Honestly, there’s nothing better than a fantastic, flavorful, and fresh cup of hot coffee to start off your morning! And, if you’ve been using the instant and pre-ground stuff, then you’ve been doing it all wrong!
If you want the best-tasting coffee worthy of Stepford-Wife status, then you need to test out your arm muscles on the best hand coffee grinder in the market!
We’ll help you out in choosing the most suitable manual grinder by giving you a pot full of info on how to get started, why fresh is best, and tips on getting the right grind!
It’s not as hard or intimidating as you think – unless you’re a real wimp with absolutely no upper body strength!
You don’t have to brew for an army, just a nice, hot, fresh cup for yourself – no one said you had to share!
Our Pick of the 3 Best Manual Coffee Grinders
Hario is well-known among coffee enthusiasts, and although this hand crank coffee grinder is in the very cost-effective price range, their reputation is not lost on this one. High quality glass and ceramic gives this grinder its robust and solid build. The base and hand crack handle has been built with anti-slip rubber material for easier grinding. No wobbling, moving, or slipping here! It’s lightweight and portable, so if you’re planning a trip, you don’t need to leave fresh coffee off your packing list! And, you don’t have to be a tech-whizz to figure out how to use it. There are no buttons, dials, or settings to mess with. Just throw your coffee beans in, pull your sleeves up, and get cranking! It’s also delightfully easy to clean. The hopper has no fancy grooves and nooks for stale beans to get trapped in and accumulate. The ceramic burr dries quickly after a spray down with water, and assembly is effortless. Main Benefits: Main Drawbacks: Customer Reviews: While your first impressions of the Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton may not be very impressionable at all, the ease of use and precise uniformity of grinding has won over the hearts of its users. But, it seems to be a hit and miss to actually receive instructions in English. While we can admit it’s helpful to have instructions you can actually read, there’s really not much to explain the simplicity of manual cranking… or is there? Popular Questions (and Answers) Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton Features: The Hand Burr Coffee Grinder is made of high grade stainless steel that’s durable and will last you through many, many cups of fresh, hot coffee. The extra long, reinforced, stainless steel hand crank is promised to get you your cup of joe in less than a minute! And, when it comes to grinding power, it has it all. It can grind any consistency your caffeine cravings desire! The easy to access adjustment knob is found on the bottom of the grinder – no disassembly, no taking burrs apart, and no fiddling around! You can have the perfect setting within seconds. If you like multi-functionality, then you’ll like that this very affordable coffee grinder is good enough to work wonders on your spices, herbs, and anything else you deem worthy to put through the EZE grinder. And, if you’re on the go in the bush for a few days or hitting the road, it’s been conveniently designed to fit an aeropress! – now that’s portability! Main Benefits: Main Drawbacks: Customer Reviews: There’s not a whole lot to not like about the EZE Hand Burr Coffee Grinder. Users are nuts over the extra long and sturdy cranking handle and they love the wide range of grinding settings that’s easy to adjust. And, the only complaint is that it takes longer to grind fine coffee than course. But, this isn’t unique to the EZE Hand Burr Grinder, it’s an obvious handicap of all manual grinders. Come on now people! Popular Questions (and Answers) EZE Hand Burr Coffee Grinder Features: Well, thanks to the affordable JavaPresse Grinder, those drawbacks of using a manual grinder have been perfected by an authority in the coffee industry – made by coffee-making experts for coffee drinkers. The JavaPresse doesn’t require any special tools or difficult disassembly to get the perfect grind. Instead, they’ve instituted a hassle-free system with a built-in grind selector that has over 18 settings for ultimate control over your grind. The adjustment features a large and knurly knob that’s easy to grip and twist for even the most fragile of hands. And, with audible click settings, you’ll never wonder if you’re tight enough for a fine grind again. The ceramic burrs have thoroughly undergone scrutinous inspections to ensure that they’re 5X longer-lasting than stainless steel blades! No sharp parts, no noise, and no breaking parts! But, if customer service and support is just as important as your grinder buy, then JavaPresse it is! This best seller product has been rated as the best manual burr grinder because there’s an excellent team behind the name. Main Benefits: Main Drawbacks: Customer Reviews: Users of the best seller JavaPresse grinder love the ground coffee it produces fast and uniformly as well as the awesome customer service that comes with it! There’s not a problem, not a breakage, and not a flaw that the JavaPresse team can’t handle. But, the small hopper has proven to be an inconvenience for many who would like to see a funnel come with the purchase for faster filling without spilling beans. However, with the very affordable price of this grinder, the money you save can easily get you a funnel from the dollar store! Popular Questions (and Answers) JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder Features: Is it easy to use? Easy to clean? Consistent and uniform? There’s so many things to ask about when you take on the challenge of grinding your own beans with some elbow grease. So, to help out your cranking arm muscles, here’s our recommendations on the best hand coffee grinder for