Caffeine devotees will love this multifunctional spice grinder, which can be used for coffee beans, as well as spices and nuts. We liked that it came with a clear lid, which makes peering into the bowl to monitor progress easy, especially if you’re eagerly awaiting that first cup of the day. It blitzed our coffee beans well and made short work of spices for a fruit crumble, too. It’s worth knowing that Salter recommends using it for dry ingredients only.

Unlike other grinders, which can be obnoxiously loud, the Krups Silent Vortex Electric Grinder was designed with quiet in mind. If you’re an early morning cook or need something that gets the job done during a child’s afternoon nap, this model from Krups is probably the best choice for you. It comes equipped with patent-pending Vortex Spin Technology that helps pull ingredients into its blades for grinding that’s as quiet as it is efficient. It has a one-touch button that you can hold down for continuous grinding or tap to pulse. Using Microplane’s pioneering technology, the Spice Mill features the iconic, signature razor-sharp stainless-steel blades ensuring ingredients are effortlessly and precisely cut without ripping or tearing. The grinding mechanism will either be on the top or the base of the spice mill. A top-grinding design won’t leave a telltale residue on the table or work counter.

Out of all the best spice grinders on the list, the Kuhn Rikon may also be the easiest option to clean. Instead of hand washing or putting it through the dishwasher, all you have to do is add some coarse salt to the chamber and grind it to clean the blades.

The Shardor Coffee and Spice Grinder was expertly designed to be the perfect multitasking tool. It comes with two stainless steel bowls. The first is a two-blade grinder bowl that handles dry items, like spices and coffee beans. The other is a four-blade chopper bowl that can wet-grind garlic and herbs, like basil, eliminating the need for manual mincing as you cook. Some of the glass spices mills are finished with shiny stainless steel which gives a crisp contemporary look on the dinner table. Size Our tester found this model to work best with spices (vs. dried herbs) and required at least a tablespoon of each ingredient to get a proper grind. Since the bowl is removable, it's easy to get every last granule of ground spice out with a few taps. It comes with a coffee spoon that has a brush on its handle to help whisk away any residual dust or powder. The manufacturer recommends hand washing the lid and bowls and advises against placing them in the dishwasher. The razor sharp grinding blades effortlessly grinds the spices for adding into cooking and recipes.

A spice mill is hand-operated, with the user typically twisting and turning it to grind spices. Typically more limited in functionality than electric spice grinders, they’re a great choice for cooks who are looking to precisely grind small amounts of spices on a regular basis. Pestle and mortarThere are several great spice grinders out there, but the Secura Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder earned the best overall spot for a few reasons. One of the biggest is that it has two separate milling bowls: One for grinding dry ingredients and the other for chopping wet ingredients. The bowls also have measurement markings on the inside, so you can easily add what you need without using separate measuring spoons. This grinder includes a clear plastic cover that sits on top of the stainless steel bowl to keep ground ingredients from flying out as the blades spin. The Microplane Spice Mill grinds hard spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to optimize the flavor of your cooking and baking. Designed for professional chefs and home cooks, our Spice Mill also features storage on the top where you can keep your whole spices! The Spice Mill should be hand washed and disassembles for easy cleaning.