A Beginner's Guide to Coffee Grinders
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2021
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Some grinder-related videos I've made in the past:
Blade Grinder Hacks: • Coffee Hack: The Best ...
Best Cheap Manual Coffee Grinder (2019): • The Best Cheap Manual ...
On £50 burr grinders: • £50 Burr Grinders: A B...
Ultimate hand grinder showdown: • The Ultimate Hand Grin...
Wilfa Svart Review: • Grinder Review: Wilfa ...
Wilfa Uniform, Fellow Ode, & XeoLeo Comparison: • XeoLeo Vs Fellow Ode V...
Fellow Ode Review: • The Fellow Ode Grinder...
G-IOTA/DF64 Review: • The DF64: Niche Killer?
Niche Grinder Review: • Review: The Niche Zero...
Weber EG-1 Review: • The Weber EG-1 (Episod...
Ultimate Grinder Showdown: • The Ultimate Grinder S...
Upgrading Grinder Burrs: • Should You Upgrade You...
On Grinder Static: • An Espresso Essential?
Understanding Espresso Grind Size: • Understanding Espresso...
Links:
Patreon: / jameshoffmann
Limited Edition Merch: www.tenshundredsthousands.com
My Books:
The World Atlas of Coffee: geni.us/atlasofcoffee
The Best of Jimseven: geni.us/bestofjimseven
Find me here:
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Things I use and like:
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My current studio coffee kit: kit.co/jimseven/studio-coffee...
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Neewer Products I Use:
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geni.us/neewersl60
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I just put the beans in a ziplock bag and smash them to bits with a heavy saucepan. Coffee so good it wakes up everyone in the house.
I chew them, shit them out then wash them and dry them under the sun.
@@sebaba001 poor man's cat shit coffee
Might be the grinding that wakes everyone up...
@@duffpaddy3996 😂😂😂
Oh, awake for sure, and I bet with your name on their lips LOL
In France as a kid, I remember grinding beans being almost a community activity. My dad used to sit in the garden with a few neighbours, they'd each have a wooden box hand cranker. They'd be out there for hours, drinking wine, smoking ciggies and generally having a good old time of it. It may or may not have been entirely about grinding beans, but, we always had fresh coffee.
My French grandmother used to make the best smelling coffee. I never got to have any though. My mum and dad would a bowl of black coffee with a croissant in the morning. They had a wooden grinder but they always woke up too early for me to see it.
This type of thing, in general, is what the modern world is missing.
I still have a wooden box type grinder, It is very sloooow ! And I don’t use it much, it’s sort of an ornament now.
The real pleasure of coffee has gone away, the smell as your local coffee seller roasted the coffee, it used to permeate the whole area in the mornings.
@@CrimeVid same! I sometimes use it for grinding spices. It has this adorable little wooden drawer to take out the grinds. Love it
If I saw that last grinder in someone's kitchen my first thought would be "that's a cool telescope"
"microscope" come to my mind.
I though he would compare the different textures or something crazy like that. hehe
🤣🤣🤣
Telescope would be cheaper.
@@rerikm yes!
@@hothmobile100 not if it is a Leica XD
As someone who accidentally purchased whole bean coffee last week, doesn’t own a grinder, and resorted to using a mortar and pestle this morning to grind my beans, I found this extremely helpful!
and? how did it go ??
I did the same thing. I used my Ninja blender. It worked decent enough but I’m in the market for purchasing an inexpensive but sturdy coffee grinder
As someone who has a good handgrinder: I was tempted to try this out of shear curiosity. How did it go?
@@zacharybennett3249 I've done it once as a test, if you have the patience to do it will make a very fine grind. but it is messier than handgrinding and takes more effort.
@@aargh93 So it would be worth it for a turkish coffee but probably too much for an espresso without putting it through a sifter?
I discovered James Hoffmann 4 weeks ago and yesterday, I bought my French Press. I want a hand grinder next.
Here in Namibia, it's next to impossible to get one
Good thing is, uniformity isn't the most important thing when it comes to French press brewing. If it's almost impossible for you to find a burr grinder, just use the next best thing.
Do you guys have aliexpress there? If positive, there are a few awesome options there, from Timemore C2 (50 to 70 USD), through 1zPresso K-plus (350 USD), and many more
I think you can actually use a mortar for frenchpress. Good brewing!
As others have said, a mortar and pestle can grind fine enough for French press. Hope you enjoy!
Really?? Oh, how I want to send you one.
James Hoffmann: Here's another 20+ minute video about something about coffee...
Me: You had me at James Hoffmann
So True. I'm a few videos in and I'm in Love
OMG Did you really say that?!?
@@derek7284 Absolutely. What's wrong with loving a presenter. I fall in love with all sorts of things. Coffee, Motorbikes, Food, People the list could go on. You get the idea.
= Theory =
01:23 Why do we grind?
03:24 Quality pre-grind vs. cheap fresh grind
04:08 Grinding uniformity
05:15 Grind size control
05:59 Skillshare ad.
06:44 Blade grinder
08:00 Burr grinders
= Hand Grinders =
08:19 £40
09:27 £100
10:47 Expensive
= 11:25 Electric Burr Grinders =
11:39 £125
12:47 £250
13:52 £350 Classic espresso grinder
15:24 £400-£500 Modern universal grinders
16:13 Retention
17:56 Conical vs. flat burrs
18:37 Replaceable burrs
19:26 An expensive grinder
much appreciated 🤗
thanks, saved me some time
Thank you!
非常感谢你分享这些精彩的理论和经验，我认为磨咖啡豆的正确方式是非常重要的，这直接影响着咖啡的味道和口感。我也看过那个Skillshare广告，有点长，但很有用！
you’re awesome, thanks
I've been binge watching this channel for few hours already, I don't even drink coffee...
It's fascinating that there's so many tools to just create a cup of coffee.
Indeed there is
That’s ironic and endearing at the same time.
James: the joy of grinding coffee
me: * carefully spinning the handle of my fragile cheap hand grinder for several minutes * haha... yes... the joy :')
me a beginner: bought a 5 dollar Chinese knock off hand grinder and i spun it with as much power as possible, if it broke i can justify buying a new electric grinder
biggest part of why i often drink instant nescafe coffee even though i have beans, grinder, and whatnots
@@adewilliam9047 No shame in drinking instant, especially if you doctor your coffee up with milk and sugar and whatnot.
