How do I find the best hand grinder?
In the coffee hand grinder market, there is a wide range of no-name products for €20 up to grinders that cost several hundred euros. We want to help you identify the right hand grinder for you.
In this article, we will also discuss the hand grinders available in our online store, but the criteria and tips discussed are also generally applicable to other hand grinders.
Which hand grinder is right for me?
The choice of the right grinder depends largely on which coffees you drink and which brewing method you use. Espresso, filter coffee, French press, or moka pot.
As a general rule: the finer the required grind size, the higher the quality of the hand grinder and the grinding mechanism must be. Fine espresso grind sizes are, so to speak, the Champions League.
This also means that the more espresso-suitable you want it to be, the higher the purchase price.
Other important factors for using a hand grinder are build quality, durability, everyday usability, and the grinding mechanism.
Build quality and durability of hand grinders
In 2020, we conducted a large test of hand grinders in the under €100 range. Many of the various grinders tested are no longer available today. During the test, we also noticed that some hand grinders showed signs of deterioration even on their first uses.
Tip: ask the seller before purchasing whether they offer spare parts or repairs for the grinder they are offering.
What is the best hand grinder mechanism?
You will find different materials from which hand grinder mechanisms are made. In the hand grinder category, we have not found a convincing ceramic mechanism in our tests so far.
All manufacturers of high-quality hand grinders such as Comandante, Timemore, Etzinger, and Kinu rely on stainless steel mechanisms.
A look at the mechanism types of electric grinders shows that ceramic mechanisms are sometimes used here and not exclusively burr sets made of stainless steel.
The shape of the grinding cones used in hand grinders varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, as each manufacturer has developed their own patents and has them produced by large grinding mechanism manufacturers.
The everyday usability of hand grinders
The right ergonomics
A very important factor is the everyday usability of a hand grinder. Even if a hand grinder manages to achieve the right grind size for your preferred brewing method, that doesn't necessarily mean that grinding is easy to do.
Many of the very cheap grinders, for example, have a very thin handle, which does not allow for ergonomically comfortable grinding. So everyday usability is not provided, and the grinder quickly gathers dust in the cupboard because it's simply not fun to use.
The grinding speed
The second important factor in daily use is speed - how long it takes for the beans to be ground.
As a rule, you will find no information from the manufacturer or seller on this. The background is that it is not uncommon for a hand grinder to require more than 5 minutes for 18g of espresso-fine ground coffee. It is important to add here that the most transparent method for specifying grinding speed is the number of handle rotations required. How fast you turn is, however, very individual.
Tip: Find out about the number of rotations needed for an espresso grind size.
Which hand grinder for espresso?
For preparing espresso, very fine ground coffee is a prerequisite. It is therefore essential that the hand grinder can grind fine enough.
ATTENTION: this is not the case with every hand grinder (even though this is sometimes advertised by the manufacturer).
It is also important that grinding is easy to do. This means that ergonomics, smoothness, and grinding speed must form a working overall package.
Tip: Look for hand grinders where there is both a setting recommendation for espresso AND a rotation or time indication for a standard amount of beans (18g).
Setting the grind size on a hand grinder
Almost all hand grinders work with a click system. So the challenge is to find the right click setting for the desired brewing method in combination with the coffee you are using.
Sounds complicated, but with the right information and guidance, it's not that difficult. As a general rule, the smaller the click number, the finer the ground coffee. However, you should not use the lowest click levels, as the grinding mechanism could wear faster due to friction (since the burrs touch each other).
What grind size for espresso?
Setting up the hand grinder for espresso is done in the following steps:
- What click recommendation does the grinder manufacturer have for espresso? This is a good basis, but it can very well be that this is not yet the setting for "your" espresso.
- What is the desired extraction ratio? A standard recipe, e.g. valid for our APAS espresso, is 1:2.5 in 25 seconds. This means that from 18g of ground coffee, 45g of beverage is produced in the cup for a double espresso (for two single espressos you place two cups underneath and get 2x 22.5g as a result). The whole thing in 25 seconds.
- If the espresso ran through the portafilter machine too quickly, the grind size must be set finer. If the espresso runs through too slowly, the ground coffee must become coarser, so you increase the click number.
- If you don't hit a recipe exactly, click level 7 is too fine, but click level 8 is too coarse, you have two options: With some grinders, you can place the click wheel between two click levels. If that doesn't work, you can use 0.5-1g more coffee and adjust the ratio accordingly. This provides a bit more ground coffee in the portafilter, which also reduces the flow rate.
Tip: Ask the seller for the recommended grind size setting for your brewing method
What grind size for filter coffee?
Setting up the hand grinder for filter coffee is done in the following steps.
What click recommendation does the grinder manufacturer or seller have for your filter coffee method?
From the AeroPress, via the classic V60 hand filter to the plunger pot, i.e. the French press, an increasingly coarser grind size is required.
The seller or grinder manufacturer should provide click recommendations for these grind sizes.
Which hand grinders do we sell?
We deal intensively with the topic of hand grinders on a daily basis. Based on our experience, we have put together our hand grinder range.
There are many coffee hand grinder manufacturers and even more different models; we have deliberately chosen the selection we offer because we want to make your decision easier. In our view, it doesn't make sense to offer dozens of hand grinders - that would only complicate the decision further.
The current range:
- Timemore C3 ESP Pro
- Timemore Slim 3
- Comandante C40 MK4
- Comandante X25 Trailmaster
- Timemore Chestnut S3
- Kinu M 47
The Timemore C2 and Timemore Slim Plus are no longer produced by Timemore, so we have expanded our range to include the two successor products Timemore C3 ESP Pro and Timemore Slim 3.
Tip: All Timemore hand grinders mentioned are from the Timemore Chestnut series. You will occasionally find the designation Timemore Chestnut Slim 3 or Timemore Chestnut C3 Pro. These are the same hand grinder as listed above.
Our hand grinder range
These four hand grinders cover a wide range of coffees.
The Timemore C3 ESP Pro offers a very strong price-to-performance ratio with good build quality.
The Timemore Slim 3 offers an excellent price-to-performance ratio, is made from one piece of aluminum, and impresses with design and quality.
The Comandante C40 MK4 is a high-quality hand grinder from the premium segment and is manufactured in Germany.
With the optional RedClix extension, the Comandante C40 MK4 can make very fine adjustments in the espresso range. In terms of the ability to set a precise grind size, the Comandante C40 MK4 with the RedClix extension achieves full marks.
The newest hand grinder in our range is the Comandante X25 Trailmaster. Here too, the Red Clix shaft can be installed. The grinding properties are comparable to the Comandante C40 MK4.
The Trailmaster is particularly suitable for outdoor use. We took a closer look at this grinder in this video.
