Top 10 Hand Held Coffee Grinders...
1: 1ZPRESSO JX, 48 MM STEEL BURR GRINDER
1Zpresso has a lot of momentum in the coffee world at this moment. It’s a rather new company, but it has quickly gained a reputation as being one of the best’ bang for buck‘ brands when it comes to non-automatic coffee grinders.
I know the company by chance, as I bumped into their booth at the annual Coffee Expo in Taiwan two years ago.
I was instantly mesmerized by how fast and well-crafted their entire line-up of grinders is. The founder of the company, whom I talked to briefly, is Taiwanese, but the production is based in China. Back then, they hadn’t entered the Western market, but now it has finally happened.
The English of 1Zpresso’s sales material isn’t quite up to Oxford standards but don’t let that fool you. It’s not a brand you should underestimate.
Jx is my favorite hand grinder
I have tried several of the company’s models, also the more expensive ones from the “E” and “K”-range.
However, it’s the mid-ranger called ‘Jx‘ I’d recommend to most people. At its current price point, it’s a steal. It easily beats rival grinders that cost 2-4 times more!
The consistency of the grinder is impressive. You can use it for everything from Turkish coffee and espresso to pour over and French press.
Because the grinder has big and aggressive 48 mm steel burrs, it’s also an incredibly speedy grinder. It’s a lot faster than any of the other models in this article. You should be able to grind 25 grams of coffee in around 35 seconds.
The only drawback to the grinder is that it’s on the larger side, so if you’re traveling a lot and portability is important to you, you should probably consider its smaller sibling; the 1Zpresso Mini Q, which I’ll review below.
Also, if your hands are on the smaller side, it might be easier to use the Mini Q as it requires less grip strength.
Conclusion
Over the last couple of months, I have received several emails and comments on Instagram from readers who have purchased the Jx after reading my review, and they all agree that it’s an epic hand grinder.
1Zpresso Jx looks terrific, and it grinds swift and consistently. It’s my top pick among all hand grinders (and will probably remain so for many years.)
(Bonus-info: If you want to use the grinder for espresso, you should opt for the Pro-model, since it has more granular adjustment).
2: COMANDANTE C40 MK3 NITRO BLADE
The Comandante grinder has become one of the most popular grinders in recent years. It’s easy to understand why. It’s a beautiful device where every detail has been obsessively engineered in Germany.
The Comandante C40 has a similar design to some of the other top models in this category. It’s got conical steel burrs and an axle that is fixed on ball bearings. The handle is ergonomically shaped, which makes it nice to hold and turn.
The catch cup on the C40 is made out of glass. This design choice is quite lovely in daily use because it reduces static and is easy to wash.
However, some people might be worried about dropping it on the floor. You get an extra catch cup when you buy the grinder, so don’t worry about it too much. Also, spare parts are relatively cheap to buy from the company.
Today, this grinder is available in a lot of different finishes. You can get the classic one with wood veneer or the newer versions in solid colors.
Unique features
The Comandante is famous for having burrs that are designed in-house by German engineers. That means that you don’t find quite the same geometry elsewhere. Some users claim that this creates a coffee with a more refined taste. The brand also points out that the burrs are made out of special “high nitrogen” steel that’s more durable.
Another cool thing about joining the Comandante family of users is that you can easily share brewing recipes and specs with other coffee drinkers. It’s quite common to see recipes that reference a certain number of Comandante “clicks.”
Drawbacks
- While the Comandante’s adjustment mechanism is quite straightforward and easy to use, it lacks the ultra granular adjustment that some rivals offer. This means that it will be more difficult to dial in espresso on the grinder. There’s a special “Red Clix” add-on that you can buy if you want even more precise adjustment.
- The Comandante has smaller burrs than grinders like the 1Zpresso Jx and Lido 3, which have 48 mm burrs. Especially compared to the Jx, it seems a bit slow.
- The C40 MK3 is also more expensive than most of its competitors in the hand grinders’ premier league. This price difference is probably due to it being manufactured in Germany, where production is more expensive.
- Finally, some people don’t like the ergonomics of the grinder. The circumference of the body can make it difficult to hold if you have smaller hands.
Conclusion
The Comandante grinder is one of the most popular models on the market. There’s no doubt that it’s a well-designed device that produces a very consistent grind. However, you can find cheaper models that perform at similar or higher levels.
If money is no object, and you’re primarily looking for a grinder for manual brewing, this is still a solid choice.
3: ZPRESSO Q2 TRAVEL BURR GRINDER
This is the smallest model from 1Zpresso. It’s an ideal companion for the frequent traveller, since it fits inside an Aeropress.
