Buying a grinder in 2024? Here's what I'd do

Reviews:

0:00 Intro
1:33 The best coffee grinder doesn't exist
2:58 Entry-level conical grinders
4:14 Manual grinders
6:16 Cheap espresso grinders?
7:42 New School of conical grinders
8:30 Dinosaurs of the grinder world
9:37 Flat burr grinders explained
11:27 Single dose grinders vs Hopper based
13:21 End-game grinders

[What_If_We_Tried]

I’m so glad the YouTube algorithm pushed your video into my feed today, because IMO, you’ve debunked a lot myths, and your insights about the affects of the pandemic lockdowns on the huge upsurge in popularity for buying espresso machines / equipment for the domestic market makes a lot of sense.

And since my wife prefers pour over at home, and I’ve been brewing moka pot coffee for years, I’m going to buy a manual grinder for < $200 USD, and only use our Oster electric grinder for a rare Turkish coffee.

* subscribed *

[flyertx]

I recently got into coffee and my first grinder is the Comandante C40. I can grind 18 grams at 8 or 9 clicks in a little over a minute and a half. Not a big deal and I'm 75 and not athletic at all.
I now have the DF54 but still use the hand grinder for my Moka Pot. You make it sound way too difficult and strenuous, it's not really. I do really enjoy your channel. Keep it up!

[rossmullins]

I use an electric drive setup for my J-Max. It was painful on my 88 year old shoulders to be able to continue manually. I highly recommend this change to electric power.

[nifinnicesse]

Please don't judge me, but I use an electric screwdriver to drive my hand grinders. It's a cheap screwdriver, it doesn't spin very fast, and I had it already so the incremental cost was null.

In my impression taste-wise it does the same as "hand-powered" grinding, and I don't think that it stresses the mechanism. Maybe it's actually better : by hand you always put some amount of force "sideways", while with a motor it's just torque aligned with the grinder axis.

If you want to cut down the cost and don't want to buy an electric grinder, it's a great option.

[aalokshah]

manual grinders are quieter too. My kids don’t like loud harsh sounds so that is a benefit.

[loriosterweil]

I usually prepare espressos and pour overs. If I’m in a zen mood, I use the Commandante C40. If I’m in a hurry, I use my Niche Zero. I enjoy both grinders.

[Lance]

My experience with manual grinders matches your thoughts here. For several years I used a Hario Skerton, and last Christmas I got a Timemore C2 Max(I think, they have a lot of similar sounding models!) The C2 Max has been lovely to use, very well made, and it definitely does a better job than the Skerton.

[CH-ypby]

KinGrinder design their grinders so that they can withstand the forces of an electric screw driver or small drill. They make that clear and have a thicker axel and use specific metals so they do not sheer.

[glenncurry]

Strange to think back some decades ago when I was first learning about better coffee making. My first step up from spinning blaes to burr was a Black & Decker CBM-205. Cheap, under $50. But it had flat not conical burrs! It would not grind fine enough. So I modified it by putting a plastic sheet between the top adjuster and the burr. It lowered enough that the two would make contact and I had to be careful. But I could get a very fine grind.

[chahahc]

The thing about the baratza encore isn't the burrset. It's the absolutely atrocious collar burr stability. The collar burr is a whole 0.5mm smaller in diameter than the plastic housing that it sits in (I measured mine with calipers). The hopper, grind adjustment mechanism and burr assembly are all locked together when in operation so the burr moving around with 500 microns of play causes the entire upper assembly to move too. Which is why the hopper shakes like it's had too much coffee whenever you grind beans. The fact that the grinder can make great coffee at all is a testament to just how good the burrs are. The Lido grinders are considered some of the best medium roasts/ espresso grinders and they basically use the same burrset only with actual good alignment and stability.

[Lafmans]

I loved all the historical context and real life applicability of grinders mentioned in this video. It's really something I've been missing from other coffee channels.
Usually, in a lot of videos and blog reviews so many specific differences and pros/cons are at the forefront of the review, while a lot of context and use cases (outside of whether it tastes better for filter/espresso) are lost or it's just assumed people already know. I really liked the info on hand vs electric grinding for espresso.
This made a lot of sense, and really helped me!

[hbr]

My only problem with these Handgrinders is: at first glance it sounds great. "I can buy an AMAZING grinder for 260€? wow.... " but then I take a deep breath and think: "well what if i get tired of grinding manually all the time? Then I'll end up buying and eletric and when you realized you spen way more than expected." on top of this I'm also on the fence wether i go for an espresso grinder (since i only drink espressos) but the realiy is, i only drink espressos because I dont have any equipment that even allows me to explore other coffee experiences. "What if then i want to try something different? I'll have to change the grinder again.." ... "260€ maybe I should just add extra 50€ and go for an eletric like the Baraza encore esp or any decent one around These reviews give me the real FOMO

[sergiogalea]

Hello, between a timemore s3, a 1zpresso x-ultra or a j-ultra, which one do you recommend for versatile use? that gives me good results and durability.

[MrWpiter]

If I had to get a super compact minimal setup for both pour over and espresso, it would be a Hario switch, 9barista, and an x-pro. Minimal footprint, super flexible, and sub 1K (with a pouring kettle included) is a difficult combo to beat.

[st-christian]

I just bought my first grinder: Timemore C3s

[dwightj.]

Thanks for your time much appreciated.

[jeffandersen]

A welcome and thorough overview on low cost grinders. I have a Baratza Virtuoso+ which has been good for aero press but not so for espresso. I'm waiting for a plastic upper burr ring and a plasticI dial selector as plastic tabs broke off each probably trying to dial in for a fine grind
I've liked Baratza service but all the plastic makes a DF54 more attractive vs an Encore ESP.
Thank you for your expert opinions .

[danielkwan]

haha watched this after getting me a 064s. totally love it so far especially after trying rpm below 1000.

[kevinalvarado]

If you already have a miller to connect to your hand grinder you can also use it to grind for espresso

[baronofgreymatter]

Drink primarily batch filter coffee in a technivorm..i grind 75-80 grams at a go. What do you recommend?