The Best Spice Grinders for Your Kitchen, According to Chefs. Dry grinder machine

The Best Spice Grinders for Your Kitchen, According to Chefs

Clarissa Buch Zilberman is a freelance Commerce Writer at Food Wine, specializing in product reviews and roundups. Her work has also appeared in Travel Leisure, Bon Appétit, Entrepreneur and Realtor.com, among other print and digital titles.

In This Article

It’s tough to beat the convenience of pre-ground spices. But with the right spice grinder in your kitchen arsenal, crushing dried, whole spices, like cloves or cumin, becomes effortless. By granulating spices at home with one of these spice grinders, you’ll have the chance to take full advantage of the complex flavors sometimes lost in a pre-ground version. Plus, using a spice grinder ensures you choose everything going into your next meal — whereas pre-ground spices sometimes contain additives that aren’t necessarily listed on the back of the bottle. (Scary, we know.)

While chefs love to wax poetic on old-fashioned mortar and pestles, electric spice grinders get the job done quickly and efficiently. So before you go shopping for your next spice grinder, consider these chef-bought favorites that are reliable, durable, easy to use, and even easier to clean. For every grinding need in the kitchen, we’ve got you covered, so read on to learn more about our top picks.

Best Overall

Cuisinart Electric Spice and Nut Grinder

Pros: A smaller electric grinder makes it quick and easy to crush your favorite spices while ensuring you make just enough to enjoy peak freshness.

Cons: This grinder itself is not dishwasher-safe, only the bowl.

A medium-sized grinder like the Cuisinart Electric Spice-and-Nut Grinder — not too big and not too small — forces you to grind your spices fresh. If you use a big grinder, you might prepare too large of a batch that will sit on the shelf for longer and ultimately lose its aromatic freshness.

The alternative is a grinder like this, where you can crush and smash in small doses, controlling the freshness to the maximum extent, explains chef Tarik Fallous of Lebanese restaurant Au Za’atar in New York.

FW Best New Chef alum Nina Compton, of Compère Lapin and Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans, opts for the Cuisinart Electric Spice-and-Nut Grinder, too. “It’s very easy to use, and the best part is that it can also be used to grind nuts. Another perk is that this grinder is easy to maintain.”

They’re not the only chefs who prefer the Cuisinart gadget either: Donatella Arpaia uses the same one. The space-efficient grinder features extra-sharp, stainless-steel blades that can handle ingredients like whole cloves to cinnamon sticks. It’s easy to clean too, with a removable grinding bowl and includes a removable airtight lid for seamless storage.

Price at time of publish: 40

• Material: Stainless steel blade
• Dishwasher-safe: Grinding bowl is dishwasher safe

Best Electric

KitchenAid Blade Coffee Grinder

Pros: This coffee grinder features one-touch control and a spice-grinding accessory kit to grind seasonings like coriander and cumin.

Cons: This grinder is more expensive than other models.

Top Chef star Jeremy Ford avoids a traditional spice grinder at his Miami restaurant Stubborn Seed. The chef, who stars in the truTV show Fast Foodies, says that the best grinder he’s ever used isn’t meant for spices.

“My favorite spice grinder isn’t a spice grinder at all—it’s a coffee grinder,” he says. “I use the KitchenAid one at Stubborn Seed because it’s so durable. It can withstand the roughness and wear and tear of daily use in a real restaurant kitchen.”

The KitchenAid tool includes a one-touch control, making grinding so easy that you’ll wonder why you ever bought pre-ground spices. Push down on the cover to begin grinding and release to stop, and use the clear lid to view the size and consistency of spices and grinds.

If you’re wondering whether you’re one of the only ones using a coffee grinder for spices, the short answer is no. This gadget is equipped with spice-grinding accessory bowls and specialized blade designs that you can swap in to grind spices such as coriander and cumin.

