Coffee grinders have evolved significantly since their invention, yet grinding by hand remains a cherished tradition. Lightweight, portable, and budget-friendly, manual grinders are perfect for travel. Why settle for pre-ground coffee when you can enjoy freshly ground beans on the go?

Hand grinders are an excellent. They come in various types, including blade and burr models, and are typically quite affordable.

As a devoted fan of hand grinders, I find them indispensable, especially during holidays. Their portability and ease of use make them ideal for those who, like me, enjoy one or two cups of filter coffee a day.

A high-quality manual grinder can elevate your experience. It allows you to customize the flavor and strength of your brew, delivering a cup that’s aromatic, delicious, and comparable to the one from your favorite café.

CoffeeScan’s Expert Picks: Top Hand Grinders

There are a wide range of different manual coffee grinders available for you to get your hands on nowadays, but which one you pick with largely depend on your drinking preferences. Coffeescan Review Team has prepared a nice list of best hand grinders below. Have a nice read!

#1 Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder

  • Pros:
  • Ceramic conical burrs.
  • Best for Travel.
  • Various grind from fine to coarse.
  • Capacity 20 gram.
  • Np static.
  • Removable handle.
  • Replaceable Burrs.
  • Very High Quality.
  • Easy to use.
  • Easy to clean.
  • Made in Japan.
  • 7 years WARRANTY.
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Another great option for your next trip. The Porlex features a slim cylinder design that easily fits into almost any suitcase. Porlex coffee grinders stand out for their simplicity, small size and low price. If you want to save without sacrificing quality (they are made of stainless steel), Porlex grinders are a good alternative. Its stainless steel design is resistant and elegant at the same time. Inside it has ceramic burrs that can grind with a wide variety of thicknesses. It is an excellent choice for travelers due to its small size and compact design.

Porlex Mini  is Ideal for travel without cables, batteries or cords. Its perfect size that fits in a bag, briefcase or backpack, allowing you to enjoy your perfect coffee at home, office, traveling, hiking, camping, or vacation

In addition, this mill can be completely disassembled which makes it extremely easy to clean. The Porlex handle is easily attached and detached for storage. The entire body is made of stainless steel, which means that it is highly resistant and durable. With one of these and an equally practical coffee maker you will not stop drinking good coffee, wherever you are.

The ceramic burrs are of high quality. The handle is quite smooth and with a fairly precise and consistent adjustment system. It is easy to use and does not need to apply a lot of force to grind the coffee beans to the perfect thickness that you need.

Another benefit of this hand grinder is that it is less noisy than any electric grinder. Therefore, if you wake up early and do not want to disturb anyone, this type of grinder is the most indicated.

Interested in the differences between ceramic and other materials used in coffee grinders? Dive into the ceramic versus stainless steel grinder debate to understand the nuances.

Exploring the world of manual coffee grinders? While you’re at it, learn about the Manual Grinder Cleaning Steps to ensure your hand grinder remains in top condition. Discover the secrets to prolonging your grinder’s lifespan and achieving the perfect brew every time!

#2 1Zpresso Q2  Mini Slim Travel Sized

Pros:

  • Stainless Steel Conical Burr.
  • Good For french press and pour over, aeropress, drip.
  • Adjustable Setting. coarser or finer.
  • Capacity 20g. Depends on the beans.
  • under 400g wright.
  • better grind consistency.
  • Produce consistent particle size.
  • Great for traveling.
  • easy to clean.
  • WARRANTY: 1 years.

Cons:

  • not good at making espresso.
  • not super lightweight.
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The 1Zpresso Q2  Mini Slim Travel Sized manual coffee grinder is a robust model, efficient for grinding beans yourself in the morning and obtaining a fresh quality grind . Its stainless steel design makes it durable and practical. This anti-rust material also has the advantage of being easy to maintain. Added to this is its industrial ceramic grinding wheel which operates at a stable temperature.

This reduces the heat, helping to retain the flavor of the coffee better. This wheel is also adjustable, to better control the grinding according to your habits and preferences: fine, medium or coarse grinds.

This coffee grinder is easy to transport . You can use it for your travel, camping or outdoor vacation. So you can brew anytime, anywhere. Unlike sophisticated models, you don’t need batteries or electricity to indulge yourself. Finally, you can easily dismantle it for maintenance.

The manual coffee grinder from 1Zpresso is a really sensible grinder to work with. The handle itself is quite long, which makes it easier to transfer energy compared to the Hario Slim for example. It’s really only a small advantage, but if you have to use the grinder several times each day, it’s still a difference you’ll come to appreciate.

