The Bodum BISTRO Burr Grinder and the Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill both offer an upgrade from a basic blade grinder, but they cater to different users. The Bodum excels with its sleek, minimalist design, compact size, and lower price point, making it a stylish choice for casual coffee drinkers. The Cuisinart is built for functionality, with more grind settings, a much larger capacity, and a heavier, more utilitarian build, prioritizing performance over aesthetics.
Here’s a full comparison to help you choose the right burr grinder for your morning coffee routine.
Bodum BISTRO Burr Coffee Grinder
The Bodum BISTRO is an entry-level burr grinder that has become popular for its design-forward approach and simple operation. It's often chosen by those who value counter space and aesthetics just as much as grind quality. The BISTRO uses stainless steel conical burrs to produce a consistent grind for daily brewing methods like drip coffee and French press.
- What it is: A compact, stylish conical burr grinder designed for daily home use for non-espresso brewing methods.
- Key features: Stainless steel conical burrs, 12 adjustable grind settings (from French press to pour-over), pre-set timer, grounds catcher made from borosilicate glass to reduce static cling.
- Price: Around $99
- Style: Modern and minimalist. It comes in several colors with a sleek, rounded body that looks great on a kitchen counter.
- Materials/Construction: The body is made of plastic, rubber, and silicone, while the burrs are stainless steel and the grounds catcher is durable glass.
- Pros: Aesthetically pleasing design, small footprint saves counter space, glass grounds catcher prevents excess static, simple and intuitive to use, affordable price point for a burr grinder.
- Cons: Limited grind settings unsuitable for true espresso, smaller bean hopper (7.75 oz) requires frequent refills, can be loud during operation.
This is the ideal grinder for someone new to grinding their own beans who wants a compact, attractive machine for daily drip or French press coffee.
Shop this product: bodum.com/us/en/11750-01us-bistro
Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
The Cuisinart DBM-8 is a workhorse burr mill focused on capacity and versatility. It's designed to Cuisinart's standard of reliable, feature-rich appliances that value function over form. With a generous hopper and a wide range of grind settings, it’s built to serve larger households or coffee drinkers who switch between different brewing styles.
- What it is: A larger, automatic burr mill with more grind settings and a higher capacity for versatile daily grinding.
- Key features: Heavy-duty disc-type burrs, 18-position grind selector, large removable 8 oz. bean hopper, slide dial for 4-18 cups of coffee, removable grind chamber holds enough for 32 cups.
- Price: Around $60-70
- Style: Utilitarian and functional. The design is blockier and more industrial, fitting in with other kitchen appliances rather than standing out as a design piece.
- Materials/Construction: Features a mix of stainless steel and heavy-duty plastic for the body, with steel disc burrs. Its construction feels sturdy and durable.
- Pros: Excellent value for the price, large capacity for both bean hopper and grounds chamber, wide range of grind settings, durable build quality, powerful motor for consistent grinding.
- Cons: Disc burrs are less precise than conical burrs for specialized brewing, much larger footprint, the plastic grounds bin creates significant static, it is notoriously loud.
The Cuisinart is best for households that make large pots of coffee and need a reliable, high-capacity machine without a focus on advanced techniques or quiet operation.
Shop this product: cuisinart.com/shopping/appliances/coffee_makers/dbm-8/
Bodum vs. Cuisinart Burr Grinder Comparison
Materials & Construction
Both grinders are built to a budget, but they prioritize different things. The Bodum BISTRO uses stainless steel conical burrs, generally considered better for a more uniform grind with fewer fines. Its body relies heavily on quality plastic and silicone, which contributes to its lightweight feel. The single most significant material advantage for Bodum is its anti-static borosilicate glass grounds catcher, which dramatically reduces coffee chaff from sticking everywhere.
The Cuisinart DBM-8 uses stainless steel disc burrs (or "flat burrs"). They are effective for coarser grinds, but less preferred by coffee lovers for more delicate brewing. Its body feels more substantial and heavier, implying a more durable, long-lasting motor and internal components, though its plastic parts can feel a bit standard. The plastic grounds bin is its biggest downside, as it is a major magnet for static and coffee dust.
Grind Settings & Consistency
The Cuisinart DBM-8 offers more settings with an 18-position selector wheel, providing a wider range of coarseness options from fine to very coarse. This makes it slightly more versatile if you frequently switch between percolator, drip, and French press coffee. However, its coarsest settings can lack uniformity.
The Bodum BISTRO has only 12 grind settings, but its conical burrs provide excellent consistency in the medium-to-coarse range perfect for drip, pour-over, and French press. It does not grind fine enough for quality espresso, but what it does, it does well. For most automatic drip machine and French press users, Bodum's consistency is arguably better.
