Thread: What's a good manual / electric coffee grinder?

My wife and I like to make coffee from fresh ground coffee beans.
We have an antique manual grinder that is nice to use, but unfortunately, it is not up to daily use anymore.
It starts to wear, and I'd rather not go on until I destroy it.

Since there are other coffee lovers here: what would you recommend for manual coffee grinding.
Keep in mind that this grinder will be used nearly daily, so it has to be built to last.

Any advice is welcome.

Also, are electric grinders comparable in coffee quality with manual grinders?
If so, what would be a good grinder?

Originally Posted by Bruno

My wife and I like to make coffee from fresh ground coffee beans.
We have an antique manual grinder that is nice to use, but unfortunately, it is not up to daily use anymore.
It starts to wear, and I'd rather not go on until I destroy it.

Since there are other coffee lovers here: what would you recommend for manual coffee grinding.
Keep in mind that this grinder will be used nearly daily, so it has to be built to last.

Any advice is welcome.

Also, are electric grinders comparable in coffee quality with manual grinders?
If so, what would be a good grinder?

I have been using this daily for the past two years and have been very happy. It is a conical burr grinder, which like your manual grinder (and unlike electric blade grinders), will not burn the coffee. It has been very reliable, giving me consistent, uniform grounds from coarse (for my presspot), to very fine espresso and turkish grinds. The price is very reasonable.

If you have not seen it yet, CoffeeGeek's extensive reviews on different grinders may help you decide.

My manual grinder that I had been using for years was starting to poop out, so I went to an antique store and picked up another that works real nice!

This is the manual grinder I have been using for several years. It's made in England, called the "Birchleaf Coffee Grinder."





Scott

For a manual grinder Zassenhaus is reputed to be the best. I have 3-4. I have a collection of manual grinders and would consider them among the best. They had been unavailable in the US, but now can be had at several spots.

I have a collection of hand grinders, but the Zass is at the top.

If you are interested in an electric burr grinder, I have given away some grinders I bought from Costco:

Costco - Saeco Titan Coffee Bean Burr Grinder

People have been pleased. Not suitable for espresso. But it is a decent price quality point.

From there it is mainly a question of how much do you have budgeted?

+1 on the Zassenhaus. I have a few of them and they are functional works of art. Check out ebay they are on there all of the time. I prefer the 'knee grinders' like the 156 or 496.

Quality manual grinders with conical burrs can be had at a much lower price than their electric counterparts of similar quality. Zass grinders and PeDe (Peter Dienes) are both quality manual choices that can be had under 60 dollars easily.. You can get a good electric grinder made by Rancilio or Mazzer, but the manual should suit you nicely for drip coffee once a day..

Zass’s are good but you pay a premium. I have only used a couple hand mills, I have two Cimbali Max commercial grinders and a Cimbali Jr on the espresso bar, but the Mazzer Robur is king, and cost as much as a small car. I had one on the espresso bar for a write-up, along with my Mazzer mini, Super Jolly, a couple of Macaps, purchased the Max.

We have a large hand mill following and thread on Home-Barista you may want to read over, Hand (grinder) Jive-a photo essay.

One thing you miss out on with an electric is that burst of fragrance as the beans are ground (especially if freshly roasted).

It is a part of the experience of the coffee. Takes a little more time, but it is pretty nice!

Originally Posted by Pyment

One thing you miss out on with an electric is that burst of fragrance as the beans are ground (especially if freshly roasted).

It is a part of the experience of the coffee. Takes a little more time, but it is pretty nice!

Agree on the Zassenhaus. They make great pepper mills, too.

Nice vacuum pot on the avatar. I've got an old Cory that I use.