Price at time of publish: 40

• Material: Stainless steel blade
• Dishwasher-safe: Grinding bowl is dishwasher-safe

Best Value

Krups Silent Vortex Electric Grinder

• Material: Stainless steel blade
• Dishwasher-safe: Grinding bowl is dishwasher safe

Best Mortar and Pestle

Cole Mason Granite Pestle and Mortar

Pros: This mortar and pestle will work just as beautifully as it looks on your kitchen counter.

Cons: This kitchen tool requires more effort than electric grinders and might not be ideal for big batches.

After years of trying various spice grinders and being disappointed, executive chef Ryan Pera of Coltivare in Houston, Texas, uses a mortar and pestle. “It’s reliable and multi-use,” he says. “I use it to make guacamole, pastes, even aiolis, as well as grinding spices.”

Maneet Chauhan, James Beard Award-winning chef, cookbook author, and co-founder of Morph Hospitality Group, would rather use a mortar and pestle, too. “This way, your spices aren’t ground to powder, but instead, they are left a bit more coarse, similar to cracked pepper versus powdered pepper, which gives you a better texture,” she explains.

In her kitchen, she uses the 7″ Cole Mason Granite mortar and pestle from William Sonoma, which is “the ideal size whether you’re working with a small or large amount of spices,” she says. “Another trick I often do is I toast my spices before grinding them, which gives you the best flavors,” she adds. “When the spices are still warm, they break and mix together more cohesively.”

This particular mortar and pestle is heavyweight black granite, which provides steady control when grinding. It works for both wet and dry ingredients, with an unpolished, rough-textured interior that will help take spice-making to the next level.

Price at time of publish: 41

The Best Super Soft and Chewy Hoagie Bread Rolls

Find the recipe card at the end of the post. Make sure to read the content as it contains chef tips, substitution options, answers to FAQs to help you succeed the first time around!

Best Spice Grinders 2023 – Top 5 Spice Grinders

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The BEST soft and chewy bread roll for hoagies/submarine/grinders. Pillowy soft rolls that are begging to be filled with deliciousness!

note this post was drastically updated on 1/20/2020 to include more step-by-step instructions and detailed explanations.

Depending on what part of the country, or world, you’re from these things are called various names. I’ve heard “Subs, Submarines, Hoagies, Grinders, Hero, Italian Sandwich, Torpedo, Blimpie, Po’Boy, and Rocket” just to name a few.

Whatever you call it, I’m talking about those luxurious sandwiches full of meats and cheeses then wedged into a chewy, soft bread roll.

Hoagie Roll Ingredient List

Can I use All-Purpose Flour?

Normally I’d advise against it because you’ll end up with a different texture and outcome.

However given the current state of the world and the difficulty people are having finding bread flour, you can BUT there are differences in the outcome.

• You won’t get the same result with US all-purpose flour as you would bread flour. The higher protein in bread flour is what gives the bread its “chew” and rise.
• Plus, AP flour will make the bread denser. You can use it but they won’t be like classic hoagie rolls but they still will taste yummy.

Since bread flour is so hard to find (I’m feeling that pain too), grab some Vital Wheat Gluten and make your own bread flour using your AP Flour.

Working with yeast – no fears, you got this!

One of the most comment Комментарии и мнения владельцев I get when I ask why folks don’t make homemade bread at home is that they are afraid of it. They are afraid to work with yeast or aren’t sure about the techniques. Well, that’s where I’m here to help you.

Baking bread, rolls, and doughs is something I honestly find truly cathartic. It’s relaxing albeit using the stand mixer or kneading the dough by hand. Because I use only Red Star Yeasts (99.9% of the time it’s their Platinum), it’s pretty foolproof.

• Store your yeast in a dark, cool area. I tend to store mine in the fridge or the freezer for extended storage.
• When adding it, add it to very warm liquids (120-130F). You don’t want to add it to boiling or super hot water as you will kill the yeast.
• With the Instant Platinum yeast, you don’t even have to let it proof first – like how I added it to this recipe. Proofing yeast is used more for dry active yeast. Because I use the Instant Active Dry yeast, there’s no proofing involved.

