While electric burr coffee grinders are ideal for grinding coffee at home, hand grinders come in handy, especially for travelers and people looking for something economical.
The grinders are cost-effective in terms of energy consumption and are relatively cheap compared to their counterparts.
For this reason, we’ll take you through some of the best manual coffee grinders you can find on the market.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Best Manual Coffee Grinders: A Detailed Review
| Product Image | Product Name | Product Specifications |
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Best Overall: Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill Grinder |
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Best for Travel: Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Grinder |
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Best Value: Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton Pro |
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Best Manual Coffee Grinder Overall: Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill Grinder
Zassenhaus Santiago is a masterpiece hand coffee grinder crafted by notable German artisans. It has an innovative mahogany finish and a classic brass coating at the top and on the handle.
Zassenhaus tops our list because of its magnificent sturdy craftsmanship. It's detailed, and the fact that the company has existed for over 150 years assures you’ll enjoy a durable product that’ll serve you satisfactorily.
The grinder comes in a perfect size that can fit any kitchen space. It measures 5.5 x 3.5 x 7.8 inches in size and weighs about 2.1 pounds — making it compact for any kitchen and leaving enough space for fitting other accessories. However, it’s a little larger and bulkier than other hand coffee grinders.
This manual grinder has stainless steel conical burr that’ll crush your beans and extract the aromatic coffee flavor in them. It comes with an adjustment knob under its handle with many grind settings to adjust from coarse to powder-fine coffee grounds.
Pro Tip: It might take you a while to learn the settings. If using for the first time, do a few trial and error tests to get your desired grind settings.
The grinder has a brewing capacity of 40 grams at one go, and the grounds collect in a drawer ready for brewing. It’s user-friendly and flexible enough to operate on a kitchen top or between your knees.
Zassenhaus Manual grinder is perfect for espresso and AeroPress coffee lovers.
| Pros | Cons |
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Perfect Travel Companion: Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Grinder
The Porlex Mini is the ultimate choice for coffee-loving nomads. It's the most portable manual coffee grinder on the market, made of high-quality materials.
Related: Best Travel Coffee Mug: A Detailed Review
Its stainless steel body is cylindrical, and it comes with a rubber grip that keeps it in place while you’re cranking. The steel casing allows the grinder to withstand the rigors of movements without fear of breaking.
It comes with a stiff detachable handle making it easier to pack — just detach and pack separately as you see fit. Alternatively, you can attach the handle to a silicone band on the side of the grinder for easier packaging.
Porlex weighs 240 grams, which makes it one of the lightest manual coffee grinders. It has a ceramic burr set, meaning the burrs are easy to clean, don't rust, and have less static than the steel conical burrs.
This portable grinder can roast 20 grams of coffee in one go — an equivalent of two cups of coffee. This capacity is enough for AeroPress or Pour Over coffee enthusiasts.
One great feature you’ll love about this manual grinder is its grind settings. It comes with an easy-to-use grind adjustment dial — of about 16 clicks per rotation — that allows you to adjust the grind from fine to coarse settings.
The components of this grinder are easy to disassemble and clean — as shown in the video below:
While it lacks some grind consistency compared to other expensive manual grinders, Porlex Mini stands out as the perfect travel companion.
| Pros | Cons |
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Best Value: Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton Pro
If you’re looking for a durable, budget-friendly manual coffee grinder, you can’t go wrong with the Hario Skerton Pro. This model is an upgrade of previous designs with improved features that make it stand out from its predecessors.
The grinder is straightforward to use and comes with a glass jar that allows you to see the grinding process.
Cool tip: You can use this grinder’s base as a repository for the grounds by attaching the lid to the beaker.
Its hopper and lid are made of heavy-duty plastic to ensure the parts are more durable. Hario also added a non-slip silicone grip so that you can hold the grinder steady while you turn the handle.
The mill also features a non-slip rubber base that keeps it in position during the grinding process.
The Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill is lightweight (1.41 pounds) and compact (4x8 inches). Despite the size, this grinder has a large capacity — its hopper can hold up to 50 grams of coffee beans, and the glass bin holds 100 grams of grounds at a time.
The mill has different grind settings — from the finest to the most coarse — allowing you improved grind consistency compared to former versions.
Important to note: The coarse grounds produced aren’t 100% even. So if you’re a fan of cold brew or French Press, you may need to opt for Handground Precision Coffee Grinder.
On the quality of the burr set, Hario settled on ceramic conical burrs — rather than the steel burrs.
The cleaning and maintenance of this manual grinder is effortless. The entire unit can be disassembled, making it easier to get into the hard-to-reach areas of a coffee grinder. Here’s a video showing how you can use, assemble, and disassemble this grinder.
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Final Verdict: What's the Best Hand Coffee Grinder?
The best pick on our list is the ultimate Zassenhaus Santiago Mill Grinder. The quality of the materials used to craft this vintage manual grinder is unquestionable, and it comes with a 25-year guarantee. Expect nothing less than a quality performance.
>> Check out our full review of the best burr coffee grinders here
Choose the best grinder that fits your desires and start grinding with the Nomad Coffee Club. Join the club for fresh, delicious, and specialty coffee beans sourced from around the world.
Nomad Coffee Club has four different plans that include monthly, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month subscriptions. For each bag of beans you order, a portion of the sale is donated to build the Nomad school in Kenya.
Order your beans today and enjoy freshly ground coffee from the Nomad Club.
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