Have you ground your own coffee beans and enjoyed how fresh the taste is? Or maybe you like waking up in the morning, grinding your own beans, and making your coffee and it tastes fresh and delicious like you just went to a coffee shop?
Maybe you have been grinding your own beans with an automatic grinder and you hate how it wakes up the whole house or that you can’t bring it with you when you go camping. If that’s the case, you’re in luck, we’re sharing the best manual coffee grinders!
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Why Do You Need a Manual Coffee Grinder?
There are a few reasons why you should get a manual coffee grinder.
- They’re quiet
- They’re portable and perfect for traveling
- You can make a fresh cup of coffee by grinding your own beans
- They’re perfect if you only want to make a cup or two
- It’s fun to go through the process of grinding, brewing, and drinking your morning cup of coffee
- No batteries or electricity needed
In short, having an automatic coffee grinder is a great addition to add to your home. You’ll be able to have fresh coffee every morning, bring the grinder with you to the office, on vacation, or to go camping.
You will also be able to make your coffee even if you accidentally buy whole beans and have it taste fresher than the pre-ground you might typically buy.
They’re also a lot quieter than an electric coffee grinder and you don’t have to worry about waking up the whole house in the morning or waiting to make your coffee until everyone is already awake.
A manual coffee grinder does take more effort than the alternatives because you have to manually grind the beans.
However, they are a good back-up to have on hand even if you plan on using an electric grinder most days!
Here’s a quick look at the top 8 best manual coffee grinders!
Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder
- Ceramic burrs
- Stainless steel body
- 20 gram capacity
Triple Tree Manual Coffee Grinder
- Ceramic burr that won’t add heat during grinding
- Silicone lid makes cleaning easy
- Comes with two 11 oz glass jars, brush, and two tablespoon scoops
- Adjustable grind control
Akirakoki Manual Coffee Grinder
- Premium wooden body
- Cast Iron burr
- Adjustable grind settings
- Easy to clean
Comsoon Manual Coffee Grinder
- Adjustable grind selector for more coarse or fine coffee grounds
- Lightweight and small size make it easy to travel with
- Built to last, it’s made of food-grade 304 stainless steel
Vkchef Manual Burr Coffee Grinder
- Portable
- 6 adjustable grind settings
- Stainless steel burr
- Balance grinding
- Eco-friendly glass bottle
Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill Grinder
- Grounds collect in the front drawer for easy removal
- Varnished in beach wood
- Burr made from high-grade tool steel
- High quality
Silva Manual Coffee Grinder
- 18 manually adjustable grind settings
- Ceramic burr
- Stainless steel body
- Portable
Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill
- Ceramic conical burrs
- Nonslip rubber base
- Detachable hand crank for easy travel and storage
Let’s look at the grinders in more detail!
Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder
Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder
- Ceramic burrs
- Stainless steel body
- 20 gram capacity
The Porlex Mini has a stainless steel body with ceramic burrs. It is a high-quality grinder and it’s small size makes it perfect for traveling with.
The slim design of this coffee grinder makes it easy to grip and grind beans quickly. The Porlex Mini is also made in Osaka, Japan.
Pros:
- Sturdy
- High quality
- Smooth operation
- Portable
Cons:
- The black knob on the handle may be too small if you have large hands
- Some have reported it’s hard to grip when grinding
Triple Tree Manual Coffee Grinder
Triple Tree Manual Coffee Grinder
- Ceramic burr that won’t add heat during grinding
- Silicone lid makes cleaning easy
- Comes with two 11 oz glass jars, brush, and two tablespoon scoops
- Adjustable grind control
The Triple Tree Manual Coffee Grinder is made with a ceramic core, has a silicone top and a stainless steel crank. The ceramic core does not heat up which ensures your coffee stays fresh.
It’s also easy to disassemble and clean. The silicone lid is especially easy to clean or rinse off. The silicone bottom prevents the grinder from sliding around and making it easier to grip.
It also comes with a few bonus items: two 11oz glass jars, a brush, and two tablespoon scoops. You don’t need to buy other accessories for this grinder if you don’t want to, the jars, brush, and scoops are sufficient.
Pros:
- Easy to take apart to clean and put back together
- Adjustable grind sizes
- Comes with a brush, two glass jars to hold coffee, and 2 tablespoon scoops
- Easy to grip and turn the grinder
Cons:
- Some buyers have reported it takes too long to grind the beans
- Finding desired grind settings takes trial and error
Akirakoki Manual Coffee Grinder
Akirakoki Manual Coffee Grinder
- Premium wooden body
- Cast Iron burr
- Adjustable grind settings
- Easy to clean
The Akirakoki Manual Coffee Grinder‘s body is carved from one block of high-quality wood. The company states that the wood casing will never break. The burr is made out of cast iron and is easy to disassemble for cleaning.
It has a durable burr that will never rust and adjustable grinding so you can control how fine you want to grind your coffee beans.