• To Proof, Active Dry Yeast. place a portion of the warm liquid in a bowl and add the yeast. Give it a little stir and let it sit for 1-5 minutes or until the yeast is completely dissolved. It should bubble up and “bloom”.

The Best Hoagie Rolls at home – yes, you can do it!

Feel good about working with yeast? You should. It’s really easy and just don’t be afraid! You can do this! Baking is a science and when you add ingredients it matters. Plus we need to discuss how humidity can affect how much water you put in.

• To the bowl of a stand mixer add in the yeast, water (use all of using Instant yeast or is using Active Dry yeast only about 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons), and sugar. Allow to proof for 5-10 minutes. Note Instant Yeast does not require 5-10 minutes to proof.
• Next, add in a few cups of flour and the rest of the water (if using Active Dry yeast). You never add in all of the flour at once as it can fly out everywhere when you turn the mixer on and it may not combine correctly. You want to mix on low until it just starts to combine. Slowly you’ll add a little more flour and salt as it mixes. This can take about 5 minutes or so.
• Now, depending on the temp in the kitchen or how humid it is, you can add anywhere from 3 1/2 – 4 cups of flour. Just go slow. The worst thing you can do is add too much flour because you’re impatient. At this point, your dough should start to look and feel “Slack”

What is Slack Dough?

Think of a blob. It’s kind of fluid but it’s not liquidy. It’s the point where if you were to dump the dough out onto a board and try to form it into a shape, it would just blob back out and not hold a shape.

That’s what Slack Dough is. Slack dough means when the dough cannot hold a shape; it has no elasticity or spring back at all. It’s a wet dough but not too wet. It’s “billowy”. The dough is super, super soft, and smooth.

Below is what Slack dough looks like

How Humidity affects dough and bread baking

If your bread dough never turns slack there can be 2 reasons for this

• You didn’t mix it enough. Give it another minute or two. If it still doesn’t turn slack, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it forms slack.
• Your house is super dry – add a bit more water.

The rule of thumb is if your area is hot humid then reduce the liquid by 10%.

Now, back to making the dough.

• Once all the flour is added and the dough is slack, add in the butter one tablespoon at a time. Just like the flour, you’ll add it in slowly allowing it to incorporate into the dough. Don’t panic if it doesn’t go in all at once or the dough looks to break down. Just be patient, it’ll combine again. Patience – that’s the key.

Cold Butter or Softened Butter?

I was raised using cold butter in this recipe though you may use room temp or equal amounts of olive oil. When using cold butter, even though you ‘meld it into the flour’, you’re helping with gluten formation and the development of dough structure. I’ve made it with room temperature butter and it works just as well. You can use either folks.

• Once it’s mostly all in, turn the mixer up to medium and mix the dough until it pulls completely away from the side and is smooth and shiny.
• Transfer the dough to a large, lightly sprayed bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap or use what I use – Disposable plastic clear shower caps. They have a stretchy-Band that snaps around the bowl and remained ballooned to allow the dough to proof without sticking to it.
• Once it’s doubled in size, it’s time to shape the hoagie rolls.

How to shape hoagie bread rolls

What does Overproof mean?

In simple terms it means the was let to rise too long, It will almost “super balloon” in size. You’ll know you’ve over-proofed dough if, when you poke it for 2 seconds, remove your finger and see if it springs back. If your dough does not spring back, it’s over-proofed.

But that doesn’t mean all is lost. Simply remove the dough from where it was rising, degas it (meaning press down firmly on the dough to get rid of the gas), then re-shape. Place it back on your pan and repeat the second proofing.

Watch your dough – things like ambient temperature, humidity, etc will cause your dough to rise slower or faster. The 30-45 minutes is fairly standard time but you need to use your judgement in the kitchen.

