Hi,

I am a student on a budget, and am looking to get the best grind for my buck. Can anyone recommend a hand grinder that they have used that produces a good grind for $100 or less? I have looked at orphan espresso and am just wondering if anyone has tried anything from elsewhere. Thanks for your help!

zassenhaus makes great hand grinders, you can sometimes find them on ebay for a decent price, or try and find an online seller. they have one that is metal instead of wood, quite small and portable. It sells here in canada for $75 canadian.

Hand (grinder) Jive - a photo essay

The Hario Skerton (http://sweetmarias.com/prod.hario_skerton.php) is another possibility. I have never used one, but both Mark Prince and Tom Owen seem to like it. Supposedly, it grinds fine enough for espresso.

For $40 that Hario grinder could be just the thing. I wonder how the grind compares to the Kyocera.

If i dont get one for x-mas i will order it and reply back in early January to let you know how well it works. Looking at the website and a youtube video, the Hario looks like a good buy at a pretty good price!

don't overlook the kyocera cm-45 for $75. they can be hard to find, OE has a good write-up on the cm-50 & mentions the cm-45 [http://www.orphanespresso.com/OE-PFP-Hand-Coffee-Grinder--KYOCERA-CM-50-UPGRADED_p_3325.html] must say that i haven't used one but plan to purchase one soon as their available. best of luck and lets us know what you get.

The hand-jive thread shows a handful of brands that can be had from ebay that CAN work for espresso, but don't always. If you decide to buy used, ask the seller to test it first.

PC

I have used a Skerton for the last 6 months a great grind the handle tends to work loose, fixed with a fibre washer.
However I noticed yesterday that the outer burr had cracked presumably something hard had gone through it

Having said that it produces a great grind for espresso and easily changed for my chemex
Gaz

I have a Sözen Turkish mill, a Hario Skerton, a Kyocera CM-45, and a Porlex (the taller, old style one). I use the Porlex for espresso as it has the best burr stability. I find the Kyocera burrs too loose--both the clip that holds the inner burr to the shaft and the pegs which hold the outer burr to the frame. The Kyocera, however, is fine for AeroPress, but it does have a static issue. The Sözen is great for Turkish coffee (obviously!) and about as good as the Kyocera for espresso, but not so good for AeroPress. The Hario Skerton is almost useless to me. I don't use it. I personally feel this grinder is trading on the Hario name and not on the grind quality it produces. However, it is cheaper, which must be taken into account.

Now having said all that, Orphan Espresso's remodeled Kyocera CM-50 looks very good. Essentially, it's a Hario Skerton, but they've solved the burr-wobble problem. Take note: Kyocera hasn't solved the burr-wobble problem, Orphan Espresso has. As much as I dislike the Hario Skerton, what OE has done to the Kyocera CM-50 makes it a very worthwhile consideration. I'm very interested to know if anyone has purchased one and what they think of it.

So, my recommendation to you would be either a Porlex or the remodeled Kyocera CM-50 from OE.

I haven't ever tried the Skerton, but I own the Mini Slim and bet there are some similarities. I think it's very compact and attractive. I've been quite happy using it for AeroPress. This past Thanksgiving holiday, I went through about 1/2 a pound of espresso with it... and I unfortunately wouldn't recommend it for that purpose.

Grinding fine enough wasn't an issue at all for me. I had to back it off 5 or 6 clicks to not choke my machine. Comparing the flavor to my Super Jolly, the shots were good, but certainly different. They weren't as warm or well rounded as what I had been accustomed to, but still tasty. The real problem is with the degree of grind adjustment. There were only 3 settings within the espresso range, and I had to settle for less-than-ideal shot times all week. It's just not constructed for very small adjustments.

It's fine in a pinch, but I can almost guarantee frustration if you tried to use it every day for espresso. Note that the Skerton may be different, however.