Making good coffee doesn’t have to be expensive and there are a lot of great equipment options under $100. The grinder will be the big ticket item though. And, there’s a reason I list it first and keep reiterating the importance of a good quality grinder; it will determine the quality of your coffee more than piece of brewing equipment. If your grind is not the proper size and/or not uniform and consistent, you cannot extract is properly to achieve good results.
There are two basic options here: go with an entry level electric burr grinder or a hand grinder. I tend to learn towards the latter out of longevity, cost, and convenience: a hand grinder is a very simple device and is likely to last a long time, they’re relatively inexpensive, and they’re great for camping, traveling, etc. The downside is that you will have to power the grinder, and if you make a lot of coffee or large batches, this could get very old very quick. An entry level motorized burr grinder will save you some time and work, but may be somewhat limiting if you want to use multiple brew methods, and may not have the longevity of a hand grinder. The typical advice is to spend way more than you think you should or the most you can on a grinder, it pays in the long run. Let’s look at the basic options in this price point:
Hand grinders
Hario Mini Mill Slim - $35
The Mini Mill is very straight forward to use, very slim, lightweight, and travels great. Holding (wrestling) it while grinding, especially light roasted (harder) coffees can be challenging, but it gets the job done at a low price point. Once you’re in the realms of coffee geek-dom, you may desire something with better (more consistent) grind quality, but it gets the job done with low barrier to entry. It can only grind about 35-40g or so at a time, so if this is your sole grinder and you doing any batch brewing (French Press, Chemex, Auto) you might want to look at the Skerton.
I did just find this for as low as $24 on Prima Coffee
Hario Skerton - $40
If you’re planning to make hand grinding at this price point your go-to, the Skerton is a solid choice. It’s larger and more stable than the Mini Mill, and there are even mods to increase the grind quality floating around the internet. The grinds canister is glass, but I have heard it’s the same thread size as a smaller mason jar, so it shouldn’t be too much trouble if you break it. It’s slightly faster and easier to grind than the Mini Mill, can do larger batches, and is more stable. I don’t like the grinds adjustment as much though. It requires more disassembly to adjust, and although it’s stepless – meaning you can really fine tune it, you don’t necessarily have settings or “clicks” in the adjustment like you do in the Mini Mill for reference.
Prima Coffee has this one for $30!
Porlex Mini - $60
I haven’t used a Porlex Mini or Regular, but have heard mixed reports on if it actually delivers a better quality grind than the Hario products. You can find these included in some brew kits from the likes of Stumptown and Blue Bottle which may reduce the price and get you up and running in one purchase.
Electric burr grinders
Capresso Burr Grinder #599 - $50
This is one that I haven’t used, so I’m a bit hesitant to list it, but I have used the minimum electric burr grinder for brewed coffee I typically recommend, the Capresso Infiniti which works well at that price point, so I’m going to put my toes on the ledge here. Capresso is a solid brand, and this really might be the only sub-$100 motorized burr grinder I would recommend. Is it going to beat the pants off buying pre-ground or using the blade (spice) grinder? You bet.