I think it's time you did another one of these reviews for both cheap and ultimate hand grinders as there's been a lot of movement in the market in the intervening period. Lots more brands, better quality and price movements. Hence I think it'd be great to see this updated for 2022. Great video though!
I agree, the Timemore C2 is now as cheap or cheaper than the Porlex. Many say it’s the best value for money in the budget range (it has stainless steel burrs after all) and it would be interesting to have James’ perspective on it. 1zresso also has the q2, which while more expensive (I would consider mid-range) is still getting a lot of praise. On the higher end, 1zpresso have caught on with popularity with the k series and j series and are now the preferred choice for many coffee lovers. Would love to have them tested agains the classics such as Comandante c40.
@@ISeeFurther There's also normcore and the less often talked about heihox, which due to circumstances around manufacturing and corporate acquisitions now essentially have the same burrs as the 200 and 230 dollar versions of the Option-O REMI grinder for 60 and 100 dollars respectively.
You are not begging for likes or subs or being noisy in your videos. You are calm and precise in your wording. You are the Moses of coffee brewing. You definitely have my subscription.
Born to American parents, I spent my childhood in Brazil, with my favorite memory of, standing in the billowing smoke while the cook’s husband roasted the coffee into the second crack, hand cracking an iron barrel over hot coals. He even let me turn the crank once in awhile. I started home toasted about 25 years ago, outdoors with a hand crank popcorn popper over a gas flame. I have a strong affinity for Brazilian organic beans from the Santos region, creating the soft, velvety roast of my halcyon childhood memories. I giggled as I watched your “cheap grinder” video. You see, mine was never considered... the really old fashioned kind with an open top and a drawer. It works great for my daily pour over, into my grandmothers antique sterling silver coffee pot. I don’t time or weigh or measure, I simply roast and grind and brew from my happy heart... and enjoy the delight of every cup.☕️ Your show makes me smile, your teaching style is thorough and entertaining, and no matter the time of day, it makes me crave my next hot cup of my home roasted “songbird” coffee. Thank you for this channel... it’s one of my new favorites.
I currently live in Japan, and have done research as best I can with my limited Japanese on both of these Japanese companies. Porlex is a manufacturer of ceramics (Kyocera being the other major ceramics manufacturer) in Osaka, and Hario (the 'HA' is pronounced like 'HOT') began as a glass maker in Tokyo. I mention the cities they hail from, as pride and therefore competitive spirit are evident from both companies. Porlex products, be it their coffee, tea and spice mills, coarse and fine food graters, or soy sauce pourers, all feature ceramic used in some way. Hario offers a huge and varied array of products for both coffee and tea users. Both the Mini and the oft overlooked Tall version fit exactly into the plunger part of the Aeropress, which was almost certainly one of the design objectives. In a "chicken and egg" scenario, I believe the Aeropress came out first. I bought the Tall way back in May 2012 from, of all places, Orphan Espresso. It is made in Japan and, even here in Japan, is more expensive than its Hario competition. This certainly has to somewhat account for Hario being more popular both in Japan and abroad. It has served me well, but an even grind is only possible at the finest settings.
saw a kyocera on a native webpage that looked like the hario, but it didn't seem to have a lid, i think their ceramic grinder should be decent since they also sell ceramic knives. but i'm also considering peugeot grinder, they usually makes car so it should be quite fast and i have one of those racer gaming chairs should work well together, but i don't have a license.
Ur lucky to live in japan i envy you ! U still living their ? I bet ur a man and have a beautiful japanese woman gosh i envy you ! Its my dream 😔 im stuck here i have no degree i cant live their if u have any tips im all ears
I love how fast the coffee industry has been moving forward in terms of accessibility in a very short period, now we have something like the Timemore C2 that will pretty much run circles around these grinders at a similar price class.
True that. I like to see more products like that. Better like that, than those who use the capsule coffee's. I got the Timemore C2 grinder as well. Really love the build quality and the results are great as well. Would love to see a review from james about that.
@@SCARANGELO Yes it'll make a huge different going from ceramic burrs to metal burrs. They have the C3 now, get that if it's in your budget, the C2 is still a great value tho.
@@jongtrogers I got mine for ~$50 when it was a new release, and even then it's already cheaper than 2 of the shown grinders. It's roughly $30-40 today in my region, with discounts it gets even cheaper. If you live where the C2 is still $70, then these other grinders are guaranteed to be overpriced too, all while basically being glorified pepper grinders.
I’m using a 20$ grinder. Steel burrs, solid construction. Consistent grind cup after cup. I use 4 v cordless screwdriver to grind the coffee 🤗 Painless mornings…
One extra category (possibly on your next review) - CLEANABILITY - I’ve used the Hario for years when ever I go away and used to use it as my daily driver at home. Whenever I wasn’t getting what I expected cleaning it saw a massive improvement, but at the same time was a complete pain with all of the tiny parts. It’s plastics construction and almost ergonomic design certainly made it easier (against say a standard porlex) - I also preferred HOW it grinds. Although others often felt smoother the hario seemed slightly faster. It would often take as long as the kettle to boil for around 30g of coffee as apposed to others which always felt like they took longer. The only use for the windows on those other models - a quick reference for grind size (which again I find useful on the hario). Lastly. I never really know whether it’s cost effective to sift grinds from such a cheap grinder. Am I losing more coffee than it’s worth?
He addressed the cost effectiveness of sifting in a previous video, and his conclusion was that you're better off investing in a better grinder than a sieve set. Using a sieve on cheap hand grinders (less than 100-150 dollars) will waste enormous amounts of coffee. Sifting is mostly just useful for people who are already in the mid-high end coffee gear range, and have enough money, time, and interest to tinker with it.
Do a blind taste … with and without sieve. Cleaning is a breeze if you spritz a drop of water over beans … no static! Clean the interior for stiching chaff with a simple air bulb ($4). Beats dismantling the Encore … every day!
@@HipekPhotography No comparison at all XD I've my Porlex (bought it about 3 years ago) but just after the first year I realized that it was halting my progress (inconsistency, awful particle distribution). Then, after much thought I bought the Helor 101 (which is int he same category of "premium hand grinders" as the Comandante) and trust me, I'll never ever look back. Now I know that if my cup wasn't that tasty I (or the coffee...rarely the coffee) am at fault, not my grinder!
@@HipekPhotography Porlex was my first hand-grinder, and then I switched to Comandante after 3 years with P. No comparison - totally different "weight" categories. But would still gladly recommend Porlex in the low price / entry point scenario.
Ah you beat me to saying (typing) this :) I bought a tall/standard Porlex for £50 (not from Amazon - I don't think they sell it) about 18 months ago and it commutes with me every day to work and back, at least until I get something bigger/quicker/better to live at home. For anyone considering a mini Porlex: FYI the tall/standard is not that much taller than the mini and the weight difference is negligible, so unless you are really super restriced on packing space then consider the tall/standard.
Same here - used standard porlex for 3 years, now my mum is using it happily for the last two years, as I switched to Comandante. Would gladly recommend Porlex to anyone as a starting point. Got it for 47 Eur.
I use tall porlex too. It does the job. The thing I don't like is, instructions tell that it can grind for Turkish coffee but it cannot powderize the coffee. Still usable though and I happily use it for Turkish coffee. Another problem is, the plastic part fitted to the ceramic part collects so much ground coffee in it. It shouldn't be a problem mostly, but it is not nice I think. Also, it's a little slow for finest grinds. But I believe it's not different for other hand grinders too. I consider adding it a top adapter for using with electric screwdriver. Just a little metal piece to use with an allen screwdriver bit(staight screwdriver bits may work too but not phillips bit because I don't like them). I hope it won't heat the coffee so much, since it's not spinning so fast like a full speed drill.
@@Santibag I use mine for turkish style coffee - no issues whatsoever. Thing is, you really don't need to pulverise it - while turkish (arabic, actually) style of brewing is great, they use the shittiest possible roast/grind. I find espresso grind, light-roasted, works perfectly.
Came here to say this, had one for 9 years and it's still going strong. Recently bought a Rhino, it's lovely to use but definitely still prefer the Porlex.
I eat a whole coffee plant alongwith a bucket of boiling water once every 5 years so I never require to worry about drinking coffee for those many years altogether.
Just awesome.. I am so glad you started the Patreon .. everything feels just different and I feel that sky is the limit now when it comes to exploring products out there.. can't wait for the ultimate showdown.. THANK YOU
I bought a hand grinder from Amazon that was identical to the Henry Charles/Java Presse for £9.99 (the idea that they are charging £70.00 for that is ridiculous). I know it was cheap, but I thought I'd give it a go. It was dreadful and I sent it back within a week of using it. I now have a Hario Skerton that works well... although that said, getting the grind size right first time is very hit and miss.
The porlex in combination with an aeropress is perfect. No problems with capacity as you mentioned. And the porlex fits inside the aeropress for extra space-savings!
I got the Javapresse on a huge sale (cost me $25 a bit after this video came out, bought in the USA, after a discount coupon they were offering), so quality for money was a better option for me. I'm told they tend to loosen a bit as you grind, and a 6x1 mm metric nut added to the screw can lock it in place for a more uniform grind size (keeps the adjuster from being pushed a bit down the screw as you are grinding). It's an easy hack if you have a 10 mm head to tighten the nut, and less than $0.50 (or the British equivalent) to purchase the nut.
I like to thank RUclips algorithm deciding to introduce home based hobbies at the start of lockdowns in many countries. That's how I met James' channel and now I'm quietly enjoying pour overs.
I actually use my Makita drill with the "henry charles" type grinder (actually a Woods that came in a little camping coffee kit but literally the same thing lol idk who makes these grinders). Not sure if its good for the grinder nor the coffee, but I get a dose of corse grain in like 20 seconds.
