lid to keep your herbs and spices fresh.

This grinder is BPA-free, making it a safe tool to use for your daily grinding. Lastly, it’s also a silent and durable coffee grinder to work with every day.

11. Most Durable: QUELLANCE Electric Coffee Grinder

What We Love

  • Comes with a safe lock
  • One-touch operation
  • Non-slip design

What We Don't Love

  • Noisy

A heavy-duty spice grinder can do wonders in the long run for spice aficionados. And that’s what the QUELLANCE grinder is designed for! This electric spice grinder is made of strong stainless steel material. At 200 watts, its motor can grind up coffee beans and spices in 20 fast seconds! Enjoy the strong power of grinding up your spices like anise and cloves in its 2.5-ounce stainless steel grinding chamber.

Not only can you grind up coffee beans and spices in this. Its double stainless steel blades are also sharp enough to grind through rice, seeds, and nuts. With its one-touch operation, you can grind up your favorite dry ingredients with no fuss! And if you’re worried about it rattling off the counter, fret not. This grinder is designed with rubber feet for gripping onto the surface. Each grinder also comes with a clear lid with rubber grips to keep your hands from slipping. Safe and easy to use, all in one fantastic grinder!

The cleanup is nothing to worry about, either. This machine also comes with its own cleaning brush to easily clean off those excess powders. Once you’ve cleared the debris, the removable bowl is easy to clean and dishwasher safe. And when you’re through grinding up those spices, simply tuck the cord underneath the machine to keep it tidy on the counter.

12. Best Cast Iron: Zassenhaus Cast Iron Spice Grinding Set

What We Love

  • Durable
  • Compact design
  • Pre-seasoned cast iron

What We Don't Love

  • Small capacity
  • High maintenance cleaning

If you’re looking to make quick work of grinding up spices, then the Zassenhaus cast iron grinder is for you! This manual spice grinder is made of strong cast iron to help you grind up those whole spices like peppercorns. Standing at 3.5 inches tall, it’s compact enough to bring along to your travels. Simply shove in the spices, insert the heavy top, then twist and grind for freshly ground spices!

This cast iron spice grinder comes with three pieces: the outer cup or spice grinder bowl, the grinder itself, and a lid. The grinder uses sharp grinding teeth to grind the toughest of spices. And yes, it also comes with a beechwood lid to secure your spices and herbs for later use. There’s no need to worry about under or overgrinding with this one because its ergonomic design makes it easier to grind spices to your desired consistency. And as it’s made of durable cast iron, it can last for many years as an accessible kitchen device.

Cast iron can be a bit tricky sometimes, but you don’t need to worry about your grinder once it arrives. The Zassenhaus comes pre-seasoned with soybean oil for your immediate use. And because of its material, it comes with a handy manual to help you keep it clean and strong against any damage.

What To Look For in a Spice Grinder

What To Look For In a Spice Grinder

Electric Spice Grinder Vs Manual

The easiest thing to look for in a spice grinder is whether you want yours to be an electric or manual one. There are pros and cons to having either one and it will depend on your daily need and usage of the product. Will you be better off with a one-touch button grinder for ease of use? Or do you prefer a grinder you can manually control for a better grind? The choice is up to you!

An electric spice grinder guarantees you a consistent ground of your desired coarseness. Most of our top picks work as a coffee grinder as well, giving you amazing multi-purpose benefits. This helps you grind almost anything from coffee beans, seeds, nuts, and even wet ingredients. It’s effortless to use, as many grinders have one-touch operations that grind in seconds. But some of them can also be heavy and large enough to consume some space on the kitchen counter. Some are also not the best to lug around for the traveling home cook.

A manual spice grinder, on the other hand, saves a ton on your electric bills. They’re more affordable than an electric type too, which is great value for a quality product. It’s handy to have around, and can easily make it from the kitchen to the dining table. While it may not grind up wet ingredients like an electric, it still works great for your daily spices and herbs. It does, however, need a little more elbow grease than your one-touch buttons. Plus, they don’t make the best grind consistency. However, with enough grinding effort, you have better control of your coarseness with a manual.

Versatility

Consider what you may need for your day-to-day cooking. For many, a great spice grinder comes with versatility in the ingredients it can grind. An average grinder can grind spices, herbs, and coffee beans. But others surpass the usual. Some can grind even tough nuts, seeds, and even wet ingredients like garlic and chilis. The wet and dry grinders, for example, are great for grinding Indian spices into wet masalas.

If you’re not always grinding up fresh spices, consider one that works on the usual salt and pepper. You can also check out at least one with grinder blades that are strong and work great for your everyday spices. Whichever way you swing, you’ll have something to help you grind up the best flavors for your meals.

Capacity

How many spices do you want to grind daily? Would you need such a large capacity for grinding coffee as well? Try taking into consideration whether you need all those extra ounces. A lot of spice grinders can do up to 90 grams of spices in one go, but others grind up more or less. Now, if you’re the type to make mass-brew cups of coffee for your family, you might like a 6-ounce capacity grinder. Now if you’re just grinding in small batches, a 2-ounce grinder often does the trick.

Durability

It would be disappointing to buy a good spice grinder, but find out it breaks after one or two grinds. You need to take into account how long your spice grinder can last. Can they withstand tougher spices based on the quality of the grinder blades? Are they able to grind up large grams of spices with their powerful motors? An average grinder has 150 to 200 watts of power, which is enough to grind your usual spices. Although, you may want to consider getting a higher wattage for grinding tougher ingredients like cinnamon.

Ease of Use

Would it be a hassle to assemble the spice grinder? Do you want to grind up spices with just the push of a button? How much will you have to fuss about tucking in the electric cord after usage? These are things you may wish to take into account for their ease of use. Some spice grinders are exceptionally easy, with their one-touch operations. But others may take two or three more pulses before they get one’s desired ground consistency. If you want a fast and no-fuss grinding, a one-button grinder may be perfect for you. However, if you don’t mind working those arms out, a manual can come in handy.

Cleanup

Nothing is more frustrating than having to clean up all that extra spice residue. Most spice grinders are easy to clean, thanks to the majority of them using stainless steel. Others simply require you to brush those bits and pieces off without effort. The classic way to clean a spice grinder is grinding in stale bread or rice to remove excess. To remove the smell, others use vinegar or baking soda.

If you want a hassle-free cleaning, you need to check if your grinder and its bowl are easy to clean or dishwasher safe. This option will save you a ton of time after working those spices through. If you don’t mind getting into the nooks and crannies yourself, you can opt for a hand-wash-only grinder.

Want to discuss more about spice grinders, share your experiences, or ask for recommendations? Join the conversation in the Kitchen Equipment forum section!

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Maedelle

Maedelle is a content writer, bookworm, and former book blogger. She ran a book blog about YA fictional books and has participated in online creative writing competitions like NaNoWriMo. Her previous work in BPO companies were for clients that's focused on food services. This has amplified her existing love for food, and enjoys writing about it now. She hopes to one day travel the world and explore a great deal of cuisines to write about. Her favorite dishes to cook include Filipino and Italian, and she is on her way to learning more about Indian dishes.