All, Hope you don’t hate me for posts like this! We do end up folks discussing manual grinders here. This bloke compares 4 manual grinders (obv with Niche) for espresso. Please ignore the Niche Zero comparison. He seems using a medium roast that has a brighter body (stone fruit and blackberry). He could have as well shown another comparison with a low-acidic coffee. It is what it is. Please post if there is another interesting hand-grinder comparison video. Please fast forward to 22.30+ for the comparison of the shots. https://youtu.be/95DOWxV7a9k

Interesting vid thanks. The Kinu M47 Classic was James Hoffman's preferred hand grinder from the range he tested however he briefly mentioned that the majority of his testers preferred the Commandante. The 1Zpresso JX-Pro seems to have a legion of fans here in Australia and I've only heard very positive reports from owners so I suspect that's a pretty darned good grinder too. I've had the Porlex which I didn't enjoy so much and I've stuck with the Kinu M47 Classic as my travel grinder. Based on Hoffman's review and this one, it would be hard to go wrong with the any of them with the possible exception of the Porlex which some may find produces a thinner espresso without a shorter lasting taste. Much though I like the Kinu, as soon as the Mazzer Omega lands in Australia I'll be trying it. Mazzer burrs (Niche Zero 63mm) seem to out perform Italmill burrs (Kinu 47mm) - thanks @"DavecUK"#1 for the heads up on the difference which is marked. The biggest challenge I have with the 83mm conical benchtop hand grinder is seasoning the darned thing. Dialling it in was all over the shop for the first two kilos of beans and that's a LOT of grinding when it's all done by hand. So if you do a get a hand grinder, just be aware that your pour times may be inconsistent for a while, although with smaller burrs my guess is that they will season a lot faster than the 83mm monsters.

@"tompoland"#p19514 I do think the C40 Red click and Jx are the most popular hand grinders. I do have the JX Pro; I pulled the trigger when I saw Dave’s video — that was even before I started lurking and joining the other coffee forum. The JX is the only grinder I use for espresso and pour overs. The shots are always on the brighter side of things - not so much but by some margin. I would like an electric some time down the line. We look forward to your full review of the Omega and perhaps a shoot out video of manual vs electric! Please take your time though! 😊

Once the argos and nurri arrive, I'm going to host an open day for local Australian forum members to come and try various grinders and machines, so that may be a good opportunity to do some shoot outs between a few of the grinders and see what the consensus is. Should be fun. Tickets anyone? (no charge of course and any stray Brits will be welcome).

> @"tompoland"#p19553 host an open day Very nice Indeed. I think we have a few fellow Aussies on this forum who may be interested in. @"Paolo5"#71 is one such member, if I am not wrong. I think there are quite a few. You may want to create the Australian Open thread to get the attention of fellow country men and women!

@"LMSC"#p19601 great idea I'll hang off though until I have the machines. ETA of both still very uncertain.

It's a bit odd that Josh at AB didn't taste any shots when "dialling in". Best to make the best (or at least best of 3 when in the ball park?) tasting shot with each grinder, then compare.

Was this on YouTube 😂 The mazzer grinder does look well made

Mazzer grinder so hot, I want it so bad

Not when you look at the price… €345 + shipping for the 'base' model (without the accessories, for which they want another €35). Don't get me wrong - it's comparable to the Kinu and others, but I find it's a heck of a lot of money for what it is (they are).

Manual grinders comparison

CoyoteOldMan

Not quite adding to the comparisons, but… any recommendations for a manual grinder that can do Turkish and espresso (no worries about filter)?

On the one hand, I’m tempted to spend £50 on a Sözen, and use that for my Turkish addiction; on the other, having a nice hand grinder to do one-off/true single dose with different beans will allow us to use the Ceado more ‘as it is meant to be used’ and dial it in precisely for the “house espresso”. Suddenly £300 for an Omega/Kinu/Comandante aren’t as preposterous…

MWJB

CoyoteOldMan Sozen certainly do fine Turkish grind, but be aware they’re pretty agricultural, a fair bit of variation from one to another in terms of finish. Setting can drift with use too. Plus the brass smell can be hard for some to get past.

