How to Grind Coffee Beans Manually? Eight Recommended Handheld Coffee Grinders

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Roasted Coffee Beans Cannot Be Directly Brewed

Some students or customers have asked this question: "A friend brought me a bag of coffee beans from abroad. How can I drink it at home? Can I just put it directly in a pot to boil?"

Actually, if you're not particular about it, of course you can—it's a last resort. The professional approach is to first grind the coffee beans into powder, then use coffee equipment to extract the coffee liquid.

Of course, there are many types of coffee extraction equipment, which we'll introduce and practice with one by one in detail later.

Today, we'll mainly discuss the degree of coffee grinding and how the coarseness and fineness of grinding affect coffee.

Coffee Beans Only Stay Fresh for 5 Minutes After Grinding

Test data from professional organizations proves that within the first 5 minutes of grinding, nearly 50% of active volatile aromatic compounds escape from coffee beans.

If you buy pre-ground coffee (except those filled with inert gas), don't expect too much in terms of taste and flavor—convenience should be your only consideration. Even the poorest grinding equipment will be hundreds of times better than buying pre-ground coffee. Enthusiasts should take the time to learn how to grind coffee beans properly.

To extract the flavor and essence from coffee, grinding roasted coffee beans before extraction is essential. This seemingly simple process contains much knowledge and attention to detail. In fact, many friends find their DIY coffee lacking in flavor and taste, not because the coffee beans are of poor quality, nor due to issues in the roasting process, and certainly not due to lack of freshness—the reason is often flaws in the grinding process.

After roasted coffee beans are ground, the complete destruction of cell walls puts them in a completely open state, and an enticing coffee aroma will permeate the surroundings. This is also the process of rapid aroma dissipation. Additionally, the rapid increase in contact area with air will accelerate oxidation, causing coffee beans to quickly lose freshness.

Therefore, ground coffee cannot be stored. Grinding should be done immediately before extraction.

The intensity and characteristics of the aroma released when grinding coffee beans are also important means of judging their freshness. The stronger the aroma, the fresher the coffee beans; the thinner the aroma, the poorer the freshness. Additionally, coffee beans that have been stored for too long not only release a faint aroma when ground but also carry a sour, stale smell—this point requires attention.

A single coffee bean has a surface area of 3.4cm², which expands by almost 10 times when ground.

The coarser the grind, the smaller the surface area of the coffee powder, the slower the oxidation rate by air, the smaller the contact area with water during extraction, the fewer beneficial compounds extracted, the lower the coffee concentration, the stronger the acidity, and the weaker the bitterness.

Conversely, the finer the grind, the larger the surface area of the coffee powder, the faster the oxidation rate by air, the larger the contact area with water during extraction, the more beneficial compounds extracted, the higher the coffee concentration, the weaker the acidity, and the stronger the bitterness.

The evaluation of grinding quality is not based on coarseness or fineness, as different grinding sizes are meant to match different extraction scenarios and satisfy different tasting preferences. The uniformity of ground particles is the main criterion for judging grinding quality. Some students like to make DIY coffee at home, using high-quality coffee beans purchased online, with acceptable freshness, excellent water quality, and outstanding extraction techniques. However, in the eyes of some strict professionals, they are "wasting natural gifts."

The reason lies in the extremely unprofessional grinding process—some particles are very large, while others have become fine powder. When extracting this mixture, the balance of extraction is completely disrupted, and the true, pure taste of the coffee beans is torn apart into something ugly and turbid. How can this express the authentic essence bestowed by nature?

Those interested in this can combine it with the later "Brewing and Extraction Chapter" for further study.

Just as we discussed different roasting levels, we need to provide a descriptive summary of the grinding coarseness of roasted coffee beans.

Granulated white sugar, table salt, and flour—these three daily necessities become important reference objects.

A. Coarse Grind

Coarse grinding does not mean allowing infinite coarseness. Granules similar to white sugar are the most common coarse grinding degree. This grinding level has relatively low extraction and is suitable for coffee brewing equipment that uses coarser filters or involves longer steeping times, such as French press pots.

B. Medium Grind

The particle size of medium grinding falls between white sugar granules and table salt. Most pour-over coffee brewing equipment with slow extraction processes is suitable for medium grinding, such as siphon pots and manual pour-over brewing.

C. Fine Grind

We often describe fine grinding this way: at first glance, it appears very fine, but when touched by hand, it has a somewhat coarse particle texture. Table salt is the closest equivalent in fineness. If using a moka pot, this grinding size is most suitable.

D. Espresso Grind (also called Fine Grind)

We can describe espresso grinding this way: it looks like fine powder but still has a slight grainy feel when pinched between fingers. Its fineness is between table salt and flour, primarily suitable for espresso machines to extract Espresso.

E. Turkish Grind (also called Ultra-fine Grind)

The ultra-fine grinding degree is similar to flour—it can turn to dust with a single blow, and when spread on a hard surface and pressed with a hard object, it won't make crunching sounds. This grinding level is mainly used for brewing Turkish coffee and is relatively uncommon.

There's a close relationship between grinding coarseness and extraction degree, but accurately defining it can be somewhat difficult for beginners. Besides finding reference objects like flour, table salt, and white sugar for comparison, frequently using fingers to pinch and feel, gradually establishing correct tactile sensory standards is the only way.

Introduction to Portable Manual Coffee Grinders (8 Models)

First, we need to know that manual grinder mechanisms are divided into two types: metal and ceramic.