Capacity & Size
This is a major point of difference. The Cuisinart is the clear winner on capacity. It holds 8 ounces of beans in its hopper and can grind enough for up to 18 cups at a time, storing up to 32 cups' worth of grounds in its chamber. Because of this, it has a larger, taller, and heavier footprint on the counter.
The Bodum is much more compact and suited for small spaces. Its hopper holds around 7.75 ounces of beans, but it's designed for grinding smaller amounts as needed with its timer-based system rather than a cup-selection dial. It's friendlier for kitchens with limited counter space.
Style & Aesthetic
There's little contest here - Bodum wins on style. Its clean lines, color options, and minimalist European design make it blend seamlessly into modern kitchens. It’s an appliance you won't mind leaving on the counter.
The Cuisinart has a no-frills, utilitarian look. It's designed to match other standard kitchen appliances in a black-and-silver color scheme. It's functional and built for performance, not to be a statement piece.
Who Each One Works Best For
The Bodum BISTRO Burr Grinder is ideal for individuals or couples who make coffee for one or two people at a time. It’s perfect for those who value minimalist design, a compact size, and good grind quality for pour-over or French press. If you care about kitchen aesthetics and want to avoid the messy static created by plastic parts, the Bodum’s glass catcher and sleek look make it a superior choice.
The Cuisinart Supreme Grind is designed for larger households or anyone who often brews a full 12-cup pot of coffee. Its massive capacity and straightforward, workhorse nature make it a practical tool for high-volume use. If you prioritize function, capacity, and durability over design, and don’t mind the noise and static, the Cuisinart is a hard-to-beat value.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both of these grinders are solid entry-level options, but they serve very different coffee drinkers.
Choose the Bodum BISTRO if:
- You have limited counter space and need a compact machine.
- Kitchen appliance aesthetics are a top priority for you.
- You can’t stand the static mess created by plastic grounds containers.
- You typically make coffee for just one or two people at a time.
- You mostly brew using a French press or drip coffee maker.
Choose the Cuisinart DBM-8 if:
- You regularly brew a full pot of coffee for multiple people.
- Capacity is more important to you than a small footprint.
- You want more grind settings for a wider range of coarseness.
- You want a sturdy, no-frills machine and don't care about a "designer" look.
- You're looking for the most functionality you can get for a low price point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between the Bodum and Cuisinart burr grinders?
The main differences are in capacity, design, and grind mechanism. The Cuisinart has a larger capacity and more settings but is bulkier and creates static. The Bodum is smaller and more stylish, with conical burrs and an anti-static glass catcher, but it has fewer outright settings and a smaller capacity.
Which grinder is better for French press?
Both can produce a suitably coarse grind for French press, however the Bodum BISTRO's conical burrs often create a more uniform coarse grind with fewer fine particles, which can reduce sediment in the final cup.
Is a burr grinder really better than a blade grinder?
Yes, absolutely. A burr grinder crushes beans to a uniform size, allowing for an even extraction and a much better-tasting cup of coffee. A blade grinder simply chops beans into inconsistent pieces, which leads to a mix of over-extracted (bitter) and under-extracted (sour) flavors.
Which grinder is quieter?
Both models are fairly loud, as is common with electric burr grinders. However, the Cuisinart DBM-8 is widely reviewed as being one of the loudest grinders in its class, often described as an unpleasantly high-pitched sound. The Bodum is still loud but is generally considered more tolerable.
How do you clean these burr grinders?
Cleaning is similar for both. Unplug the grinder, remove the bean hopper, and use a small brush (often included) to brush out any old coffee grounds from the upper and lower burrs. The grounds catchers and hoppers can usually be washed with soap and water, but make sure they are completely dry before reattaching.
Can the Cuisinart grinder be used for espresso?
While the Cuisinart has fine settings, it does not produce a consistent enough fine powder required for a non-pressurized portafilter for a true espresso machine. It may work for entry-level machines with pressurized portafilters, but it's not an espresso grinder.
Does the Bodum grinder produce a lot of static?
One of the best features of the Bodum BISTRO is its borosilicate glass grounds catcher. Glass is naturally anti-static, so while some minor cling might occur at the exit chute, it's far less messy than the static-prone plastic bin of the Cuisinart.
Which one lasts longer?
Both are entry-level devices and will likely last a few years with regular use. The Cuisinart's heavy-duty build and powerful motor may give it a slight edge in motor longevity, but both have plastic parts that can wear out over time.
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