https://youtu.be/AVYGxext8XI

There are a lot of grinders similar to the ones in that video. OXO, Bodum, Cuisinart. I am kinder to them than James; I’m not bothered by them being loud, nor does static particularly offend me, nor does it annoy me that they might be asymmetrical on my counter. For many people these aren’t starter grinders, they’re just coffee grinders that do fine and fit a reasonable budget. They’d be a big step up from your blade grinder.

If you’re buying or really want to get into high end coffee a hand powered grinder will give more nuance, but obviously it’s much more work every time you make coffee.

The powered step up would be a Baratza Encore and its ilk. Out of budget but maybe worth knowing exists.

A few good recommendations for hand grinders would be:

• 1Zpresso Q
• Timemore C2S
• KINGrinder P0, P1, or P2

It’s going to be hard to find an electric grinder at that price point. And also, all hand grinders that I listed are going to be adjustable from the bottom, which is a bit annoying. Paying more in the hand grinder range will first net you easier to adjust settings, and then nicer burrs and maybe more quality of life features. Getting a decent electric grinder will probably be around double your current budget. Keep in mind though, most hand grinders can be used with a drill if you don’t want to hand grind. Just something to consider.

For what it’s worth, I’ve used another one of Timemore’s hand grinders many times (their S3) and it’s fantastic. A bit out of your budget, but I can personally attest to their quality so if it were me, I’d probably go with the C2S. But I know 1Zpresso is massively popular, and there’s probably very good reason for that. I just don’t have any hands on experience with them. And finally, the KINGrinders are going to be by far the cheapest.

I hope that helps as a starting point. Keep in mind I don’t think they’re capable of espresso, but you didn’t mention espresso so I didn’t look for those capable of that range. If espresso is something you’d like to get into in the future, you might want to consider different options and you may have to stretch your budget a bit.