When you upgrade dont throw it out! Makes for a terrific pepper mill.
I have outsourced it to my daughter these days.
I never considered buying a grinder until I started following this channel so that has been very informative.
Did you use grind coffee?😳 It's impossible to get any decent result
James is the head of the secret underground burr grinder maffia.
A common problem with JH videos: I always need more expensive gadgets after watching :-)
I used to have my coffee ground at a local cafe. Stored it in a ziplock bag and I could always tell it was stale within a few days. Got so bad I would make cold brew right away instead.
czcams.com/video/sJe4CH78RiU/video.html
I have a 40 + year old Krups 203 blade grinder (serial number 410) that I could barely afford to buy as a poor college student. I learned to rapidly pulse, rotate and shake the little Krups as I ground the beans to get a surprisingly uniform grind. I also learned never to overload it so the ground coffee wouldn't heat up or get compacted on the bottom and sides. I lived in a little house in the hills outside of town and made my coffee from a mountain spring. Fellow students and professors who came out to the house for extended discussions under the trees, including seasoned and prideful coffee aficionados, said I made the best coffee around. The Krups 203 is still going strong, now mostly as a spice grinder.
This video taught me that I am far too poor to care about coffee grinders
This video taught me only with $3000 for grinder, you just need only £300 left for an espresso machine
Incredible timing on this video, because my coffee grinder just broke yesterday and I'm in the market for a new one.
Couldn't have come at a worst time. My coffee grinder broke and I just bought one yesterday
@@baselayoub I’m sure the Aldi Crack o Matic will serve you well.
@@windowdoog the burrs sound like putting razor blades in a garburator
Same here! I’ve been looking for an upgrade and this couldn’t have been a better surprise!!
After watching the entire video, this is pretty basic information. I thought he was going to get into more detail like motor wattage or clean up
Glad to see 1Z Presso getting some exposure. Have had a JX for about a year, performing solid.
And remember, they are from Taiwan and 1 in Chinese is pronounced like the letter E. Its easy-presso, not One Z-presso.
Thank you past me for choosing to minor in Chinese, it finally paid off.
waiting for mine to arrive .. gonna be a bit of a long wait , but hopefully worth it ..
I bought one when a local place became their Canadian distributor. I sort of wish I future proofed myself with a JX-Pro, but espresso grinding is a bit much by hand with lighter roasts.
I definitely agree with Hoffman about an electric for daily use, but the JX is perfect for my aeropress and moka pot routine.
the jx-pro is phenomenal. I use it for v60, aeropress, clever dripper, and flair. i've gone through a couple cheap ceramic burr hand grinders and own a baratza, the jx-pro is faster by quite a lot. I've timed 11g, 15g, and 30g grind time and the average speed is like 1g/1.6sec (maybe twice as long for espresso settings). and the uniformity is just about at the commandante level for 100 dollars less (im sure there's some observable difference that is some marginal diminishing return).
Yeah I have a JX pro, really great results from it. I prefer it over most of the commercial espresso machines I've used that haven't been maintained to the extent they should be. Also with darker roasts it makes pour overs that stand up to an ek43 (I prefer the ek43 for nice fruity light roasts still).
That little Q2 in the video is a fantastic travel grinder. I kinda laughed a bit when James compared the construction materials of the C40 and the Q2.
I just love youtube. I don't drink coffee, never cared for it. But I find the window into other communities absolutely facinating.
In the Netherlands, we don't really value coffee for its quality but more for the caffeine. It was beyond eye opening when I went to Indonesia and had amazing quality coffee. Ever since then, to keep things simple, I have owned a blade coffee grinder and a French Press. Up until I discovered your channel I hadn't considered the grind uniformity at all and just thought that the finer the grind, the better the coffee. I'll be looking for a hand grinder to give me a much better grind uniformity.
Of course! In the Netherlands there isn't much value for gastronomy in general! Any country in the world is an incredible source and eye-opener for the Dutch. Greetings from Belgium.
I am someone that becomes very easily overwhelmed with the many choices I have as a (coffee) consumer. I appreciate how relaxing, informative and balanced your walkthrough is here, so thank you for that!!
This video must be your nightmare then... haha
James just called using a blade grinder an act of violence 😂😂
He's not wrong.
Bean flavor death by a thousand whacks.
I love them for spices.
@@joeees7790 He mentioned that. I agree. Spices that are coarse by default (whole ones for freshness I think) are HELL to grind yourself. ~15-30 seconds with cinnamon or nutmeg electrically is much nicer than minutes by hand.
they work good for herbs, making powdered sugar and when you want a thinner granule flour
I accidentally bought a blade smasher once and took it back immediately. The shop people were slightly taken aback by how cross I was about it. I refuse to call it a "blade grinder" because it doesn't grind anything. Useless machines.
My favorite aspect of James Hoffmann’s videos is that he never sounds condescending to people like me who’re just getting started. Even in videos that aren’t just getting started guides, I don’t feel like he’s letting snobbiness overtake educating
At 75 I am enjoying learning about coffee with your video's. Thank you. Over the years I have owned two coffee grinders. A Breville Smart Grinder which failed after several years due to it's electronic. I currently have a Capresso Infinity and enjoy it's simplicity. I make single serve by weighing my beans. Thank you for helping me understand dosing. The Capresso is simple to just turn the switch to 9 and let it grind until it clears. I can hear when it is finished. I tap the catch cup with my knuckles to clear the grounds. Otherwise the left over grounds wind up on my counter.
I stumbled on a Japanese-market hand grinder at a thrift store, and it turns out I really enjoy the process of hand grinding. It also slows me down, each cup I make takes longer, each cup is an event. Helps me keep my consumption down to two cups a day.
Very real😊
You have a talent for going into a lot of technical detail while keeping the content entirely accessible and interesting. Clearly a lot of thought goes into exactly how things are explained. Bravo!
Indeed if he hasn't already, James might show up on TV one time and tell us all about the advantage of elliptic burrs over logaritmically shaped ones. Bad joke, that, yet Mr Hoffman would lay out the difference like they were glass beads. A stroke of talent besides that of brewing the most decent of cups !
@@reuireuiop0 talent and very intense and consistent preparation and rigorous editing, this is not "off the cuff" ,spontaneous, "Hay, let's riff on coffee."Mr Hoffman is thoroughly perpaired, and that takes a lot of time and effort.
