Searching for the best industrial coffee grinder that can meet your business's high volume needs? This guide has all of the information to help you make your selection.
Here's what you're going to learn about in this guide:
- What makes an industrial coffee grinder different from other grinder types.
- The essential factors to consider for your particular business operation.
- Our picks for the top industrial coffee grinders money can buy.
Let's dive in...
Features to Look for in an Industrial Coffee Grinder
What separates an industrial coffee grinder from an everyday shop grinder?
...Or a retail coffee grinder?
It comes down to the features.
An industrial coffee grinder is built to process large quantities of coffee at a time. Due to its particular functions, features, and applications, it will leave even the fastest retail coffee grinder (built specifically to grind retail coffee bags for your customers) in the dust.
This is is because industrial grinders are made for coffee roasteries and businesses that need to grind a lot of coffee to package and sell, whether in their own shops or for vendors.
Industrial coffee grinders need features that support the following:
- Speed
- Quantity
- Quality
- Convenience
Speed
One of the primary qualities businesses look for in an industrial coffee grinder is the speed at which it can turn a batch of whole-bean coffee into retail-ready ground coffee.
On average, fast commercial coffee grinders you'd set up in on your shop counter grind between one and three pounds of coffee per minute.
How fast industrial grinders are depends on their size. But in general, they can whip through anywhere from five pounds per minute on the smaller side to ten pounds or more on the larger end.
It's generally beneficial to switch from thinking in terms of pounds per minute to pounds per hour when you're talking industrial machines.
So industrial grinders are usually grinding anywhere from 300 to 600 pounds an hour, though some go beyond 600.
Quantity
When we say quantity, we don't mean the quantity of ground coffee produced per minute or hour.
Rather, we're talking about the amount of coffee the grinder is equipped to handle at one time.
The hopper is one feature to check out. How many beans can it hold?
A smaller capacity grinder might have a hopper that can hold about 20 pounds of beans while a larger grinder might hold three times that amount.
The object is to match the grinder's capacity to your business's output. If you're doing large volumes on any given day, a grinder with a small hopper will be something of an inconvenience as you'll need to replenish it again and again.
If you're looking at a grinder that comes with an attached barrel or some sort of container to grind into, consider how much ground coffee it's capable of holding.
Speed and consistency together make the magic combination.
Usually, if you're shopping for a high-volume roastery, you'll find that larger capacities go hand in hand with increased speed.
Quality
No business ever wants to forget about quality.
The coffee industry trends ever toward the prosumer sphere. Consumers who want a higher-level experience will seek it out.
Maintaining consistent quality is what good industrial grinders are designed to do. Coffee particles should be relatively uniform and each batch should be as good as the last.
If you're not sure how to figure out what kind of quality and consistency an industrial coffee grinder offers, this may be where some brand research comes in.
Certain brands like Ditting and Mahlkonig are top performers in the industry. They set standards for others to follow and carry stellar reputations.
Some things to be aware of in terms of coffee quality:
- Grinding disc material and design
- Grinding disc type
Steel grinding discs are fairly standard, but what kind of steel makes a difference. Die-cast steel and tungsten carbide are two strong types that will resist wear and tear.
If you're going to be grinding large quantities of beans, it's important to make sure that the grinding discs will stay sharp for a long time.
Some companies have special designs that make their grinding discs sharper, more robust, or conducive to super cool grinding (something you'll definitely want if your goal is producing the tastiest coffee).
The type of grinding discs you select may be more of a matter of personal preference.
There are conical and flat burrs, which are said to have unique impacts on the coffee.
Conical burrs create bimodal coffee particles, or particles of different sizes. However, even these bimodal particles are quite consistent. Conical burrs are considered excellent for enhancing brighter coffee notes.
Meanwhile, flat burrs are thought to blend the coffee's flavors together, simultaneously enhancing the chocolaty, earthy, and nutty undertones. Flat burr grinders do this by creating totally uniform coffee particles.
It's common to see flat burr industrial grinders, but if you have a preference, you can certainly find a grinder to meet your expectations.
Convenience
Believe it or not, taking convenience into consideration is not frivolous.
Your roastery is like a living, breathing organism. It's dynamic.
Employees are transporting green coffee beans and roasted coffee beans to and fro. Packaging stations may pop up throughout. Grinding needs may vary from batch to batch.
Do you need a grinder with an adjustable spout that can reach a variety of barrel sizes?
Is a grinder on wheels going to make production easier and more efficient?
As you explore your options, you'll probably notice that many industrial grinders offer convenient features that are, at the end of the day, truly necessities.
Factors to Consider for Your Business
Every business is different.
You have an idea of what features make a powerful industrial coffee grinder, but you need to make sure that it's right for your particular business.
How do you do that?
By first analyzing the following:
- Your business type
- Your business layout
- The long-term value of an industrial coffee grinder
Business Type
Do you own a small specialty coffee business that focuses on small-batch roasting? Or is your business geared toward roasting large batches at a time?
Maybe your roastery is producing ground coffee for one location, for multiple locations, or for a wide variety of customers.
The more large-batch grinding you're doing, the faster your grinder needs to be.
