It is worth buying a coffee grinder to keep solely for spice grinding if you make a lot of Indian food, as the aroma and flavour of freshly ground spices is unmatchable. Coffee grinders can also be used to crush small quantities of dry ingredients, such as nuts.
A food processor is worth its weight in gold for today’s busy cooks. It can be used to chop and slice onions in an instant, as well as creating ginger and garlic purées and spice pastes, all of which are essential ingredients in Indian cooking.