Chef’s Tips on shaping hoagie rolls

Shaping does take practice but that’s the fun of baking, right?!

• When you divide the dough, with your fingers, gently pat it into a rectangle where the dough is about 1/4″ thick.
• Next, fold up the bottom third to the center and then fold the upper quarter (like an envelope) towards the center and press gently to seal.
• Rotate the dough 180 degrees (so the last fold faces away from you) and repeat the above folding step then using your hand to seal the dough seams as you fold it. What you’re doing is folding the dough into itself.
• At this point, your dough is almost shaped like a log/snake. Gently cup your hand over the center of the dough and, without applying pressure/pressing down, gently roll the dough back and forth to reinforce the seal and roll it out into a log. If necessary, gently pinch the seam closed.
• I then grab the ends, lightly, and carefully pull them outwards to help stretch out dough (just an inch or so – again dependent on how long you want your rolls).
• To help round out the ends, cup each hand at the end of the roll and move them in opposite directions with a back and forth motion to roll the ends and then tuck underneath the roll.
• At this point, they are ready for the next rise.

Adding Slashes/Slits

While completely not necessary, you can add slashes/slits to the rolls before they bake to give them a prettier look. Cutting them adds zero taste value; it just pretties them up.

However, it does help with the texture. Did you ever make or buy bread that has a huge bubble or has a blowout? The bread “ruptures” in a sense. By scoring the bread, you can help control where the gas can escape without destroying how the bread looks.

A lame is a handle that has a very thin razor blade on the end of it specifically used for bread slashing. In a quick motion, make a slash (or multiple slashes) down the center of the bread but not going in deep. You’re going in maybe a 1/4″ at best.

Can I use a sharp knife instead?

Personally, I would say no as the blade isn’t thin enough and the knife may not be super, SUPER sharp. You could risk tearing the bread instead of a quick, pretty slash.

Coating your rolls before baking

You do not have to coat these if you do not want to. They will bake up beautifully and taste amazing BUT they won’t really have that deep color, crust, or shine like the ones most pizzerias have. Again, not a bad thing. Go with what you like.

When it comes to these rolls, depending on the application you use to coat, you’ll end up with different results. For my hoagie rolls, I use an egg white mixed with just a Tablespoon of milk

• Whole egg: this will give your bread a sheen and color
• Egg Yolk: this will give your bread color and will help brown it
• Egg White: Will give you a firmer crust
• Milk: will give your crust color
• Butter: will make your crust softer and richer
• Egg White with Milk: will give you a firmer crust and deeper crust color

Cutting your hoagie rolls

At first cut, the bread insides are so soft and billowy. It’s as if it’s held together by s of air and strands of sweet dough.

While it’s hard to resist, I HIGHLY recommend waiting about 10 minutes before trying to slice into these hoagie rolls. If you don’t, you risk tearing the bread (even with the best of bread knives) because it’s simply too hot and too soft inside.

Trust me on this, it’s worth the wait!

I would HIGHLY recommend using a quality bread knife to slice these as the rolls are soft and chewy and nothing is worse when cutting into them with a crappy knife! You’ll love this knife! Sani-Safe S162-8SC-PCP 8″ Scalloped Bread Knife with Polypropylene Handle Pan is a great knife that’s affordable!

How to use The Best Hoagie Bread Roll Recipe

There’s no limit to how you can use these hoagie rolls or what you can put in or on them.

• Italian Rocket Hoagie or any favorite hoagie topping such as steak, meatball, cheese, pizza… you get the idea!)
• Meatball Hoagie like the pics below – use any of my meatball recipes, top with sauce of choice, cheese, and bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted
• French Bread Pizza – split in half, top each side with cheese and pizza toppings. Bake at 400F until the cheese is melted
• Stuffed Breakfast Boats – these were such a HUGE seller at our pizzeria (even though they were on the ‘secret’ menu
• Make them smaller as dinner rolls and, while still warm, top with honey cinnamon butter right before serving

How to store your Best Soft and Chewy Hoagie Rolls

Store them uncut. When you’re storing overnight, you’ll want to store in a paper bag OR, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then in a plastic bag. Air is your enemy here.