@@gabrielsabourin2529 I think the main issue is that it will heat the coffee beans up more than it should and that will affect the taste, but I probably couldn't tell the difference myself
I bought a Porlex a few years ago on recommendation from a friend. It lives in my camper now. It is perfect for me, since it's just me and the dog and she doesn't drink coffee. My typical coffee load is about 65gm/l with a dark roast. I use an AeroPress for extraction. It works for me. ;)
Having used the Porlex Mini for half a year and l'm pretty happy with it. Recently I got an Aeropress for travelling and the Porlex fits perfectly into the Aeropress, so this is dream team to travel with.
The Hario has a nice little feature, I use it all the time at home, and standing on the side, the Boss of the handle where it attaches to the grinder shaft, has a little groove around the edge. This groove fits over the edge of the lid. So whilst not the most compact (and I'm not crazy about the double wall thing that the grinder has going on) you cN hang the handle on the edge of the coffee grinder when it's just sitting on the side and you're not using it 👌🏻
I've used several cheaper grinders, Hario Skerton being the most well known, however, the best by far is the Sozen, a turkish grinder which grinds from Turkish to french press, not only the most consistent grind but also really cheap, at least if you buy it from Turkey. It is also a very solid construction.
I have a Porlex mini. I love it. It fits neatly inside my Aeropress and all of it still fits inside the Aeropress bag. The capacity is really not an issue for me because the most coffee I ever use with the Aeropress is 15g. I can see how it might be less ideal for other workflows though.
I had one of the cheap steel Amazon units for a few months. Worked good for a little while, then got very uneven grinds after a couple of months. Tried to clean it and broke several cheap but essential parts. Tossed it in the garbage and got the real porlex which I'm much happier with.
This is exactly the video I was curious to see. Someone compare them with a palate that I trust. There are plenty of videos reviewing individual grinders or maybe comparing two but how do I know where they are expertise-wise. Thanks for making the video and I look forward to the best of the best hand grinder!
Wow so I love this channel! I wanted to buy a grinder immediately and couldn't watch an entire video so BANG, go to the summary and everything i need is there! BUT, later on I watched in full and had a wonderful experience! James knows how to put together videos! Thank you so much!
@@davidf2244 basically yes. For me, it's not worth the money for the probable increase in quality and convenience. My system has always given me the best cup of coffee I've had anywhere in the world (including Paris, Rome, ny, and LA).
I find it an interesting choice to review the Porlex Mini, as opposed to the regular. I find the standard Porlex still extremely portable, sturdy and consistent. Maybe the extra size bumped it out of the desired price point?
For the ultimate comparison of semi-portable hi-end manual grinders: Comandante C40 Nitro Blade/Ironheart, Helor 101 Conventional/Contemporary Burr, OE Lido 3/E, Kinu M47, Knock Feld 47. Ease of use, grind range (will it go Turkish or cold brew), grind uniformity, build quality. How does the winner compare to say, Baratza Sette 30/270 for espresso range or Baratza Virtuoso/Vario with steel burrs for brew? If you have around 300$ what will you take? Do you need to spend twice as much on electric to get comparable grind quality? I guess that will be a very informative video. Thanks for the reviews.
@@jameshoffmann You said in your video "budget's irrelevant"! How about the $1000 Lyn Weber HG-1?? I agree with those mentioned above, and it would be very interesting to have one of the large table top grinders in the comparison. Lyn Weber HG-1, Orphan Espresso Pharos, and Orphan Espresso Apex come to mind.
I'm interested to see how the Lido stacks up if it can be included! Upgrading from the Skerton mini to the Lido E-T was huge personally. If I wasn't in the states I'd be open to sending it for the comparison.
@@jameshoffmann If you are willing to ship mine back to me I can lend you a Helor 101 (both burs), Commandante C40 V.3 Nitro, Kanso Hiku, Knock Aergrind. (I am a longtime Square Mile & Prufrock fan).
Definitely think you should use the regular (not mini) Porlex for the next round. Nearly identical to the mini (even in price) but with bigger capacity, which seems to be the main sticking point (in fairness, a lot of recipes call for 24g, so I can see where it came from when they were trying to create a mini version of the bigger one).
PSA for anyone watching it now: the two furthest to the right are mass manufactured in china, and they can now be found on the UK amazon for ~£9 each depending on the brand which definitely makes them competetive for their price, if you can't find them on amazon they are plastered everywhere on aliexpress (which I suspect is where they are being drop shipped from on amazon).
I bought the cheapest one you have for $14 over 5years ago. It cracked me up watching you just trash it....but on the good side, it’s been five years and I grind my own coffee every morning just fine. I love your videos, keep up the good work.
Hi there, I just started thinking more about how I make my coffee, and your channel has proved invaluable. may I make some points about the ones you liked least: 1 Here in Thailand unbranded versions of these are available direct from the Chinese manufacturers for around gbp5.00. I found the prices you paid difficult to understand. Maybe there is mileage in that theme? 2 I have found the grind setting difficult to judge without trial, but after some effort an even grind for my espresso machine of the beans I use was found. 3 The parts are few and easy to disassemble for routine cleaning. replacement Ceramic wheels are also available. 4 The function of the lower inner plastic pot is not insignificant. It acts as the seating for the top part, and most imprtantly is not fixed. Those long slits are not for looking in but for lifting it out. This is actually a really nice aspect of the design. It is good for weighing out the beans too.
Great video James! Regarding usability of the porlex - it actually fits into an aeropress, which I say worth a point more! Also I regularly fit 28g in there, so your 25g limit can be stretched somewhat
Late comment: I have the Rhinoware as a travel grinder (slightly different without the rubber) and love it. But brace yourself, here is the game changer, it fits perfectly inside an aeropress plunger and the handle fits in the aeropress bag. Makes an ideal travel set for me. I notice that all the other grinders seem to have a similar diameter (bar the hario), so likely do the same.
Dear James, Love your RUclips channel, as engineer I enjoy how you mix science and art in coffee. Question N° 1: I have a cheap grinder, more precisely the Henry Charles / Javapresse model. In this moment I can’t afford a more professional one. My dilemma is: Option 1: Buy coffee grains and grind them daily using my cheap grinder. Option 2: Buy ground coffee grinded in the coffee shop using a professional grinder. I advise 250gr (minimum quantity) lasts me about 20 days (just a cup a day). Question N°2: Extraction yield: Actually I calculate my extraction level with this homemade method: 1 - (weight of initial coffee grounds) / (weight of used coffee grounds, dried completely). Is this method exact? Question N°3: I love my Bialetti Moka Express. I saw your video and use your moka tips (hot water and not pressing the coffee grounds). The problem is that I have an extraction yield of 27%, very high. Is this acceptable? Would you grind coarser to reduce this level? What it a typical extraction yield of a well-made moka coffee cup? Best regards, Mat
Hey James, thanks for the video! It inspired me to finally scrap my javapresse, which I was already having issues with, and upgrade to the Knock Aergrind. I thought it was the most reasonably priced and portable after a deep dive into countless reddit and barista forum posts. Hope you’ll be able to add it to the “competition” along with the other higher end models that people have already listed.
Thank you so much for your videos, James. I love coffee but have never had the room or ability to have more than the cheapest drip coffee at home, so now that I'm able to spend a bit more on the joys of like your videos have been perfect for helping me learn. I truly appreciate it!
@@gpat1756 much better. Probably shit compared to a very evenly grinding super expensive one but pre ground coffee tastes like dirt left in a dank basement and then dried in comparison to my hand ground coffee. Even if I leave the grounds in the cupboard for a week they're still massively better.
Thank you for this video. I just ordered the Hario as my first coffee grinder. Will be trying it out this weekend. I may end up going electric at some point. But, this should allow me to see if fresh ground is worth it for me, without spending a lot of coin.
Hi James, As usual, awesome video.I personally own the porlex mini and have some pointers to add in. -On the point for portability, the Porlex mini fits perfectly into the handle of an Aeropress, and thus may add another point to note when you are bringing coffee equipment around on the move. -On the point of capacity, there is also the option of the Porlex hand grinder (not the mini), i'm not too sure if it still fits well into the Aeropress, but it will definitely hold a larger amount of beans.
Good video. I decided it was time to invest into a manual coffee grinder that was "cheap" and it was a huge difference in taste and smell vs the normal flat blade grinder that I can find. Thank you for making this video because this pushed me to get my first burr grinder. I gave away my flat blade grinder since I don't have a use for it anymore.
I have used both the Hario Slim and the Porlex Mini, and found that over time, the handle on the Hario Slim stripped the bolt it sits on so that it would just slip/spin without operating the grinder anymore. The Porlex I didn't use for as long because I eventually got a Wilfa Svart grinder, but it seemed to be made of better quality metal that didn't strip as easily.
like you, I have that issue, but with the porlex. I have one with a square head, like the hario slim, so it has started to strip. I also frequently have the issue where, because there is no retaining nut on top of the handle, the handle flies off as I'm grinding, or contorts into a weird position which damages the bolt even more. It looks like, with the porlex grinder James had, they fixed the square head, but not a retaining nut. I also have a hario skerton which has a retaining nut, but is quite a bit more cumbersome than any of the reviewed hand grinders.
Just Yesterday i found a used "Java presse" in a second hand store. I payed (everything in the store was half price) about $2.50 for it. When I got home i took it out of the sandwich bag and a very strong Pepper odor greeted me (I hate pepper!). So the first thing i did was take everything apart to clean and scrub the pepper odor away. By the time I had it odor free, I had forgotten the order each piece fit back together again, so i went online to research the "how to" phenomena of this grinder. In my research (it works great, ground a full window of coffee) and learned a couple of tips along the way. I also came across your video. I have to agree with you on the dirt in between the windows plastic and the stainless steel housing. After meticulously scrubbing I couldn't get rid of the pepper granules, because of the lip above the top edge of the plastic inside. Add a nut to the end to keep the original tightening nut from opening up during grinding, it will keep the ground coffee from becoming chunky and powder in the same grind. I will try my coffee tomorrow morning, and also test this one with my 4 other manual coffee grinders. My goal is to find one I like best and that will be my every day grinder, while the others are standbys.