Here I am looking for a cheap manual grinder cause I've just bought myself a 300 espresso machine thinking that was the most expensive thing to buy in order to make some espresso .... huge mistake 😂. Thanks for your very helpful videos !!
10:25 I finagled the mechanism on mine so that I can grind with a power drilll. It's a cheap and efficient upgrade, and as a bonus I get to find more out about people by whether they react with glee or disgust when I make them coffee for the first time
Genius… just saved me £400
I started with a skerton, for...8years before upgrading to a Niche Zero...it changed my life in the morning..
Skerton for me too. Upgraded to Wilfa Svart. Next step up will be Wilfa Uniform.
I heve the comandante C40, extremely satisfied and will recommend it. I don't do espresso, so I can't comment on that. Have a nice weekend you guys.
Comandante smashes Espresso fine grinding. Had some delicious espresso from it. Great, versatile, and durable
@@JLoofie True! I didn't consider the commandante as useful for mel until I saw the guys at Barn Berlin pulling espresso shots from coffee ground by the commandante.
I bought a cheap Hario Mini Slim as my first real grinder, couldn't be happier. When I'm tired of using my own muscle to grind, I just pull out my cordless drill, set it to high torque gear and off we go, no more manual work! 7mm socket fits the Hario very snuggly :D
You attach the 7 mm to the center point where the handle is connected or does the handle come off? Where do you attach the drill?
@@Iconoclast1919 the handle originally is detachable (it's actually how you put the beans in the grinder) and sits on the 7mm. So just removing the handle allows you to attach any 7mm tool, including a drill.
@@Frexus0 Awesome!!! I have the tools to do this, so thank you very much for posting this suggestion and for answering my question. Coffee lovers unite! 😄
Very informative, thanks. Some people really have too much money. That last machine is hugely over engineered, I’d love to see a blind taste test with it up against a handheld grinder, and a £250 electric one. That’s the only way I would overcome my scepticism that it is no more than an overpriced lifestyle accessory for rich people with Smallbone kitchens and Range Rovers. A colleague roasts and grinds beans at home. He brought in some ground coffee , and we each made ourselves a filter coffee. I was completely unimpressed with the taste, it was nothing special, in fact I found it bland. However, I was very high from the caffeine, so much so that I felt seriously uncomfortable. It was very unpleasant.
Me:
James: "Hey look, a grinder video"
Me: "Friendship ended with current grinder"
My current grinder is at my maximum ability to detect differences in the grind. Baratza Encore. The company encourages DIY refurbs and sells parts readily. The thing this vid made me think about is how much grounds might be un-purged between grinds, but it isn't enough for me to notice a difference in taste, so I'm still happy.
@@RecklessFables I just got mine Sunday! I noticed if I do a few gentle taps on the side I usually get anything left inside.
@@RecklessFables I bought Baratza Encore just recently after surfing Internet and reviews. It’s a fabulous grinder if you don’t care about espresso. From my experience it retains max 1g. You can slightly hit it from the sides after grinding to get lasts bits of your retained coffee (but usually I don’t bother with doing it unless you are doing cupping at home 😅).
@@RecklessFables I also have the Encore, with the upgraded burr. Very happy with the consistency.
1Zpresso JX Pro has become my favourite grinder by far, it's just addictive and works so well!
I've heard is even better than comandante
I have the 1ZPresso Q2 and it also works pretty well for any kind of filter coffee. It's not quite as nice as the JX Pro of course.
I am an engineer, and I grind coffee beans everyday with a hand grinder with using an electric drill rather than elbow grease.
The one that I am using is the one next to the blade smasher shown on the table.
My coffee brewed with using an electric drill often shocked my teammates.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who does this.
This is genius!
I did the same!
I ruined my hand grinder though by doing this :( so I bit the bullet and bought a Eureka Mignon Specialita. Hopefully I'll hand it down to my grandkids.
I do this as well! I have a Hario Conical Ceramic burr grinder, and I just take off the handle and stick my DeWalt drill on it, and it seems to be much better than what I can do with my hands lol
Надо пойти дальше: создать на штативе держатель для корпуса кофемолки и держатель для дрели. Чтобы уже совсем ничего руками не удерживать. И автонажиматель на курок дрели с регулируемым усилием. Мммм, красота получится для кухни. А главное, если суммировать стоимость всех компонентов, получится даже не намного дороже какой-нибудь Eureka Mignon или Baratza Encore.
James has a way of pulling you in to his videos. I can spend hours watching his videos and nobody comes close to him with his depth of knowledge, research and presentation manner and delivery. A real pleasure to listen, watch and learn. Thank you!
The ultimate grinding technic for the cheap conical grinder:
The uniformity of grain size produced by my cheap-ass soviet plastic conical grinder with aluminum grinding "stones" can be improved dramatically by doing grinding twice! The first time I grind the coarsest possible particles the grinder can produce. The biggest size that goes through is probably 1/8 of a whole bean size. Almost no dust is generated during this step.
The second time I grind the desired granularity. There are no big hard beans that cause the cone to rock from side to side during the second pass and the smaller grains are distributed uniformly around the cone, centreing it and making grinding even more uniform.
If you are not in a hurry (I am personally not in a hurry if I start my coffee), then you should definitely try this out!
good tip! I use my cheap electric grinder on course, then finish with my cheap hand grinder on the final setting desired. Better coffee, no. time adjusting grinds, less effort with the hand grinder and extended time being cheap before buying the higher priced toy!
interesting technique. I'm really surprised that james showed the EZpresso Q2 which I own, but even that metal grinder can produce a lot of fine coffee dust.
Thanks for the tip! It's greatly appreciated
Best grinder we've used, is one of those SPONG #1 cast iron coffee grinder. We've had ours for over a decade, and it's still going strong.
I did the same
I think it's definitely important to mention the time difference between ceramic and metal burrs
I bought the cheapest manual grinder on Amazon and the ceramic burrs took almost 5 minutes just to grind 1 cup for myself (that was about €17).
I then upgraded to a hero S01 steel burr grinder which chewed through the beans by comparison, finishing in about a minute, so much nicer to use (for about €40/50) and well worth it.
Yeah I had given up on cheap manual since my ceramic was so bad and time consuming. Move a slightly more expensive metal one and it is perfect.
Are you able to make espresso with it?