Freezing

These rolls can be frozen either before they are baked or after.

Post-baking

• I personally prefer to freeze these after they are baked. Simply wrap each cooled loaf in plastic wrap, twice and place it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

Pre-baking

• If you do this add a little more yeast (about a teaspoon more) to the recipe. This ensures that the post-freeze rise will give you a stunning result.
• Allow the dough to proof and then shape it on a parchment-lined pan.
• Wrap the pan with plastic wrap. Once each loaf is frozen stiff, wrap each roll twice in plastic wrap. Store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months.
• To use frozen dough rolls, remove a loaf from the freezer the night before you want to bake it. Keep the loaf wrapped in plastic and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Place the thawed dough in a greased bread pan, cover it, and let it rise in a warm, dry place. Bake the bread per the recipe below.

Chef Tips About Bread Baking

• Not mixing your dough enough before the first proof
• Too rough on shaping it and you lost the gas in it
• Over proofed the 2nd shape and the bread went flat upon baking
• Your oven thermostat is on the fritz

Subbing Sourdough Starter

I get asked this question a lot. I never use sourdough starter in this recipe as I love it as-is however you can sub in sourdough starter with some recipe modifications.

• 8 ounces of ripened sourdough starter
• Reduce the total flour to 334-339 grams
• Reduce the total water to 177-237 grams

Using Whole Wheat Flour

So the answer is yes, but you have to modify it and play with the texture to get it right. Let me explain.

• You only use 3/4 cup of whole wheat for every 1 cup of flour substituted. AND,
• I’ve YET to go full whole wheat and end up loving the flavor. I, right now, ONLY recommend subbing in 50% whole wheat and the rest flour (again you need to use the measurements in step 1). AND,
• You’ll need to add another 2 Tablespoons of water for every 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour added.
• And don’t forget to factor in humidity too with this.

I personally have yet to have an OMG YUM moment when making the recipe with a 100% whole wheat swap. It’s still too dense for my liking. Then again, 100% wheat bread tends to be dense in general (at least in my experience).

I’m still working on it though I believe I can nail it and get the results I want and love.

The Best Super Soft and Chewy Hoagie Rolls

The BEST soft and chewy bread roll for hoagies/submarine/grinders. Pillowy soft rolls that are begging to be filled with deliciousness!

We Tested 13 Spice Grinders to Find the Best Ones

Our top pick is the Cuisinart Electric Spice and Nut Grinder.

Sohla El-Waylly is a culinary creator, video host, and CIA graduate whose work can be found on Serious Eats, Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Food52, YouTube, and more.

Straight to the Point

The best spice grinder is the Cuisinart Electric Spice and Nut Grinder. It’s incredibly fast and has a removable bowl that’s dishwasher-safe for easy clean up. For about half the price, we also like the Krups Fast-Touch Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder, which has a fixed cup. However, we still found the Krups easy to clean.

Fresh spices liven up a dish unlike anything else. You can travel to India through garam masala and be transported to China in a flash by a fiery xinjiang blend. Unfortunately, the volatile aromatics in spices dissipate rapidly, leaving pre-ground coriander tasting less of citrus and more of stale pine.

The best way to purchase spices is to buy them whole, so their complex aromas and flavors remain under lock and key until you decide to set them loose. With the a good spice grinder, this is as easy as it sounds. A mortar and pestle is useful for small, on-the-fly spoonfuls of fennel and mace—you can read about our favorite mortar and pestles here—but if you find yourself frequently pounding away for large batches or daily cooking, then a great electric spice grinder is a necessity.