I'm not passionate about coffee, so I'm not interested in doing all the research. You are my go-to guy for all things coffee. And I get to enjoy delicious coffee after watching your videos without having to spend hours testing/researching. Thank you!
Hey James, thanks for doing this series on hand-grinders! It's really nice to see someone really knowledgeable take time to do comparisons of all of these. Will you consider bringing the OE Apex into the next video? As far as I know, it is the only hand-grinder that employs a crushing type burr (or sometimes called a ghost burr).
Would be awesome to have an updated list ! Also , I feel there is a content gap for people just starting out. Which brew method should I go for, what gear is required and what should be my concerns when buying them. Am just now looking into buying my first grinder and absolutely binging all your videos ! Thanks so much !
Thanks for the very informative review, The grinders that I wish you could include is the Ceramic Coffee Mill Mini-Slim PRO, Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton PRO, Handground "I own 2 of these and they suffer from inconstancy issues in terms of manufacturing", LIDO, Helor 101, Comandante C40 MKIII and 1ZGRINDER, these will cost a fortune thou, I believe you could do a mid range test first then a high end since some of the ones I mentioned go from 55-70 USD (the first 3) and then the rest kinda fall between 150-250 USD.
Something about manual grinders that I would be very curious to know is how long they last. I don't mind spending a bit of money if it'll last me a decent amount of time.
Just from experience. I own a Hario Mini Mill and a Porlex (tall) for multiple years now (>5). Dropped them, traveled with them, used them extensively. Today I wouldn't buy a Hario again and always go for the Porlex. Never had problems with the Porlex, it's extremely robust and never gave me any problems. I've had problems with the Hario, the handle is a little flimsy wore out and I fixed it with brazing (certainly not a solution for everyone). The lower plastic container of the Hario broke on one of them when I dropped it, still useable but it has a huge crack in it.
I've had the full sized porlex for years. It has an annoying problem of the handle popping off while you grind which can result in the lid coming off and beans going everywhere. I ended up getting a Hario to replace it several years ago. It doesn't have that problem with the lid and I find it has a more consistent grind. I guess build tolerances might give different result for different grinders of the same model at this price point. That's been my go-to for years in the office. That said, I still keep the prolex for travel as it conveniently fits inside the plunger of an aeropress.
I have the Rhino! The first thing I did was wrap a layer of electrical tape around the joints to stop the bottom falling off... I’ve also since added a roughed-up washer and extra bolt to the internals to give stepless adjustments and can now grind for espresso 🙌🏻
I wouldn't really call them a Javapresse clone. Javapresse is just branding that's put on a generic turkish coffee mill. I bought mine (looks exactly like these) back in 2012 off Amazon for $10 (as I recall it was listed as a spice grinder). Javapresse started in 2015. Its also a terrible grinder. I bash my knuckles into the arm constantly (when I used it) because the handle is far too short to get good clearance.
There's also the Porlex full size which is what I've got. I also used to have a Hario Skerton which was also a slow grinder, I noticed the binding you mentioned as well. The Porlex ground the coffee much more quickly and smoothly with no noticeable decrease in quality.
Porlex all the way! I've taken it all manner of places with me. Important bonus: it fits directly in an aeropress making for one of the most compact coffee setups around. Great video! I'm more interested in the next one, but I'm worried you might convince me that I need a Commandante, haha.
@@edofarido3175 "sucks" may be a bit harsh, but Malaysia does not have the kind of culture that really appreciates finer things like coffee or even spicy food for that matter, though we like to think we do. which is unfortunate. Chili sauces and spicy food in general is much better in places like Mexico, America and India for example. And for coffee, in my experience at least, Britain is great for artisan or 'hipster' (for lack of a better term) coffee and with luxury coffee you can't beat italy. Malaysia only does these things in half measures and likes to think that we have a 'culture' around it. I do wish we made more of an effort though, would be nice to experience these things at home.
@@mami3790 @mami3790 lolol the fact that you said "'hipster' for lack of a better term" says it all. there is a better term, the better term is specialty coffee. we all love James Hoffmann here but you dont have to be a major simp for him and claim Britain has a superior coffee culture. LOL. Dont get me wrong, they have a great coffee culture obviously but I think the whole world has seen a tremendous growth in the coffee culture, Malaysia also being one of them. Do you know that Malaysia has a 2 time World Latte Art champion - Irvine Quek ? That says a lot and it is no easy feat i can assure you that; competing with a whole lot of baristas from all over the globe. One of our Barista Champion - Keith Koay also placed a respectable 7th in the world the last time he competed. So yeah, you've probably been to all the wrong places or just have a superiority complex or something. I don't believe any nation or cafe can or should ever claim to have the best coffee ever. Those who are in the industry would know that. It all boils down to the barista, the roaster, heck even the farmer, the equipment used to brew (hence why James Hoffmann produce all these videos for us), the coffee beans used and various other reasons. It is much more complex than you think. That's why the previous baristas or latte art or brewers champions have all been from various countries (from South Korea, Poland, Taiwan, Australia just about almost every single continent) So yeah, stop being a coffee snob and don't be the reason why some people hate 'coffee people'. Just appreciate coffee as it is bro. The world as a whole is seeing a great rise in the coffee culture and recent trend has also shown that our neighbours Thailand, Indonesia and yes, even Malaysia's coffee scene is thriving. Wake up and smell the coffee. & do your homework! Would love to see James Hoffmann experience our coffee culture. P/s: dont get me started on the spicy food remark. Lawak.
I bought a grinder just like the 2 identical ones for 9 dollars on amazon. it can be dramatically improved by adding a jamb nut (i used a stainless steel wingnut) behind the grind adjustment screw. doing this will lock it in place once you have your grind set, and give you a far more consistent grind without the knob drifting as you go.
@@bl6973 I'll answer because I'm in need of some advice. I have picked up a La Pavoni Europiccola second hand (£250) and have been using a De'Longhi KG79 to make fairly amateur espresso as you might predict. The pull feels way too quick resulting in a weak shot and the crema is nonexistent (I know this isn't something to worry about too much but it would be nice to get somewhat close). I'm hesitant to spend more than £200 on a grinder as the machine itself wasn't much more. I'm tempted to go for a more upmarket manual grinder as I feel like my price point puts me out of reach for the consistent electric burr grinders. What do you think?
Joshua Oakley So I live in the u.s and I don’t quite know conversion rates of £ to $. Anyways, I would say 0 usd to 150-200 usd. Not sure if up to there is even budget friendly but I mean who knows, the baratza encore is 140 usd. Though as a side note if you do get it, it’s a good idea to change the burrs to m2 from the virtuoso+ but that takes like 10 minutes max
@@bl6973 thanks for the advice. I went for a 1zpresso manual in the end (had it for just over two weeks now). It's perfect for me. Grinds plenty fine enough and is a nice looking bit of kit. Plenty for me and my one coffee in the morning. If I was making a bunch more then it would get a bit laborious but the Pavoni isn't really designed for lots of back to back coffees any way
Excellent video and good to see that I made a decent choice in getting the Hario for camping trips. It has indeed served me well and taken a few beatings kept going.
The video we've been waiting for.. great comparison! Please include Comandate, Timemore, and of course the beast.. Kinu coffee grinder for next ultimate comparison. Thank you Mr. Hoffman, Salam Kopi from Indonesia 🙏
I bought a cheap manual grinder with the ceramic burr, and I wanted to speed things up a bit. I took of the handle and tightened the chuck of my portable drill on the top of the grinder and let it rip. Worked pretty well.
I hope that the "best handgrinders" video will include Comandante C40, Kinu M47, and an OE Lido 3 at least. These are the ones that I personally the most curious about. Im using a Kinu M47, and I chose this over the other two, purely because of the overall build quality, and because I havent heard anything about whether or not one is better then the other.
Boy are the prices all over the place since this video! Rhino went from £32 to £42 Porlex Mini went from £57 to £76 Hario Slim £29 to £47 (ouch!) Henry Charles £26 to £22 which makes it look like much bette value than the rest
Another grinder you didn't try but is more widely available now is the CUG hand grinder for about $20. It has cut stainless steel burrs and everything else in it is extremely cheap. For a budget grinder I think it does a little better than ceramic burr grinders. It is incredible for kitchen use like grinding pepper.
I have the rhino. Points of note. Slide the rubber grip down over the join to the base and it feels more solid. Also, the hex head on the top of the grinder shaft means than when you're feeling particularly lazy, you can attach your electric screwdriver/drill with a hex socket to it, and you have an easy motorised grinder ;-)
I got my Timemore Chesnut C2 for £58, and it is so much better than the porlex that I've used before; in terms of grind uniformity and quality of build. Steel burrs too instead of porcelain, and grind well for espresso.
Very interesting comparison. One point to say is that these may also be viewed as 'entry level' coffee enthusiast grinders. For me, I'm still a student and budget/permanent residence is not there for an electric grinder + espresso machine as it may be in future. So for me a cafetiere and hand grinder is pretty much where I'm at. Haven't really tried aeropress at home and same with V60 just because a cafetiere was bought for me etc etc. So just an interesting way to view them and certainly size for me is far less important as cost vs quality output!! Thanks James
James, I found your channel this week and it's driven me mad for coffee. Used my French press for the first time in two years this morning. You might check your affiliate link for the Porlex; the one you have links to a reseller who's got the brand name wrong and has it listed at a 60% markup.
I'm just starting to get into the science and artistry of specialty coffee, and this channel has been an invaluable wealth of information so far! Based on your rating on grind quality and current prices, I'm leaning toward the Rhino as an entry-level manual grinder. One of the things I'm interested in, however, is Turkish coffee. Is the Rhino (or any of these) capable of grinding that finely?