Even though the grinder is tiny it still does a great allround-job, and could be used as an everyday workhorse. (However, I’d recommend most people to get the Jx-model from 1Zpresso instead, since it’s faster and more consistent).
Like the other models from the brand, The Mini Q has an aluminum unibody with no room for misalignment while the shaft and burrs are made of stainless steel.
The grinding action is helped by two super smooth bearings. In practice this makes grinding incredibly fast – at least double the speed compared to the no-bearing ceramic burr grinders in this article. In fact, it’s even on par with the much more bulky Lido 3 speedwise.
The burr set is made from sharp stainless steel, and it goes through medium roasted beans like a knife through butter. This grinder is suitable for manual brewing but the company doesn’t recommend it for espresso (they have a few bigger models such as the K Pro and the Jx that are more suitable for that).
Unique features
There’s a bunch of nifty features on the Q2. For instance, the wooden handle-knob is magnetic, so it can be taken off for more comfortable transportation.
The adjustment is more simple than many of its competitors due to using a numbered adjustment.
The main argument for getting the grinder though is that the combination of build quality, size, consistency, usability AND price is just phenomenal.
The Conclusion
If portability and quality are your top priorities then go for the Q2. It’s built to last, compact, and capable of grinding very well. The only slight drawback is that the capacity of the hopper is maximum at 24 grams of light roasted beans. If that’s no concern, then I highly recommend this grinder.
4: PORLEX MINI PORTABLE HAND GRINDER
The Porlex Mini has long been one of the most popular travel sized grinders. The Mini is indeed minuscule. But it still manages to produce great coffee.
If your primary use case for a manual grinder is traveling, then look no further. Porlex Mini is one of the smallest grinders out there and even fits inside an Aeropress – a powerful combination when on the road.
The device is made of stainless steel. Meaning: It’s virtually indestructible!
The Porlex has a small set of ceramic burrs that produce a pretty consistent grind at the medium-fine setting and then becomes less and less uniform as it gets coarser. That means that it’s great for pour over or Aeropress, but less so for French press. It does grind fine enough for espresso but expect it to take 2-3 minutes for a dose of 15 grams.
Better handle
A few years ago a common complaint about the Porlex Mini was that the handle was made of a softer metal than the body. With extensive use that resulted in a loose fit.
Luckily the company has listened to the disgruntled customers and made a new and improved handle that will continue to fit snugly on the grinder.
Drawbacks
This grinder is pretty much the perfect travel companion. You could even use it for your everyday coffee mill at home if you only brew one or two cups at a time. The only drawback is that it’s small and as such takes longer to grind than, for example, the Lido 3 or the 1Zgrinder E-Pro.
Conclusion:
This grinder is great value for money – especially if you are looking for a travel companion. The Porlex Mini is a classic for a good reason!
5: ORPHAN ESPRESSO LIDO 3 SWISS BURR GRINDER
The Lido 3 manual grinder has been popular in the specialty coffee community for a while now. It’s made by the tiny company Orphan Espresso, which mainly produce various hand grinders as well as espresso accessories.
The Lido 3 is a big and bulky grinder. Pictures don’t do it justice. In hand, you can feel how heavy and well-crafted it model is. The irony is that it’s marketed as a travel grinder due to being lighter than its predecessor, the Lido 2. But weighing in a 2 lbs or just above 1 kilo, you’d have to be a hardcore coffee geek to bring it on a trip.
Big burrs
The Lido 3 sports Swiss made 48 mm conical steel burrs and has an enormous capacity compared to its rivals.
It grinds fast enough but in fact, other high-end grinders such as those from 1Zgrinder beats it comfortably when it comes to speed. The is probably due to the Lido’s shorter handle, and less smooth bearings.
Drawbacks
The Lido 3 has many fans in cyberspace singing its praises – only a few people ever say anything negative about this grinder. However, I have had this grinder for more than a year and have come to notice some severe flaws.
- The grind adjustment is awkward with the so-called ‘locking ring.’ It’s just too complicated and cumbersome to change grind setting compared to what other brands offer today.
- The antistatic plastic of the grounds bin is made out of a very soft kind of plastic. Within a year the screw thread had gotten so loose that the jar would no longer fit.
- It can’t grind fine enough for espresso (I know some people disagree but I have never managed to find a propers setting due to burr rub)
- Grinders half the size are still faster and more consistent.
Conclusion:
The Lido 3 is certainly a capable grinder, and its rugged and industrial look makes it stand out from the typical cute hand grinders. But it is not really the engineering masterpiece that it’s been cracked up to be. There are quite a few competitors at the same price point; I’d pick over this.