@@alexcarra918 I'm not sure tbh since I don't have an espresso machine but I think it might not be that fine
Hi mate, I have a Bialetti Mokka Express stovetop cafetière.. I’ve been using ground coffee but I’m just wondering how fine does this £40 grinder make your coffee?
Just discovered your channel and I am so happy that I did. About to binge watch a bunch of these episodes. Thanks for including the full range of grinders all the way to the top tier, it is very helpful to see what the top quality looks like to acquire a better understanding and gauge the differences between them. Thanks for the great content!
I’m here after watching your appearance in Tom Scott’s video.
I’ve had an interest in making my own coffee and what excites me about watching your videos is envisioning my self discovery and journey of finding the different grinds and methods of coffee I personally enjoy.
I’ve watched your French Press video before this one and I’m thinking that style of coffee is both the most affordable as well as enjoyable path for me at the moment.
I’m looking forward to seeing how diverse my taste tolerance is along with learning different methods of brewing coffee that I can enjoy practicing.
Gives us an update in one year on money spent 😆😂
One of the most important lessons I learned very early in my coffee journey is how important a quality grinder is. Every bit as important as the coffee you're buying
I'm hoping my Baratza Encore will serve me well. I've never had a grinder so I'm a bit nervous. I can't physically hand grind so I had to get a machine but from another of James' videos I decided to skip the cheaper "entry level" burr grinders.
From what I could tell this is also an entry level grinder, but for serious grinders.
@@spamcan9208 loved my Encore had if for a long time, enjoy!
@@spamcan9208 I am also about to purchase my 1st electric grinder, how are you finding the Encore? I am very interested in the Encore too but the reports of it being a very messy grinder are putting me off, can you shed any light on whether these reports are true? Does it leave coffee grounds all over your kitchen worktop everytime you use it?
@@mariosavva999 I'm really happy with it. I've been using it anywhere from 1-4 times throughout my day for the past 6 months now. Having your own grinder is like unlocking a game level. You can buy one bag of whole beans and use it anything from the Aeropress to V60 and everything in between.
It also allows you to tweak settings, if for instance your Aeropress is too easy when you push, you can grind a little finer.
As for your concern about being messy, I don't have that problem but I think I know why other people are: retention (and perhaps letting the machine over fill the bin past the white line.) I noticed that this machine can hold onto a lot of grinds if you are grinding >10 on the settings (especially the more oily beans.) If I don't account for that by giving a 2-3 taps on the side and 1 on top of the hopper and go to move the grinder without its bin in place then yeah, it can get a little messy. You can use a flashlight to check if the discharge chute is clogged/starting to clog. Which reminds me, get a set of straw cleaning brushes that are used for sports water bottles. You can bend them to fit up the chute better and they (should) have something protective on the tip to keep the metal wire from gouging the plastic. You'll see what I mean with the included brush. A can of compressed air can also be handy but only do that outside! (I've used a squeeze bulb designed for camera lenses inside, however it can still make a mess if you're not careful.) I clean mine once a month, sometimes more, but I also use it a lot on a very fine setting and it's also the type of person I am. You might be fine every 3-4 months.
Protip: weigh the grinds not just the beans going in the hopper. You'll not only ensure you have the correct amount for brewing but if you lost a gram or two inside the machine that tapping didn't get out. I made this mistake in the beginning and was wondering why my coffee was so inconsistent at times.
Another HUGE plus to this machine is that EVERYTHING is available, from parts (you have access to everything that was used to build that machine) to diagrams and how-to's if it breaks, from Baratza themselves. It's all on their website. Even how to test the motor with or without a multimeter! It's been designed with home diyers in mind, including upgrading the burr set if you want. You can also send it to them for repair.
It was it hard to make the jump and click "buy now" but I'm so glad I did. Can it make a mess, absolutely but I think that goes for all grinders because even those thousand dollar plus ones require you to clean them out every so often and nothing is immune from retention.
@@spamcan9208 thanks so much for your very detailed response! I decided to buy one!
It has just arrived today, looking forward to giving it a go and seeing how it improves my coffee!
I also hate mess, so will follow your advice to try and avoid it...have you been using the water on the beans trick to avoid any static?
Yes the fact that this grinder is so serviceable was one of the deciding factors.
I started watching James during lockdown last year after I purchased a cheap espresso machine, by the beginning of this year I became a Patreon member of the channel, had bought a La Pavoni Europiccola and the Professional, a Bezzera grinder, a manual puq press and a Genecafe roaster, I’m going to do a coffee course if my state of Victoria,Australia would stop going into lockdown! I must say I’m still learning all aspects of coffee roasting and making, but thank you James for constantly piqing my interest.
Like I'm looking in a mirror from England! 😂😂
Well that escalated quickly
For the hand grinders, you can always supply your own motor in the form of a power drill.
That’s what I was thinking. I have a few high-torque variable-speed motors in my garage. Basically cordless drills and impact drivers. Which hand grinders allow for easy removal of the crank and interface effortlessly with a the hex or Jacob’s chuck of a drill?
@@mitchkronowit3633 I think that would be hard to come by, you might have to make some kind of creative modification or you could perhaps take the handle off and mount the shaft into the drill as if it was a drill bit if its long enough?
Nah, just hook it up to a stationary bike, and really WORK for that coffee! NOW MUSH!
I just recently started grinding my own espresso beans, and the difference in flavor is considerable - exactly the sort of big step up that James is talking about. Settled on a Capresso ceramic burr grinder, which does the job quickly and quietly for well under $200. Perhaps most importantly, your partner can sleep through the process. Retention is resolved with a couple of firm taps w/ my coffee cup (works with the stainless steel version; maybe not the best idea if you get the plastic case.)
11:45
James: "That's a great way to start the day"
Me: Unless that day is in fact started by your housemate powering up their jet engine of a grinder at 6am in the kitchen next door
Ooh my sympathy for you. I never grind before 8am or 9am at weekends,so I don't upset my neighbours.- I have a cheap electric grinder,like the first one pictured,and damn it is loud !
@@neilthehermit4655 That's why i connect a drill to my hand grinder for optimal sound and speed control.
I once had to wake up at like 3 AM for a coffee event where I had to set up and had a roommate and desperately needed coffee and in my delirium I tried turning the sound down on my grinder so I wouldn't wake him up. It didn't work.
@@neilthehermit4655 I have one of those. Wrapping them up in dishtowel and then running them does a surprisingly good job of quieting them down.
