SHARDOR Coffee Bean Burr Grinder – Long Term Review
The SHARDOR Electric Burr Coffee Grinder CG836B is an affordable, entry-level burr grinder that is gaining popularity. Having used the Shardor Coffee Bean Burr Grinder every morning for the past month now, here is my honest review.
First off, I have to say that I am using this with a cafetière only and not with an espresso machine. However, there are many reviewers who have written about their positive experience using the Shardor with an espresso machine. Having been to several shops and read tonnes of reviews on burr grinders, I settled for the Shardor and I’ll explain why.
This model is appreciated for its ease of use and versatility in grind settings, which caters to various coffee brewing methods including espresso, French press, and drip coffee. You can watch our quick video review at the bottom of this article.
Shardor Coffee Been Grinder CG836B on Amazon
Decent Capacity Bean Hopper
For those of us coffee house regulars, the huge capacity coffee grinders is somewhat of a dream. The thought of kilograms of coffee sitting around just waiting to be ground, is the stuff of any coffee lovers ultimate goal. In the Shardor grinder, the bean hopper is actually designed to take after those industrial sized machines. This means that it not only looks the part but actually functions pretty well too.
It stores up to 200 grams of beans, enough for more than one weeks worth of coffee beans for me (I am the sole coffee aficionado in my home). My daily dose is around two measuring spoonfuls using the supplied spoon. This makes two mugs of long coffee about 16 fl.oz each. The lid of the hopper is a tight fit which makes it feel that it is fully air tight. The seal created is pretty decent, although if you are not using the grinder for a while you might want to remove any remaining beans to store them in a truly air tight container.
The hopper is attached to the grinder’s body in a simple twist to lock mechanism that sets it exactly where it needs to be. If you have to move the unit, do not carry it by the hopper as one would be tempted to do. While the unit itself may be small and portable, only move it, holding on to the body as the hopper can detach easily. If you have to remove the hopper, make sure you empty it first. Do not make the same mistake I did. Twisting and lifting the hopper with even some beans in the hopper means that the beans will fall out onto the counter top.
Cleaning the Burr Grinder
Once removed, cleaning is easy. Use the supplied brush to remove any stuck on grounds from the grinding plates. There will be some stuck to the interior walls of the grinder due to static electricity but not alarmingly a lot. There are two parts to the grinding plates or discs. The top burr is removable, so you can even wash and dry this outside of the unit. The bottom half stays on the unit so it is a matter of brushing, wiping down and allowing it to dry. Besides the top burr, the other removable parts are the bean hopper and the ground canister also known as the grind chamber, both of which can be removed, washed and dried. As for the exterior body, it is just a case of wiping it down with warm, lightly soapy water. For the time I have used this, I have not had to do this yet but can see some finger marks on the sides from handling the unit.
Digital Controls
There are two knobs on the unit, a digital knob on the front that controls the grinding time below a digital display that shows the ‘grind’ time setting in light blue. Although an imperfect way to ‘measure’ coffee, it does offer some consistency in the about that it grinds. It took some trial and error to determine how long to grind for and even then I found that different roast levels actually provided different volumes of ground despite the same amount of time. If like me you have a big 1kg bag of beans to top of the hopper every time it runs low, the grind time setting can stay the same, about 5 seconds per portion.
If you are consistently using the same beans for a while with the same beans, once you find the ‘correct’ grind time setting, it stays in memory for every subsequent use, even if it is not plugged in.
Ground Portion
As we mentioned above, to get the exact amount of ground you need for your perfect blend will be a case of trial and error. As the grinder control is time base and not portion based, you will have to work out how much time is needed for your daily dose. Mine is 10 seconds for two spoons full.
However, this can change depending on how dark your beans are. I found that lighter roast (Level 2/3) beans goes through the grinder faster compared to darker roast (Level 4/5). It means for the same time setting, you will get more grounds with a lighter roast. From experience, I needed to increase the time by about a second or two seconds for darker roasts.
Another factor that can impact the rate of beans going through the grinder is the amount of beans in the hopper. When the bean level is low, there is less downward force so fewer beans will go through the grinder at the same time setting. To keep the amount of grounds consistent, try to keep the hopper topped up.
Noise Level
From my personal experience and reading the reviews of all manner of burr grinders currently in the market, there is no escaping from the amount of noise that these grinders will generate. Even the most expensive models are known to be noisy. I was really surprised to find that noise level on the Shardor is surprisingly acceptable. It is not the quietest of kitchen appliances, but when grinding, it is surprisingly quieter than our air fryer or even the hand-held blender.
I found that you can reduce the rattling by placing your hand over the lid of the hopper and gently applying some downward pressure while it is grinding. This will ease off on the vibration and stop extra noise from the beans knocking about in the hopper or among themselves. Even without doing this, there is no risk of waking anyone up as although it is not completely silent is it not loud at all.
Burrs and Grind Settings
One of the main highlights of this grinder is its metallic flat burrs, which ensure a consistent grind size—key for optimal coffee extraction. It has a total of 25 grind settings ranging from fine to coarse, allowing for considerable flexibility depending on your favourite brewing method. As mine is for the classic cafetière, my grind settings are not as fine as the espresso but sit somewhere between the percolator and the espresso setting. This too will take some trial and error, but the fun lies in the experimentation! I did not however, use the French Press setting as I prefer my grounds finer and coffee stronger.
Shardor Coffee Been Grinder CG836B on Amazon
Ground Container
From the grinder end, the ground coffee is passed through a relatively small opening into a lidded container. A black detachable lid covers a dark transparent plastic holder. A main complaint from many other coffee grinders is that their containers suffer from static in which the grounds tend to stick inside the container. While this is the case for the ground that have hit the cover, once inside the body of the container, static does not appear to be too much of a problem.
The capacity of the container is decent, so it is possible to grind a larger quantity to draw from over time. I personally prefer my grounds fresh so I only grind the amount that I need for each brew.
Conclusion
Overall the Shardor is brilliant value for its functions, build quality and grounds output. Needless to say, I am generally pleased and think it was a great buy. It has been capable of delivering a grind quality that is consistent and fine enough for most of my home coffee brewing needs. There are some complaints that it might not reach the ultra-fine level needed for some espresso machines.
For its price, the SHARDOR Electric Burr Coffee Grinder CG836B offers good value for money by balancing functionality, ease of use, and efficient performance. This makes it a recommended option for those new to grinding their own coffee or anyone looking for a budget-friendly coffee grinder that still maintains a good level of grind consistency and reliability.
We leave you with a quick experience video on the use of the grinder.