you! The EZE Hand Burr Coffee Grinder has the best price tag of the line-up! And, the more affordable it is, the more money you have to spend on the best beans! But, don’t think you’re giving up on quality for price. It’s made out of stainless steel, it’s portable, and that extra long and reinforced handle makes grinding easier than ever! While it may not give off a very hard and strong first impression, the Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton definitely earns a place on the counter after you’ve given it a chance – that’s how it’s reaped in its many happy users! Although it’s the most expensive of the line-up, you might find its user-friendliness, anti-slip rubber, and grinder consistency will be totally worth it! There’s no price that you can put on excellent, prompt, and courteous customer service. And, we believe that’s why the JavaPresse is a best seller with its users and a best seller with us! And, the even better thing about it is, it makes great ground coffee too! We didn’t forget that’s what all you caffeine-hungry aficionados are after! If you’ve never had a cup of joe made from fresh ground coffee, then you’ve most certainly been missing out! The entire point of drinking coffee is to enjoy the exotic, luxurious, and divine tastes from the oils sealed within the coffee beans. And, once those beans have been ground, the oils are prone to oxidation and you’ll lose that flavor – fast! But, while pre-ground coffee does have its advantages, there is truly no debate here – fresh ground coffee will always one-up pre-ground. So, here’s a brief summary on both types of coffee to think about the next time you grab your morning mug. Pros & Cons of Pre-Ground Coffee Pros & Cons of Fresh Ground Coffee There are many different types of coffee grinders out there, but their unique grinding mechanisms are the distinctive characteristics by which they’re categorized. The main types of grinders are: Discs that are serrated are electronically powered to rotate against each other while coffee beans fall in between them to be crushed and ground in a more consistent and uniform process. These types of grinders use a burr system too that is not electronically powered. Instead, the burrs rotate by a cranking system. The most popular grinder is the burr grinder, and many specialty coffee drinkers prefer the electronically powered grinders because there’s no muscle work involved and it’s much faster to produce ground coffee. But, there are drawbacks to using an electric system such as… Benefits of a Manual Coffee Grinder While there’s a lot that’s attractive about an electric burr grinder, there’s also a lot that’s sweetly attractive about a manual one too! In reality, manual grinders are the best way to get the most money out of your buy for a high quality grind. So, here’s some general instructions on how to use one. You need to adjust burr settings to your preferred coarseness. Sometimes you may need to go into the hopper and remove the burrs to tighten or loosen the nut/gears, like on the Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton. Others, like the EZE Hand Burr Coffee Grinder, have the knob found on the base/bottom of the grinder. Put the grinder back together to prepare for grinding. Be sure to not overfill the hopper. You may want a funnel to help with loading the hopper with slim grinders such as the JavaPresse Grinder. Place the grinder onto the countertop with one hand and press firmly into the countertop for added stability. Some knee models may require you to hold firmly with both thighs for a good grip. With the other available hand, use it to crank the handle and grind the beans with even rotations. Don’t put too much vertical pressure onto the crank as it will result in uneven coarseness. When you’re sure all the beans have passed through the hopper, just tap the sides to ensure you’ve dislodged all the beans and to loosen the grounds from the sides of the grinder. Transfer the ground coffee to your coffee maker for brewing. Repeat the “Tap It” step over the sink to further ensure that you’ve dislodged all the grounds to prep for cleaning. If you’re going to grind a different batch of roasts, you should clean with a mild detergent and warm water first. Let it completely dry before grinding again. If you’re using the same batch of beans tomorrow, just give it a dry wipe with a cloth or paper towel. It’s all about experimentation when it comes to brewing your perfect cup of coffee to start the day. But, here’s a couple golden rules to remember to help get you started on being your own personal cafe au lait expert! In the end, it doesn’t really matter if it’s Man versus Machine or Fine versus Course. What all coffee connoisseurs can agree on is “Fresh is best!”. You don’t have to wake up to a mediocre cup of yuck! Instead, you can experience the fruits of your own making with a superior, flavorful, and exotic cup of freshly ground coffee! Throw in a bagel or a pastry and invite a few, good friends over… maybe friends like us that’ll truly appreciate your bicep strength!
Simple. Easy. Right price. These words embody the Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton to a T! And, if you’re looking for something that gets the job done without taking up much space or needing a power outlet nearby, this is the best grinder for you.
You don’t have to spend a lot for a professional grade coffee grinder. In fact, with the EZE Hand Burr Coffee Grinder, you can save your extra bucks for where it matters most – exotic and expensive coffee beans.
Are you sick and tired of the difficulty of grinding adjustments? How about the inconvenience and strain of poorly-made grinder cranks?
Fresh vs Pre-Ground Coffee
Types of Coffee Grinders
Manual vs Electric
How to Use a Manual Coffee Grinder
Getting the Right Grind
Fresh is Best