I suggest you to refrain from buying that and go for either 1zpresso Q1 or Timemore C1 or maybe something equal in both price and quality. They are wayyyy better than Rhino especially for finer grind and lighter roast. Those two are the actual entry level grinder. Dirt cheap options like what James review in this video are just waste of money. They grind painfully long and the results are bad because the construction, burr material and burr design are significantly inferior compared to both Q1 and C1. Not to mention they are more prone to be broken, especially when you use it everyday for fine grind.
I was gifted a JavaPresse and have been using it exclusively. A little bummed at the review but, using your grinding suggestions my brews have become much more consistent and for the first time I’m noticing the difference between settings even one “click” away. I can only imagine the possibilities if I were to level up my grinder.
I have one as well, and I have no issues with it. The review seemed a little harsh, I’d give it a 4 for portability, and build quality, and I question the grind quality. As pointed out, they all use the same or very similar mechanisms, so any differences should be minimal. I have had to adjust the grind setting to get it just right for my pourover coffee, and it is noticeably better than my blade grinder. I use the same baby-bottle brush to clean both grinders after every grind, but I can wet brush my manual grinder, I don’t see how that’s a dealbreaker? I do switch to espresso and french press grinds so I agree with other posters about the window being necessary to spot-check the grind before you make a mistake. The worst thing is that price - I paid $50🇨🇦 for mine, and due to it’s simplicity, I can’t see paying £70 for one, that would be a dealbreaker for sure. I like mine, it’s the first step on a journey, and I can’t wait to upgrade to one of the high-end grinders reviewed by our beloved host.
Would you say it's best to grind your own coffee using a cheap grinder - or order grounds directly that are obviously grinded with higher-quality tech? Don't have the budget for a more expensive grinder and want to ensure I get the best taste for my money!
Yes I would like to know this. Currently buy ground coffee to use in my French press. Would like to get an affordable grinder but not sure if it's worth it.
After doing minimal Amazon-reviews research, I asked for the Javapresse for my birthday last month and got it, but I wish I had discovered your channel beforehand. I've had so many issues with it; my mom checked her Amazon account and fortunately we're still within the return window. But the funniest thing: I went to the Amazon page for the grinder to check if reviewers had my specific issues, but the the grinder has been taken off Amazon in the last month! No wonder. I'll be returning it soon and I'll be sure to check out your top two rated grinders. Anyway, I'm very happy to have discovered your channel! Keep up the great work!
I've been really happy with my Kyocera ceramic burr grinder. Easy to adjust, consistent grind, comes with a screw-on lid for the container, also the grinder fits on any regular canning jar if you prefer to use one.
there’s a hand grinder that’s not much talked about but has connections to la pavoni. it’s called apollo and is made by a business (who named themselves) bplus. it looks pretty solid (...) and the ergonomics of the column-shaped body looks promising!
I wish the Timemore C1/2 was in this video, I feel like it would crush the competition since it's only like $65. I know there is a premium version Timemore in the other grinder rating video, but I feel the C1 really belongs more in this one with the price.
I was thinking about buying one of these. But then on this budget you never get a pleasant result like with a real professional grinding machine. So I decide rather to go to a local roastery and buy more frequently small amounts of fresh, perfectly grinded coffee. Thanks a lot, I apprecite these professional reviews
Nice video! Enjoyed watching every bit of it. Here's my premium hand grinder list for you: 1. Comandante C40 Nitro Blade 2. Kinu M47 (Classic and/or Traveler) 3. MBK Feld2/Feld47/Aergrind 4. OE Lido 3/E/ET 5. Helor 101 (with 2 different burrsets) I'd love to see.other premium manual countertops like Kinu M68, OE Apex/Pharos, LWW HG-1, etc. but I guess you need it to be portable based on this video. Maybe on a 3rd video!
Can you do a similar video for cheap Moka pots? I got a Primula from Good Will a while back and I don't know if I'm just not using it right or if the moka pot itself is just really cheap. Would love to see other options.
I bought Hario in 2012 and used hundreds if not thousands of times. A year ago handle started slipping from its hexagonal pin. Other than that it served me well.
I am using a "copy version" of java presse/henry charles version. Got it online for equivalent £7, shipped from China. It has the exact same features of the HC. Good enough for a newbie like me. And when a the core's plastic piece cracked, a replacement can be bought for £1. Grind size consistency is ok, I just use the paper towel tip to take out the powdery fine grinds.
I wish I had seen this sooner! I have the Javapresse and have noticed a noticeable grind size difference per batch. I bought it just a few months back and only paid $40, though, not the roughly $80 you said here. It does the job well enough for me at the moment. Im relatively new to coffee and looking to upgrade when I can.
Great share! As a coffee lover, finding a high-quality yet affordable manual coffee grinder is always a challenge for me. Thanks for sharing your recommendations and experience, it's really helpful and insightful! Keep up the good work!
Totally agree with you! A manual coffee grinder that's both high-quality and affordable is definitely hard to come by. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feedback, it's great to hear from other coffee lovers. Let's keep the conversation going! Cheers.
You need to do a new video on this topic, nowadays there's a bunch of decent grinders for relatively cheap especially from chinese brands that are easily accessible though aliexpress or even amazon.
If I had to venture a guess I would say those little windows theoretically are so you can see grind size and adjust as needed. Executed poorly but probably the thinking behind it. Big fan James! I’m very particular and passionate about coffee and finding your channel was a breath of fresh air to be able to learn all those borderline OCD techniques to make the perfect cup of coffee!
Good stuff! I have had a Hario Mini for a couple years and it's different from yours, it has the pearly white burrs like the others and the handle bolts on with a metal nut rather than plastic. The expensive hand grinders I have heard good things about are the Lido range, which I am sure you are already planning to include in the upcoming video.
My grinder looks like 1 of the 2 identical 1s to your left. Stainless throughout w/ceramic grinding wheels. Light, solid, easy adjustment, built well. I've had it for a very short time. I thought I bought a really good one @15.00$ us, but now that I have watched 3 or 4 of your videos on the subject I evidently bought the wrong one for my needs. Should have bought the mini. Back packing, camping etc. Your videos are very thorough, and I appreciate what you are doing. At least the euro press was the right choice. It's lite, easy to use, and as you pointed out, easy to clean. Very important out in the field! My grinder fits perfectly inside my press for storage, and will do just fine for now. I'm guessing that the mini will fit just as well. Next purchase? Take care and keep your videos going. ☕🔥⛺😃
I think it's time you did another one of these reviews for both cheap and ultimate hand grinders as there's been a lot of movement in the market in the intervening period. Lots more brands, better quality and price movements. Hence I think it'd be great to see this updated for 2022. Great video though!
I agree, the Timemore C2 is now as cheap or cheaper than the Porlex. Many say it’s the best value for money in the budget range (it has stainless steel burrs after all) and it would be interesting to have James’ perspective on it. 1zresso also has the q2, which while more expensive (I would consider mid-range) is still getting a lot of praise.
On the higher end, 1zpresso have caught on with popularity with the k series and j series and are now the preferred choice for many coffee lovers. Would love to have them tested agains the classics such as Comandante c40.
@@ISeeFurther There's also normcore and the less often talked about heihox, which due to circumstances around manufacturing and corporate acquisitions now essentially have the same burrs as the 200 and 230 dollar versions of the Option-O REMI grinder for 60 and 100 dollars respectively.
Yeah I wasted my money on a Hario thanks to this outdated video… my C2 is on its way :P
@@bboesky I think it's on you that you didn't consider that information from 2019 might be outdated. Can't blame the video for that one
@@ISeeFurther I appreciate these recent comments as I'm just now starting my journey into good coffee
You are not begging for likes or subs or being noisy in your videos. You are calm and precise in your wording. You are the Moses of coffee brewing. You definitely have my subscription.
I'm on the website now. Grinder isn't showing anything about coffee though.
So then your coffee taste shit
@@khairulamirinjauhari1358 not as shit as your comment.
Hol up
hajahaha
'herb' grinders eh
Born to American parents, I spent my childhood in Brazil, with my favorite memory of, standing in the billowing smoke while the cook’s husband roasted the coffee into the second crack, hand cracking an iron barrel over hot coals. He even let me turn the crank once in awhile.
I started home toasted about 25 years ago, outdoors with a hand crank popcorn popper over a gas flame. I have a strong affinity for Brazilian organic beans from the Santos region, creating the soft, velvety roast of my halcyon childhood memories.
I giggled as I watched your “cheap grinder” video. You see, mine was never considered... the really old fashioned kind with an open top and a drawer. It works great for my daily pour over, into my grandmothers antique sterling silver coffee pot.
I don’t time or weigh or measure, I simply roast and grind and brew from my happy heart...
and enjoy the delight of every cup.☕️
Your show makes me smile, your teaching style is thorough and entertaining, and no matter the time of day, it makes me crave my next hot cup of my home roasted “songbird” coffee.
Thank you for this channel...
it’s one of my new favorites.
2:43 Build Quality
5:10 Build Quality Scores
5:27 Portability
6:50 Portability Scores
6:53 Usability & Grind Quality Intro
8:04 Usability
12:12 Grind Quality & Taste
14:18 Usability & Grind Quality Scores
14:21 Summary
Thank you!
感谢您分享这些详细的评分和使用体验，这将对我选择手动咖啡磨豆机非常有帮助。请问您可以推荐一些性价比较高的咖啡磨豆机吗？
I currently live in Japan, and have done research as best I can with my limited Japanese on both of these Japanese companies. Porlex is a manufacturer of ceramics (Kyocera being the other major ceramics manufacturer) in Osaka, and Hario (the 'HA' is pronounced like 'HOT') began as a glass maker in Tokyo. I mention the cities they hail from, as pride and therefore competitive spirit are evident from both companies. Porlex products, be it their coffee, tea and spice mills, coarse and fine food graters, or soy sauce pourers, all feature ceramic used in some way. Hario offers a huge and varied array of products for both coffee and tea users.
