Stepless vs Stepped Grinders for Espresso
Every burr grinder lets you change the grind size. The difference is how: in fixed clicks, or smoothly with no clicks at all. For drip or French press, it barely matters. For espresso, it can decide whether you ever pull a great shot.
Stepped grinders
A stepped grinder has a fixed number of settings. You turn the dial, it clicks into place, and each click moves the burrs a set distance.
- Easy to repeat. "Setting 12" is always setting 12.
- Easy to switch between brew methods and come back.
- But the steps can be too big for espresso. If one click makes the shot too fast and the next makes it too slow, the perfect setting is in between, where you can't go.
More steps help. Grinders with micro-steps, or hundreds of settings like the Baratza Sette 270 with 270, make each step small enough for espresso.
Stepless grinders
A stepless grinder has no clicks. You can turn the adjustment to any point in its range.
- Any grind size you want, so you can make the tiny changes espresso needs.
- Great for dialing in a new bag of beans quickly.
- But harder to return to an exact setting. There's no number to write down unless the grinder has a scale or marks. Note where the indicator sits.
The Eureka Mignon Specialita and the DF54 both adjust steplessly.
What about hand grinders?
Some hand grinders use very fine clicks. The 1Zpresso J-Ultra moves 8 microns per click. Steps that small behave almost like stepless for espresso, while still giving you a number to remember.
Which should you choose?
- Espresso is most of what you make: stepless, or a stepped grinder with very small steps.
- You switch between espresso and filter coffee every day: stepped is easier, because you can jump between saved settings.
- You're new to espresso: either works. Good, small steps matter more than the type.
For five grinders compared on adjustment, burrs and dosing, see our espresso grinder comparison.