Electric coffee grinders have a small motor that turns the grind wheels or blades.Most electric grinders have a single, push-button control switch, which when pressed provides a continuous grind or when pressed and depressed quickly can provide a pulse-like feature. Many more expensive models may have settings that determine the exact length of grinding time and control over the degree of fineness of the ground beans.

Manual coffee grinders (often called mills) work by turning a grinding mechanism by hand. Although generally slower they do allow more control over the grind of the beans.