Both the Mini and the oft overlooked Tall version fit exactly into the plunger part of the Aeropress, which was almost certainly one of the design objectives. In a "chicken and egg" scenario, I believe the Aeropress came out first.
I bought the Tall way back in May 2012 from, of all places, Orphan Espresso. It is made in Japan and, even here in Japan, is more expensive than its Hario competition. This certainly has to somewhat account for Hario being more popular both in Japan and abroad. It has served me well, but an even grind is only possible at the finest settings.
saw a kyocera on a native webpage that looked like the hario, but it didn't seem to have a lid, i think their ceramic grinder should be decent since they also sell ceramic knives.
but i'm also considering peugeot grinder, they usually makes car so it should be quite fast and i have one of those racer gaming chairs should work well together, but i don't have a license.
@@smievil I like your logic!
Ur lucky to live in japan i envy you ! U still living their ? I bet ur a man and have a beautiful japanese woman gosh i envy you ! Its my dream 😔 im stuck here i have no degree i cant live their if u have any tips im all ears
I love how fast the coffee industry has been moving forward in terms of accessibility in a very short period, now we have something like the Timemore C2 that will pretty much run circles around these grinders at a similar price class.
True that. I like to see more products like that. Better like that, than those who use the capsule coffee's. I got the Timemore C2 grinder as well. Really love the build quality and the results are great as well. Would love to see a review from james about that.
I have the hario of the video, i would like to get something Better, do you think that the timemore C2 will make a big difference? thank you
@@SCARANGELO Yes it'll make a huge different going from ceramic burrs to metal burrs.
They have the C3 now, get that if it's in your budget, the C2 is still a great value tho.
@@jongtrogers I got mine for ~$50 when it was a new release, and even then it's already cheaper than 2 of the shown grinders.
It's roughly $30-40 today in my region, with discounts it gets even cheaper. If you live where the C2 is still $70, then these other grinders are guaranteed to be overpriced too, all while basically being glorified pepper grinders.
I’m using a 20$ grinder. Steel burrs, solid construction. Consistent grind cup after cup.
I use 4 v cordless screwdriver to grind the coffee 🤗
Painless mornings…
Love the parallel shots at 7:42. Clearly exposes your consistency
I don't even like coffee, but I am hooked on these coffee videos for some reason
One extra category (possibly on your next review) - CLEANABILITY - I’ve used the Hario for years when ever I go away and used to use it as my daily driver at home. Whenever I wasn’t getting what I expected cleaning it saw a massive improvement, but at the same time was a complete pain with all of the tiny parts.
It’s plastics construction and almost ergonomic design certainly made it easier (against say a standard porlex) - I also preferred HOW it grinds. Although others often felt smoother the hario seemed slightly faster. It would often take as long as the kettle to boil for around 30g of coffee as apposed to others which always felt like they took longer.
The only use for the windows on those other models - a quick reference for grind size (which again I find useful on the hario).
Lastly. I never really know whether it’s cost effective to sift grinds from such a cheap grinder. Am I losing more coffee than it’s worth?
He addressed the cost effectiveness of sifting in a previous video, and his conclusion was that you're better off investing in a better grinder than a sieve set. Using a sieve on cheap hand grinders (less than 100-150 dollars) will waste enormous amounts of coffee. Sifting is mostly just useful for people who are already in the mid-high end coffee gear range, and have enough money, time, and interest to tinker with it.
Do a blind taste … with and without sieve.
Cleaning is a breeze if you spritz a drop of water over beans … no static!
Clean the interior for stiching chaff with a simple air bulb ($4).
Beats dismantling the Encore … every day!
I bought Porlex mini 2y ago just because it was small and it fit inside aeropress! For travel, perfect.
and woud love to see it compare to comandante!
I have the porlex mini and I really like that it fits inside the aeropress too.
@@HipekPhotography No comparison at all XD I've my Porlex (bought it about 3 years ago) but just after the first year I realized that it was halting my progress (inconsistency, awful particle distribution). Then, after much thought I bought the Helor 101 (which is int he same category of "premium hand grinders" as the Comandante) and trust me, I'll never ever look back. Now I know that if my cup wasn't that tasty I (or the coffee...rarely the coffee) am at fault, not my grinder!
@@HipekPhotography Porlex was my first hand-grinder, and then I switched to Comandante after 3 years with P. No comparison - totally different "weight" categories. But would still gladly recommend Porlex in the low price / entry point scenario.
including the handle?
You can buy a tall version of the porlex and it has a capacity of 45 grams for coffee. I have it for 2 years and it's still working great
Ah you beat me to saying (typing) this :) I bought a tall/standard Porlex for £50 (not from Amazon - I don't think they sell it) about 18 months ago and it commutes with me every day to work and back, at least until I get something bigger/quicker/better to live at home.
For anyone considering a mini Porlex: FYI the tall/standard is not that much taller than the mini and the weight difference is negligible, so unless you are really super restriced on packing space then consider the tall/standard.
Same here - used standard porlex for 3 years, now my mum is using it happily for the last two years, as I switched to Comandante. Would gladly recommend Porlex to anyone as a starting point. Got it for 47 Eur.
I use tall porlex too. It does the job.
The thing I don't like is, instructions tell that it can grind for Turkish coffee but it cannot powderize the coffee. Still usable though and I happily use it for Turkish coffee.
Another problem is, the plastic part fitted to the ceramic part collects so much ground coffee in it. It shouldn't be a problem mostly, but it is not nice I think.
Also, it's a little slow for finest grinds. But I believe it's not different for other hand grinders too. I consider adding it a top adapter for using with electric screwdriver. Just a little metal piece to use with an allen screwdriver bit(staight screwdriver bits may work too but not phillips bit because I don't like them). I hope it won't heat the coffee so much, since it's not spinning so fast like a full speed drill.
@@Santibag I use mine for turkish style coffee - no issues whatsoever. Thing is, you really don't need to pulverise it - while turkish (arabic, actually) style of brewing is great, they use the shittiest possible roast/grind. I find espresso grind, light-roasted, works perfectly.
Came here to say this, had one for 9 years and it's still going strong. Recently bought a Rhino, it's lovely to use but definitely still prefer the Porlex.
I eat a whole coffee plant alongwith a bucket of boiling water once every 5 years so I never require to worry about drinking coffee for those many years altogether.
Just awesome.. I am so glad you started the Patreon .. everything feels just different and I feel that sky is the limit now when it comes to exploring products out there.. can't wait for the ultimate showdown.. THANK YOU
I bought a hand grinder from Amazon that was identical to the Henry Charles/Java Presse for £9.99 (the idea that they are charging £70.00 for that is ridiculous). I know it was cheap, but I thought I'd give it a go. It was dreadful and I sent it back within a week of using it. I now have a Hario Skerton that works well... although that said, getting the grind size right first time is very hit and miss.
£6 from eBay, it’s a Chinese white label product with a name slapped on it
The porlex in combination with an aeropress is perfect. No problems with capacity as you mentioned. And the porlex fits inside the aeropress for extra space-savings!
I got the Javapresse on a huge sale (cost me $25 a bit after this video came out, bought in the USA, after a discount coupon they were offering), so quality for money was a better option for me. I'm told they tend to loosen a bit as you grind, and a 6x1 mm metric nut added to the screw can lock it in place for a more uniform grind size (keeps the adjuster from being pushed a bit down the screw as you are grinding). It's an easy hack if you have a 10 mm head to tighten the nut, and less than $0.50 (or the British equivalent) to purchase the nut.
I just started my journey as an amateur on coffee brewing, and you've been helping me a lot lately. I'm thankful for that.
I like to thank RUclips algorithm deciding to introduce home based hobbies at the start of lockdowns in many countries. That's how I met James' channel and now I'm quietly enjoying pour overs.
Harrio should do a collaboration with Makita and make a hand grinder with a hex shank on it so that you can run your hand grinder with a drill.
Hario Smart G + mobil mill stick
I actually use my Makita drill with the "henry charles" type grinder (actually a Woods that came in a little camping coffee kit but literally the same thing lol idk who makes these grinders). Not sure if its good for the grinder nor the coffee, but I get a dose of corse grain in like 20 seconds.
Love this
May or may not have just rammed it in the chuck of my drill once or twice.
@@gabrielsabourin2529 I think the main issue is that it will heat the coffee beans up more than it should and that will affect the taste, but I probably couldn't tell the difference myself
I bought a Porlex a few years ago on recommendation from a friend. It lives in my camper now. It is perfect for me, since it's just me and the dog and she doesn't drink coffee. My typical coffee load is about 65gm/l with a dark roast. I use an AeroPress for extraction.
It works for me. ;)
Having used the Porlex Mini for half a year and l'm pretty happy with it. Recently I got an Aeropress for travelling and the Porlex fits perfectly into the Aeropress, so this is dream team to travel with.
@@ysabelcornelivre3392 The Folding Firebox Stove guy does that too. I think it's a good idea!
The Hario has a nice little feature, I use it all the time at home, and standing on the side, the Boss of the handle where it attaches to the grinder shaft, has a little groove around the edge. This groove fits over the edge of the lid. So whilst not the most compact (and I'm not crazy about the double wall thing that the grinder has going on) you cN hang the handle on the edge of the coffee grinder when it's just sitting on the side and you're not using it 👌🏻
I've used several cheaper grinders, Hario Skerton being the most well known, however, the best by far is the Sozen, a turkish grinder which grinds from Turkish to french press, not only the most consistent grind but also really cheap, at least if you buy it from Turkey. It is also a very solid construction.
Oh I just commented about those, I'd love to see those Turkish grinders reviewed
Which model from Sozen? They make quite a few from both brass and wood.
Could you tell us which kind of model you're talking about?
