Today we are looking at a selection of hand-operated coffee mills or grinders. These are great for traveling, as they are frequently light-weight and packable, for fantastic coffee on-the-go, even if it takes a few minutes and a bit of effort to produce the requisite 25 to 50 grams of ground coffee for your pour over or drip coffees on the trail or in your hotel room.
We looked at what we already have and use, all of which are readily available online and costing somewhere in the $50-something to $60 something on Amazon, probably a few bucks more elsewhere if you’d like to support your local coffee and coffee equipment merchant online. We are regular supporters of Espresso Parts, just down the road in Lacey, WA.
First Test: The first hand mill we tested is the HandGround Precision. The one we bought was an early release and the grinders we now see claim a few improvements and clearly show a bit smaller whole bean storage cylinder. We like this grinder because it’s got a non-stick base and can be put on a table top with one palm down on top of the mill and one turning the crank to grind your delicious Bluebeard Coffee. It’s a bit larger than the other two mills we feature, and therefore would add weight (580g) and bulk to your suitcase or backpack. This, like all of our hand mills, is well built and its heft makes me think it belongs on your countertop as much as your travel set up.
HandGround Precision Coffee Mill Results: At a medium grind, using moderate effort, we ground 12.9 grams of coffee in one minute. We see and feel a moderate amount of grind size variation on this grinder. The HG utilizes a 40mm conical ceramic burr.
Pro: Double geared crank allows for most ergonomic use if table mounted. 8 grind settings. Nice heft.
Cons: Despite size, not speedier to use than smaller units. Greater grind size distro on this early version. Suspect improvements here in new model.
Second Test: Hario Skerton. Our first hand mill, the fairly ubiquitous Hario with glass bulb grind chamber. Classic styling. The Hario Skerton had 14.0 grams of medium ground output with a minute’s effort. We were a bit surprised at the slightly higher output than the HandGround, despite its smaller size. Weighing at just over 1 pound, 459 grams.
Pro: Good output. Improved grind size distribution over the Handground – meaning more consistently evenly sized grounds resulting in fewer over extracted fines (small particles) and underextracted boulders (large particles). Economical at $50ish price tag. Portability and durability are good if not great.
Cons: Slightly bigger learning curve, effort & mechanical reasoning skills needed to change grind size. Slight operating inefficiencies in bean chamber to burr bed delivery. Good all around unit.
Third Test: Porlex Tall JP-30. The fabled Porlex tall and thin cylindrical stainless steel import. This one’s long been what I think of as the coffee person’s ideal travel mill. But do its measurables stack up?
The answer is a resounding yes. The Porlex, despite its narrow 47mm diameter chamber, actually outproduced the other two units, if only slightly, at 14.1 grams of ground coffee per one minute of effort.
Pro: Similar and even better output than larger units. It’s the smallest and lightest of the units at 274 grams. Easy and comfortable to use – 178mm length cylinder makes it perfect to grip and grind. My unit continues to live in its cool Kanji scripted packaging and is perfect for packing and traveling. And a pleasant surprise, grind size distro is actually the best of the three units tested here. Very consistent with fewer outliers.
Burrs: Ceramic Body: Stainless Steel Adjusting Nut: Easy to use and change
Cons: With a $60 plus price tag, it’s not the cheapest unit. But still our top recommendation in the (usually travel focused) hand mill market. Just watch out for the cheap knock offs which look like the Porlex but strip and fall apart upon repeated usings, or so I have been told.
Final Standings: #1… Porlex, #2 Hario Skelton, and a close #3 HandGround Precision. These are all well built hand grinders, however, so we’d still place a Buy rating on each, depending on your needs and budget.
Bonus Test: Just for kicks, I dug an old Zassenhaus coffee/spice mill out of the basement to test. I’ve picked up a few of these pretty old wooden grinders at garage and estate sales over the years, and mostly they do an alrgiht job. This Zassenhaus was no exception, putting out 13.4 grams of coffee per minute with surprisingly good grind size distribution. The key to the grinding, I quickly found, was putting the mill between your legs to anchor it (a notion the hourglass wooden body shape supports). This was clearly the biggest workout to grind and more difficult to operate unanchored. Pretty and built to last, which the price of newly built Zassenhaus mills supports, coming in around $200+ in my quick search. I’ll be sure to put this in my new cabin once the venture capitalists come calling. Lol. Thanks for reading and happy grinding. -Kevin