I appreciate there are a fair few YouTube videos on this topic but it would be good to get some opinions on here!

I’d been considering buying a Niche so I could switch between single-dosing for V60/MoccaMaster and espresso.

However, my x54 has been behaving fantastically well lately which means a Niche would be a bit extravagant. I’m keeping an eye out for the updated Ode as an option for filter, but I’m also considering a hand-grinder as it would be good to have one for travel as well as home use.

As per the title, what’s the best hand-grinder under £200? Speed isn’t hugely important as I only tend to make filter once in the morning, so quality is key!

Edit: I could stretch to £250 if the extra £50 is worth it as I see the Commandante is £249.

    1zpresso jx pro is very good

    Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

      Cuprajake 1zpresso jx pro is very good

      It is…I have one, and it works well, I think they even gave it double the adjustment points now.

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        You mentioned a Moccamaster, how big of a dose are you anticipating?

          Ernie1

          I have a Comandante and have had it for a couple of years and love it to bits. It’s solid, extremely well made and the grind quality is fantastic (by my judgement at least). Can easily grind for espresso and pour over, the ‘clicks’ stepped adjustment makes it easy to reproduce grind sizes, switch between brew methods and also really useful for sharing recipes.

          My only gripes would be that the barrel can quite often slip in my hand while grinding for espresso, there are bands you can get that would hopefully help with grip but not managed to pick one up yet. Other than that, with it being stepped then sometimes I’m between clicks for the right grind. There is a red clix mod which essentially halves the step size (or doubles the number of clicks) so I’ll likely pick that up soon but it obviously will never be infinitely adjustable like a non stepped grinder.

          These are pretty small issues for me and I would 100% recommend it. There is no question about the quality or that it will last for many, many years.

            Owners of the 1zpresso jx pro rave about them. I have a Kinu M47 Classic and it’s pretty awesome. Never had a 1zpresso jx pro so can’t compare.

            MWJB

            It’ll be 35-40g max, I tend to use the Moccamaster if I’m making two cups, V60 for one. If family/friends are over they usually want espresso drinks.

            It’ll also only ever be used for brew so finer settings with fewer steps shouldn’t be a huge problem.

            Sounds like the JXPro/Kinu/Commandante are all pretty favourable so it’ll just be down to aesthetics I suppose!

            Thanks for the replies

              BTW, we have a JX pro; it’s great and we use it for pour overs and espressos.

              Thanks, lots of votes for the JXPro!

              The official product listing says 30-35g capacity.

              I’m guessing that means 36 fits in ok? I rarely dose more than 34-36g for two cups of pourover but is 35g an actual maximum?

                Ernie1 - not a hand grinder but, for approx. £100 (or a lot less second hand) you can buy a Wilfa Svart which does a fantastic job for on the filter front. I sold mine after under a couple years of ownership. I realised filter isn’t my thing.

                  Ernie1 when I reviewed it I could get about 33g in, obviously it depends on coffee density….but more than 35g, I don’t think so.

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                    @MediumRoastSteam

                    Thanks yeah it’s not so much the cost more just the worktop space. The Bianca being enormous and the x54 fairly sizeable for a home grinder, something like the Niche or the Ode is the only thing I’m likely to get approved by the other half! I had an Encore for about 10 years which was great for filter but I sold it when I got into espresso.

                    @DavecUK That’s good to know, thanks, I guess I could grind finer to compensate as I don’t need to be dosing 17/18g a cup. I just like a massive mug in the morning.

                      Ernie1 I’m guessing that means 36 fits in ok? I rarely dose more than 34-36g for two cups of pourover but is 35g an actual maximum?

                      36.7g, although beans size and weight dependent

                          Ernie1 you could also just weigh the beans into a separate cup and then grind in batches. That’s what I do with my aergrind if I need more than can fit inside at one time.

                              hornbyben great idea! I figured there must be hand grinder users that make more than one/two cups occasionally!

                                @Ernie1 I swear we are mirroring each other I am currently loving the X54 and I am going to buy a hand grinder for similar reasons and to allow a rotation to start alongside a staple in the X54.

                                My shortlist from research if this helps has got it down to 3, I am leaning personally to the C40 due to the community side and I only really drink filter/pourover/aeropress at the moment.

                                Comandante C40 MK4 pros - great community recipes, burrs give great flavour profiles in filter, easy to replicate grind size. Cons hard to source in the uk in the colour choice you may want. Glass bottom while strengthened could be broken in some circumstances.

                                1zpresso JX Pro pros - cheaper than C40, great espresso results Cons - Smaller grind size but generally people love it who have it

                                Kinu Pros - Design and build quality (all metal), big size and good grind experience on all roast types. Cons Expensive! Though you can now get versions of the Kinu in your price range with the same burrs but more plastic.

                                Note// a mention needs to go out to Feldgrind too lots of people rate these too I just had to make a decision and these are my choices.

                                  Frothbewithyou

                                  Thanks! Yeah seems like we are in a similar position, really good to hear your thoughts.

                                  I’m going to go with the Commandante. I agree it’s not easy to get all the colour ways here. Thankfully none of the options quite match the Bianca walnut so I might just go with whatever is in stock.

                                  Thanks for the help everyone, I shall report back when it arrives!

                                      Great helpful thread, have ordered a 1zpresso jx pro, as (having reflected on my workflows / competence!) I think that’s going to be just right for me for the occasional trials of different beans without needing a costlier upgrade / addition to vvv small kitchen space, and keeping my Specialita (which I am happy with). Thanks everyone for experience shares!