A hand grinder can be a wonderful thing to have as a part of your brewing setup. Not only are they entirely functional, they can also be very pretty, enhancing the rugged, functional look of a setup that’s striving for that aesthetic.
Throughout this article, we’re going to talk about several different facets of hand grinders, and what might make them ideal for you. For example, we’re going to talk about how the specific type of brewing that you might prefer will factor into the hand grinder that might be ideal for you.
Your use case
Considering your use case for hand grinders is surely the best place to start to ensure that you pick up a hand grinder that’s ideal for you. There are three general use cases that we’re going to speak on today: pourover brewing, espresso brewing, and portable brewing.
Pourover
Pourover is likely the easiest type of brewing to select an ideal hand grinder for. The reason for this is that the brewing style can be a little more straightforward and robust than other styles, allowing you to easily make a few mistakes, or have a generally slightly uneven grind size.
If you’re looking to purchase a hand grinder for a pourover or immersion brewing style, then you’ll likely have quite a simple time of it – the majority of hand grinders are designed with that heavier grind size in mind.
Espresso
Espresso brewing is much harder to track down a hand grinder for. The reason for this is that when brewing espresso, coffee needs to be ground down to an exceptional fineness. So fine, in fact, that most hand grinders will struggle to achieve it.
Thankfully, there are some grinders out there that would achieve espresso fineness with only the power of your hand turning a crank. However, it might be worth considering not opting for a hand grinder in this instance – it will be much easier, and around the same price point, to select a suitable electronic brewer.
Portable
Brewing while on the go is something that relatively few people do in the grand scheme of things, but it’s worth considering if you’d like to make a cup of great coffee in the office or while you’re on a camping trip.
There are a few different grinders that have been made with portability in mind, and the general design consensus is quite simple – design them such that the grinds chamber is small, while not compromising on the size of the burrs. This will allow you to transport the entire grinder in a smaller package while not compromising on coffee quality.
Your budget
The budget that you’re working with can be another important thing to bear in mind when considering what hand grinder you might like to purchase. The reason for this is quite simple: grinder components can be quite pricey. For example, the burr set will always be a large lump of either steel or ceramic, which can boost the price.
There is certainly a wide range of different prices that you might expect to pay in the arena of hand grinders. On one end of the scale, you could pay for a cheaper option that can cost less than twenty dollars. These are generally accepted to be okay, and Amazon does vouch for them – this option is certainly affordable and looks to work well. The only complaint we might expect is that the build quality is fairly low, and may deteriorate beyond useability over time.
On the higher end of the scale, you can spend an awful lot of money on a hand grinder. For example, coffee YouTuber James Hoffman made a video about a hand grinder that costs over $1600 – that’s likely far more than you’d be willing to spend on a hand grinder for your home coffee setup, though you could be fairly sure it would work well.
A little more reasonable are options from brands like 1Zpresso, who make this grinder for around $160 – the price tends to fluctuate around that mark on Amazon depending on assorted sales that might be on at any one time.
That particular grinder clocks in with over a thousand reviews and an average five-star rating, so you could be confident that you’re getting your money’s worth with that one.
Two great grinder options
Hario Mini-Slim Plus
The Hario mini slim is a very sweet grinder that’s long been the sweetheart of various different coffee professionals. It’s small and effective, and comes with the pedigree that comes with the name ‘Hario’ – they’ve been making coffee grinders and brewers for a long time, so you can be fairly sure that not only do they work well, but they’re going to have hardwearing efficiency in the long run.
Something that we really like about this grinder is the price point. Hand grinders, along with all the different coffee grinders out there, can have absurd price points. To that end, we like that this grinder clocks in at around forty dollars. That’s a very reasonable price, especially when you consider how long the grinder is likely to last.
Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder
The Porlex mini is a grinder that we’ve spoken about favorably before, and we’ll be the first to admit that we have something of a soft spot for it. It’s a simple thing, designed to grind effectively and well no matter where you are.
The thing that we really love about it is the gadget-style nature of it – it slots into the hollow plunger of an Aeropress! This means that, easily, you can carry it with you wherever you might take your brewer, allowing you to create delicious coffee in no time at all.
This brewer clocks in at around sixty dollars, which is pricier than the over-grinder that we mentioned, but it’s also sure to last a long time. It has the advantage of being made from robust stainless steel and silicone – ready to last a lifetime!
Conclusion
We hope that this short article has given you an insight into the world of hand-driven coffee grinders. It’s a
complex arena in which many different options battle it out, but we’re sure that there’s a great option out there for you, no matter your use case and budget. Happy brewing!