Hand coffee grinders

Are hand coffee grinders any good or should you bypass these for the bigger models?

Hand coffee grinders are used for the manual grinding of coffee beans which is mostly done in home kitchens. The grinders are designed to be used with minimal effort and without electricity. Hand coffee grinders are also great for making your own coffee when travelling as they are very portable. Investing in a hand coffee grinder will save you lots of money on costly takeaway coffee. They are also useful if you don't have the space in your kitchen for an electric grinder. They are not usually as powerful but they are a lot cheaper than electric coffee grinders.

Manual coffee grinders can be more difficult to clean than electric ones and do require a good clean every now and then as coffee beans leave oil and particle remnants on the burrs.

Hand grinders are burr grinders so will provide a more reliable grind than an electric blade grinder which are inferior to burr grinders. Hand coffee grinders are usually very quiet so helps you to avoid disturbing anyone, if you are making an early morning cup, for example.

Although grinding coffee beans manually can take longer than using an electric coffee grinders many coffee lovers find this an enjoyable and rewarding process. It will also develop the muscles in your hand which are often weak and underused due to our sedentary lives and reliance on technology.

How long does it take?

It obviously depends on who is doing the grinder as some people are faster than others but generally it can take 70 revolutions to grind 10 grams of coffee in about 30-40 seconds. The more you use your grinder, the shorter the time gets.

How to use a manual coffee grinder

• Unscrew the nut at the top to remove it then dismantle the handle and the locking ring.

• Adjust the grind by turning the ring - hold the central shaft in place while adjusting the grind (turn clockwise for a finer grind and anti-clockwise for a coarser grind)

• Place the locking ring back in place to lock the grind setting you've selected.

• Put the handle back and tighten the top nut to secure it.

• Put a few coffee beans in the grinder to see if the grind setting is right for you.

Which grinder to buy?

There are many different manual coffee grinders on the market.

The Timemore C2 (pictured above in grey) is a popular choice. This has CNC stainless steel burrs for efficient grinding and only takes about 30 seconds to grind your beans. It is very light and portable so great for travelling.

The Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Mini-Slim Plus Manual Coffee Grinder is another popular choice (pictured below). This Japanese design has an ergonomic handle and shaft coupling for better traction.

The grinder you choose will have a big impact on the flavour of your coffee. There is no need to spend a lot of money on an electric grinder as manual grinders are just as reliable as long as you don't mind putting in some effort.