Knock Box Buying Guide

Knock boxes are a great way to simplify your daily espresso workflow, and avoid dripping a portafilter across your entire kitchen to reach a garbage or compost bin. In this article we’ll rank the 4 most popular knock boxes on Amazon, based on their functionality, ease of cleaning, capacity, and build quality. (3=Great, 2=Okay, 1=Bad)

Score: 8/12

The HOMEE Knockbox has a great capacity at 1.5L. The knockbox is easy to clean thanks to it’s removable knock bar, but lost a point due to not being dishwasher safe. Build quality was okay, but a slightly filmsy plastic with visible injection molding lines left something to be desired. Most disappointingly, the base of the knockbox was made of a slippery foam, which allowed the box to slide every time you tried to knock out your portafilter… far from ideal

Score: 10/12

The Breville Mini Knockbox is certainly targeted for home use coming in at only 500mL. Like the HOMEE, cleaning is easy thanks to a removable knock bar, but the stainless steel box itself is not machine washable. Build quality is top notch as you’d expect from a brand like Breville, and a rubber non-slip base means that it stays put when knocking out your pucks.

Score: 11/12

Next up is the Grindenstein by Dreamfarm. If you are looking for a compact home espresso knock box, this is currently the best one available. At 450mL it can fit nicely in even the tightest of countertop coffee stations. The whole unit is dishwasher safe, and the plastic is very very sturdy. It is equipped with the all important non-slip rubber base, and even features a dampened metal knock bar to be quieter during use. It is also available in a variety of fun, or more subtle colours, to suit your personal taste.

Score: 12/12

Finally, we come to the overall winner, the Breville BCB100. We could not find anything to fault about this unit, other than the fact that it may simply be too big for some people’s available counter space. It boasts a class leading 1.8L capacity, made from a very thick stainless steel shell. The inner plastic tub is fully removable and machine washable. The wide mouth, substantial weight, and non-slip base made knocking out pucks an absolute breeze.

If you need a compact knockbox, you’ll be thrilled with the Grindenstein offering. However, if you have enough counter space, the Breville BCB100 is a knockbox that feels like it should cost double what the rest of these boxes do, and is the clear winner of the group.