Grinders adjust either in fixed detents or continuously.
Stepped
Discrete clicks or numbered positions.
For: you can return to a known setting exactly. Sharing recipes is meaningful. Nothing drifts.
Against: if the right espresso setting falls between two clicks, you cannot have it. On grinders with coarse steps, this is a real limitation.
Stepless
A continuous collar with no detents.
For: infinite resolution. You can always land exactly where the coffee wants.
Against: returning to a setting is by memory or by a mark you made. Some drift under vibration. Switching between espresso and filter means finding the espresso setting again from scratch.
Micro-stepped
The compromise: very fine detents, often 30 to 100 per rotation. Fine enough for espresso, repeatable enough to return to.
Many good espresso grinders use this.
Which matters for what
Espresso — resolution is critical. Stepless or micro-stepped.
Filter — stepped is entirely adequate, and the repeatability is more useful.
The marking trick
On a stepless grinder, put a paint or tape mark on the collar and body. It gives you a reference without giving up resolution.
The honest note
A stepped grinder with enough steps is as good as stepless. The problem is grinders with twelve settings across the whole range, which are useless for espresso regardless of burr quality.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026