KINU M47 grinder

kosipk

Hi, I’ve just purchased a Profitec Pro 400 (still to arrive) and wondered whether I need to upgrade my grinder. I’ve been using a manual Kinu M47 for a while now mainly for pour over and stove top brewing. Will the Kinu be able to grind well enough for espresso? I’ve heard mixed views on this.

delta76

kosipk yes it should. It is a very capable hand grinder. But it is meant for portable, you will not enjoy it after a while especially if you need to make more than 1 espresso every time. I did have to hand grind 4 times/day for 2 days and I did not enjoy it. I managed to but missed my electric one dearly.

So try your Kinu, but prepare to set aside a budget for a proper electric grinder

DavecUK

Welcome to the forum, it’s possible it will, but espresso hand grinding gets old fast. One of our members @LMSC used a hand grinder for espresso for a long time. He is away at he moment, but I believe I am correct in saying he succumbed to the joys of electric grinding eventually. The pro 800 is a good machine, so will reward a decent grinder.

One tip, with the Profitec 400, use it in the lowest temp setting (switch forward) and kick it higher as you start to make a shot if you want to steam. This gives you around 92-93C brew temp. If the machine has been standing for a while e.g. 1 hour, flush about 30 ml through, wait 60 seconds then make your shot.

kosipk

Thank you!

JonWoo187

Where in the hell is the deserved appreciation for manual grinding?!? Yeah I know, the modern world is full of push button fanatics with minimal effort involved. Even though I’ve had numerous capable electrics and my current one is a Cimbali Jr. that’s been grinding away for many yrs now and cranks out fantastic grind quality, I still prefer manual 95% of the time. Currently grind for 6 doubles early morning and just can’t beat the lack of retention, no electricity consumed, instant grind setting changes and slight changes can be had with alternating grind speed/angle at which it’s held.

My 1st manual and will always keep is a KyM cylindrical made out of copper and has proper tool steel burrs and a stepless adjustment. Orphan Espresso refurbished it as that’s what they did yrs ago and they told me they dated it back to the 1950s. Still very capable too… also had an old school PeDe espresso range manual, but it wasn’t quite on par with the KyM. Several yrs ago I decided to get the 1ZPresso JR-Plus and that’s a fantastic device and I used it daily for quite some time. Had always wanted the Helor 106 due to the function/build quality and for some time none were available new or used, then when they did finally continue making them I jumped on that and sold the JE-Plus. Honestly will say I find the 106 is as good as a grinder can be or needs to be. My only minor complaint is I’d like the hand grip area to be a bit longer as my fingers get bunched up a bit, but otherwise the thing has been quite flawless since new.

tompoland

JonWoo187 Where in the hell is the deserved appreciation for manual grinding?!?

As subtle as a sledge hammer Shadow but IMHO you make a very valid point.

There is a massive under-appreciation of hand grinders. I wonder if it’s because they tend to be less expensive and therefore get equated with less desirable or a lower quality result in the cup? Something for the “budget concious” - that sort of misconception.

The other thing to like about manual grinding is the lower RPM and therefore lower fines. (unless you want more fines, which some do.)

And it’s not like we save a lot time by using an electric ginder. My C60 will grind light roast beans for filter in 30 seconds, espresso in 40. From memory (someone feel free to correct me if I’ve misremembered) the Niche Zero will take around 35 seconds to grind 20g of a medium bean for espresso.

Also in praise of manual grinding is that it feels (key word) to me like it really fits well with something like pourover which is an equally manual experience. I really enjoy using the Comandante or 1zpresso with pourover.

Most manual grinders are conical of course and some prefer coffee from flat burrs. But flat burr hand grinders are coming to the fore as well. The Pietro (not a fan of the grinding experience, very clunky), the Potu (filter only), Orphan and I’m sure there will be more.

Just confirming too that the Kinu produces a very enjoyable, silky smooth espresso.

kosipk

Thanks all - I’ll stick to the manual grinder. Sounds like the benefit is convenience rather than quality of end result.

RickO88

I’ve got a Kinu M47 and do 3-4 espresso drinks most days. No problem at all and good exercise!

Inspector

Grinding with Kinu is a joy and it really shines for espresso. For filter, it produces a lot of fines for my liking.

LMSC

@DavecUK is correct. I used the JX Pro for 2+ years for espresso and filter. Grinding lighter stuffs for the former was tiresome and I ended up getting the Duo.

delta76

tompoland don’t know about NZ but my humble Eureka Mignon Specialita used to grind 19gr of bean in 20 seconds in single dosing set up. it takes 9-11s if using normal time dosing.

absolutely like my 1zespreso Jmax S but I just don’t like the idea of using it every day. Go out camping with a few friends and making some aeropress, yes (that’s why I bought it in the first place), grinding every day for 4 espressos, no thanks. and I think that is very common feeling. hand grinder can produce very good coffee (espresso/pour over), they are cheap and portable, no denying that, they are just not suitable for most people as daily main grinder. If you like the idea of hand grinding every day, go for it :)

tompoland

delta76 yep, I get that. I typically hand grind once a day so I’m not even in Shadows shadow 😀 … but at one a day I do enjoy the daily grind.

John_Yossarian

delta76 My sentiments exactly! At home I definitely rely on my mighty Mythos (pun unintended) but whenever we go outdoors/abroad the 1Zpresso J-Max will be with me. I am waiting for delivery of a Staresso Pro with (hopefully) unpressurised basket and I believe I am sorted.

BertNL

I have both an electric grinder and a Kinu M47. I think the Kinu is terrific for espresso. Once though I made the mistake of buying a bag of filter roast beans and grinding fine enough to make espresso on my Cafelat Robot. That was a bit of a strain and the result still wasn’t very good. Back to medium roast for espresso and it works very well with relatively little effort. Compared to my electric grinder (Fiorenzato F64evo with SSP HU burrs) shots that I grind for with the Kinu tend to have a cleaner taste.

Dusk

I don’t mind a bit of hand grinding but if you have some hard, light roasted beans then it can be significantly more work than a more typical medium roast bean.

JonWoo187

I will also mention another very valid reason I like hand grinding… it allows me to feel/smell the level of development I achieve with my roasting. For example, yesterday I opened a ‘fresh’ jar that I roasted 8 days ago and as soon as I started cranking away with the 106 I knew right away the development was a bit lacking compared to my usual for that coffee. The coffee was clearly a bit more dense, smelled ‘lighter’ and once I looked in the catch cup/distributed into the basket that confirmed my suspicion. Looked back at my hand jotted roasting notes and sure enough on that day we had lower temps, volatile wind gusts, high humidity and I dropped the batch 3 degrees F lower than my usual target range. It looked/smelled quite good at the end, but needed that 3 degrees (20-30 seconds) longer development to really finish out where I like it. Just can’t get that sort of instant feedback with an electric. Sure electrics have their place and occasionally I’ll load mine with enough to crank out 6-14 doubles, but at the end of the day it’s hard to beat a quality hand grinder for espresso range grinding.