Although purchasing a takeout offers more convenience, the best tasting coffee is the one you make yourself. For this reason, you cannot underestimate the importance of owning a good coffee grinder.
The two popular types of coffee grinders are manual and electric. While the latter is faster and less cumbersome, hand-ground coffee produces a better taste, especially when you grind the beans a few minutes before brewing. That said, many coffee lovers find it challenging to identify the best manual coffee grinder.
What to Look for in a Manual Coffee Grinder
Here are some consideration factors that can help you buy the best hand coffee grinder.
Size
The size of a coffee grinder determines the number of cups it can produce per serving. If you have a large family, you might want an appliance with a huge capacity.
Additionally, size affects portability. If you plan to move around as you brew, go for a product with a sleek design. Otherwise, purchase a grinder that can serve your household’s needs.
Material
Burrs in coffee grinders are made of either steel or ceramic. Steel burrs are ideal for people who travel because they are sturdy and easy to clean. The brittle nature of ceramic makes it better suited for your home’s kitchen.
Handle Length
Another crucial consideration factor is your grinder’s handle length. Long handles tend to be comfortable, while short handles require you to put in more effort when grinding.
Grind Settings
Most of the manual coffee bean grinder support multiple grind functions. You can grind from ultra-fine to extra-coarse and make different coffee types, such as Espresso and French Press Coffee.
Convenience
Ensure that you purchase a mini coffee grinder that is easy to use and clean. For hassle-free cleaning, select the model that has detachable components. Since most variants require handwashing, you will need to be cautious when cleaning. That said, some types are dishwasher safe.
Capacity
If you like brewing coffee several times a day, it would be best to avoid a manual grinder. This is because most have a small capacity and involve a lot of work. Hand coffee mills are ideal for people intending to make a few cups
Benefits of Manual Coffee Grinders
Manual coffee grinders are renowned for brewing great-tasting coffee. Here are some reasons why you should start hand-grinding your coffee beans.
Grind Consistency
A blade grinder cuts coffee beans into irregular sized bits while a burr grinder (manual variants) crushes them into even particles.
Grind consistency is essential to coffee brewing since it ensures that the particles dissolve uniformly. When you brew uneven coffee, the small bits will get ready while the bigger particles are still raw. This results in a sour-tasting drink, which is a waste of resources.
Affordability
Electric burr grinders are expensive – if you have budget constraints, you will have to settle for a machine that has blade grinders that produce uneven bits. On the contrary, the smallest coffee grinder manual coffee grinders are cheap and provide a consistent grind. Simply put, you cannot get an electric burr grinder at the price of a hand grinder.
Moreover, a hand coffee grinder doesn’t require electricity. This reduces your monthly utility bills significantly.
Portability
Besides being pocket-friendly, most hand crank coffee grinders are portable. This means that you can brew your coffee while traveling and save the money that you would have otherwise used to buy takeout from a café.
You might have a high-end electric burr, but you cannot carry it with you for a hiking trip. On the other hand, the portable design of manual grinders makes them the ideal traveling companion. There is an added advantage of brewing outdoors, as you get to savor your surroundings as you sip the beverage.
Lower Noise Levels
The best coffee hand grinder tends to be noisy and can be a nuisance especially at dawn and during the night. That said, electric grinders are noisier than their manual counterparts, mostly because of the sound produced by the motor. The difference can be as much as 10 decibels.
If you currently own a noisy electric grinder, it would help if you switched to a manual model.
Contentment
Although physical activities like gardening, painting, and manual coffee brewing have more convenient alternatives, people still do them because of the satisfaction they get. It is always pleasant to brew tasty coffee yourself rather than using an electric appliance to do it.
Hand-grinding your coffee also gives you a break from your regular schedule and allows you to refresh your mind. Though it is time-consuming and requires effort, the experience is often rewarding.
