The 5 Best Spice Grinders We Tested and Why They're Worth It

Our Top Pick: Cuisinart Electric Spice and Nut Grinder

Cuisinart's Electric Spice Grinder accomplishes more with one bladed bowl than its competition does with an assortment of swappable choppers and grinders. Built with a 200-watt motor and constructed from heavy-duty stainless steel, it made quick and consistent work of just about anything we threw at it. A push of the lid allowed us to effortlessly break down black peppercorns, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, hazelnuts, and coffee beans—it even created a fine powder from dense and woody cinnamon sticks.

Since you might not use a spice grinder every day, you want to be able to store it. That's why we love the compact footprint of the Cuisinart. It tops the competition with a generous 90-gram capacity while measuring a comparatively diminutive 9 inches tall and 6 inches wide.

This spice grinder has practical design features, including rubber feet to keep the unit from slipping and a safety lock that only operates when the lid is securely in place. If you need ideas on what to make with your fresh blends, the instruction manual doubles as a handy recipe booklet.

The Details: Stainless steel and plastic; 200 watts; dishwasher-safe lid and bowl

Best Budget: Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Grinder

At under $20, this spice grinder by Hamilton Beach is about $15 to $20 cheaper than the other models on our list yet still works like a charm. Featuring a mostly plastic body, it's not the most attractive or durable option; however, we found that it performs well and doesn't break the bank.

For such a lightweight, unassuming grinder, we were really impressed with its ability to produce evenly processed pulses of peppercorns, coffee beans, cardamom, nuts, cinnamon sticks, and more. The device was pleasantly quiet while operating, which made it more enjoyable to use than some of the other models.

When you're done grinding, it's incredibly put away. The cup can be removed from the base and popped into the dishwasher for fuss-free cleanup, and the cord tucks into the base for convenient storage. Another slightly more expensive Hamilton Beach model, the Custom Grind, offers multiple grind levels (coarse, medium, and fine), as well as adjustable settings for cup sizes. While these are nice upgraded features for grinding coffee, we didn't feel they were necessary for spices.

The Details: Stainless steel and plastic; 125 watts; hand-wash only

Most Versatile: Secura Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder

Want all the bells and whistles? Consider Secura's Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder. It comes with a 2-blade grinder bowl for dry ingredients, such as spices, seeds, coffee, and nuts, and a 4-blade chopper bowl for wet ingredients, including herbs, chilies, and garlic.

In addition to its enhanced versatility, both bowls are printed on the inside with minimum and maximum capacity marks (up to 80 grams). Plus, they feature lids for storing ground spices, which expedites cleanup and keeps your extras fresh. The device even features built-in smart overheat protection that helps prolong the life of the motor and cord storage under the base to keep things tidy.

The Details: Stainless steel and plastic; 200 watts; removable cups are dishwasher safe

Quietest: Krups Silent Vortex Electric Grinder

The Krups Silent Vortex lives up to its name, featuring a whisper-quiet motor that doesn't skimp on efficiency. Thanks to its Vortex Spin Technology, it pulls ingredients into the blades for quick and consistent grinding. It makes speedy work of dry spices, coffee beans, and nuts of varying sizes and degrees of toughness, and it boasts a sizable capacity of up to 85 grams.

The spice grinder's mixing bowl is made from durable stainless steel and can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher after each use. If you have leftover spices, the removable bowl comes with a storage lid so you can keep blends fresh for future recipes.

Krups has another model, the Fast Touch Coffee and Spice Grinder, which is easy to operate and has enough space to grind whole coffee beans for 12 cups of coffee. While it's a good budget option, we recommend the Silent Vortex because it's essentially noiseless, easy to clean, and looks sleek on countertops.

The Details: Stainless steel and plastic; 200 watts; dishwasher-safe grinding bowl

Best Manual: Frieling Cast Iron Spice Grinder

This manual spice grinder is an excellent choice for those who plan on making smaller batches of grounds, prefer a completely noise-free model, and want a grinder that will last a lifetime. Not to mention, the black seasoned cast-iron base and beechwood lid make it arguably the most attractive option on our list.

Frieling's spice grinder has three parts: a base, an inner cup, and a lid. To break down your whole spices, simply place them in the base and crush them using the bottom of the inner cup. There are ridges on the bottom of the cup, so it's not too daunting of a task—just twist and turn until you reach your desired consistency.

This grinder is good for spices like peppercorns and chilies, as well as nuts and herbs (basically, anything you'd use to make pesto), but it's less efficient when it comes to tougher ingredients like coffee beans. While it technically has a decent capacity, the grinder performs best on small amounts of ingredients at a time. And needless to say, being manual, it can take a bit of a toll on your hands and wrists.

If you're familiar with cast iron, you know it has special requirements when it comes to its care. Wipe down with a damp cloth and air dry.

The Details: Seasoned cast iron and beechwood; twist by hand; clean with a damp cloth