Review: Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill

By Coffee Expert
Derek Premenko
4 photos
The Curated Take
2.8/5
The Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill is an affordable option for home brewers who prefer pour-over, drip, or cold-brew coffee. Its ceramic burrs offer a decent grind, though not fine enough for espresso, with some inconsistency and noise. The grinder's versatility is limited, being more suited for coarser grinds, and it's not particularly fast. However, it's durable and provides good value for money, especially for those upgrading from a blade grinder. It's easy to clean, though regular use can be messy. Ideal for coffee enthusiasts looking for a budget-friendly, entry-level burr grinder.
Ideal for
- Budget-friendly
- Great for drip/pour-over coffee
- Ceramic burrs deliver a decent grind
Not ideal for
- Not very consistent
- Not quiet
- Won't grind fine enough for espresso
Dose Consistency

There's a decent bit of grind retention, but it's not so dramatic that my coffee is affected harshly. I'd weigh my beans out before and after the grinder with not...Read more
Durability

This grinder has a great build. It's lasted many years and many moves! But the one complaint I have is with the grind bin. It's a pretty staticky grinder, so...Read more
Consistency

I've used this grinder for pour-overs, drip coffee, and even cold brew. It has faithfully ground for me for several years, and I don't expect it'll quit on me anytime...Read more
Noise Level

There's nothing quiet about this grinder. It'll wake just about anybody up in the morning. So if "quiet" is what someone's going for, they'll need to take this to the...Read more
Versatility

This will work great for cold brew, drip coffee, and pour-overs: anything decently coarse. If someone wants excellent precision or going after espresso/Turkish coffee, this won't get them there. It's...Read more
Grinding Speed

It'll take a good while to get through grinding even 20g. Speed is not really what it's known for. But then again, nobody really expects a budget conical burr grinder...Read more
Grind Size Control

Being a stepped grinder has its limitations, but I've never found this so limiting that I couldn't get the right grind size. Now, it can't grind fine enough for espresso,...Read more
Noisiness Rating

While this isn't a quiet grinder by any means, it's also not unusually loud. Any low-end grinders aren't going to be insulated, and the motor on these has to be...Read more
Ease of Cleaning

Grind retention is a pain with this grinder. Its housing is all plastic, so even if I use the RDT (spritzing with water), I still get some clinging to the...Read more
Grind Consistency

The ceramic burrs are a huge upgrade to the classic spice/blade grinder. But anytime I brew coffee, it's pretty clear that the grind size has some decent variation, especially the...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Derek Premenko

About the espresso equipment
- Model: Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
Test conditions
- Where I've used it: Home
- How many times I've used it: 500
Expert Reviews of the Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
Derek Premenko The Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill gives me a much better grind than the average "spice grinder." It's loud, takes a while to grind, and the last few beans will dance and bounce for a bit before catching the burrs. Users will want to discharge the static before grinding (water spritz); otherwise, the grounds will stick to the plastic bin walls and make a mess when they pour. It's a great little setup for pour-overs, drip coffee, cold brew, or other coarse grinds. The grind size adjustment is fine enough to tweak for pour-overs, but don't expect crazy accuracy or consistency. Give this a shot if someone is looking for the step above a blade grinder for anything less fine than espresso. But those who are serious about their coffee game at home will probably ditch this for something a little more capable. Overall, it's a good grinder for the price.
Product Specs
Housing material | Stainless Steel |
Depth (in) | 7.5 |
Height (in) | 12.25 |
Weight (lbs) | 4.5 |
Width (in) | 8.75 |