James: "I've done a number of different videos on particular grinders"
If, by "a number" you mean "more than a dozen", then yes.
I prefer the term "some", james has "some" videos on grinders.
That is some subscribers James has :)
It's definitely a certain amount
Always a quality review, James. As I'm about to upgrade my hand grinder, I have returned here and will now go find your reviews on individual grinders. Thanks for keeping it real.
James, I want to thank you for helping me get into making better coffee. I never knew how much of a difference grinding my own coffee at home from whole beans instead of using pre-ground coffee would make. I got a Hario Skerton Pro on sale and brewed a small pot after running through a few grinds to find the size I wanted to use, and I think for the first time since I started drinking coffee about 10 years ago, I'm drinking a cup of black coffee that I can honestly call delicious.
I'm not using the fanciest equipment money can buy. I'll probably step up to a metal grinder one day, but good lord, I never realized that coffee could actually be so good. For all of my coffee-drinking life, it's been either horridly bitter or about 30% cream and sugar by weight.
I'll probably stick to manual grinders since there's just something primordial about doing something manually. Turning a screw, opening a can...that kind of thing. Plus, they're smaller, and my coffee station needs to take up less room in the kitchen or my wife might be a little unhappy about it lol
Invested in a Bratza Encore this winter and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my morning coffee routine. Even convinced my 65 yr old mother that fresh ground coffee is better and she’s been a pre-ground die hard my entire life.
I really really appreciate how your beginner's guides are actually for beginners, no overly complicated coffee language or making me feel dumb or anything, just very helpful information! ☺️❤️
Just bought my first burr grinder after decades of using a blade grinder. OMG, the flavour of my morning French press coffee is just at a whole new level. Thank you!
Found this channel a few months back now and it sparked my interest in making good coffee at home. I've since bought my first espresso machine and grinder and I'm having a blast!
Thanks for all the help and info James 🙂
I'm in the same journey but in a way previous phase (just starting actually). any tips/gear recommendations?
I'm thinking I should start with a french or aeropress and am now looking into grinders
@@sergiogodinho9992 If budget isn’t a thing, I recommend the best in the market, the Comandante C40, mine have been around for 3 years already, still rocking it. I have went through aeropress, v60, slow drip cold brew, and now espresso with it. Best hand grinder in the market imo.
@@RobertitoAtlas unfortunately , budget is a major thing as I'm just starting out , but definetly appreciate the tip !
czcams.com/video/sJe4CH78RiU/video.html💪
What machines did you decided to buy?
I’ve got the Wilfa Svart after having a Hario Skerton. To anyone watching, please skip the Skerton stage (although comes in handy whilst travelling etc). I ended up not looking forward to grinding in the morning! Svart is great and I got it brand new for around £70 (watch for deals!).
I had the exact same path, and completely agree that upgrading to a Wilfa is night and day!
IMO a good grinder is the most important piece of equipment. Everything else can be pretty satisfactory if inexpensive- grinders are the difference between good and great coffee results
Your videos have been really helpful. Over the last 15 months I've been forced to make my own coffee. I had no idea what to buy because I always relied on a local coffee shop to make my coffee for me. I tried using a hand grinder but with no idea how they actually worked or what made one better than another I had a horrible experience. With no idea what justified the price, an electric grinder just seemed really expensive. In the end, I used a blade grinder because the price was right; free. My plan was to use it until I could figure out how to select a proper grinder.
Now that I've watched your video, I have an idea of what I'm looking for. Thank you so much.
I handgrind every morning. It's very satisfying to earn your cup of coffee.
I have a Hario MSS-1 and I am very happy with it. 😁
High quality hand grinders take about 30 seconds and are very easy to turn
What I need is a "taste off" between - say - a Comandante, a Uniform, a Niche Zero and an EG-1. Some of that exists, but it's the comparison of the hand grinder against the electric models that is interesting
A blind test
High end hand grinders compete with electric grinder up to about the $600 mark. The niche zero is only slightly better than something like the c40
You have to look for commercial-grade electric grinders to fully beat a quality from Comandante. For home set-up, grinders like Baratza Forté or Niche Zero are perhaps better than Comandante but they are still very comparable in terms of grind quality.
@@dtonpbac the forte is noticeably better than the c40
@@Adam-vx6to Not really, if you compare their grind size distribution analysis.
I splashed out on the Porlex mini last week based on an old video review, and so far it has been an absolute joy.
I did think James was overstating the pleasure of grinding your coffee by hand in the past. Taking something he personally enjoys and assigning significance that was undue. I was a fool, I wish I could have guests round so I could grind more bean.
It's also always an added joy with guests, especially when they're not "into" coffee. My friends realizing that I'm about to put in extra work to make them a great cuppa always starts an interesting conversation. Converting them all one cup at a time.
I use the porlex mini with my Rok espresso machine. Its such a good grinder. Couldn't recommend it more,. Obviously if I was getting a more expensive commercial / or home espresso machine would get a better grinder. But this little manual one for a manual machine is fantasric and will last!
I went for the Porlex Tall. It's excellent. But for some reason it doesn't come with the rubber strap thing that you get with the Mini (why??). So you have to order that as a spare part, but it only costs like £1.50. Without the rubber strap, it's not so easy to grip the thing while you're grinding.
@@richardemerson8075 I have a commandante and this is my only complaint about it. The metal surface is quick slick and that makes it hard to hang onto at times, especially at espresso level grinding. Almost impossible. Thankfully the radius is perfect for slipping on on those rubber 'livestrong' style bracelets, which helps a great deal.
When I first bought a coffee grinder I was very impressed with the noticeable improvement in the flavor of my coffee using fresh beans. I didn't care about the grind consistency at first. But then, very quickly, I noticed how the finer coffee particles would silt up the bottom of my cup, as I use a metal mesh filter with the pour over / emersion method.. The coffee I like needs to be ground between fine and medium. In order to grind most of the particles to the best size, I end up grinding almost half the coffee too fine and it passes through the filter mesh. I can't stand to buy paper filters. They reduce some of the flavors in the coffee. And I really just want coffee making to be super simple. I should probably get a dual mesh stainless steel filter. I never thought I was into being a perfectionist about making my morning coffee. Now I'm shopping for a new grinder because it actually matters. Great video.
Witch grinder do you have now? I have a Bratza encore, but I don't like it.