The 10 Best Manual Coffee Grinders
After extensive research, we compiled the following list of the 10 hand operated coffee grinder
1. Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill- Hario coffee grinder
The Hario Ceramic coffee grinder grinds beans to your desired texture, ensuring that you get great-tasting coffee.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 16 x 11×13 inches
- Weight: 1.25 lbs.
- Burr: ceramic
Since its inception in the 1920s, the Hario brand has had a reputation for manufacturing high-quality glassware and appliances for domestic and industrial clients. This product follows the company’s principles, as it allows you to prepare freshly-ground coffee on the go.
The ergonomically designed handle is detachable, making storage easier, and increasing the mill’s portability.
Another impressive feature is the non-slip rubber base that maintains the device’s position during grinding. As you grind the beans, you can adjust the settings to suit your preferences.
2. 1Zpresso JX Manual Coffee Grinder
If you want the best hand crank coffee grinder that is affordable and doesn’t compromise quality, look no further than the 1Zpresso JX Manual Coffee Grinder.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 5.12 x 2.224 x 6.22 inches
- Weight: 1.4 lbs.
- Burr: stainless steel
Equipped with a 48mm conical stainless steel burr, this mill has unrivaled efficacy. Further, the internal fixing between the burr and the central shaft ensures the ground beans have a uniform texture.
This product has over 40 different grind settings, allowing you to choose your preferred taste. Of these, 20 are specially made for Espresso.
Since the components don’t require a tool to disassemble, this grinder is easy to clean. Even better, it comes with a free cleaning brush.
3. 1Zpresso Q2 Manual Coffee Grinder
The 1Zpresso Q2 Manual best coffee grinder has a small footprint, making it perfect for travelers who don’t want to make their luggage cumbersome.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 5.51 x 1.97 x 1.97 inches
- Weight: 0.87 lbs.
- Burr: stainless steel
Designed for maximum portability, this grinder takes up little space and weighs less than 400g. It is smaller than a soda can and fits into any backpack seamlessly.
Despite its small size, this grinder has premium features. It supports over 60 different grind settings under the general configuration. You can also detach its components by unscrewing them to make cleaning quicker. Interestingly, you don’t need a tool to disassemble the parts.
4. ROK Coffee Grinder
Do you want the best portable coffee grinder whose grind consistency and stability match electric variants? If so, the ROK Coffee Grinder is your best bet.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 8.27 x 6.81 x 11.02 inches
- Weight: 4.49 lbs.
- Burr: stainless steel
Made from long-lasting die-cast aluminum, this item has conical stainless steel burrs that grind consistently like electric models. Unlike other manual coffee mills, this product doesn’t require a lot of coffee to grind beans – after 30 seconds, you can produce two shots of Espresso.
The standout advantage of purchasing the ROK grinder is its longevity, as it is made using engineering-grade materials. Every unit comes with calibrated cups for measuring beans and collecting the powder after grinding.
5. Akirakoki Manual Coffee Bean Grinder
Are you looking for a hand-powered coffee grinder with a classic outlook? Well, you should probably get the Akirakoki Manual Coffee Bean Grinder.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 7.2 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches
- Weight: 1.6 lbs.
- Burr: cast iron
This grinder’s outer part is made from one block of solid wood, meaning that it can never crack. To add to its durability, this unit features a rather peculiar cast iron burr.
Unlike stainless steel and ceramic, cast iron burrs preserve your coffee’s fresh taste since they don’t produce a lot of heat. More importantly, they are not susceptible to rust.
Thanks to its ergonomic design, the crank handle doesn’t require much effort to grind beans and is also quiet during operation. The grinder’s base has a screw that you can use to make your coffee powder coarser or more refined, depending on your needs.
Lastly, this unit is easy to disassemble for easy cleaning. Its compact design enhances its portability and also saves on storage space.
6. Handground Precision Manual Coffee Grinder
The Handground Precision non-electric coffee grinder is designed for grinding beans consistently and preserving the coffee flavor in every cup you prepare.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 6 x 4 x 8.5 inches
- Weight: 1.74 lbs.