Review Ratings
Dose Consistency
3/5
Derek Premenko gave 3 of 5 stars. There's a decent bit of grind retention, but it's not so dramatic that my coffee is affected harshly. I'd weigh my beans out before and after the grinder with not much more than a gram of variation on average. With pour-overs, it was an easy fix. I just needed to adjust my ratio (of coffee to water) a tad, and I was good to go.
Durability
3/5
Derek Premenko gave 3 of 5 stars. This grinder has a great build. It's lasted many years and many moves! But the one complaint I have is with the grind bin. It's a pretty staticky grinder, so even when spraying my beans with mist, I get a lot of coffee grounds sticking to the bin's side walls. To help get them all out, I've developed a habit of knocking that bin on the counter, which works, but now the bottom of the bin is all cracked/chipped on the ledges that stick out from the base. If the design were a simple and totally flat base, that'd probably prevent any more chipping.
Consistency
4/5
Derek Premenko gave 4 of 5 stars. I've used this grinder for pour-overs, drip coffee, and even cold brew. It has faithfully ground for me for several years, and I don't expect it'll quit on me anytime soon. There has been no notable variation since I first plugged it in, and I've had no issues with it beyond the scope of reason. Since upgrading my grinders, this one has taken a back seat and become my "oily bean grinder" for the less ideal roasts (mostly for family/friends who come over). So, it saw daily action for years and didn't quit. I don't know if it'll ever bite the dust or start to deteriorate now that it gets even less used.
Noise Level
2/5
Derek Premenko gave 2 of 5 stars. There's nothing quiet about this grinder. It'll wake just about anybody up in the morning. So if "quiet" is what someone's going for, they'll need to take this to the garage/outside to use or just look for another grinder. An alternative method is to pile some laundry on top of it. If one heaps enough, it'll stifle the noise a good bit, but that's hardly an ideal workaround.
Versatility
3/5
Derek Premenko gave 3 of 5 stars. This will work great for cold brew, drip coffee, and pour-overs: anything decently coarse. If someone wants excellent precision or going after espresso/Turkish coffee, this won't get them there. It's worth noting that while the grind settings are close enough together to be usable for pour-overs, it won't get them a ton of clarity in their cup.
Grinding Speed
3/5
Derek Premenko gave 3 of 5 stars. It'll take a good while to get through grinding even 20g. Speed is not really what it's known for. But then again, nobody really expects a budget conical burr grinder to be lightning-quick. That being said, it's a large upgrade over any manual grinder I've used in the past.
Grind Size Control
3/5
Derek Premenko gave 3 of 5 stars. Being a stepped grinder has its limitations, but I've never found this so limiting that I couldn't get the right grind size. Now, it can't grind fine enough for espresso, not even close. But for the standard cold brew/drip and even the more precise pour-over, I haven't found that I can't get the grind size I want. For the money, I can't complain there at all.
Noisiness Rating
3/5
Derek Premenko gave 3 of 5 stars. While this isn't a quiet grinder by any means, it's also not unusually loud. Any low-end grinders aren't going to be insulated, and the motor on these has to be powerful enough to pulverize coffee beans, so it's obnoxious, but it also kind of comes with the territory. I could complain that a bass boat is a bit bouncy in choppy water, but in all reality, it would be a miracle if it wasn't.
Ease of Cleaning
2/5
Derek Premenko gave 2 of 5 stars. Grind retention is a pain with this grinder. Its housing is all plastic, so even if I use the RDT (spritzing with water), I still get some clinging to the bin walls. Taking it apart is really just unscrewing all the way coarse and going past it until the top hopper comes off. This makes accessing the burrs very easy. I've even rinsed the whole thing out (letting it dry thoroughly) and found that it made a huge difference in my brew. It is very easy to deep clean, but regular usage will be messy.
Grind Consistency
2/5
Derek Premenko gave 2 of 5 stars. The ceramic burrs are a huge upgrade to the classic spice/blade grinder. But anytime I brew coffee, it's pretty clear that the grind size has some decent variation, especially the coarser I go. For a passable cup, this isn't a huge issue, but when I start getting really nitty "gritty" about the grind size, it's not going to win any awards.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Derek Premenko I love that this is a real burr-grinder for under $100. It was the best that I could afford for a long time. For being so cheap, it grinds consistently well and lets me make fine enough adjustments to get a proper extraction for my daily pour-overs. Surprisingly, it's also lasted me several years.
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Derek Premenko If I had to pick a favorite moment over the past few years of using this, it'd probably be when I was hunched over outside (mid-winter in the mountains of Colorado) plugging this into an outlet in the apartment hallway at 5 a.m. so I wouldn't wake up my young son. It was cold, and this grinder was loud, but I had already measured my beans and wanted to start my day with some coffee and a beautiful view of Mt. Princeton going pink as the sun kissed the Eastern peaks. It couldn't have happened without this grinder. I might have woken up some neighbors, but my son slept soundly, and I got to enjoy my coffee. Thanks, buddy.
Why did you choose this product?
Derek Premenko Two factors went into choosing this specific model: the grinder using ceramic burrs and the cost being about $70. It felt like a lot when I first splurged here, but in a world of $800+ grinders, $70 isn't bad.
Like almost anything in life, we get what we pay for. So, having been a professional barista and using some top-notch gear, I found this grinder didn't really compare to anything of a commercial caliber, but still. My grind size was consistent enough. I had plenty of adjustments to make with my pour-overs, and I didn't need to spend more than $100 to get there, so it was a perfect "next step" in the progression of coffee gear upgrades over time.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Derek Premenko Comparing this to other similar options, it's a cheap grinder. But it's a cheap burr-grinder, so it'll beat out anything that uses blades. (I call those "spice grinders.")
There are some other similar grinders out there: Capresso, Oxo, etc. They're all about even in my books. This was an upgrade from an old Capresso, and the grind retention went up with the Cuisinart, and so did the bean bounces (where the beans dance and shoot up within the hopper). But in terms of quality, the Cuisinart makes just as good of a cup as my old burr grinder. The Oxo runs about $100, and this is about $30 less expensive, so I'd grab this grinder again for the price.