But specialty coffee may require you to delve deeper into things like flat vs conical burr grinders.
There's a certain level of quality that you want to achieve no matter what. But beyond this, you can get pretty involved in the technicalities or grinder selections.
You may or may not need certain features. Your focus is going to be directed by your business type, as in, whether you're operating a business that does smaller custom batches or larger, more standardized batches (or something in between).
Assessing your business goals and type will lead you in the right direction.
Business Layout
If your roastery is limited on space, chances are, you need a compact grinder.
The size of a grinder doesn't necessarily correlate to its output capacity. Even if you have a small work space but a high business volume, you can look for a grinder that keeps the dimensions and output capacity aligned with your specific needs.
In contrast, a sprawling roastery may have different requirements.
Need to transport the ground coffee to different locations? Think about investing in a grinder that comes with a wheeled container. It could save you time, energy, and ultimately, money if you consider profit losses due to inefficiency.
Whatever you need, there's an industrial grinder out there designed just for your business.
Long-Term Value
All of the elements of an industrial coffee grinder, what they offer your business, and how long they'll last add up to your total investment.
To determine the long-term value, you'll want to project a bit into the future.
Where do you see your business in five, 10, 20 years?
If you know that you want to expand, investing in a grinder that can accommodate your growth, at least to some extent, is a good plan.
Perhaps it's not one big grinder that you need, but several small, robust grinders instead.
These may be a bigger investment up front, but as your business grows, they'll pay for themselves and ensure that you don't end up with a big, clunky piece of machinery that isn't serving your needs as it once did.
To be fair, you can't plan for everything. But considering where you want to be in the long run will help you decide what kind of industrial grinder(s) will be the soundest investment(s) and provide the greatest value.
Of course, grinder quality is a big part of overall value. Parts that are built to last three or four times longer than the average are going to cost more, but they'll save you on replacement costs coming up quickly.
What's the long-term value of your grinder? It's a mixture of quality, functionality, and your own business road map.
Best Industrial Coffee Grinders
Ditting is a widely recognized name in the coffee industry for unrivaled durability and grinding par excellence.
The company's grinding disc designs ensure a perfectly uniform particle size by cutting the beans in multiple steps.
The Ditting KFA1403 is the model for small to medium locations doing medium- to high-volume grinding. Measuring 37 inches high, 13.5 inches wide, and 16 inches deep, the KFA1403 accommodates businesses with limited space.
If you need a small-batch grinder with high output capacity, one or two of the KFA1403 models will support your business (two will double your output capacity and allow you to grind simultaneously for multiple customers or coffee types).
Made with special Ditting grinding discs that stay sharp through an incredible 35,000 pounds of coffee, you can expect a long lifespan and top quality with any Ditting model.
- Application: Medium- to high-volume grinding
- Output Capacity: 360 lbs per hour
- Hopper Capacity: 22 pounds
- Burr Type: Flat
- Grinding Disc Diameter: 140 mm
- Grinding Disc Material: Wear-resistant steel
- Fine to Coarse Grinding: This grinder can be set for anything from Turkish-fine to French press coffee for a wide variety of fineness options.
- 3 Phase Grinding: This is how the Ditting model creates remarkable particle uniformity and controls heat production. You can grind continuously without concern for the beans overheating.
- Adjustable Outlet Extension Tube: Adjust the outlet tube to grind into containers of different sizes and types.
- Slide Gate: Regulate output by easily starting and stopping the grinder using the slide gate.
- Cold Brew Gear: Take your grinding up to 1,200 microns for cold brew grinding and extend your offerings (available only in Black and not in Stainless Steel models).
The KFA1403's large-capacity counterpart, the KF1800 is about as as heavy-duty as it gets.
This grinder boasts tremendous speed, producing 720 pounds (sometimes more) of ground coffee in a single hour.
It shares the KFA1403's compactness and can be loaded with 66 pounds of beans for high efficiency with larger batches.
Like all Ditting models, the KF1800 comes with specially sharpened discs and a design that facilitates uniform coffee particles at perfectly cool temperatures. (The powerhouse grinding discs will slice through 100,000 pounds of coffee like butter.)
You'll find that the cool-down time for typical medium to coarse grind settings on the KF1800 is much shorter than with other industrial grinders, meaning that you can grind continuously and maintain a high level of quality.
- Application: High volume grinding
- Output Capacity: 720 lbs per hour
- Hopper Capacity: 66 pounds
- Burr Type: Flat
- Grinding Disc Diameter: 180 mm
- Grinding Disc Material: Wear-resistant steel
- Fine to Coarse Grinding: Whether you need espresso grinding or French press coffee, this grinder can do it.
- 3 Phase Grinding: Ensuring perfect particle consistency and cool grinding, the three-phase Ditting system allows you to grind batch after batch without creating excessive heat.
- Large Capacity, Small Grinder: Despite the fact that this grinder doubles the output of the KFA1403, its 65" H x 20" W x 20" D dimensions make it a slender model that can easily work for smaller roasteries.
- Adjustable Outlet Extension Tube: Fix the outlet tube to grind into any size containers you need.