I have a Porlex mini. I love it. It fits neatly inside my Aeropress and all of it still fits inside the Aeropress bag. The capacity is really not an issue for me because the most coffee I ever use with the Aeropress is 15g. I can see how it might be less ideal for other workflows though.
I had one of the cheap steel Amazon units for a few months. Worked good for a little while, then got very uneven grinds after a couple of months. Tried to clean it and broke several cheap but essential parts. Tossed it in the garbage and got the real porlex which I'm much happier with.
This is exactly the video I was curious to see. Someone compare them with a palate that I trust.
There are plenty of videos reviewing individual grinders or maybe comparing two but how do I know where they are expertise-wise.
Thanks for making the video and I look forward to the best of the best hand grinder!
The way i grind my coffee is by putting the beans in a bag and banging them with a hammer.
😰
chaotic neutral
I prefer to just chew the coffee and add 500ml of boiling water into my mouth. But I'm sure your technique works too.
How. Inch is the hammer! And the floor?
I put one at a time in my mouth grind them and spit when it feels right.
The spits add to the flavour.
Did you only buy hand grinders that matched your outfit? Thanks James for another awesome video!
Wow so I love this channel! I wanted to buy a grinder immediately and couldn't watch an entire video so BANG, go to the summary and everything i need is there! BUT, later on I watched in full and had a wonderful experience! James knows how to put together videos! Thank you so much!
I've been using the Hario and a cordless drill for about 15 years now, excellent setup.
Why not use an electric burr grinder? Is it too expensive to justify the convenience?
@@davidf2244 basically yes. For me, it's not worth the money for the probable increase in quality and convenience. My system has always given me the best cup of coffee I've had anywhere in the world (including Paris, Rome, ny, and LA).
I thought I was the only one hahaha, and I agree its been a great set up.
@@tomjonesism I even put tennis racket grip wrap on mine, makes it a lot easier to hold.
I find it an interesting choice to review the Porlex Mini, as opposed to the regular.
I find the standard Porlex still extremely portable, sturdy and consistent. Maybe the extra size bumped it out of the desired price point?
For the ultimate comparison of semi-portable hi-end manual grinders: Comandante C40 Nitro Blade/Ironheart, Helor 101 Conventional/Contemporary Burr, OE Lido 3/E, Kinu M47, Knock Feld 47.
Ease of use, grind range (will it go Turkish or cold brew), grind uniformity, build quality. How does the winner compare to say, Baratza Sette 30/270 for espresso range or Baratza Virtuoso/Vario with steel burrs for brew? If you have around 300$ what will you take? Do you need to spend twice as much on electric to get comparable grind quality?
I guess that will be a very informative video. Thanks for the reviews.
@@jameshoffmann You said in your video "budget's irrelevant"! How about the $1000 Lyn Weber HG-1?? I agree with those mentioned above, and it would be very interesting to have one of the large table top grinders in the comparison. Lyn Weber HG-1, Orphan Espresso Pharos, and Orphan Espresso Apex come to mind.
I'm interested to see how the Lido stacks up if it can be included!
Upgrading from the Skerton mini to the Lido E-T was huge personally.
If I wasn't in the states I'd be open to sending it for the comparison.
A few more to add to the list: Kanso Hiku, as well as Helor Flux, and finally the Portaspresso Rosco
Please include the Orphan Espresso Apex
@@jameshoffmann If you are willing to ship mine back to me I can lend you a Helor 101 (both burs), Commandante C40 V.3 Nitro, Kanso Hiku, Knock Aergrind. (I am a longtime Square Mile & Prufrock fan).
Definitely think you should use the regular (not mini) Porlex for the next round. Nearly identical to the mini (even in price) but with bigger capacity, which seems to be the main sticking point (in fairness, a lot of recipes call for 24g, so I can see where it came from when they were trying to create a mini version of the bigger one).
PSA for anyone watching it now: the two furthest to the right are mass manufactured in china, and they can now be found on the UK amazon for ~£9 each depending on the brand which definitely makes them competetive for their price, if you can't find them on amazon they are plastered everywhere on aliexpress (which I suspect is where they are being drop shipped from on amazon).
Can confirm! Just bought one.
I bought it for less than 5 dollar here in Indonesia
I bought the cheapest one you have for $14 over 5years ago. It cracked me up watching you just trash it....but on the good side, it’s been five years and I grind my own coffee every morning just fine. I love your videos, keep up the good work.
Hi there, I just started thinking more about how I make my coffee, and your channel has proved invaluable. may I make some points about the ones you liked least:
1 Here in Thailand unbranded versions of these are available direct from the Chinese manufacturers for around gbp5.00. I found the prices you paid difficult to understand. Maybe there is mileage in that theme?
2 I have found the grind setting difficult to judge without trial, but after some effort an even grind for my espresso machine of the beans I use was found.
3 The parts are few and easy to disassemble for routine cleaning. replacement Ceramic wheels are also available.
4 The function of the lower inner plastic pot is not insignificant. It acts as the seating for the top part, and most imprtantly is not fixed. Those long slits are not for looking in but for lifting it out. This is actually a really nice aspect of the design. It is good for weighing out the beans too.
Could you paste links to the unbranded versions please? I don’t know if they’d ship to England but for that kind of saving it’s worth a look!
Great video James! Regarding usability of the porlex - it actually fits into an aeropress, which I say worth a point more! Also I regularly fit 28g in there, so your 25g limit can be stretched somewhat
Great point that I'd forgotten about!
Late comment: I have the Rhinoware as a travel grinder (slightly different without the rubber) and love it. But brace yourself, here is the game changer, it fits perfectly inside an aeropress plunger and the handle fits in the aeropress bag. Makes an ideal travel set for me. I notice that all the other grinders seem to have a similar diameter (bar the hario), so likely do the same.
Dear James,
Love your RUclips channel, as engineer I enjoy how you mix science and art in coffee.
Question N° 1: I have a cheap grinder, more precisely the Henry Charles / Javapresse model. In this moment I can’t afford a more professional one. My dilemma is:
Option 1: Buy coffee grains and grind them daily using my cheap grinder.
Option 2: Buy ground coffee grinded in the coffee shop using a professional grinder. I advise 250gr (minimum quantity) lasts me about 20 days (just a cup a day).
Question N°2:
Extraction yield: Actually I calculate my extraction level with this homemade method: 1 - (weight of initial coffee grounds) / (weight of used coffee grounds, dried completely). Is this method exact?
Question N°3:
I love my Bialetti Moka Express. I saw your video and use your moka tips (hot water and not pressing the coffee grounds).
The problem is that I have an extraction yield of 27%, very high. Is this acceptable? Would you grind coarser to reduce this level? What it a typical extraction yield of a well-made moka coffee cup?
Best regards,
Mat
Hey James, thanks for the video! It inspired me to finally scrap my javapresse, which I was already having issues with, and upgrade to the Knock Aergrind. I thought it was the most reasonably priced and portable after a deep dive into countless reddit and barista forum posts. Hope you’ll be able to add it to the “competition” along with the other higher end models that people have already listed.
Thank you so much for your videos, James. I love coffee but have never had the room or ability to have more than the cheapest drip coffee at home, so now that I'm able to spend a bit more on the joys of like your videos have been perfect for helping me learn. I truly appreciate it!
"dirt cheap" I hear, grinding away with my 5£ grinder.
I got one of those, and I always wonder if the 10 ponds one would grind twice as nice.
@@gpat1756 much better. Probably shit compared to a very evenly grinding super expensive one but pre ground coffee tastes like dirt left in a dank basement and then dried in comparison to my hand ground coffee. Even if I leave the grounds in the cupboard for a week they're still massively better.
@@han7902 I will certainly never find out lol.
@Ysf 99 try using your teeth, best extraction ratio ever.
@@kaboomsihal1164 This is generally wrong. Getting preground from local roaster is marginally better tasting than piss-weak inconsisten grounds.
Thank you for this video. I just ordered the Hario as my first coffee grinder. Will be trying it out this weekend. I may end up going electric at some point. But, this should allow me to see if fresh ground is worth it for me, without spending a lot of coin.
Hi James,
As usual, awesome video.I personally own the porlex mini and have some pointers to add in.
-On the point for portability, the Porlex mini fits perfectly into the handle of an Aeropress, and thus may add another point to note when you are bringing coffee equipment around on the move.
-On the point of capacity, there is also the option of the Porlex hand grinder (not the mini), i'm not too sure if it still fits well into the Aeropress, but it will definitely hold a larger amount of beans.
Good video. I decided it was time to invest into a manual coffee grinder that was "cheap" and it was a huge difference in taste and smell vs the normal flat blade grinder that I can find.
Thank you for making this video because this pushed me to get my first burr grinder. I gave away my flat blade grinder since I don't have a use for it anymore.
I have used both the Hario Slim and the Porlex Mini, and found that over time, the handle on the Hario Slim stripped the bolt it sits on so that it would just slip/spin without operating the grinder anymore. The Porlex I didn't use for as long because I eventually got a Wilfa Svart grinder, but it seemed to be made of better quality metal that didn't strip as easily.
like you, I have that issue, but with the porlex. I have one with a square head, like the hario slim, so it has started to strip. I also frequently have the issue where, because there is no retaining nut on top of the handle, the handle flies off as I'm grinding, or contorts into a weird position which damages the bolt even more. It looks like, with the porlex grinder James had, they fixed the square head, but not a retaining nut.
I also have a hario skerton which has a retaining nut, but is quite a bit more cumbersome than any of the reviewed hand grinders.
Just Yesterday i found a used "Java presse" in a second hand store. I payed (everything in the store was half price) about $2.50 for it.
When I got home i took it out of the sandwich bag and a very strong Pepper odor greeted me (I hate pepper!).
So the first thing i did was take everything apart to clean and scrub the pepper odor away.
By the time I had it odor free, I had forgotten the order each piece fit back together again, so i went online to research the "how to" phenomena of this grinder.
In my research (it works great, ground a full window of coffee) and learned a couple of tips along the way.
