Anthony Bourdain-Recommended Coffee Grinder

The late Anthony Bourdain was an icon in the culinary world. When he spoke, we listened. This hasn’t changed in the intervening years since his death, so we’re taking to heart his advice from this recently resurfaced 2009 interview, in which he discussed “essential” kitchen tools with Martha Stewart and Eric Ripert. While most of his picks were predictable, like heavy-bottomed stockpots for soup-making and Microplane zesters for citrus-grating, we were surprised by his recommendation that every home cook should own a coffee grinder. Read on to learn why this unexpected gadget made his list and how you can score one for less than $20 at Amazon.

Black + Decker One Touch Coffee Grinder 

Professional chefs care a lot about flavor. Ideally, fruits and vegetables should be at their peak, extra-virgin olive oil should be cold-pressed, and spices should be freshly ground. Home cooks — some Food & Wine editors included — have the bad habit of buying pre-ground spices, only to let them sit for months to years until they’re finished. This is a mistake because the longer they go unused, the less potent they become. Instead, take Bourdain’s advice and switch to whole spices. Not only are they less expensive, but they’re also easy to blitz into fresh powder if you have an electric coffee grinder near to hand. 

Since Bourdain didn’t provide us with a brand, we did our own research and stumbled upon this wildly popular model from Black + Decker on sale for less than $20 right now. It has more than 12,700 perfect ratings at Amazon, was purchased by over 20,000 shoppers last month, and is powerful enough to grind coffee beans and peppercorns alike. While a mortar and pestle can achieve the same result, an electric grinder is far more efficient. Plus, it has a small footprint that won’t take up a lot of space in your kitchen cabinets and a dishwasher-safe grinding bowl. 

This simple swap is an easy way to replicate restaurant-level meals at home. Make this Bourdain-approved switch while Black + Decker’s coffee grinder is less than $20 at Amazon. 

Shop More Kitchen Tools at Amazon

Microplane Classic Zester Grater 

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Turner

Victorinox 3.25-Inch Swiss Classic Paring Knife 

KitchenAid Kitchen Shears 

Cuisinart GreenGourmet Bamboo Spoon 

At the time of publishing, the price was $19.