Best Coffee Makers with Grinder
The best coffee makers with built-in grinders: Breville Grind Control, Cuisinart DGB-900BC and espresso options, with burr vs blade explained.
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The short answer
The best coffee maker with a built-in grinder is the Breville Grind Control: it uses a burr grinder instead of a blade, lets you adjust grind size and strength, and can brew a single cup into a travel mug or a full thermal carafe. If you need a full 12-cup pot at a lower price, the Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal is the most popular burr-grinder drip machine and is easy to use. If you want espresso drinks rather than drip coffee, look at an espresso machine with a grinder, such as the Breville Barista Express.
We compared specs, owner reviews and published reviews. All-in-one machines save counter space and a step every morning, but they come with trade-offs in cleaning and grind quality, which we cover below.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Model | Grinder | Capacity | Carafe | Best for | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Breville Grind Control (BDC650BSS) | Stainless burr, adjustable | Single cup to full carafe | Thermal | Grind and strength control | Check price |
| Best 12-cup | Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew | Burr, holds about 1/2 lb beans | 12 cups | Double-wall thermal | Families, simple controls | Check price |
| Best for espresso | Breville Barista Express | Conical burr, integrated | Espresso shots | N/A (steam wand) | Lattes and espresso | Check price |
| Best hands-off espresso | De’Longhi Magnifica Evo | Conical burr, 13 settings | One-touch drinks | N/A (milk carafe) | Push-button lattes | Check price |
Burr vs blade: the one spec that matters most
A built-in grinder is only as good as its cutting mechanism. Blade grinders chop beans unevenly, producing dust and boulders in the same batch, which leads to a cup that is both bitter and sour. Burr grinders crush beans between two surfaces set at a fixed gap, producing far more consistent grounds. Every pick on this list uses burrs. Some cheaper grind-and-brew machines still use blades; check before you buy.
1. Breville Grind Control — Best overall
The Grind Control pairs a stainless steel burr grinder with a drip brewer and a thermal carafe. You choose grind size and strength, and it can brew anything from a single cup straight into a travel mug up to a full carafe. An LCD screen shows settings and there is programmable auto-start, so you can wake up to freshly ground coffee. Reviewers praise the consistent grind and the control it gives you compared with most all-in-ones.
Who it’s for: drip coffee drinkers who care about flavor and want to brew one cup on weekdays and a pot on weekends.
Good to know: the grinder chute and burrs need regular cleaning to prevent clogging, especially with oily dark roasts, and brewing is slower than on simpler machines.
Check the Breville Grind Control on Amazon →
2. Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal — Best 12-cup
This is the grind-and-brew most people own. It has a burr grinder with a bean hopper that holds about half a pound, a 12-cup double-wall thermal carafe, a strength selector, brew-pause, 24-hour programming and auto shutoff, plus a charcoal water filter. You can also skip the grinder and use pre-ground coffee.
Who it’s for: households that drink a full pot every morning and want the convenience of grinding fresh beans automatically.
Good to know: the grind is not adjustable in the same way as the Breville, it is bulky, and owners say the grinder area needs frequent cleaning to keep grounds and moisture from building up.
Check the Cuisinart DGB-900BC on Amazon →
3. Breville Barista Express — Best for espresso
If your goal is lattes, cappuccinos and espresso rather than drip coffee, a grind-and-brew drip machine is the wrong tool. The Barista Express combines a conical burr grinder that doses directly into the portafilter with a 15-bar pump espresso machine and a manual steam wand. It remains one of the best-selling home espresso machines because it puts a decent grinder and machine in one footprint.
Who it’s for: people who want to learn to pull espresso shots and steam milk without buying a separate grinder.
Good to know: there is a learning curve: you will dial in grind size, dose and tamp. If you want push-button drinks instead, see the next pick.
Check the Breville Barista Express on Amazon →
4. De’Longhi Magnifica Evo — Best hands-off espresso
A super-automatic like the Magnifica Evo grinds, tamps, brews and froths milk for you. It has a 13-setting conical burr grinder and a removable milk carafe for one-touch lattes and cappuccinos, in a body about 9.5 inches wide.
Who it’s for: latte drinkers who want café drinks with no technique required.
Good to know: it makes espresso-based drinks and “coffee” from espresso-style brewing, not a pot of drip coffee for a crowd.
Check the De’Longhi Magnifica Evo on Amazon →
All-in-one vs separate grinder and brewer
| Factor | Built-in grinder | Separate grinder + brewer |
|---|---|---|
| Counter space | One appliance | Two appliances |
| Convenience | Auto-grind on a timer | Grind manually each morning |
| Grind quality | Good on burr models | Usually better for the money |
| Cleaning | Steam and moisture can clog the grinder | Grinder stays dry |
| Repair risk | If one part fails, both are out | Replace either part on its own |
If flavor is your top priority, a separate burr grinder such as the Baratza Encore paired with a quality drip brewer such as the OXO Brew 8-Cup usually beats an all-in-one at the same total budget. If convenience and counter space win, buy a burr grind-and-brew.
Getting the best coffee from a grind-and-brew
- Keep only a few days of beans in the hopper. Hoppers are not airtight, and beans near a hot brewer go stale faster. Store the rest of the bag in an airtight canister.
- Start with a medium grind for drip and adjust one step at a time: finer if the coffee tastes thin or sour, coarser if it tastes bitter or the basket overflows.
- Use filtered water. It tastes better and cuts scale buildup, which slows brewing and lowers brew temperature over time.
- Brush the grinder weekly. Steam from the brewer can make grounds stick in the chute; a dry brush prevents clogs and stale-tasting residue.
- Avoid very oily dark roasts if possible. The oils coat the burrs and hopper and are the most common cause of jams in built-in grinders.
Buying checklist
- Burr grinder, not blade.
- Adjustable grind and strength if you change beans often.
- Thermal carafe rather than a hot plate, which cooks coffee and turns it bitter.
- Programmable start if you want coffee ready when you wake up; note that beans sit in the hopper overnight.
- Bypass option for pre-ground or decaf.
- Easy access to the grinder chute for weekly cleaning.
FAQ
Are coffee makers with grinders worth it?
Yes, if you value convenience and counter space. Freshly ground beans taste noticeably better than pre-ground. Separate components usually give better grind quality for the same money.
What is the best grind and brew coffee maker?
The Breville Grind Control is the best overall for its adjustable burr grinder and single-cup option. The Cuisinart DGB-900BC is the best value for a full 12-cup pot.
Do grind and brew machines use burr or blade grinders?
Both exist. The Breville Grind Control and Cuisinart DGB-900BC use burr grinders; many cheaper models use blades, which grind less evenly.
How do you clean a coffee maker with a built-in grinder?
Empty and brush out the grinder chute and burrs weekly, wipe away moisture, and descale the brewer every one to three months depending on water hardness. Follow the manual.
Can I use pre-ground coffee in a grind and brew machine?
Most models, including the Cuisinart DGB-900BC, let you turn the grinder off and add pre-ground coffee to the filter basket.