I also came across your video.
I have to agree with you on the dirt in between the windows plastic and the stainless steel housing.
After meticulously scrubbing I couldn't get rid of the pepper granules, because of the lip above the top edge of the plastic inside.
Add a nut to the end to keep the original tightening nut from opening up during grinding, it will keep the ground coffee from becoming chunky and powder in the same grind.
I will try my coffee tomorrow morning, and also test this one with my 4 other manual coffee grinders.
My goal is to find one I like best and that will be my every day grinder, while the others are standbys.
Hello James. I've just bought one of these grinder, my decision was based on your review, thanks! Regards from Colombia!
I'm not passionate about coffee, so I'm not interested in doing all the research. You are my go-to guy for all things coffee. And I get to enjoy delicious coffee after watching your videos without having to spend hours testing/researching. Thank you!
Hey James, thanks for doing this series on hand-grinders! It's really nice to see someone really knowledgeable take time to do comparisons of all of these. Will you consider bringing the OE Apex into the next video? As far as I know, it is the only hand-grinder that employs a crushing type burr (or sometimes called a ghost burr).
Would be awesome to have an updated list !
Also , I feel there is a content gap for people just starting out. Which brew method should I go for, what gear is required and what should be my concerns when buying them. Am just now looking into buying my first grinder and absolutely binging all your videos ! Thanks so much !
Thanks for the very informative review, The grinders that I wish you could include is the Ceramic Coffee Mill Mini-Slim PRO, Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton PRO, Handground "I own 2 of these and they suffer from inconstancy issues in terms of manufacturing", LIDO, Helor 101, Comandante C40 MKIII and 1ZGRINDER, these will cost a fortune thou, I believe you could do a mid range test first then a high end since some of the ones I mentioned go from 55-70 USD (the first 3) and then the rest kinda fall between 150-250 USD.
Thank your for the thoughtful editing! Putting all 5 up at the same time while showing the process, brilliant.
Something about manual grinders that I would be very curious to know is how long they last. I don't mind spending a bit of money if it'll last me a decent amount of time.
Just from experience. I own a Hario Mini Mill and a Porlex (tall) for multiple years now (>5). Dropped them, traveled with them, used them extensively. Today I wouldn't buy a Hario again and always go for the Porlex.
Never had problems with the Porlex, it's extremely robust and never gave me any problems.
I've had problems with the Hario, the handle is a little flimsy wore out and I fixed it with brazing (certainly not a solution for everyone). The lower plastic container of the Hario broke on one of them when I dropped it, still useable but it has a huge crack in it.
I check out what parts are available from the manufacturers. Burrs for sure should be replaceable.
David Marks' mortar-and-pestle might last for generations!
Most of the parts are replaceable even the the burr so it should last you a long time, unless you are being careless.
I've had the full sized porlex for years. It has an annoying problem of the handle popping off while you grind which can result in the lid coming off and beans going everywhere. I ended up getting a Hario to replace it several years ago. It doesn't have that problem with the lid and I find it has a more consistent grind. I guess build tolerances might give different result for different grinders of the same model at this price point. That's been my go-to for years in the office. That said, I still keep the prolex for travel as it conveniently fits inside the plunger of an aeropress.
Watched this 4 years later, clicked on the porlex link, the stupid thing is $105! Are these people out if their minds??
That's weird, it's £70 now
Yes theyre dirty hipsetr thingamabob enthusiasts
I have the Rhino! The first thing I did was wrap a layer of electrical tape around the joints to stop the bottom falling off... I’ve also since added a roughed-up washer and extra bolt to the internals to give stepless adjustments and can now grind for espresso 🙌🏻
I bought one of those javapresse clones for slightly over a tenner. Madness to think they’re selling them for £70.
I wouldn't really call them a Javapresse clone. Javapresse is just branding that's put on a generic turkish coffee mill. I bought mine (looks exactly like these) back in 2012 off Amazon for $10 (as I recall it was listed as a spice grinder). Javapresse started in 2015. Its also a terrible grinder. I bash my knuckles into the arm constantly (when I used it) because the handle is far too short to get good clearance.
It sounds absurdly expensive, I wonder where he got it from. Here in the U.S. it's sold for $40.
There's also the Porlex full size which is what I've got. I also used to have a Hario Skerton which was also a slow grinder, I noticed the binding you mentioned as well. The Porlex ground the coffee much more quickly and smoothly with no noticeable decrease in quality.
Can’t believe that he never mentioned that the Porlex mini was designed to fit within the aero press for travel
Porlex all the way! I've taken it all manner of places with me. Important bonus: it fits directly in an aeropress making for one of the most compact coffee setups around. Great video! I'm more interested in the next one, but I'm worried you might convince me that I need a Commandante, haha.
Love your reviews and guide, if you ever come to Malaysia lets do a series together about our local coffee culture 😊
Count me in! Would love to grab a cuppa and talk about coffee!
you're kidding. Malaysian coffee culture sucks!
@@edofarido3175 "sucks" may be a bit harsh, but Malaysia does not have the kind of culture that really appreciates finer things like coffee or even spicy food for that matter, though we like to think we do. which is unfortunate. Chili sauces and spicy food in general is much better in places like Mexico, America and India for example. And for coffee, in my experience at least, Britain is great for artisan or 'hipster' (for lack of a better term) coffee and with luxury coffee you can't beat italy. Malaysia only does these things in half measures and likes to think that we have a 'culture' around it. I do wish we made more of an effort though, would be nice to experience these things at home.
@@mami3790 @mami3790 lolol the fact that you said "'hipster' for lack of a better term" says it all. there is a better term, the better term is specialty coffee. we all love James Hoffmann here but you dont have to be a major simp for him and claim Britain has a superior coffee culture. LOL. Dont get me wrong, they have a great coffee culture obviously but I think the whole world has seen a tremendous growth in the coffee culture, Malaysia also being one of them. Do you know that Malaysia has a 2 time World Latte Art champion - Irvine Quek ? That says a lot and it is no easy feat i can assure you that; competing with a whole lot of baristas from all over the globe. One of our Barista Champion - Keith Koay also placed a respectable 7th in the world the last time he competed.
So yeah, you've probably been to all the wrong places or just have a superiority complex or something. I don't believe any nation or cafe can or should ever claim to have the best coffee ever. Those who are in the industry would know that. It all boils down to the barista, the roaster, heck even the farmer, the equipment used to brew (hence why James Hoffmann produce all these videos for us), the coffee beans used and various other reasons. It is much more complex than you think. That's why the previous baristas or latte art or brewers champions have all been from various countries (from South Korea, Poland, Taiwan, Australia just about almost every single continent) So yeah, stop being a coffee snob and don't be the reason why some people hate 'coffee people'.
Just appreciate coffee as it is bro. The world as a whole is seeing a great rise in the coffee culture and recent trend has also shown that our neighbours Thailand, Indonesia and yes, even Malaysia's coffee scene is thriving. Wake up and smell the coffee. & do your homework! Would love to see James Hoffmann experience our coffee culture.
P/s: dont get me started on the spicy food remark. Lawak.
good, also we have some very nice manual coffee grinder with stainless Barr, you can make a review to me?
I bought a grinder just like the 2 identical ones for 9 dollars on amazon. it can be dramatically improved by adding a jamb nut (i used a stainless steel wingnut) behind the grind adjustment screw. doing this will lock it in place once you have your grind set, and give you a far more consistent grind without the knob drifting as you go.
Thanks for jam nut tip. 👍 Mine was $4 from Lazada Thailand
I just stumbled across your channel. So well presented with lovely editing and production, how do you not have more subs!? You have a new fan :)
Just ordered the Porlex mini. For the record Porlex make a tall version as well which would solve your 30gm problem nicely.
Patiently waiting on your take with "cheap" electric grinders
Was hoping for this too!
Mathew Vanderbraak
What do you mean by cheap? (Price range pls)
@@bl6973 I'll answer because I'm in need of some advice. I have picked up a La Pavoni Europiccola second hand (£250) and have been using a De'Longhi KG79 to make fairly amateur espresso as you might predict. The pull feels way too quick resulting in a weak shot and the crema is nonexistent (I know this isn't something to worry about too much but it would be nice to get somewhat close). I'm hesitant to spend more than £200 on a grinder as the machine itself wasn't much more. I'm tempted to go for a more upmarket manual grinder as I feel like my price point puts me out of reach for the consistent electric burr grinders. What do you think?
Joshua Oakley
So I live in the u.s and I don’t quite know conversion rates of £ to $. Anyways, I would say 0 usd to 150-200 usd. Not sure if up to there is even budget friendly but I mean who knows, the baratza encore is 140 usd. Though as a side note if you do get it, it’s a good idea to change the burrs to m2 from the virtuoso+ but that takes like 10 minutes max
@@bl6973 thanks for the advice. I went for a 1zpresso manual in the end (had it for just over two weeks now). It's perfect for me. Grinds plenty fine enough and is a nice looking bit of kit. Plenty for me and my one coffee in the morning. If I was making a bunch more then it would get a bit laborious but the Pavoni isn't really designed for lots of back to back coffees any way
Excellent video and good to see that I made a decent choice in getting the Hario for camping trips. It has indeed served me well and taken a few beatings kept going.
The video we've been waiting for.. great comparison! Please include Comandate, Timemore, and of course the beast.. Kinu coffee grinder for next ultimate comparison. Thank you Mr. Hoffman, Salam Kopi from Indonesia 🙏
Don't forget about the Lido too!
And hopefully also the Aergrind/Feld (since they're the same quality).
salam kopi ! i would add 1zpresso as the cheapest stainless burr grinder.
1zpresso is amazing
And also the Apollo from Bplus (for La Pavoni)! Very curious how it stacks up against the Kinu, because there are so many similarities.
I bought a cheap manual grinder with the ceramic burr, and I wanted to speed things up a bit. I took of the handle and tightened the chuck of my portable drill on the top of the grinder and let it rip. Worked pretty well.