Metal has the advantage that it is less static than plastic, and thus smaller amounts of coffee dust will get stuck in all sorts of places. The conical grinder burrs are largely similar to those in Hario Slim, and the grinder produces a more uniform grounds.

#3 Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill – “Skerton”

Pros:

  • Ceramic conical burrs.
  • Capacity around 115 grams.
  • Good for espresso.
  • Easy to get replacement parts.
  • The bowl is made from glass.
  • Well built with good material.
  • Work well for grinding spices, herbs etc.
  • WARRANTY: 1 years.

Cons:

  • Modifying needed if you want to grind for french press.
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Perfectly ground beans give delicious taste. That is exactly what this manual grinder helps you with!

It is a compact model with a simple yet elegant design. With a length of 15 centimeters , you can easily store this device in your travel bag!

Due to its compactness, the content is not very large, but still more than enough to grind for about 4-6 cups . It will probably not happen very often that you drink more in a short time.

Grinding goes smoothly with the Hario Bean Grinder Skerton and therefore does not take too long. The grind can be adjusted in 6 steps and the ground coffee is very consistent in structure. In addition to the ceramic grinder, the taste is absolutely beneficial! After grinding, the coffee is collected in a glass container with a capacity of 100 grams that can be hermetically sealed so that no aromas are lost.

Another big advantage of this trendy grinder is the design. It is small, inexpensive but still looks like a design mill from all sides. Especially when you see the ceramic grinder on the inside.

Unfortunately, we have discovered one disadvantage. This manual coffee grinder is not dishwasher safe. Cleaning the grinder is so important that you have to spend a large amount of time on it manually. It would have been more convenient if you could ‘just’ put the grinder in the dishwasher. Even so, this manual coffee grinder still easy to clean, because all parts are easy to disassemble. You then brush it out or rinse it under the tap.

The Skerton Plus coffee grinder is the improved version of the Hario Skerton. Quality and continuous improvement are two things the company attaches a great deal of value to and so they are always looking for ways to improve their products.

#4 JavaPresse Conical Burr Mill

Pros:

  • Conical Stainless Steel Burr.
  • Approved by the FDA.
  • Capacity about 38 grams.
  • Adjustable Setting.
  • Good for for Aeropress, Drip, Espresso, French Press, Turkish coffee.
  • EASY TO Use.
  • EASY TO Clean.
  • very lightweight
  • WARRANTY: 1 years.

Cons:

  • Not recommended  for grinding spices, herbs etc.
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The most popular on our list, the JavaPresse is the grinder of choice for most coffee-loving users. At first glance it is similar to most other grinders. It has 18 different settings for most coffee preparations with an exceptional consistency in each dose. All of us who have used it loved how easy and clean it is when grinding any bean.

With a resistant and compact stainless steel design, you will feel completely comfortable when using it , and its size will allow you to take it on all your trips without any problem.

For this reason, it is not surprising that the JavaPresse is the most popular grinder and a best- seller among coffee lovers.

#5 Handground Precision Conical Ceramic Burr Mill

Pros:

  • Conical Ceramic Burr.
  • ADJUSTABLE GRIND Settings.
  • Consistency Grind.
  • Solidly built.
  • Good for left handed person and right handed person.
  • WARRANTY: 1 years.

Cons:

  • Not recommended  for grinding espresso.
  • Grinding by weight can sometimes be unreliable.
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We  know how difficult and frustrating it is to get a manual grinder that meets your expectations. The HandGround is going to change everything you thought about manual grinders.

The creators really thought of everything when they designed this grinder. It’s as simple as adjusting, loading, and grinding , with a quirky lever that rotates forward rather than clockwise.

On the other hand, it has 15 settings marked very easy to read, offering a consistent and precise grind in each use, it is also excellent for most preparation methods, especially for iced coffee and French Press.

It allows you to easily adjust the thickness with which you want to grind, you do not have to disassemble the device to do it. It has numerical indicators that go from 1 to 8, this as a reference to adjust the thickness with which it is going to be ground, whether it is the finest for your Italian coffee maker or the thickest for your French coffee maker.

It is very well built and with very good quality materials which is reflected in how smooth the handle is when you turn it. It has a great rubber grip on the bottom so you can place it on your counter and spin with leverage. This is one of the fastest mills you will find on the market.

Author

  • Fikru Assefa

    Born in Sidamo, Ethiopia, Fikru combines a Harvard History degree with certifications in Coffee Culture. Adept in traditional Ethiopian ceremonies and a lover of Drip Coffee, his expertise offers readers a deep dive into the drink’s rich tapestry.

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