Pros:
- Sturdy
- Easy to take apart to clean
- Grinds well
Cons:
- Takes some trial and error to find desired grind consistency
- You have to remove the handle to get to the adjustment piece
Comsoon Manual Coffee Grinder
Comsoon Manual Coffee Grinder
- Adjustable grind selector for more coarse or fine coffee grounds
- Lightweight and small size make it easy to travel with
- Built to last, it’s made of food-grade 304 stainless steel
The Comsoon Manual Coffee Grinder is made out of food-grade stainless steel and food-grade plastics. It has a modern and sleek finish.
The design is long and skinny with a foldable crank that makes it very easy to throw in your bag and take with you when you’re traveling or camping. The design also makes it easier to grip when grinding coffee beans.
Pros:
- Precise and adjustable grind sizes
- High quality
- Handle folds up for easy transportation
Cons:
- Can only grind 1-2 cups of coffee at a time
Vkchef Manual Burr Coffee Grinder
Vkchef Manual Burr Coffee Grinder
- Portable
- 6 adjustable grind settings
- Stainless steel burr
- Balance grinding
- Eco-friendly glass bottle
The Vkchef Manual Burr Coffee Grinder has a stainless steel handle, body, and burr that empties into a glass body.
It has 6 grind settings for a consistent grind from coarse to fine. It’s small size and sleek design is also perfect for easy gripping. The small size also makes it more convenient to travel, hike, or camp with!
Pros:
- Consistent grind
- High quality
- Easily portable
- Stainless steel burr
Cons:
- Daily cleaning should be done with a brush, not rinsing it out with water
- You have to contact seller for instructions to take the grinder apart for a thorough cleaning
- Has a small capacity for holding grounds
Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill Grinder
Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill Grinder
- Grounds collect in the front drawer for easy removal
- Varnished in beach wood
- Burr made from high-grade tool steel
- High quality
The Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill Grinder is a German-made grinder made out of beech wood. It comes in a few different colors and has a steel burr.
The coffee grounds grind into a drawer in the front that is easy to remove. Its box-like shape is unique and the grinder is built to last.
Pros:
- Adjustable grind settings
- Built to last
- Smart and unique design
Cons:
- Finer grind setting may be difficult to crank
- Can slip out of your hands
- Coffee may start to grind more coarse over time
Silva Manual Coffee Grinder
Silva Manual Coffee Grinder
- 18 manually adjustable grind settings
- Ceramic burr
- Stainless steel body
- Portable
The Silva Manual Coffee Grinder is made out of stainless steel with a ceramic burr. It’s a high-quality grinder that’s slim design is made for it to be easy to hold and to easily take with you when you travel.
It also has 18 grind settings so you can get an accurate grind every time and can hold enough coffee grounds for about two 8 o.z. cups of coffee.
Pros:
- Quiet
- Easy to clean
- Easy to travel with
- Made of quality materials
Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill
Cons:
- Takes a while to grind beans
- Small size
Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill
- Ceramic conical burrs
- Nonslip rubber base
- Detachable hand crank for easy travel and storage
The Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill has a ceramic burr and has a reinforced hexagon-like shape to make it easier to grip, reduce wear and tear, and help improve grind consistency.
It also can hold up to 2 cups of storage within the container and is slim and lightweight to make it easy to travel with.
Pros:
- The shape makes it easy to grip
- Size allows for two cups of ground coffee beans
- Good quality for the price
Cons:
- Takes some effort to grind
- Doesn’t fit inside Aeropress
What Should You Consider When Looking For The Best Manual Coffee Grinder?
Size
You should consider the size and shape of your manual grinder when you are searching depending on what you want to use it for. Are you looking for one to bring with you to the office, to go camping, or to use every morning or a couple of times a month in your home? These are all things to consider because it will affect which size you should get. So, for example, if you are planning to take it camping with you, you should definitely get a small grinder that will be much easier to pack and transport. If you plan on using the manual grinder in your home, you don’t have to worry so much about the size, but might want to consider a shape that will be the easiest for you to hold.
Capacity
Another thing to consider when choosing the best manual coffee press for you is the capacity. Are you making coffee for yourself, or for you and your significant other, or frequently for a group of people?
This is something to keep in mind too when picking out a manual coffee grinder. You don’t want to find that you are often making multiple cups of coffee for friends and family and are stuck having to go back and forth grinding the coffee beans and emptying them out if that’s something you don’t want to do.
Type of Burr
The burr is the part that grinds up the coffee beans. Typically the burrs in manual coffee grinders are steel or ceramic.
Steel burrs tend to be sharper and stronger than ceramic and can grind your beans quicker. However, they do tend to be more expensive than ceramic. Ceramic burrs are also strong, but are a bit of a lesser quality and usually don’t last as long as steel.
If you are planning to use your coffee often, I would go with getting a manual coffee grinder with steel burrs. If you are looking to get one to bring camping with you or on road trips, you might want to consider ceramic burrs.
Quality
If you don’t plan to use your manual coffee grinder every day or only to go camping or travel a few times a year it’s totally okay to buy a cheaper quality grinder. But if you are buying it to use regularly, you should definitely invest in one that is made out of high-quality materials.