Single dosing means you weigh out exactly the beans for your next shot and grind only those, rather than keeping a large hopper of beans sitting on the grinder.
It has become the default workflow for home enthusiasts who care about freshness and like switching between different coffees, and it has shaped a whole category of grinder design.
Why people single dose
Beans stay fresher in a sealed bag than in an open hopper exposed to light and air, so single dosing protects flavour. It also lets you switch coffees freely without grinding through a hopper of the previous one.
And because you weigh the input, your dose is precise every time, which helps consistency.
It needs low retention
Single dosing only works well if almost all the coffee you put in comes back out — otherwise stale grounds from a previous dose mix into the next. That is why single-dose grinders emphasise low retention, often with bellows, anti-static measures and steep exit paths.
If a grinder holds back a gram or two each time, single dosing becomes messy and inconsistent.
What it means when you're buying
If you like trying different beans and value freshness, look for a grinder explicitly designed for single dosing with low retention. If you drink the same coffee every day in volume, a traditional hopper grinder may suit you fine and be faster in the morning.
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Frequently asked questions
Is single dosing better than using a hopper?
It is better for freshness and switching coffees, but slower per shot and reliant on a low-retention grinder. For a single house coffee, a hopper is perfectly good.
Do I need a special grinder to single dose?
Practically, yes — you want a low-retention design so what goes in comes out. Many modern grinders are built specifically for this.
What is RDT?
The Ross Droplet Technique: adding a tiny amount of water to the beans before grinding to reduce static and mess, popular with single dosing.