Welcome to the rabbit hole of coffee making at home 🤣👌
Just be mindful of those diterpenes.
Your videos have been very helpful as I try to move away from Keruig K-cups toward something more sustainable and better tasting. There are so much to consider, from grinders and coffee to methods and measurement. Thank you for helping me on this journey to improve my coffee experience.
All my current coffee equipment I have because of James Hoffman. When I discovered him a year ago I had pre-ground coffee (from a good quality coffee shop, mind you) and a Bialetti Venus stovetop coffee maker.
My first improvement was to invest in a Comandante C40 hand grinder. I lived out in the countryside in a small cottage and didn't have the counter space for an electric grinder, and I wanted to make espresso, not filter, so the Comandante seemed like a great choice. Instantly my coffee tasted better; fresh ground coffee is so much better. I was using the same technique, and I matched the grind size to what the coffee shop used to sell me pre-ground.
The second thing was I started getting coffee direct from Square Mile, freshly roasted. Coffee flavour went up another huge leap.
Third thing that happened was I realised I wasn't actually making espresso, stove tops can't do that (no, I didn't realise), but I still had the no counter space issue and certainly no budget for the kind of espresso machines James says do a decent job.
So, forth thing was investing in a 9Barista stove top espresso maker, which actually makes espresso! And it does! It obviously comes with some control limitations, but the step up in flavour was incredible. Now I was making espresso. Yes, they all tasted disgusting for about three weeks while I actually got used to how get the best out of the 9Barista, and how the different coffees I was getting needed to be ground, but once dialled in, super improved coffee. My issue now is that I wish my Comandante wasn't a stepped grinder.
I have since moved from the complete middle of nowhere countryside to a lovely country village which actually has a few shops, one of which is a coffee shop, and damn it, they make exquisite coffee! I regularly visit a majorly coffee loving city and get high quality espresso there, but this guy in his tiny coffee shop in my tiny village blows them out the water. He nails it every time. So now I get a coffee from him every day. Sometimes weeks go by without me using my Comandante or my 9Barista, and that is a sad, sad story. But the coffee shop guy's coffee is so much better!
Final part, despite all this, I still want a Zero Niche.
$3500 grinder with a $20 Hamilton Beach coffee maker.
That's the only way to roll
Now that made me laugh! It's what I will probably end up with.
Hahahaha I hope he makes a video where he mismatch equipment of difference price range
With 3500$ i can buy coffee from my local Starbucks for 1069 days
@@izzyr9590 honestly, it would make for a pretty awesome video! Start with store bought ground coffee in a cheap coffee maker, then work your way up to the $3500 grinder. It would see what's the best you can get from a cheapo Hamilotn Beach!
This definitely has convinced me to stick to just upgrading my hand-grinder a little. From your advice, I'd already started hand-grinding, and it really has changed my coffee experience for the better. Might have also been good additional physio as I was recovering from broken wrist. But hate the sound of electric grinders anyway, plus space they take up. But that extra minute to two weighing and grinding the beans, and getting those additional aromas, plus, being able to have few different bags of beans on the go, just can't be replaced now! Thank you so much for improving my home coffee making!
I just purchased my first grinder (the first one you showed) last week and it's perfect for me. I love it and I appreciate your simple yet very informative explanation.
I'm certain that it was the day on which I bought my first proper coffee grinder I grew from boy to man
😂
I had a little hario for about 4 years and was very happy with it. I recently bought a wilfa uniform and the pleasure it brings every morning made it completely worth the money. It's so quick and easy I love it.
Amazing video! Thank you very much! I am about to upgrade my grinder and go from a hand grinder to an electrical one! Now I realise with aspects to keep in mind when shopping next time - grind uniformity is a new one to think about! Thank you very much! I very much enjoyed your subtle comparison between the uneven grind and chopped potatoes! Have a great day!
Absolutely agree about the smells if freshly grounded coffee!
Ordered and love the manual TIMEMORE Chestnut C3 Pro Manual Coffee Grinder.
Can't believe I waited so late in my life to grind fresh coffee.
As someone who just bought a Specialita after spending the first year of making espresso with only a hand grinder, it was nice to see it representing the 'traditional' style of espresso grinder in this lineup. One thing I've particularly liked about it aside from the quality of the grind is that it is wonderfully quiet. Going from a hand grinder which obviously has no motor noise whatsoever, I've been pleasantly surprised!
I just have the crono and it’s fantastic! (Not to say I’m not saving up for a new one! 🤣🤣
@rogue I recently got a Specialita and I typically get 18g in 7 seconds. I may have more tinkering to do with it but I am only using it for espresso. I have an Encore for coarser grinds.
I get 20g in 9.2 seconds (typically, it varies with each different beans) on my Specialita.
@rogue Or the motor is running too slow. Maybe a 230V model running on 120V?
Specialita here. 16g in 10.5 sec. You can open the top, de-install the upper burr - usually you have to do anyway for cleaning from time to time - and just re-install. Videos existing on YT. Maybe it´s getting to a more usual grinding duration.
I bought my first grinder, a Baratza Encore, about a year ago. It makes great tasting coffee, is easy to use, clean and is nicely made. I'm not interested in making Espresso at home so the Encore works well for me.
I'm similar to you. I got a Baratza Virtusoso as my first grinder. I'm wondering if Baratza doesn't exist in the UK as we've never seen James with one.
Yep, the Encore does a fine job on most lazy days. For workout days, the 1zpresso JX steps in to team up with my arm and keep the good coffee coming. Both at affordable prices.
@@dodaexploda James did a Wilfa Svart v Baratza Encore grinder head to head. They both did a fine job though James' preference was for the Wilfa. I thought the Wilfa was too fussy so went for the Baratza . I bought my grinder in the UK online. I presume it's a euro model as I have to use the included ac adaptor to plug it in to the wall. czcams.com/video/1gm6UfD9qSc/video.html
@@markrocks692 ahhh, that's from 2017 which is why I haven't seen it. Thanks for the link.
@@markrocks692 Why did u think the Wilfa was too fussy? I am trying to decide between the two.
James calmly describing a blade grinder as performing “acts of violence” on coffee beans is exactly why I watch this channel.
