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Coffee lovers, this one’s for you.
Today I’m looking at the best manual coffee grinders that money can buy. Sure, there are some good ground coffee brands in every grocery store, and you can fix your cup of coffee with minimal fuss. That’s a practical view, right? So why would you get a manual burr coffee grinder? Let me answer this with another question. Do you want just a regular cup of coffee or would you rather have the best cup of coffee that you can brew?
Flavor. That’s the best reason for getting a coffee grinder. A grinder effectively extracts the oil from your roasted beans, which is the source of that tantalizing coffee flavor. And you can change the taste of your cuppa’ joe by grinding the beans so that they are fine or coarse. How cool is that?
Intense debates have been had by coffee connoisseurs over manual versus electric coffee grinders. The electric grinder does the work of the manual one in less time. But a manual burr grinder is in most cases amazing value for money, and even the cheapest models will outperform most electric grinders if your budget is less than $150. And most of them are travel-friendly, hardly taking up space in a bag or suitcase.
It actually doesn’t take that long to manually grind some beans. While the time may vary from model to model, on average it takes anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes of grinding to produce freshly ground coffee for brewing. Plus you get to tone your biceps while grinding. Michelle Obama arms, here I come! That’s if I use my manual grinder consistently throughout the day every day for 2 years straight.
After plenty of research, I’ve rounded up what I consider to be 5 of the best manual coffee grinders on the market. I’ve highlighted several important points about the grinders which should help you in settling on the perfect hand-crank unit that suits your needs.
JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder – Popular Pick for Both At-Home Use and On-The-Go Grinding
Affordable
Highly compact and portable
Easy to clean
Not noisy to operate
Final Verdict
This is one of the best manual coffee grinders because it’s durable, efficient and well worth the money. Its stainless steel body makes it less likely to break even when bumped around, making it perfect for use when outdoors. It’s a great buy if you don’t plan on making more than 1 to 2 cups of coffee at a time.- Price 90%
- Build Quality 80%
- Portability 90%
- Ease of Use 70%
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Video Review
Handground Precision Coffee Grinder – Top Pick for At-Home Use
Side-mounted handle makes grinding easier than other designs
Consistent grind
Large-capacity hopper means you can grind beans for multiple cups of coffee
Solidly built
Final Verdict
This is one of the sharper-looking grinders out there that is durable, stylish, and makes great coffee. It’s the best manual coffee grinder for a coffee enthusiast who enjoys grinding their coffee at home and is looking for a good everyday grinder. You can still use it while traveling but it takes up more space than the average hand grinder.- Price 60%
- Build Quality 90%
- Portability 50%
- Ease of Use 80%
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Video Review
Hario Skerton Ceramic Coffee Mill – Best Pick for a Budget-Friendly Manual Burr Grinder
Affordable
Large capacity
Has a slip-free rubber base to increase stability
Good quality construction
Final Verdict
If you want a low-cost grinder without sacrificing coffee quality, give this grinder some serious thought. This modest marvel is the perfect entry-level manual burr coffee grinder for the aspiring coffee connoisseur. It’s definitely earned its place as one of the best manual coffee grinders in the market.- Price 90%
- Build Quality 70%
- Portability 60%
- Ease of Use 50%
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Video Review
Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill Grinder – Top Pick for the True Coffee Snob with Vintage Flair
Beautiful design
Very durable (comes with a 25-year warranty)
Grinds fine enough for espresso and Turkish coffee
Uses steel conical burrs to protect the integrity of ground coffee beans
Final Verdict
The Zassenhaus is perfect for someone who’s looking for a small manual grinder that is as beautiful as it is functional. It does a pretty good job of grinding coffee and would make a great gift. If you like the look of this grinder, why not give it a go? It’s definitely priced on the higher side but with a 25-year warranty, it seems like a worthwhile investment for one of the best manual coffee grinders that has been around for more than 100 years.- Price 50%
- Build Quality 90%
- Portability 50%
- Ease of Use 70%
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1Z Grinder – Best Pick for a Fast and Effortless Manual Grinder
“This is a top-of-the-line grinder for serious coffee lovers.”
You wouldn’t know it from the few ratings on Amazon but this is definitely one of the best manual coffee grinders at the moment.
The company behind this well-crafted machine is Taiwanese and they are still new to the Western market. The design of the grinder appears to be inspired by premium coffee grinders such as the Helor 101. It has an aluminum unibody with a smooth finish. The knob for the wooden handle is magnetic meaning it can be taken off for easier transportation. It’s perfectly sized so that you can hold it comfortably in one hand and it’s compact enough for travel.
What makes this new kid on the block quickly rise to the top of the list of best manual coffee grinders? The main axle of the grinder is supported on two ball bearings. This makes grinding smooth and fast – at least twice as fast as the no-bearing ceramic grinders that have been previously mentioned. It takes only about 25 seconds to grind beans for two cups of French press coffee.
The burr set on this grinder may be its best feature yet. Made from ultra-sharp stainless steel, these burrs go through medium roasted beans like a knife through butter. It also comes with a 12-point dial for adjusting grind settings. This can be micro-adjusted to allow you to use your brew method du jour – be it Turkish coffee, espresso or French press.
Yes, this manual burr coffee grinder is more on the expensive side, but it is money well spent because it’s faster and more consistent than the other models mentioned in the article. Because of its compact size, the capacity of the hopper is only around 20 grams of beans. This is ideal if you’re grinding for one or two persons.Well-built with aluminum body
Very durable because of the use of stainless steel burrs
Consistent grind every time
Grinds faster than most models in the market
Compact design makes it very portable
Final Verdict
If money is not a problem, then this machine is the one to get. It can definitely hold its own as one of the best manual coffee grinders against premium grinders such as the Lido 3. It looks and feels amazing, and delivers incredibly consistent grinds. And the best part is that you can take it with you whenever you need to travel!- Price 50%
- Build Quality 90%
- Portability 90%
- Ease of Use 90%
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