We rigorously tested the top 13 models to find you the ones that quickly blended spices to a fine and consistent powder, while remaining easy to use, clean, and store.

The Best Removable Cup Spice Grinder

Cuisinart Electric Spice and Nut Grinder

The high-capacity removable bowl and lighting fast grinding speed make the Cuisinart the ideal spice grinder for the spice fanatic. The grinder cup easily locks into place with a twist and is dishwasher-safe for fast clean up. The cord tucks away into the base for tidy storage and the grinder is simply activated by pressing down on the lid.

The Best Fixed-Cup Spice Grinder

KRUPS Fast Touch Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder

The sleek and minimalist design of the Krups is easy to hold, handle, and store—perfect for anyone tight on space. Even without a removable bowl, clean up is a cinch because spices never get trapped beneath the blade and there are no unnecessary ridges or notches to clog with spices. The one-touch button makes it easy to operate, quickly yielding a fine and consistent grind with both large and tough spices like cinnamon as well as smaller seeds.

The Criteria: What We Look For in a Great Spice Grinder

The majority of blade spice grinders available are also marketed as coffee grinders (sometimes exclusively so). While these devices can be used to grind coffee, the reality is you’re probably better off with a burr grinder for coffee. Burr grinders allow you to more consistently control your coffee-grind size, leading to better brewing results.

Instead, we think these blade grinders should be used for what they excel at—grinding spices—regardless of how they’re marketed and sold. (In a rare shift, Cuisinart broke with their competitors and decided to market their grinder exclusively for spices and nuts, not for coffee.) However, if you do prefer to use a blade grinder for coffee, we suggest you purchase two, keeping one strictly for grinding spices and the other for coffee. This will help you prevent unfortunate cross-contamination—cumin-tinged coffee doesn’t sound like “the best part of waking up” to me.

Blade grinders are available in two major styles—fixed cup and removable cup. Models with a fixed cup can be harder to clean, but there’s not as much risk of spices getting into the motor housing. With the removable cup models, there is some risk of ground spices working their way down into the motor housing over time, which could shorten the lifespan of the grinder. On the flip side, the grinder cup itself is easier to clean, limiting cross-contamination of flavors.

For the past several weeks, we’ve on the hunt for a great spice grinder—one that quickly pulverizes tough spices down to a powder fine enough that it will blend into soups and curries without leaving them gritty. When it comes to spices, the finer the grind, the better. Consistency, too, is key. A spice grinder that’s capable of blitzing cinnamon into the finest powder is useless if some jagged shards remain in the mix.

Speed is important not just to save you time in the kitchen, but also to ensure that the spices don’t heat up during prolonged grinding times. Heat releases many aromatic compounds, which is something you want to happen during cooking, not while you’re prepping your ingredients. If a unit takes minutes to properly grind the spices, and heats them up in the process, you’ve already lost a lot of flavor.

Because your spice needs may vary, we also wanted to find grinders that work equally well with smaller and larger quantities of spices. Blending as little as a teaspoon can become challenging for an electric grinder, but a good unit that can handle smaller amounts can save you from also needing to equip your kitchen with a manual grinder or a small mortar and pestle.

Easy clean up is essential, especially for a step that might seem excessive to some. We marked down units with annoying ridges or nooks that became caked after repeated use. We also looked for spice grinders designed in a way that prevented too many granules from getting trapped beneath the blades, and ones that didn’t spill powdery spices during use.

The Testing

Test 1: Grinding Large Spices: Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a tough spice to grind, especially if you want that perfect, delicate powder that comes pre-ground at the store. It’s definitely a challenge for a mortar and pestle, and turned out to be a tough one on several of the electric grinders as well—one brand even warned against attempting it at all.

For the first cinnamon test, we ground ten grams of cinnamon sticks broken into one-inch pieces for ten seconds. After grinding for ten seconds, we passed the cinnamon through medium and fine lab-grade sieves to determine which units performed the best at initially cracking through the sticks and how consistently they were able to do so. The worst units left nearly all ten grams of the cinnamon unable to pass through either sieve.