I've Purchased a vintage German hand grinder Zassenhaus De Ve Holland Kungenthal
I own 6 Vintage German coffee grinders total
I love the Vintage German coffee grinder they grinder coffee perfectly
Also very tactile to hold
And service
Also I have collected Italian made varous Vintage Bialetti Moker from 60s 70s 80s all sizes
I also go to the Algerian Coffee shop in Old Compton Street Soho London for Bialetti Moker parts an Great coffee beans
I love my fresh grind Coffee brew in Vintage Bialetti Moker slowly
Its a ritual every morning an afternoon
A way of life
From London Carlo
So happy to see a 1Zpresso grinder on the table, I've loved my JX grinder
Love this Beginner's guide series.
Would love to see an episode, that we could call How to prioritise when starting with specialty coffee. Where's the biggest return of my investment?
Is it worth spending a so-so amount on everything (beans, brewer, grinder, filter water, scale...)? Or is it better to make a bigger investment up front into one of these, while the others can be a cheaper option?
Is it worth spending big money on beans if I have a cheap grinder?
Or is it most important to focus on training my taste buds and bettering my brewing methods?
Yessss I’m just starting out and I don’t know what to get/ progress! I only have a grinder and a basic filter coffee machine that pours water
Grinder > everything else.
Next would be the brewer. Depends what you want - if filter, there’s little point spending more than a simple aeropress. For espresso then you need to spend min £400 for entry level prosumer machine.
Scale v marginal benefits beyond a £5er. Beans marginal benefits once you’re buying speciality coffee roasted c2 weeks ago. Water marginal benefit once you’re using appropriate water eg Volvic or Ashbeck.
Grinder! Is the most important thing to spend money on
Definitely the grinder!
I'm with the grinder team. If you don't start with good beans (means whatever roast and taste you prefer!) and a fresh (means immediately before preparation) consistent grind appropriate to your brewing method, you will never get optimal results no matter how sophisticated your brewing gear.
This is the most helpful video I’ve come across as I start educating myself on grinders. Thank you for breaking down variables to look out for!!!
I remember grinding coffee with a granny handmill with a drawer. That was a really good feeling. Highly recommend just for the nostalgia.
I still use one :)
I was excited seeing a 1Z Presso grinder featured! I got my JX-Pro in January and I love it. I started with a Hario Skerton in college and then a couple years later got a Handground (not really much of an upgrade but I really liked the idea of a crowd funded coffee grinder). If I could go back I would’ve skipped right to the JX-Pro. It’s definitely more expensive but with it I’ve been making the best coffee I’ve ever had at home.
Sounds familiar to me! I´ve used a Hario Skerton for 4 years until I fnally upgraded to the 1ZPresso Q2 in March 2021. Grinding beans has never been such a quick and enjoyable process before.
Very happy with my regular JX as well (very quick!). Not doing espresso so perfect one for me. Will probably never have to upgrade which is a nice feeling.
Love my JX-Pro, amazing grind quality and so easy to use.
Really appreciate the beginner series you have been doing lately. Thank you so much for the quality content!
I've gone and added a Vevouk manual burr coffee grinder with stainless steel burr to my Amazon wish list after watching this and am therefore now looking forward to, at last!, getting a decent cup of coffee in the not too distant future :)
Neverwinter Nights, now that was great game.
Not coffee related but kudos to the profile pic.
Excellent video. As a coffee novice this is exactly what I wanted to hear as I'm looking for a grinder and not wanting to waste any money in the process.
Lelit Mara X and Eureka Mignon Specialita make a fantastic combo for most people looking for prosumer grade gear
Nice, I almost ended up with this combo but got a second-hand Strega instead.
1Zpresso crew represent!
I just recently upgraded to a metal burl handgrinder from Silberthal that only cost about 40€ compared to the old wooden metal bur grinder my mom got from a colleague back from the 70s. I must say it's much more enjoyable grinding with the new one as I can actually adjust grain size rather nicely (though in steps) and it's a lot less noisy (which is amazing for me) and takes only 1 minute at most if I go for an espresso grind compared to at least 2 minutes with the old one.
i’m just now starting delve into the world of coffee starting with my Chemex and I gotta say I was just SCRATCHING the surface of all the fine details to make a good cup of coffee. from grinders to paper filters and different techniques, there is a lot to know than just pouring water into ground coffee and making bean water. This is especially the case with my grinder. from the electric grinder, to a shitty manual grinder I bought from my fav coffee shop to buying another somewhat better grinder off of amazon, MAN I feel like i’m still starting from the beginning yet i’ve gone so far. the rabbit hole is just beginning for me…
“Worrying about needing to upgrade” this describes most espresso machine owners
As well as the photographers, audiophiles and all other sorts of hobbyists.
It's so funny, because it's true. I went from a cheap thing that was a waste of money to an expensive-ish thing that was great until it failed. Then a full-on commercial unit. Then a boutique manual lever. Grinders went from whirly to full commercial, then a boutique countertop unit. NOW... I have a Cafelat Robot and B-Plus Apollo hand grinder, and am at the end of the journey. I can travel with it. It lets me live nicely in a small space, anywhere I can get hot water, including a campsite. The results are as good as the coffee I can find. The irony is that I might not have realized it if I had started here.
Buying a machine? Why would I do that? I just get bored and starting building my own in the detached garage.
My partner was so shocked when I said I was thinking about selling the espresso machine and replacing it with a new one lmao
@@ericpmoss ahh, this sounds like you explanned so many features of life, using coffee grinders. Thank you for this, it was really wholesome.
I bought a Specialita and printed a single dose hopper. It's exactly what I need at a very reasonable price
I really like the detail and way you explain, there is no question you could talk in detail to any point and here I am at the end of the video and all I needed were the first four grinders. 👌
James, I think yours is the very first channel I’ve ever subscribed to, and I’ve been using CZcams since it first came out. I think my blood pressure drops 20 points while watching. Really appreciate your expertise.
The amount of amazing content James puts out is just incredible!
For sure, I can see why he has such a devoted fan base. His stuff is so well produced, well spoken, and informative.
I'm sure he wouldn't want people taking his word as gospel though, as many seem to now. Preferences and differing opinions are important!
I love reading the comments in his videos…. Then I realize how manny innocently hilarious things he says
I started with preground, then got a blade grinder which lasted me a long time and worked fine for my French Press. Finally a few years back I upgraded to the Barazzta Encore and while by no means a super high end machine, it certainly made a huge difference in my coffee. We tend to use the Aeropress and the a French Press, so quite different grind sizes, and it seems to do a really good job at both.
