Founded in Denmark, Bodum has more than 70 glorious years of experience when it comes to making quality coffee, tea and glassware for a global market. They are widely renowned for their unique concepts and European innovation, which is essentially a wonderful mix of uncomplicated industrial design and simplistic functionality. The best part of Bodum’s high quality products, though, remains their surprisingly affordable price tag, despite all the premium features and quality build.

The Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder belongs to the same incredible brand that is Bodum, and is their latest offering in the entry-level market. It is built for home use (and home use ONLY), and although it will satisfy any avid coffee user, it is not to be used in a commercial setting. In fact, the makers recommend a 5 minute (at least) gap between two successive sessions of grinding coffee beans, to ensure the machine isn’t overheated. But DO NOT let this cautionary feature deter you from buying this grinder, on the contrary, we are going to be straightforward about the Bistro Burr Grinder and proclaim that it is one of the best Coffee Grinders under $100, out in the market currently. So, if you are looking for a grinder which delivers excellent coffee ground, and is yet not a burden on your budget, Bodum Bistro is an excellent option for you. Our detailed review below, will tell you all you need to know about the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder and more.

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Key Features

 
1) Continuously Adjustable Grind Settings – The Bodum Bistro offers 14 different continuously adjustable settings, which means that you can grind your coffee beans to anything from fine (for Espresso) to coarse (for French Press) and everything in between. Any coffee expert or even a habitual coffee drinker will tell you that for extracting the maximum flavour and aroma from a coffee bean, they must be ground right before they are brewed. The Bistro Electric Burr Grinder does an exceptional job of producing the finest quality grounds, thanks to its (quiet) 160W motor with a 720 RPM, which has just the right speed to efficiently ground the beans in the perfect way.

2) Large Hopper & Bean Catcher Size – There is a 7.8 oz bean hopper fitted in the Bodum Bistro to hold the coffee beans before the grinding begins. It is made of plastic and can be closed off with a rubber lid, to prevent the beans from jumping all over the place while the grinding is under way. The best part of the Bodum Bistro though, is the exceptionally large 11 oz bean catcher or container provided to catch the coffee grounds. It is made of an excellent borosilicate glass material, which means there is zero or very little static build-up and so no “jumping around” for the coffee grounds in the container. The receptacle is very firmly closed with a silicon/nylon lid, thus preventing any further chances of the coffee grounds spilling over the container. All in all this makes for a very quiet and clean grinding process, something not to be found in other grinders in this category (thanks mainly to their plastic containers!).

3) Controlled Grinding – There are two On/Off buttons on the Bodum Bistro, one each for Powering the grinder and beginning/shutting down the grinding process. Further while grinding, you can use the bean container to adjust the grind settings (out of 14 different settings) to your desired level, by twisting its upper part guided by a red dial indicator which reads from fine to coarse. There are three main settings – Espresso, Filtered/Drip Coffee and French Press on the dial indicator, and intermediate settings for finer adjustments between the three main brewing methods. There are also additional options of Timed Grinding and Quick Grind, which gives you full control over the time the Bistro takes to complete the grinding process.

4) Quality Build and Design – The Bodum Bistro is made entirely of borosilicate glass, plastic, silicone and rubber, and comes in fun colours (Bright red, green orange, yellow, black and white) which will suit kitchen and home décor of all tastes and styles. The outer shell of the Bistro is made of Plastic with a strong steel frame. Though it is not the sturdiest structure in coffee grinder for sure, it is very light with a small footprint, which will take up very little space on your kitchen counter. The other setback in the machine’s operation is its tendency to overheat if used in quick succession for grinding, but that should seldom happen when you are using the grinder for home purpose only. It is a grinder for Home-use only, remember!

5) Additional Features – There is a very useful friction-clutch provided in the Bodum Bistro, which prevents any potential damage to the grinder in case some unwanted substance (say a small stone) gets mixed with the coffee beans. The machine will emit a loud screeching sound to warn you about a damaging substance in its grinder, to turn it off.

6) Easy to Clean – The hopper can be easily removed for changing coffee beans and cleaning. You can also take apart the top burr to cleanse the coffee grounds from inside the machine by using a soft, bristled brush. For the exterior, you can use a wet cloth or can wash the container and the lid in a dishwasher. Make sure that you place the lid well enough, so that it doesn’t fall off to the bottom of the dishwasher and get stuck somewhere. Also, the Borosilicate glass used in the bean catcher makes it relatively less messier, to grind the coffee beans as there is practically no spill resulting from the process.

Pros

• Excellent Value for Money;
• Excellent Performance;
• Compact and Lightweight;
• Quiet Grinding Operation;
• Large, Borosilicate glass Bean Catcher ensures zero static build-up in coffee grounds;
• Oily Beans Don’t Clog;
• Available in several fun colors.

Cons

• Limited Grind Settings;
• Smaller Burr Grinder size of 40 mm means smaller grind surface;
• Limited Dispensing volume and 5-minute wait between successive cycles (N/A if you are using it for home as it should be!).

Conclusion

 
The Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder is another excellent entry-level grinder created by Bodum. It is almost a perfect machine for home use, given its excellent performance, thoughtful design, easy cleaning and extremely affordable price tag. Although, the grinding volume and the 5-minute gap is limiting, but as the makers have stated from the beginning, the Bodum Bistro is not meant for a restaurant or a cafe, it is for a home use only! So at a price of under $100, it is an excellent choice for a coffee grinder which beats all other competitors handsomely in its category.