I hope that the "best handgrinders" video will include Comandante C40, Kinu M47, and an OE Lido 3 at least. These are the ones that I personally the most curious about. Im using a Kinu M47, and I chose this over the other two, purely because of the overall build quality, and because I havent heard anything about whether or not one is better then the other.
I'm also very interested but more so that I want the cheapest of the best of the best!
I would hope a $350 grinder would have good build quality...
He posted that video in April 2019. All 3 models made the review list and he liked the Kinu best.
@@ericfricke4512 $350 for a grinder seems clinically insane to me.
You have single-handedly expanded my interest and thus my knowledge in coffee. Thanks for doing these videos.
Boy are the prices all over the place since this video!
Rhino went from £32 to £42
Porlex Mini went from £57 to £76
Hario Slim £29 to £47 (ouch!)
Henry Charles £26 to £22 which makes it look like much bette value than the rest
Another grinder you didn't try but is more widely available now is the CUG hand grinder for about $20. It has cut stainless steel burrs and everything else in it is extremely cheap. For a budget grinder I think it does a little better than ceramic burr grinders. It is incredible for kitchen use like grinding pepper.
best coffee youtuber! great video!!
I have the rhino. Points of note. Slide the rubber grip down over the join to the base and it feels more solid. Also, the hex head on the top of the grinder shaft means than when you're feeling particularly lazy, you can attach your electric screwdriver/drill with a hex socket to it, and you have an easy motorised grinder ;-)
I got my Timemore Chesnut C2 for £58, and it is so much better than the porlex that I've used before; in terms of grind uniformity and quality of build. Steel burrs too instead of porcelain, and grind well for espresso.
Very interesting comparison. One point to say is that these may also be viewed as 'entry level' coffee enthusiast grinders. For me, I'm still a student and budget/permanent residence is not there for an electric grinder + espresso machine as it may be in future. So for me a cafetiere and hand grinder is pretty much where I'm at. Haven't really tried aeropress at home and same with V60 just because a cafetiere was bought for me etc etc. So just an interesting way to view them and certainly size for me is far less important as cost vs quality output!! Thanks James
James, I found your channel this week and it's driven me mad for coffee. Used my French press for the first time in two years this morning.
You might check your affiliate link for the Porlex; the one you have links to a reseller who's got the brand name wrong and has it listed at a 60% markup.
Crazy to see how much cheap hand grinders have improved since this video
I'm just starting to get into the science and artistry of specialty coffee, and this channel has been an invaluable wealth of information so far! Based on your rating on grind quality and current prices, I'm leaning toward the Rhino as an entry-level manual grinder. One of the things I'm interested in, however, is Turkish coffee. Is the Rhino (or any of these) capable of grinding that finely?
I suggest you to refrain from buying that and go for either 1zpresso Q1 or Timemore C1 or maybe something equal in both price and quality. They are wayyyy better than Rhino especially for finer grind and lighter roast. Those two are the actual entry level grinder. Dirt cheap options like what James review in this video are just waste of money. They grind painfully long and the results are bad because the construction, burr material and burr design are significantly inferior compared to both Q1 and C1. Not to mention they are more prone to be broken, especially when you use it everyday for fine grind.
@@anggasatya69 The Timemore actually would fall into the same price range as tested in the video if you order it on aliexpress directly from timemore.
I was gifted a JavaPresse and have been using it exclusively. A little bummed at the review but, using your grinding suggestions my brews have become much more consistent and for the first time I’m noticing the difference between settings even one “click” away. I can only imagine the possibilities if I were to level up my grinder.
I have one as well, and I have no issues with it. The review seemed a little harsh, I’d give it a 4 for portability, and build quality, and I question the grind quality. As pointed out, they all use the same or very similar mechanisms, so any differences should be minimal. I have had to adjust the grind setting to get it just right for my pourover coffee, and it is noticeably better than my blade grinder. I use the same baby-bottle brush to clean both grinders after every grind, but I can wet brush my manual grinder, I don’t see how that’s a dealbreaker? I do switch to espresso and french press grinds so I agree with other posters about the window being necessary to spot-check the grind before you make a mistake. The worst thing is that price - I paid $50🇨🇦 for mine, and due to it’s simplicity, I can’t see paying £70 for one, that would be a dealbreaker for sure. I like mine, it’s the first step on a journey, and I can’t wait to upgrade to one of the high-end grinders reviewed by our beloved host.
Would you say it's best to grind your own coffee using a cheap grinder - or order grounds directly that are obviously grinded with higher-quality tech?
Don't have the budget for a more expensive grinder and want to ensure I get the best taste for my money!
Great question actually! Curious too
I have a cheap grinder (Hario) and I like it way better than preground coffee.
Yes I would like to know this. Currently buy ground coffee to use in my French press. Would like to get an affordable grinder but not sure if it's worth it.
@@victoriaa2281 I can confirm that since buying a cheap grinder and using this - coffee is much better than pre-ground! Buy a grinder!
@@filmswithjovi On it! Thanks for the response.
After doing minimal Amazon-reviews research, I asked for the Javapresse for my birthday last month and got it, but I wish I had discovered your channel beforehand. I've had so many issues with it; my mom checked her Amazon account and fortunately we're still within the return window. But the funniest thing: I went to the Amazon page for the grinder to check if reviewers had my specific issues, but the the grinder has been taken off Amazon in the last month! No wonder. I'll be returning it soon and I'll be sure to check out your top two rated grinders.
Anyway, I'm very happy to have discovered your channel! Keep up the great work!
I have been waiting for this kind of video from you since I subscribed! Thank you James!
I've been really happy with my Kyocera ceramic burr grinder. Easy to adjust, consistent grind, comes with a screw-on lid for the container, also the grinder fits on any regular canning jar if you prefer to use one.
Damn I wish I had found this video before I bought my grinder, it would have helped explain alot about what to look for.
there’s a hand grinder that’s not much talked about but has connections to la pavoni. it’s called apollo and is made by a business (who named themselves) bplus. it looks pretty solid (...) and the ergonomics of the column-shaped body looks promising!
I wish the Timemore C1/2 was in this video, I feel like it would crush the competition since it's only like $65.
I know there is a premium version Timemore in the other grinder rating video, but I feel the C1 really belongs more in this one with the price.
I was thinking about buying one of these. But then on this budget you never get a pleasant result like with a real professional grinding machine. So I decide rather to go to a local roastery and buy more frequently small amounts of fresh, perfectly grinded coffee. Thanks a lot, I apprecite these professional reviews
7:38-8:03
Your 'rhythm' when making coffee is so consistent, it's almost eerie in a way.
How about No
Nice video! Enjoyed watching every bit of it.
Here's my premium hand grinder list for you:
1. Comandante C40 Nitro Blade
2. Kinu M47 (Classic and/or Traveler)
3. MBK Feld2/Feld47/Aergrind
4. OE Lido 3/E/ET
5. Helor 101 (with 2 different burrsets)
I'd love to see.other premium manual countertops like Kinu M68, OE Apex/Pharos, LWW HG-1, etc. but I guess you need it to be portable based on this video. Maybe on a 3rd video!
Can you do a similar video for cheap Moka pots? I got a Primula from Good Will a while back and I don't know if I'm just not using it right or if the moka pot itself is just really cheap. Would love to see other options.
Get bialetti
I bought Hario in 2012 and used hundreds if not thousands of times. A year ago handle started slipping from its hexagonal pin. Other than that it served me well.
This is what I needed
I am using a "copy version" of java presse/henry charles version. Got it online for equivalent £7, shipped from China. It has the exact same features of the HC. Good enough for a newbie like me. And when a the core's plastic piece cracked, a replacement can be bought for £1.
Grind size consistency is ok, I just use the paper towel tip to take out the powdery fine grinds.
I wish I had seen this sooner! I have the Javapresse and have noticed a noticeable grind size difference per batch. I bought it just a few months back and only paid $40, though, not the roughly $80 you said here. It does the job well enough for me at the moment. Im relatively new to coffee and looking to upgrade when I can.
Great share! As a coffee lover, finding a high-quality yet affordable manual coffee grinder is always a challenge for me. Thanks for sharing your recommendations and experience, it's really helpful and insightful! Keep up the good work!
Totally agree with you! A manual coffee grinder that's both high-quality and affordable is definitely hard to come by. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feedback, it's great to hear from other coffee lovers. Let's keep the conversation going! Cheers.
You need to do a new video on this topic, nowadays there's a bunch of decent grinders for relatively cheap especially from chinese brands that are easily accessible though aliexpress or even amazon.
If I had to venture a guess I would say those little windows theoretically are so you can see grind size and adjust as needed. Executed poorly but probably the thinking behind it. Big fan James! I’m very particular and passionate about coffee and finding your channel was a breath of fresh air to be able to learn all those borderline OCD techniques to make the perfect cup of coffee!
Good stuff! I have had a Hario Mini for a couple years and it's different from yours, it has the pearly white burrs like the others and the handle bolts on with a metal nut rather than plastic.
The expensive hand grinders I have heard good things about are the Lido range, which I am sure you are already planning to include in the upcoming video.
My grinder looks like 1 of the 2 identical 1s to your left. Stainless throughout w/ceramic grinding wheels. Light, solid, easy adjustment, built well. I've had it for a very short time. I thought I bought a really good one @15.00$ us, but now that I have watched 3 or 4 of your videos on the subject I evidently
bought the wrong one for my needs.
Should have bought the mini. Back packing, camping etc. Your videos are very thorough, and I appreciate what you are doing. At least the euro press was the right choice. It's lite, easy to use, and as you pointed out, easy to clean. Very important out in the field! My grinder fits perfectly inside my press for storage, and will do just fine for now. I'm guessing that the mini will fit just as well.
Next purchase? Take care and keep your videos going. ☕🔥⛺😃