Trying to figure out what would be the best hand grinder to pair with a Picopresso for travel. I prefer medium roasts. Weight is less of a consideration as I'll place flavor and function over a few extra ounces. I will only be using this grinder with the Picopresso.

Considering the following:
Kinu M47 Classic for richer berry and heavy fruit tones. Not sure about the mouthfeel.

1Z J-Max or K-Max - I'm confused by both of these. It seems that the K-Max is lighter and more citrusy like the C40 and perhaps better for V60?. The J-Max has a new burr configuration and some think it offers a muddier espresso shot and others say it's cleaner...

My daily grinder is an EG-1 and I'm awaiting delivery on a Weber Key .

I have both K-Max and J-Max and they produce very different espresso profiles. The K-Max profile is surprisingly close to big flat burrs such as SSP HU in EK43, bright, with high clarity and gentle body. The J-Max produces a more conventional "conical" style cup with heavier body, more mouthfeel and less clarity which works well with medium-dark roasts, especially for milk drinks. In terms of build quality and the uix - both are top notch.

Any of the Kinu M-47 manual grinders. Phoenix is the best bang for your buck. It is light weight, easy to dial in, quick to grind and produces great consistent grinds and coffee.

isido993 wrote:I have both K-Max and J-Max and they produce very different espresso profiles. The K-Max profile is surprisingly close to big flat burrs such as SSP HU in EK43, bright, with high clarity and gentle body. The J-Max produces a more conventional "conical" style cup with heavier body, more mouthfeel and less clarity which works well with medium-dark roasts, especially for milk drinks. In terms of build quality and the uix - both are top notch.

Thank you for this info. Yours is the most succinct evaluation of the two I've read so far. Most appreciated.

baristainzmking wrote:Any of the Kinu M-47 manual grinders. Phoenix is the best bang for your buck. It is light weight, easy to dial in, quick to grind and produces great consistent grinds and coffee.

Thank you Julia. Do you find that you have to RDT because of the plastic cup? If so then I wonder if I would get less static from the classic?

I got less static when I switched to a Phoenix. Didn't feel the need to RDT with either though, well only if I'd wanted the chaff stuck to the burr carrier when grinding for filter

JB90068 wrote:Thank you Julia. Do you find that you have to RDT because of the plastic cup? If so then I wonder if I would get less static from the classic?

If you use dark roasts, you would need the RDT, lighter roasts you will not. It will also depend on where you live and the humidity or lack there of.

I'm using a Kinu Simplicity and always need to RDT. Don't think it is affected by the plastic cup and I agree with Julia: it's about where you live and the humidity in your house.

After grinding I WDT in the plastic cup and after putting it in the basket, I do some extra WDT in the basket when it's still clumpy. Too bad the dosing ring is not taller, I think its too low which makes WDT a bit of a pain. Anybody found a nice high funnel without an inner edge?

I think Julia was emphasizing the roast degree. I live where the relative humidity is 60-80% (similar to Amsterdam) and find that the need to bother with RDT for my Kinu M47 Phoenix is directly related to the darkness of the roast. However, we almost never heat our house. If you warm the interior of your kitchen in the winter the RH will drop which could affect the static buildup.

I've pulled some good shots with the Timemore Nano Plus. On the upside, it's small--similar in height to the Picopresso making it good for travel. On the downside, it will not accommodate 18g of beans mandating that you fill, grind, dump, fill, grind, dump. It doesn't take long, but it's a bit of a hassle. The downside of this duo for travel espresso is weight: almost 2 lbs.