- Burr: ceramic
This javapresse manual coffee grinder product allows you to grind beans for any coffee brew – from Espresso, the finest, to French Press, the coarsest. In-between these, there are 15 different grind settings.
The 100g hopper capacity is perhaps the most remarkable feature of this grinder. Most of the manual coffee mills have a capacity lower than 70g. Because of its sheer size, this unit can produce several cups after one grinding session.
Most manual grinders have their handles at the top – this is not the case with this item. Its handle, which is made of aluminum, is at its side to allow for the natural movement of arms when grinding.
The geometry of this grinder’s ceramic burr is configured to balance the grinding speed with torque used to rotate the handle. This increases its efficiency significantly.
7. Zassenhaus “Santiago” Mahogany Beech Wood Manual Coffee Mill
With a traditional outlook, this wooden coffee grinder is best in homes with an old-fashioned interior décor.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 8.25 x 3.5 x 8 inches
- Weight: 2.15 lbs.
- Burr: carbon steel
Over the years, Zassenhaus has vastly improved the quality of its coffee mills. With this product, you get the perfect balance between classic, timeless designs and functionality. Its carbon steel burrs grind beans consistently to ensure that you feel the aroma and taste of your hand-ground coffee to the fullest.
Below this unit’s crank is an adjustment knob that you can use to set the grind at your desired level. This enables you to brew different kinds of coffee according to the occasion.
If you love color, you will be pleased to discover that this product is available in a variety of materials and designs.
8. Lido 3 Manual Coffee Grinder
The Lido 3 is the successor to the Lido 2 is the famed manual burr grinder series from Orphan Espresso.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 13.5 x 3 x 3 inches
- Weight: 2.96 lbs.
- Burr: stainless steel
The most notable improvements that this burr grinder has over its predecessor include a lighter design, sharper steel burrs, and included cleaning and maintenance tools.
The crank handle folds when not in use, adding to the compactness and portability of this item. Another feature that makes it easy to carry around is the neoprene carrying case included in the packaging.
When in use, the handle swivels outward, and its rubberized grip makes the handheld coffee grinder comfortable in your hands. As a result, you don’t have to use much effort when grinding the beans.
9. Porlex Jp-30 Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder
With an incredibly lightweight design, this is the ideal best coffee grinder under 100 if you love brewing while on the road.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 1.89 x 7.6 x 1.89 inches
- Weight: 0.15 lbs.
- Burr: ceramic
Porlex is an Osaka-based firm that specializes in making food grinders. Their manual coffee has an innerspring that maintains grind consistency, even when set at coarse.
Its exterior is made of stainless steel that is both static-free and indestructible. On the inside, it has ceramic burrs that are durable, rust-free, and easy to clean. This well-thought-out design makes this grinder suitable for use both indoors and outdoors.
10. Hario Small Coffee Grinder- travel coffee grinder
The Hario Small Coffee Grinder offers the perfect blend between minimalism and timelessness.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions: 7.05 x 4.14 x 3.5 inches
- Weight: 1.2 lbs.
- Burr: ceramic
Despite its rustic outlook, this grinder serves its purpose. It has a ceramic burr with large teeth that grinds beans consistently and preserves their flavor under all settings. A magnet holds its lid in position, and the ground beans collect in a removable wooden compartment.
Verdict: The Best Manual Coffee Grinder
Although all the models mentioned above are useful, the top pick is the 1Zpresso JX Manual Coffee Grinder. Its most impressive features include multiple grind settings and incredible consistency. Moreover, it is easy to disassemble and clean, and its packaging has a free cleaning brush.
Final Words
Even if you are not a barista, you can improve the taste of your coffee by investing in a quality grinder. The list above shows some of the best options currently available in the market. Also, while you are shopping, remember to consider the factors mentioned in the buying guide section.
Keep in mind that great-tasting coffee takes time to prepare, which is why experts recommend manual grinders over electric models, although they are tiresome.