6: HARIO SKERTON PRO CERAMIC BURR HAND MILL
Hario Skerton is one of the most iconic hand grinders. This is the new and improved “pro” version of the classic model.
In many ways, Hario is synonymous with the third wave movement. The Japanese brand just oozes ‘slow coffee.’
I wasn’t a big fan of the old version of the Skerton. The new version, which was released in 2017, however, has upped its game significantly.
The revamped Skerton with the ‘pro’ moniker, sports a completely new burr design. These burrs have less wobble than the old ones due to improved construction, and as a bonus it’s way easier to adjust the grind now.
Being able to tweak the grind setting easily is really an essential factor when it comes to the user experience. The setting is based on ‘clicks’ now. That makes it easy to reproduce a particular grind. The old Skerton used a step-less system, which made it a pain to go back and find a previous setting.
Better handle
Another nice feature on the upgraded “Pro” is the new handle. Before the handle was somewhat flimsy and a little on the short side. The new handle gives you a nice solid feeling when grinding and uses the force better. Simple laws of physics right there.
The Skerton Pro has the general Hario aesthetics, which means understated, beautiful and soft. It’s hard not to be enamored with this grinder.
Despite all the substantial upgrades the price still places the Skerton firmly within the budget spectrum of things.
Drawbacks
A little drawback is that the ground receptacle is made out of glass. It does have some protection from the silicone on the bottom, but it’s still more fragile than plastic or steel. The grinder is also a bit more bulky than some of its competitors, so it’s not the best one for travel.
Conclusion:
The Hario Skerton Pro delivers a lot of bang for the buck. Most beginners and casual coffee drinkers would love this device. The true coffee geek or frequent traveler might be better suited with other options offering more in terms of either speed consistency, or portability.
7: HANDGROUND PRECISION GRINDER
The Handground is one of those Kickstarter success stories. The project began on the crowdfunding site back in 2015 and was very successful in getting funding. A lot of manual grinder enthusiasts backed this one in the hopes of getting a new top model.
I tried it briefly when it was first launched and was only moderately skeptical. Now a few years later, I have had the opportunity to test it in-depth, and I can say that it simply doesn’t stack up against the competition.
Clunky design
The Handground is quite unusual in the sense that the handle turns vertically and not horizontally. The aim is to make it more ergonomic to operate.
While this is a good idea, in theory, it doesn’t work well in daily use. The handle is on the shorter side, and the weight and shape of the grinder make it challenging to hold it steady on the counter.
Personally, I prefer the feeling of being able to hold the grinder, instead of having to steady it on a table, but this is also difficult due to it being rather broad.
The Handground has 40 mm burrs. In theory, that should make it a faster grinder than the Porlex and the Hario models with their 28 mm ceramic burrs, but in reality, they are about the same speed. The Handground is not a fast manual grinder. The dull burrs especially have problems when it comes to lighter roasts.
Due to the unusual design with a gearbox and a side-mounted handle, you also have more weak points that could potentially break. The build quality doesn’t feel particularly robust in hand, so this is something that would worry me.
Conclusion:
The Handground is based on an intriguing idea, but too many flaws and a high price point makes it hard to recommend. If you’re keen on the concept of ‘forward-motion’ grinding, then the Rok grinder below is a better option.
The Rok coffee grinder looks pretty awesome. The manual espresso maker from the same company is a great gadget, so it’s easy to assume that its grinding sibling is equally impressive. That’s not the case, unfortunately.
Interesting concept
The Rok is entirely different from the other hand grounds out there. It’s not handheld. It’s a colossal device meant to be placed on a counter. It looks impressive and would stand out in a good way in most home baristas’ setup.
Also when grinding you don’t rotate clockwise horizontally, but vertically.
Things to improve
I love to see new concepts out there. But I think there are a few things that need to be addressed before the Rok Coffee Grinder can be a top competitor.
For the price, it’s reasonable to expect a top product. But the burrs aren’t really high end and do produce a lot of fines. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m also not really a fan of this kind of forward-motion grinding. But then again, perhaps it’s just because I’m more used to the traditional hand grinding.
Also, the grinder is top heavy. That means that you need to use one hand to hold it steady. The whole idea of the Rok grinder is to make it easier to hand grind, but to me, it’s just ‘a new kind’ of difficult.
Conclusion:
The Rok Hand Grinder has some killer looks, and it’s a fascinating device. It’s more than capable of grinding, but at the price point, you can find better grinders that are also portable.
I have used the Hario Mini-Slim extensively over the last couple of years, and yet again it’s another great budget option. This is the slightly modified 2017 version, which comes with a better handle and a cool and mysterious, dark-transparent color.
