Black and Decker Burr Mill Coffee Grinder: Honest Review of This Budget Pick

The Black and Decker Burr Mill Coffee Grinder is one of those products that shows up when you search for the cheapest possible burr grinder. At around $30-40, it's tempting. Black and Decker is a household name, the price is low, and it's a burr grinder rather than a blade grinder. But is it actually worth your money, or will it end up in a landfill within six months?

I've tested the Black and Decker burr mill alongside budget competitors and higher-end grinders, and I'll give you the full picture. The short version: it works for certain brew methods and certain expectations, but it has real limitations that you should understand before buying.

What You Get for the Money

The Black and Decker burr mill (model CBM310) uses a flat burr grinding mechanism with 12 grind settings. It has a top hopper that holds about 4 ounces of whole beans and a removable grinding chamber that catches the grounds. There's a cup selector dial that lets you choose how much coffee to grind (2-12 cups), and a one-touch button that runs the grinder for the selected amount.

Build Quality

Let me be direct: this grinder is made almost entirely of plastic. The hopper, the body, the grinding chamber, and the adjustment dial are all plastic. The burrs themselves are a mix of metal and ceramic depending on the production run. The overall feel is lightweight and inexpensive. It doesn't inspire confidence the way a Baratza Encore or even a Capresso Infinity does.

That said, it's $35. Expecting premium materials at this price is unreasonable. The question is whether it functions well enough to justify even that modest investment.

What's In the Box

The grinder unit
Bean hopper with lid
Removable grounds chamber
A small brush for cleaning
Instruction manual

Nothing extra. No dosing cup, no grind guide, no fancy accessories.

Grind Performance

Here's where I spent most of my testing time, because grind quality is what matters.

Coarse Settings (French Press, Cold Brew)

The Black and Decker does its best work at coarse settings. Grinding for French press produces particles that are roughly the right size, with acceptable consistency. There are more fines mixed in compared to a Baratza Encore, but for a standard French press brew, the difference is minor in the cup. Cold brew is even more forgiving, and the Black and Decker handles it fine.

Medium Settings (Drip, Pour-Over)

Medium grind settings work reasonably well for auto-drip coffee makers. If you're using a basic Mr. Coffee or similar machine, the Black and Decker produces grounds that are close enough to pre-ground coffee consistency. I'd describe the taste improvement over pre-ground as modest but noticeable. Fresh grinding always helps, even with imperfect consistency.

Pour-over is a stretch. The V60 and Chemex demand more uniformity than the Black and Decker delivers at medium settings. You'll get acceptable cups, but the uneven extraction will show up as muddiness and a lack of brightness.

Fine Settings (Espresso, Moka Pot)

Don't bother. The finest settings on the Black and Decker produce a grind that's too coarse and too inconsistent for espresso. Even for a Moka pot, which is more forgiving than espresso, the results are mediocre. If espresso or Moka pot is your primary method, skip this grinder entirely.

For a broader comparison of grinders that actually handle fine grinding well, check our best coffee grinder guide.

The Static Problem

Static cling is the most annoying thing about the Black and Decker burr mill. The plastic grounds chamber generates static electricity during grinding, and coffee grounds stick to every surface. You'll find grounds on the inside walls of the chamber, on the chute, on the outside of the chamber when you remove it, and on your counter.

Every single grinding session involves tapping, shaking, and wiping to get all the grounds into your brewer. It adds an extra minute to your morning routine, and it's messy. The Ross Droplet Technique (adding one drop of water to your beans before grinding) helps somewhat but doesn't eliminate the problem.

Noise and Speed

The Black and Decker is not a quiet grinder. The small motor runs at high RPM, producing a whine that's audible from the next room. Grinding enough for a 6-cup pot takes about 15-20 seconds, which is reasonable, but those are loud seconds.

Speed-wise, it's adequate. Not fast, not slow. You press the button, it grinds, it stops. The cup selector is surprisingly accurate, giving you roughly the right amount of grounds for the selected number of cups.

Durability: The Elephant in the Room

This is where the Black and Decker falls short most dramatically. Reading through user reviews and talking to people who've owned one, the pattern is clear: these grinders don't last.

Common failure modes include:

Motor burnout after 6-12 months of daily use
Burr dulling faster than expected, leading to increasingly coarse and inconsistent grinds
Adjustment dial breaking or losing its click stops, making it impossible to set a consistent grind size
Hopper lid cracking from repeated removal and replacement

Some units last 2+ years. Some fail within weeks. The quality control appears inconsistent, which is a common issue with budget appliances. If you buy one and it lasts a year, consider that a good run.

Who Should Buy This Grinder

I'd recommend the Black and Decker burr mill only in these specific situations:

You currently use a blade grinder and want the cheapest possible upgrade to burr grinding
You only make drip coffee or French press and don't care about espresso or pour-over
You're testing whether fresh grinding matters to you before investing in a better grinder
Budget is your absolute top priority and you can't spend more than $40

If any of those fit, the Black and Decker is a stepping stone, not a destination.

Better Alternatives at Every Budget

Grinder	Price	Why It's Better
JavaPresse Manual	$30-40	Better grind consistency (ceramic conical burrs), portable, no electricity needed
Bodum Bistro	$60-80	Better burrs, less static, glass grounds container
Capresso Infinity	$80-100	Conical burrs, more grind settings, quieter, better build
Baratza Encore	$170	The standard recommendation for good reason. Consistent, durable, repairable

The Baratza Encore costs 5x more but will last 5-10x longer and produce noticeably better coffee every day. If you spread the cost over years of use, it's cheaper per cup. Our top coffee grinder roundup has detailed comparisons of these and more.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Keeping the Black and Decker clean helps extend its limited lifespan:

After each use: Tap out loose grounds from the chamber and chute. Wipe down with the included brush.
Weekly: Remove the upper burr assembly (it twists out) and brush off accumulated fines and oil.
Monthly: Wash the hopper and grounds chamber with warm soapy water. Let everything dry completely before reassembling.
Never: Run the grinder empty. Running without beans can damage the burrs and overheat the motor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Black and Decker burr grinder better than a blade grinder?

Yes. Any burr grinder produces a more uniform grind than a blade grinder, and that translates to better-tasting coffee. The improvement is most noticeable with French press and drip brewing.

Can I grind spices in the Black and Decker burr mill?

I wouldn't recommend it. Spice oils and flavors will contaminate your burrs and flavor your coffee for weeks afterward. If you want to grind spices, buy a separate blade grinder for that purpose.

How many grind settings does it have?

12 settings, ranging from fine to coarse. The actual usable range is more like 8 settings, since the finest 2-3 settings aren't fine enough for espresso and the coarsest setting is quite rough.

Is there a warranty?

Black and Decker typically offers a 2-year limited warranty on small appliances. Keep your receipt. Given the durability issues, you might need it.

My Honest Take

The Black and Decker Burr Mill Coffee Grinder is the cheapest burr grinder that actually works. It grinds coffee. The coffee tastes better than pre-ground. It'll probably last about a year. That's the entire value proposition. If you're just dipping your toes into fresh-ground coffee and you can't spend more than $40, it'll show you the difference grinding makes. Just know that once you taste that difference, you'll want something better, and that $35 will feel like a tax on learning what you actually want.