- Slide Gate: Start and stop grinding to individually regulate the inflow of beans with the slide gate.
Learn More: Ditting KF1800 Review
Need a mobile unit? The DK15LS is one of Mahlkonig's industrial grinders with a wheeled container that can be moved to any location with ease.
Constructed with a large hopper and tooled steel grinding discs, this grinder is heavy-duty. The double-sided tooled steel burrs will last twice as long as your average steel burrs.
One thing that Mahlkonig is known for is making grinders with multi-purpose functionality.
If you have a business that does large-scale grinding for a product other than coffee, you might be interested in this grinder's ability to process grains, spices, and more.
- Application: Medium volume grinding
- Output Capacity: 265 to 287 lbs per hour
- Hopper Capacity: 66 pounds
- Burr Type: Flat
- Grinding Disc Diameter: 130 mm
- Grinding Disc Material: Tooled steel
- Mobile Container: The wheeled 53 gallon container measures 27.2" x 31.1" x 27.6" (W x D x H). Transport products easily and efficiently.
- Lock Plate: Like the slide gate on the Ditting grinders, this lock plate interrupts the flow of the coffee beans to help you grind the right amount.
- 3 Phase Motors: This motor system has surface cooling and high starting torque, making the DK15LS suitable for continuous grinding (i.e., busy locations).
- Fine Grind Adjustment Wheel: Repeatable results with high accuracy are possible with this finely-tuned adjustment wheel.
- Grinding of Other Goods: Mahlkonig's industrial grinder can also process spices, grains, linseed, and other products in case you need a multi-functional grinder.
Mahlkonig's DK15LH is essentially the same sturdy grinder as the DK15LS, but with tungsten carbide grinding discs.
These double-sided discs will last up to 20 times longer than lower-quality grinding discs. You won't need to replace them anytime soon.
Like the DK15LH, this model grinds between 265 and 287 pounds of coffee an hour. This is probably best suited to medium-volume or slightly higher-volume businesses.
- Application: Medium volume grinding
- Output Capacity: 265 to 287 lbs per hour
- Hopper Capacity: 66 pounds
- Burr Type: Flat
- Grinding Disc Diameter: 130 mm
- Grinding Disc Material: Tungsten carbide
- Mobile Container: The 53 gallon container is built on wheels so that you can transfer the ground coffee easily.
- Lock Plate: Slides into place to stop the flow of beans for fast action, allowing you to control grinding as needed.
- 3 Phase Motors: With surface cooling and high starting torque, this motor design makes for cool grinding even with nonstop usage.
- Fine Grind Adjustment Wheel: Gain accurate and repeatable control of the degree of grinding fineness with this precision adjustment wheel.
- Grinding of Other Goods: Like other Mahlkonig grinders, this industrial model can be used with special grinding discs to process other products besides coffee.
The DK15LVS comes with tooled steel grinding discs just like the DK15LS, giving this industrial model's grinding discs a doubled lifetime compared with typical burrs.
As with the other models, you'll receive a transportable container on wheels to make production super efficient.
It's probable that this machine grinds in the medium- to high-volume capacity range, especially considering the industrial applications of similar models.
Mahlkonig is a premium brand in the industry, making each model with the same top-quality standards.
- Application: Medium- to higher-volume grinding likely
- Output Capacity: Unspecified
- Hopper Capacity: 66 pounds
- Burr Type: Flat
- Grinding Disc Diameter: Unspecified
- Grinding Disc Material: Tooled steel
- Mobile Container: The mobile container holds 53 gallons. Your product is transportable right in the grounds container with this design.
- Lock Plate: Start and stop the flow of beans to be ground with the easy lock plate.
- 3 Phase Motors: This motor system has a high starting torque and keeps grinding cool through continuous use with ventilation technology.
- Fine Grind Adjustment Wheel: You want great results to be accessible every time. This is easier with the high-precision grind fineness adjustment wheel.
- Grinding of Other Goods: You can grind more than just coffee in this grinder, like spices and grains.
The powerful tungsten carbide grinding discs will outlast the standard grinding discs in other models to an impressive degree.
Businesses with high volume needs will find tungsten carbide grinding discs particularly advantageous as they won't wear out nearly as quickly for them.
- Application: Medium- to higher-volume grinding likely
- Output Capacity: Unspecified
- Hopper Capacity: 66 pounds
- Burr Type: Flat
- Grinding Disc Diameter: Unspecified
- Grinding Disc Material: Tungsten carbide
- Mobile Container: The 53 gallon container can be moved to any location with the greatest ease. Keep production moving seamlessly with a mobile unit.
- Lock Plate: Controlling the input from the hopper to the grinding discs is simple with the lock plate.
- 3 Phase Motors: A high starting torque and cool grinding are guaranteed by this specially designed, well-ventilated motor system.
- Fine Grind Adjustment Wheel: Create repeatable results with the same accuracy using Mahlkonig's grind fineness adjustment wheel.
- Grinding of Other Goods: Need to grind something other than coffee? This grinder is capable of grinding other goods, just like other Mahlkonig models.