Metal mechanisms tend to heat up during grinding, easily causing the coffee bean aroma to volatilize prematurely. Ceramic is fragile but basically doesn't heat up during grinding, so the resulting aroma is more authentic. Cast iron has a longer lifespan than ceramic. Although ceramic is wear-resistant, it's actually quite prone to cracking, and domestically produced ceramic mechanisms can rarely last more than a year. Cast iron, after long use, may simply become less uniform due to wear but can continue working for many years without breaking. The advantage of ceramic is that it can be washed, but in reality, it can never be thoroughly cleaned. Moreover, after washing, it needs to be air-dried, and repeatedly washing it increases the risk of accidentally dropping and breaking it. In fact, those who frequently wash it with water are mostly beginners.

Domestic Brands

Timemore Chestnut G1/G1S Titanium Manual Coffee Grinder

Price: Under 850 yuan

Review: Possibly the default choice for pour-over coffee enthusiasts: the most outstanding portable domestic hand grinder.

Why say this? The Timemore Chestnut G1/G1S grinder features a slender body, appropriate curves, and comfortable grip—very suitable for daily use as a manual grinder.

In terms of overall industrial design, grinding coarseness, and usage quality compared to imported hand grinders, it offers exceptional value for money!

Anonymous Second Generation Coffee Grinder

Price: 480 yuan (single origin) 560 yuan (espresso)

Review: The metal grinding mechanism uses stainless steel precision-processed by CNC. The internal body features a dual-bracket with dual bearings to fix the central axis. Grinding is uniform with very little fine powder, sturdy and durable.

A good value option among domestic brands!

Imported Brands

Japanese PORLEX Manual Coffee Grinder

©Xiao Ming Loves Travel

Price: Under 350 yuan

Review: Good at grinding fine powder, ceramic grinding mechanism. Small size, easy to carry. Generates less heat during grinding, resulting in less loss of coffee flavor. Disadvantage: with long-term use, fine powder gradually increases. Bean container capacity is small (35-45g). FrontStreet Coffee personally feels this has good quality and the highest value in the entire recommendation! Highly recommended 😯

Japanese HARIO Manual Coffee Grinder

Price: Under 200 yuan

Review: Ceramic grinding mechanism, easy to disassemble, can be fully washed with water. Compact size, good portability. The central axis is plastic, so avoid grinding especially hard beans. Slightly strenuous to use.

HARIO's grinding mechanism is manufactured by Kyocera and assembled in China. Kyocera's CM45 grinding mechanism can grind the powder needed for espresso. Personally, I feel that dedicated electric grinders are better for grinding espresso powder (excluding premium hand grinders like HG-ONE).

Entry-level hand grinders can consider this model 😯

Domestic Premium Helor 101 Manual Coffee Grinder

Price: 749-1029 yuan

Review: Stainless steel main shaft, portable, high-precision, all parts can be replaced, higher price. Available with espresso blades and also single-origin ceramic blades to choose from. Good feel, attractive appearance. Single-origin blade material is martensitic stainless steel, washable, rust-resistant. Less fine powder, high uniformity. Small bean container capacity (25-35g). The new upgraded version 108 - FrontStreet Coffee hasn't experienced it yet, the upgraded version might be better~

American Handground Manual Coffee Grinder

Price: 498-628 yuan

Review: This Handground manual grinder brings together thousands of coffee enthusiasts from around the world to participate in its research and development design.

Many manual grinders become people's choice of concern because their grinding coarseness adjustment range is small or non-adjustable. However, this manual grinder easily twists to adjust grinding coarseness with 15 settings. It features a 40mm conical burr made of high-strength alumina ceramic sintering, resistant to high temperatures and wear.

Another particularly praiseworthy feature of the Handground manual grinder is its side-positioned crank handle, which better conforms to ergonomics. Additionally, the wooden part of the handle is made from old coffee tree wood, adding more texture.

German Zassenhaus Quito Manual Coffee Grinder

Price: 699 yuan

Review: Uses dual-axis fixation, steel conical grinding head. It's a classic European manual coffee grinder brand with fixed central axis, uniform grinding, excellent output quality, and can even grind to espresso fineness.

German Comandante C40 MK3 Commander Manual Coffee Grinder

Price: 2459-3980 yuan

Review: High-nitrogen steel grinding mechanism, with more than twice the strength of ordinary 304 stainless steel and the same corrosion resistance. Each grinder comes with a transparent glass powder catcher and an amber glass powder storage container. Beautiful, with numerous color options.

Orphan Espresso OE LIDO 3 Manual Coffee Grinder

Price: 1100 yuan

Review: Lido is currently one of the world's most recognized professional and high-performance hand grinders, designed by Doug, the strange old man who is a famous American collector of old grinders and lever machines. Inspired by the Italian interlocking toy "Lido." The powder quality surpasses electric grinders under 1000 yuan (except for the tiring aspect of grinding). Swiss 48mm precision hard steel grinding mechanism. Copper alloy dual-axis system ensures grinding stability and powder uniformity. Easy to disassemble, convenient to clean.

Advantages vs. Disadvantages of Manual Coffee Grinders

Advantages of Manual Coffee Grinders

Affordable and portable: Home manual grinders generally cost only a few dozen yuan, with better styles and materials costing just over a hundred yuan. In the category of grinders, they are the cheapest type of coffee grinder.

Disadvantages of Manual Coffee Grinders

Low efficiency and labor-intensive: Electric grinders can rotate several thousand times per minute, while manual grinders only manage about a hundred rotations per minute. Therefore, the efficiency of manual grinding is relatively low.

Important Notice :

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