For the second cinnamon test, we ground 20 grams of cinnamon sticks broken into one-inch pieces until it was visibly fully ground and no more than five grams remained after sifting through our finest sieve. We ground the cinnamon in ten-second bursts with a break after one minute to allow the motors to cool down, per the manufacturers’ instructions. We also noted any units that heated up the cinnamon by the time if was fully ground. There was quite a wide range in the results of the second test, with the worst performers taking as long as 110 seconds and the best completing the task in just 45 seconds.

Best Spice Grinder 2023- Top 7 Coffee and Spice Grinders

Test 2: Grinding Small Spices: Cumin

Cumin is smaller and easier to grind than cinnamon, but it has challenges of its own. When grinding cumin by hand, tough fibers often remain. The tiny seeds can also easily become lodged beneath the blades of an electric grinder.

As with the cinnamon, we ran two cumin grinding tests. For the first test we ground ten grams of cumin for ten seconds before sifting through medium and fine lab-grade sieves. The winning spice grinders left almost no cumin behind after just ten seconds, while the worst performers failed to break down all the seeds.

For the second cumin test we ground 20 grams of cumin until fully ground, again following the manufacturer’s recommendations. All the grinders were able to fully grind the cumin into a fine enough powder to pass through the finest sieve, but the top performers accomplished the task between 20 to 40 seconds, while the worst unit took 70 seconds.

After narrowing down to six finalists through the cinnamon and cumin tests, we put the remaining six contenders through more spice grinding tests. In addition to repeating the earlier tests, we tested each unit’s ability to handle extremes, filling the grinders to maximum capacity and also filling them with a small amount to just below the blades, checking for consistency once again by passing through sieves.

User Experience

Some of the units featured simple one-touch operation while others required you to dial in settings. Even among the spices grinders with one-touch operations, a few had buttons that were uncomfortable to hold down, especially with longer grinding sessions.

Grinders with removable bowls allow you to run them under water or put them in the dishwasher for fast clean up, but in those cases we wanted a bowl that was a cinch to snap on and off the grinding body. Some of the spice grinders with removable bowls also left too much room between the bowl and the base, which led to spices getting trapped beneath the bowl and thus required additional cleaning.

Sufficient cord length is important, since it makes maneuvering around a kitchen easier, so we measured the length of each cord. Built-in cord storage can be a great bonus if well designed. A couple of units have designs that allow you to quickly coil or tuck away the cord, but the majority were tough to use.

While most of the spice grinders did a good job of keeping the spice dust contained while blending, several had short lids or shallow blending bowls that spilled upon opening, even with as little as ten grams of spice. We preferred units with taller lids that didn’t spill upon opening, even when grinding large amounts.

How We Chose Our Winners

Our winning spice grinders blasted through cinnamon and cumin, providing a fine and even grind without overheating. They are both easy to clean, with simple smooth designs that are quick to wipe down. We found these units the most comfortable to hold, with intuitive and user-friendly designs.

The Best Removable Cup Spice Grinder

Cuisinart Electric Spice and Nut Grinder

What we liked: The Cuisinart offered the highest capacity with a maximum volume of 120 milliliters, grinding just as well with its volume topped out as it does with just a teaspoon. It was one of the fastest grinders, pulverizing cinnamon sticks to a powder in 70 seconds and cumin in only 40.

This is the only unit that didn’t require you to blend in ten-second bursts, nor did it require that you stop blending after one minute. Instead, the Cuisinart spice grinder can be run until it feels warm, which we found through our testing to take at least two minutes. The removable bowl twists on and off in one quick motion and is dishwasher-safe along with the transparent lid.

