Is a Hand Grinder Realistic for Espresso Brewing?

Coming into the video - I had not used the coffee before - it was 8 days post-roast. The Grinders- I had all set to their recommended Espresso Settings - and dialled the grinders in brewing a 20/40/30 Brew ratio.

There is a complete unbroken take of this - it took 1hr to complete the dialling in of 4 manual grinders. As you'll see, it takes more than 2-3 three shots to get dialled in - (which is acceptable) but being manual grinders certainly creates more work and takes more time between shots. Arguably this is the main reason I would choose an Electric Grinder over a Manual Grinder.

Each of the Hand Grinders brewed, by my own standards, very enjoyable shots - none of them I would say were better than the Niche. Though for my personal preferences, the KINU and COMANDANTE were delicious. The trade-off in flavour does not add up to the PRICE and SPACE lost in purchasing the Niche.

The Niche is just one example of an Electric Grinder that can be purchased for Espresso at home. It sits up there at the pinnacle of accessible (enough) grinders for really great coffee at home. Other electric grinders, coming from the Baratza Sette, Compak and Eureka range could also be interpreted to brew coffee that is slightly better than manual grinders - though on the account for the Kinu and Comandante, where the price is almost on par with these more affordable Electric Grinders - even if the Coffee was close in quality brewed - the overwhelming ease of an Electric Grinder (for me at least) still wins out. So unless you have very specific needs, such as low cost, limited space, no electricity, requiring portability and perhaps even noise - though they're pretty much as loud as a Niche, maybe not other electric grinders ... then at the more affordable end of the Grinder range for espresso - a hand Grinder may be ideal.

You must also consider the comparison of the lifetime of the grinders - perhaps even the volume of beans you'll wish to grind daily. Whilst the Niche Zero Grinder will last for many many years (7-10yrs+), some other more affordable Espresso Grinders may only last 3-5 yrs before their motors wear out (depending on volume and use.) This may also provide a good argument for a Hand Grinder that has less chance of breaking, along with less maintenance required.

TIMESTAMPS:
1:25 Burrs & Speed
3:51 The Coffee
4:39 Dialling in Niche Zero
6:25 Dialling in Comandante
11:22 Dialling in Porlex Tall
13:18 Dialling in Kinu M47
17:43 Dialling in 1Zpresso JX-Pro
22:50 Tasting-All Espressos

Music: YouTube Library

#alternativebrewing #coffee #espresso

[keenantroll]

I use a J-Max for espresso and I have found that the speed at which I grind makes a huge difference in how the shot pulls. Grinding more slowly makes the shot more likely to choke and grinding super quickly the shot comes out quickly. I think the pace you use in this video is about right. But it's something worth noting about hand grinders, that manual crank speed is another variable which you have to account for...

[johantornberg]

Love this dialing in video! Maybe bring in a flat Burr grinder like the DF64 the next time?

[iconindexsymbol]

What a helpful video, thanks so much! I watched every second; I bet it’s going to become a classic. I got a great sense of the dialing in process and flavor of each grinder.

I’d love to see more dialing in videos like this! For example, light roast espresso with the DF64 and SSP Cast burrs. Or light roast V60 with the Fellow Ode and SSP Multipurpose burrs.

[bosskiller]

This video absolutely came in handy. I was considering buying Comandante C40 MK4 for espresso grinding, but after watching this video, I am considering buying Kinu M47 Simplicity.
Thanks!

[fireandflowers]

I think that blind tasting would remove any bias.

[davejoseph]

Wow, you put a truly significant effort into this video.

[Yabafrust]

Great video, it helped me a lot in picking the Porlex Mini 2, because it's affordable and portable.

[CoffeeGeek]

Gotta say mate, I love your videos. I love that you're not afraid to show when you have dial in issues, or stumbles on a product. Makes the review process that much more honest. Plus it gives you the chance to walk the viewer through how to fix those issues, in "real time" as it were.

[richardtrass]

Red Clix for espresso the C40 Josh. As you note Your video was a good demonstration of the frustrations of dialling in for espresso😂. That looked exhausting!!!

[ianyorke]

Great bid, appreciate the work - literally!
1zpresso JMax makes dialling in easy with external adjustments, and a huge number of visible settings; steppless stepped effectively 😀
Grinds fast but works better at around 60rpm, still only around 45 rotations for 16g. Sounds silly but try it, might be my imagination as it seems to reduce the fines.
Other advantages of hand grinders are, easy clean, no beans or grounds hiding in crevices etc. Important if you are only doing a few espresso's a day. Can't justify electric for that much use😀

[marcmonnerat]

Great comparison! In my opinion, using an electric grinder for one or two espressi a day is way overkill. That said, in my experience, I find the Porlex (and clones) useless for espresso, the Kinu is far better, and the Commandante works well only with the _Red click_ add-ons (which halves the steps). Another big advantage of the hand grinder is that you don't need a balance, you may get consistent weight simply by counting the rotations!

[hammo]

Great video! Always learn something interesting when I watch this channel, thank you!

[huerahh]

I really need this since I'm considering between 1zpresso and comandante. Btw I love the way you swirl your water before rinsing your palate

[salvuagius]

I haven't been able to dial in coffee for espresso with the porlex to be honest. I gave up after some 5 tries and got the kinu.

[alexmontanus]

I started my espresso journey with a Chestnut X and started with mostly doing pour over. Then I got a robot and used it around twice a day to make a shot and that took quite some effort. Now I have the Niche and I drink too much espresso now :) Taste wise the X is very good for espresso, and for pour over it is better than the Niche.

[hugoapresname]

About the Porlex
The Porlex does *not* grind fine enough for espresso. I have it. And a lot of ‘fines’ are starting to annoy me. They make me *bitter* 😂
But it has benefits, especially very smart designed easy to clean and handle. The burr consists of only three bigger parts. Not very heavy, especially Porlex Mini. Not any oxidation after everyday use and every other day cleaning with water (most often immediate drying of course, it’s still metal). Price way below 100, affordable *and rugged* for any outdoor mishaps.

I guess it’s optimally used for pour over with a filter. Fines would stay in the filter. I tried French Press a lot, but the longer extraction totally over extracts the finer particles which is also bad for health, especially with darker roasts (more toxic acrylamide and furan extraction). Particle distribution is…. well distributed 😅
Ok, brevity:
Downsides: ceramic burr already damaged after 3 month because of small stone. Others report fast wearing out of the lever connection when used regularly. Not fine enough for espresso.
So it’s one suited for outdoor, fair priced, fair built.
NOT recommended for any espresso ☕️!

[DigitalicaEG]

Exactly what I was looking for, subscribed!😊

[ericpmoss]

I have a BPlus with excellent burrs and super solid build. Aside from the very minor hassle, I prefer it to even commercial grinders. Until I need 12 in a row, I see no reason to be tied to a big bulky loud thing.

[HuJaas]

Interesting comparisons, enjoyed the vid. I wondered though; by the time you get to tasting won't the espressos be nearly cold?

[hamdanismail]

I could sense that you were unsure about taking the first sip of some of the espresso. Maybe confirmation bias was playing in your mind. But great videos.