What about a Feldgrind/Aergrind? (Might take a bit longer to grind).

CoyoteOldMan

MWJB Will add the Feldgrind/Aergrind to the list of possibilities! Thank you for the suggestion, and for the info on Sözen; I suppose one largely gets what one pays for…

Norvin

CoyoteOldMan

Don’t forget the Aerspeed. It has more aggressive burrs than the Aergrind so takes less time to grind, you can really feel it chomping through the beans. The trade off is that it has less adjustment for espresso but is still capable. I bought mine as I was fed up with the time taken to grind for the Aeroperess when camping with a Rhinowares, I chose it over the Aergrind and I’m still happy with that choice.

Stevebee

A couple of photos showing the mod to change the Helor 106 to 83mm Mazzer burrs. Totally reversible in a couple of minutes. Takes 45 seconds to dial in 21g for a Decent lever profile which needs a fine grind. Similar effort to the 71mm burrs. I think I grind at around 120 rpm which means the burrs are grinding at 30 rpm. Does increase the weight to 6g short of 2 kg but the body is narrower than say a Commandante so is comfortable to hold whilst grinding. Same burr set as the Weber Key, without the coating, I’m a 2.0 on the dial for espresso. My first attempt was at 1.1 - 90 seconds and not even a drip out and took an age to grind, way too fine. Compare to a Pharos it’s a joy to turn.

Looking forward to trying for pourover now as will be interesting to see any flavour difference between my Niche or Compak E10

tompoland

Stevebee How are the 83mm compared to the original 71mm Steve?

I did my first back to back comparisons last weekend (83mm Mazzer Robur in the Malwani versus 71mm Mazzer Robur in the Helor) and to me they tasted so similar that I’m certain that I would not be able to pick the difference in a blind taste test.

CafeNoir

Enea_… long story short, yes. I’ve owned mine for at least 6 months now (Time passes very quickly, can’t be more precise)

I use it about 3 times a day, 2 weeks out of 3 working on a remote site with my Flair. It is just so much better for espresso than my Feld2 in precision and general handling. The crank arm makes the 48mm burrs less of a challenge than I’d expected….not saying it’s that easy for lighter roasts but well manageable.

I haven’t noticed the same issue about adjustment after cleaning, just appreciate the repeatability and build qualify, it’s designed and built by engineers and I feel it shows.

Feld2 and Aergrind get the brewing gigs these days.

CoyoteOldMan

Quick (non-)update. Got an unexpected small job paying just enough to cover an Omega. So, guess what is awaiting for me with a friend in Italy? (Cheaper and easier to pay for 22% Italian VAT and courier than risking shipping to the UK with random duties applied…)

DavecUK

CoyoteOldMan Be interested to hear what you think. I saw one at the show and it looked very good.

CoyoteOldMan

DavecUK Will do a mini-review once the grinder is in the UK in early August - we will be using it as a ‘travel grinder’ during our vacation too (but not for espresso - moka and Turkish only; I’m not travelling with the Leva!)

Stevebee

I never used it much recently with the 71mm burrs as I tend to use the 98 flats in the Ultra for espresso. Used it more recently with the 83mm but not back to back like you so difficult to say. Do prefer it to the Niche as it seems to produce a clearer cup at filter grind. Might be grind speed rather than burr size tbh but haven’t done enough testing

tompoland

Stevebee the extra clarity (over the Niche) is more likely due to burr geometry than RPM. Niche has Mazzer Kony and the other burrs are both Mazzer Robur.

Knluk

Good read on all the discussion here. I own a Jx Pro and this is my first espresso related. I am thinking about upgrade. I have zero experience in electric grinder but I love the simplicity of Jx Pro in term of its low retention and low maintenance and ease of cleaning. So my next upgrade may likely be a hand grind. It seems that the Omega will not offer very significant improvement in cup compared to the JX Pro.