What we didn’t like: At two pounds and four ounces, this is one of the heftier units. Some spice dust was emitted upon opening the lid. Some of the ground spices can end up on the inner rim during blending, which can then find their way under the removable bowl.

Price at time of publish: 40.

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 5 x 6 x 9 inches
• Material: Stainless steel
• Weight: 1 pound
• Capacity: 90 grams
• Motor: 200 watts
• Removable cup: Yes
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe removable cup

The Best Fixed-Cup Spice Grinder

KRUPS Fast Touch Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder

What we liked: The Krups is one of the smallest and lightest models we tested, at just over six inches tall and one pound and five ounces, and a steal at nearly half the price of the Cuisinart. The smaller size doesn’t mean smaller capacity: This unit can grind up to 85 milliliters of spices at a time. The slim, oval design was easy to handle, and the grinder bowl narrows at one end to cleanly pour out its contents.

It was one of our fastest and most consistent grinders, crushing cinnamon to a fine powder in 60 seconds and cumin in 40. The fixed cup doesn’t make it harder to clean because it’s wide enough to allow you to reach inside and thoroughly wipe it down. Plus, no ground spice was ever trapped under the blades. We also appreciate the generous two and a half–foot long cord.

What we didn’t like: If only the Krups had cord storage, it might be the ultimate spice grinder.

Price at time of publish: 19.

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 4 x 3 x 7 inches
• Material: Plastic
• Weight: 1.72 pounds
• Capacity: 85 grams
• Motor: 150 watts
• Removable cup: No
• Care Instructions: Wipe clean with damp cloth

FAQs

What’s the best way to clean a spice grinder?

If your spice grinder features a removable bowl, check the manual to see if it’s dishwasher-safe. Otherwise, rinsing the bowl with warm water and wiping it with a clean cloth is easy and gets the job done. If your grinder doesn’t have a removable bowl or if you grind something especially pungent and are left with a stubborn odor even after cleaning, have no fear. Simply place some plain, raw, white rice (about 1/4 cup will do) into the grinder and blend until it resembles a fine powder. Remove the powder and give the grinder a quick wipe with a damp paper towel or clean cloth. If the smell still persists, try wiping the bowl with a bit of white distilled vinegar and letting it air out (without the lid on) overnight.

Can you grind spices in a blender or food processor?

Food processors are not great at grinding spices. They are designed to chop, mince, puree, knead, and pulse—but not to finely grind small amounts of ingredients. If you tried to grind a few tablespoons of spices in a food process, the spices would end up getting whirled around the food processor bowl, but not ground. Blenders, on the other hand, are designed to funnel food down towards the blade and will grind spices. However, blenders have a minimum volume requirement that ranges from 1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending on the model. A blender just won’t be able to finely grind a tablespoon or two of spices. So, for completely pulverizing large amounts of whole spices, a blender can do the trick. Otherwise, stick to a spice grinder for finely ground spices time after time.

Can you make nut butter in a spice grinder?

We wouldn’t recommend attempting to make nut butter in a spice grinder. Firstly, spice grinders have a small capacity—too small for the substantial amount of nuts needed to make nut butter. Secondly, spice grinders are not designed to power through the thick consistency of nut butter (some food processors and blenders aren’t even up to the task). So, if you want to make your own nut butters, we suggest investing in a great food processor or high-powered blender.

Can you use a coffee grinder for spices?

We don’t recommend using a burr grinder for spices, which is our preferred grinder for coffee. Blade grinders (the ones in the review above), can be used for coffee, but won’t produce as consistent of a grind and are very much prone to user error. So, if you have a blade grinder you use for grinding coffee and would like to grind spices with it, clean it out and do so. Then, consider getting yourself a burr grinder.

Why use a spice grinder?

Whole spices retain their oils and aromatics better than ground spices, so grinding fresh can add more vibrant flavors to your meals. Once a spice is ground, their aromatics become volatile and can dissipate into the air, so a best practice is to grind small amounts just before cooking.