The Encore is a fantastic value and it's my go-to recommendation for most people.
@@BenCotten oh good, because I just got mine and I'm still nervous that I paid too much money for something that I'm not good enough to use lol
@@spamcan9208good luck. Figuring out what grind makes the best coffee is one of the joys of grinding yourself
Wow, just thought I might find out how to make better coffee by grinding my own beans. That was amazingly clear and informative and so well presented without any of the artisan palava. It’s gotta be one of the best information deliveries on any subject I’ve seen on CZcams. Thanks James
Yeah wish James would do more on grinders, coz you often end up in those hipster infused coffee sipping testing, while I'm more interested in how well it works and it's maintenance. James presentation is always clean, and I do wonder when BBC will contract him to do this type of consumer show on TV
This was my best video today on coffee Grinders. and ive watched quite a few today. :) I liked the fact that the grinders purpose and features were explained but not compared. I feel that this will be helpful in me choosing my next step up grinders. Great job!
1Z Presso is great value and also a necessity for me when I travel. It is machined phenomenally. Ergonomically though, I never understood the desire (besides aesthetically and maybe ease of machining) for perfectly round, smooth finished hand grinders. When your hands are a little greasy or just slippery, gripping the thing can be difficult even with the slightly textured cork "grip".
This video is something I've been waiting for a long time. I could understand all the theories behind each sentence, but when I have to introduce a grinder to someone, there wasn't a video for them, talking about the diversity, price, and grind result, which is also not too deep for them, but contains all the aspect someone should know if they want to dig deeper. Very, very good job! Thank you, James!
Excellent overview, thank you! I recently chose an espresso machine (very entry level but rated very highly by baristas and professional aficionados) as a birthday gift and want to to learn how to get the most out of it. I now realize I may have fallen into the rabbit hole of coffee fandom. 😳☕️ I love your teaching style and look forward to -your encouragement of yet another expensive hobby- learning even more! 😁 🤓
I've just bought my first grinder.
It'ss a second hand timemore chessnut C2 that has never been used including the original packaging for €10. What an incredible joy to use and have. Just had my first fresh ground home brew, I'm over the moon!
this is actually the video I was just hoping you would make, trying to move away from my blade grinder (it's all I've got :-/ )
Snap and unfortunately the Mother -in-Law bought mine, who gave birth to my wife, her darling Daughter on Halloween...🎃☕🤔🤭🤐
if you can, save up for the niche, I've had mine for about a month now, as an upgrade from the Breville smart grinder and I noticed a huge increase in coffee flavor, work flow, and time saved the Niche is ridiculously easy to work and use and does exactly what it says on the box....it is a tad pricy though I won't lie but worth it I think.
I have the eureka mignon crono for espresso. And for the price point I think it’s unbeatable. Also just treated my self to the fellow ode for everything else and love that too.
@@CF_Sapper waiting to get one!
Moving up from a blade grinder is something you will always appreciate, and you will never regret. I used a blade grinder for a couple of years, and when I first got a burr grinder it was like night and day.
A great video. You smoothly achieved the balance between rough overview / big picture and the essential details of each price category. I can see the amount of work that has gone into the script. You put yourself into the shoes of the aspiring newcomer or advanced espresso aficionado, and this helps to tailor the videos language for the intended purpose. Well done. You may consider teaching / designing scripts / teaching concepts.
Started with freshly grounded coffee/espresso beans a few years ago with this setting: De Longhi Dedica 685 + Graef CM800 electric grinder. After they both broke approximately at the same time, my new setting was:
Solis Barista Gran Gusto + Sage Smart Grinder Pro. I wasted a ton of beans trying to make decent espresso but the Smart Grinder Pro just gave me either espresso that was too sour or too bitter.
Now, I‘m desperately waiting for my Niche Zero from which I expect some really decent espresso experiences with different beans. Unfortunately, the Niche is only available in the UK and shipping to a country of the EU will cost me £30,- shipping costs as well as around a further €150,- of customs fee on top of the already hefty price the machine costs already.
Well, the things we do for (good) coffee…! ✌️😎
James, I’ve just managed to make my first delicious cup of coffee at home, and I e been making coffee at home for years, but after buying a new grinder and following your moka pot advice I’ve just had the best home brewed coffee of my life, thanks man! Exciting new coffee journey awaits! 🎉
Which grinder have you bought?
Something I'd take note of when choosing a grinder, particularly something like a hand grinder, is ease of changing the grind settings. If going between espresso and filtered coffee, ease of changing those settings can be important. Some grinders (hand grinders in particular) don't have any obvious indication of what setting they're on; it's trial and error. While stepless adjustment gives the maximum amount of control, some grinders feature easy to read numbers or wheels to change the setting and can save a lot of headache.
I ended up choosing the 1Zpresso K-Plus not only because of the improvements in design (the alternating magnet twist release for the chamber is brilliant), but because the 90 steps on the grinder is so effortless to use and keep track of settings when switching from the Aeropress (at work) to the V60 (at home), and I'm hopeful that the 90-steps will give me the refinement I'll need when I get a good espresso machine (until I'm willing to spend $1000+ for a grinder, anyway).
"Now to purge any retained grounds this grinder has a bellows, this one has a knocker, and the niche over here we just pick it up a centimeter or so a bit and drop it."
Sad but true!
Say it ain't so! I'm getting fed up with the variable retention in my Barratza Preciso and have been coveting the Niche.
It caught me by surprise when I first used it but this is very accurate.
@@sharvo6 the niche retains almost nothing in the ground chamber but some grounds will always get retained in the chute from static cling. Easily fixed by tapping the chute before starting the next grind with, in my experience, no need to purge with extra coffee even if you've adjusted the grind size.
Or just leave it as it is and don‘t worry about the 0.1-0.2g. Other Grinders need the bellow because they will retain 2-3g without. When I put 16g in I’ll get 16g out without any purging. The amount of exchange is so minimal, nobody will taste.
James is talking about Stepped and Step-less, and here I am with a Baratza Sette 270 Wi.
It’s stepped with a semi-step-less tuning dial.
A quality grinder was my most important coffee equipment purchase. It made a huge difference in the end result across all brewing processes; aeropress, v60, espresso. I’ve had the Baratza Vario for a few years now and am pretty happy with it because of how many settings it allows.