Has any of you looked at the HG-1 Prime? I just heard about this grinder. I was surprised that it costs “only” a portion of the HG-2 with comparable spec. And it seems the HG-1 and HG-2 are in the elite league of hand grinder. Would love to hear your thought on it. Thanks.

tompoland

Knluk I looked at the HG1 and 2 but ended up going with a Malwani Livi fitted with Mazzer Robur (same as Key grinders). I like the Livi’s three gears and the style.

Have to say I really like the look of the Prime but it came out after I ordered the Livi. I suspect you will notice a difference if you upgrade. But other than the reduced grind time the difference won’t be huge but IMHO still very worthwhile.

Knluk

tompoland the Liri is new to me but it does look nice. Great choice. I just checked the price and the HG-1 Prime is cheaper than the Liri but I didn’t include shipping and tax.

My main objective is the quality in cup as I don’t mind the grinding time and muscle effort with the JX Pro (yet?).

Tjyven

tompoland Is that a Honne you have there on your table too? Curious about that one too! :-)

tompoland

Knluk if you consider the Livi please bear in mind they come with Italmill burrs and I swapped them out for Mazzer Robur burrs so that could add a few bob more to your purchase. It’s a very easy swap to do at home though.

Gtbarringer

I been using the HG-1 Prime for a few months now. Previously owned DF64 w/ MP burrs and a Niche zero. What questions about the prime do you have?

tompoland

Gtbarringer work flow would be interesting and also any difference you notice in the cup compared to whatever grinders you were using preciously. Your impression of quality too, although I imagine it is top notch. Thanks!

Gtbarringer

Background info: I drink 2-4 espressos daily, no milk drinks and its City roast for beans.

HG Prime, as a total package, is my favorite grinder to date. Previously owned Nuova Simonelli grinder, Specialita, Niche, and DF64. Specialita was unimpressive and not super consistent for single dosing. DF64 with SSP MP burrs was fun to play with and produces really tasty brews. However the grinder is not fun to live with; the DF64 is too messy and loud. Niche is a close second because the work flow is beans in and hit a switch. My biggest complaint with the niche was every cup had a lingering astringency I could not get rid of. I experimented with ratios, timings, temps and it was always still there. HG Prime is best of both worlds (DF flavor + Niche workflow). Beans in, crank, and shake is my work flow. Brews are tasty without the lingering astringency. Hand grinding is the trade off for 83mm burrs for under $1K.

Build quality is impressive even more so when considering the grinder is sub $1k USD. The OEM Mazzer burrs are a significant portion of that cost. Fit and finish is top notch. Machining tolerances are tight and the parts fit together nicely. The grinder is assembled with industrial grade fasteners, and The only plastic part is the grounds sweeper. The stepped adjustment spacing is fine enough to dial in accurately. Overall, I am really happy and don’t have any urge to upgrade.

Knluk

Gtbarringer thanks for the detailed sharing. Great to know your are a happy user. What is your experience on the need to mount it?

Mind sharing the total cost to U.K. including shipping and tax? Anyhow, the HG-1 Prime looks like a very good grinder. Wonder what HG-2 can offer to justify the £400 difference.

Knluk

Gtbarringer did you import your HG1 prime to UK? How much tax you end up paying? Also it seems that the status is “in stock” on the website but when I click buy, it says not available. Did you buy it from the website?

I enjoy reading the inputs here as I am in the market to upgrade my JX Pro. I have been using it for 2 months. I lifted weight regularly. I thought grinding with the JX was easy and I enjoyed the manual process. But I recently feel the base of my thumb pretty sore. I grinder 60g -80g a day. It was the hand holding the container having issue. So, my objective it to find something with a solid base so I don’t need to hold lit while turning the handle. My budget is 1000ish and seems like the HG- Prime is the best choice?

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