How do I find the best hand grinder?
In the coffee hand grinder market, there is a broad range of no-name products for €20 all the way up to grinders that cost several hundred euros. We want to help you identify the right hand grinder for you.
In this post, we will also discuss the hand grinders available in our online shop, 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 very much on what 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, in the champions league.
This also means that the more espresso-suitable you want your grinder to be, the higher the purchase price.
Other important factors for using a hand grinder are build quality, durability, everyday practicality, 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 we 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: Before you buy, ask the seller if they offer spare parts or repairs for the grinder they are offering.
What is the best hand grinder grinding mechanism?
You will find various materials used to make hand grinder grinding mechanisms. In the area of hand grinders, we have not yet found a convincing ceramic grinding mechanism in our tests.
All manufacturers of high-quality hand grinders such as Comandante, Timemore, Etzinger, and Kinu rely on stainless steel grinding mechanisms.
A look at electric grinders shows that ceramic grinding mechanisms are sometimes used here too, and not exclusively grinding discs 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 practicality of hand grinders
The right ergonomics
A very important factor is the everyday practicality of a hand grinder. Even if a hand grinder manages to achieve the correct grind size for your preferred brewing method, that doesn't necessarily mean that grinding comes easily.
Many of the very cheap grinders, for example, have a very thin crank, which does not allow ergonomically comfortable grinding. Thus, everyday practicality is not given and the grinder gathers dust in the cabinet very quickly because it's simply not fun to use.
Grinding speed
The second important factor in daily use is speed - how long it takes until the beans are ground.
As a rule, you won't find any specifications from the manufacturer or seller for this. The background is that it is not uncommon for a hand grinder to need more than 5 minutes for 18g of espresso-fine ground coffee. It's important to note here that the most transparent method to specify grinding speed is the number of crank turns required. How fast you turn is very individual.
Tip: Ask about the number of turns required for an espresso grind size.
Which hand grinder for espresso?
To prepare espresso, very fine ground coffee is a requirement. It is therefore essential that the hand grinder can grind fine enough.
ATTENTION: this is not the case with every hand grinder (even if the manufacturer sometimes advertises it).
It is also important that grinding comes easily. This means the ergonomics, ease of operation, and grinding speed must form a functioning overall package.
Tip: Look for hand grinders where there is both a setting recommendation for espresso AND a turn or time specification 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 your 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 avoid the lowest click settings, as the grinding mechanism could wear out faster through grinding (since the grinding discs would be in contact).
What grind size for espresso?
Setting the hand grinder for espresso involves the following steps:
- What click recommendation does the grinder manufacturer give for espresso? This is a good starting point, but it's quite possible that this is not yet the setting for "your" espresso.
- What is your desired extraction ratio? A standard recipe, for example valid for our APAS espresso, is 1:2.5 in 25 seconds. This means that from 18g of ground coffee, you get 45g of beverage in the cup for a double espresso (for two single espressos, place two cups underneath and get 2x 22.5g as a result). All of this in 25 seconds.
- If the espresso runs too quickly in the portafilter machine, the grind size must be set finer. If the espresso runs too slowly, the ground coffee must be coarser, so you increase the click number.
- If you can't hit a recipe exactly, click setting 7 is too fine, but click setting 8 is too coarse, you have two options: With some grinders, you can place the click dial between two click settings. If that doesn't work, you can use 0.5-1g more coffee and adjust the ratio accordingly. This provides slightly 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 the hand grinder for filter coffee involves the following steps.
What click recommendation does the grinder manufacturer or seller give for your filter coffee method?
From the AeroPress, through the classic V60 hand filter to the plunger pot, or French press, an increasingly coarser grind size is needed.
The seller or grinder manufacturer should provide click recommendations for these grind sizes.
Which hand grinders do we sell?
We work intensively with the topic of hand grinders every day. Based on our experience, we have compiled our hand grinder range.
There are many coffee hand grinder manufacturers and even more different models. We have consciously chosen the selection we offer because we want to simplify your decision. From our perspective, it doesn't make sense to offer dozens of hand grinders - that would only make the decision more complicated.
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 the Timemore hand grinders mentioned come 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 coffee options.
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 a single piece of aluminum, and impresses with its 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 upgrade, 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 achieves top marks with the RedClix upgrade.
The latest hand grinder in our range is the Comandante X25 Trailmaster. The Red Clix axis can also be installed here. 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.