Good for travel
The Hario Mini-Slim has a lot in common with the Porlex Mini. They both have very similar ceramic burrs, and both are small and lightweight.
The Porlex Mini is just that bit smaller though. If traveling is the main reason for buying a grinder, I would say that it has an edge. The Hario Slim is still very lightweight though, and at 8.7 oz it’s hardly anything you’d notice in a rucksack.
Indestructible
The Hario Mini-Slim is made of a very durable plastic material. I would go as far as to say that it’s more or less impossible to destroy with regular use.
The ceramic burrs do a pretty good job around a medium grind size. There is a little bit of wobble, but the burrs can easily be ‘modded,’ so they become more stable. The adjustment is based on ‘clicks’ – a huge plus.
The burr set is still quite small though, so you’d have to do a lot of work. Also, I’d wish that the handle was just a tiny bit longer. That would make it so much easier to grind.
Conclusion:
The Hario Mini-Slim does have its shortcomings, but for the insanely low price point, you can’t expect it to be the best grinder in the world. That being said it’s probably the best ‘bang for buck’ grinder in the world.
What would a review of manual coffee grinders be without at least a mention of one of the ancient German classics?
This kind of grinder has stood the test of time so to speak. Zassenhaus has been making grinders for more than 100 years, so I guess they have learned a thing or two.
This model is one of the most iconic ones out there. When you say “coffee mill” there’s a good chance that older people would think of this specific model.
The Zassenhaus Santiago is made out of quality materials, and it comes with a 25 years guarantee. That’s pretty insane when you think about it.
This kind of grinder appeals to the same people who love vintage watches and cars. Sure, there are more modern and efficient designs out there, but this one gets the job done.
For travel, it’s not that practical due to its bulky design. But you already know that.
Users claim that the grind is great for stuff like pour over and Aeropress; on some occasions even espresso. And on Amazon, the ratings are consistently high.
Conclusion
I have to admit that I’m personally not that crazy about this kind of grandpa grinder. That being said Zassenhaus seems to have a lot of fans out there, and if you like the look and the tactile feedback of this wooden grinder, why not give it a go? With a 25 years warranty, it’s hard to go wrong.
MORE REASONS TO GET ONE…
A manual coffee grinder is in most cases fantastic value for the money, and even the cheapest models will outperform most electric grinders in the sub $100 category.
Let me tell you this quite frankly; when you first start your journey into the world of specialty coffee, you’ll hear a lot of superstition when it comes to grinders.
Just ignore most of the advice. By getting a manual grinder, you’ll be ahead of just about 98 % of the other coffee drinkers out there, and you’ll be able to make delicious coffee at home consistently.
Yes, it does require more work than merely pressing the “on” button, but in most cases, you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck, when choosing a hand grinder over an electric version.
THEY ARE CHEAP
An awesome thing about manual grinders is that they are very affordable compared to what you are getting. Think about it. When you buy an electric grinder most of the manufacturing expenses cover the motor, housing, and electric parts – not the burrs themselves.
That means that for the same price you can get a solidly built hand crank grinder with excellent burrs. Or you can choose to go ultra-budget and still get a hand mill that is capable of producing a good cup.
A HAND CRANK MILL IS VERY DURABLE
One of the most common complaints I hear from other coffee lovers is that their electric grinder is broken and needs repair. That’s not fun at all. So it’s worth finding a sturdy grinder you can rely on.
Manual grinders, in general, are very durable. Of course, it depends on each model, but as long as they are made of materials such as strong plastic (like the Hario Mini) or steel (such as the Porlex), you don’t have much to worry about.
These grinders can go through thousands of pounds of coffee with no issues and should withstand a lot of abuse.
THEY ARE TRAVEL-FRIENDLY
If you’re like me, you like to get good cuppa’ joe everywhere you go. Often that means brewing it yourself. In that case, a hand grinder is indispensable. Most models are extremely portable and don’t take up much space in the bag or suitcase.
THEY DON’T DEVELOP ANY HEAT WHILE GRINDING
A common problem with electric burr grinders is that they produce heat while grinding because the RPM (revolutions per minute) is so high. That causes a lot of friction, which produces heat. You don’t want any heat near your ground coffee until you’re brewing. Heat makes the volatile aromas of the coffee dissolve into the air. You want them all in your cup!
A HAND GRINDER CAN HELP YOU MAKE DELICIOUS COFFEE
There are so many things to consider when getting a new grinder. However, the main thing is this: Does it help me make delicious coffee? Hand grinders, even the cheapest ones, can certainly deliver in this area.
Matthew Robertson
Author