Cafflano Krinder : Portable Manual Coffee Maker, Handmill, Italian Metal-burr Coffee Grinder, High-Consistency, Easy Coarseness Adjusting, High Performance Coffee Grinder

I have owned and used many grinders of all sorts for many decades. From a $10 traditional grinder in a wooden box with drawer up to a $1200 Espresso grinder.A lot of thought went into the design of this grinder. There are so many nifty features I don't know where to start.First, let's answer the main question: Does it work!A resounding YES!Well down into espresso territory and far above espresso territory it produces a very consistent grind with little to no fines. Down below "5" however, be prepared for a workout. I don't do much espresso these days and I gave my good espresso machine to my daughter along with my espresso grinder. My current espresso machine, when I rarely use one now, has a pressurized portafilter, so I can't really test dialing in espresso until I get to my daughter's house next week and test it out on the good one.I use an Aeropress as my daily driver and this almost seems to be designed for Aeropress users. I used a "5" grind this morning and it was a bit too fine. However, the Aeropress did not choke, which means minimal fines. It was hard to press but the plunger never stopped moving. The coffee tastes better than usual, and I normally use an electric grinder. Next time I'll bump it up to "7" which should go a lot faster.Pros:Very uniform grind.Very repeatable, with indexed wheel and an arrow on the top of the spindle pointing at the current grind setting.The handle fits securely on the side of the grinder, and I mean SECURELY.The knob is comfortable.The steel conical burrs are LARGE and remain centered.All in all, I doubt if you can find a better grinder - manual or electric - at twice the price.Now for the quibbles. The manual is printed on the inside of the box in microscopic white lettering on a light tan background. SERIOUSLY? Fortunately, the design is so intuitive you don't need the manual.The hopper is just large enough to hold one Aeropress scoop, so this is not for making a pot of coffee. That crowd is not what this is designed for anyhow. This is a single dose grinder. Period.The quibbles I am willing to overlook because I think they did a wonderful job of designing and producing this grinder.

I've cranked many a grinder in my day - from rickety antique boxes to fancy-schmancy electric gadgets. So when this newfangled manual grinder showed up, I cracked my knuckles and prepared to put it through its paces.At first glance, this thing has more bells and whistles than a clown car. Adjustable grind setting, flip-up handle, measurement markings...do you really need all these gizmos to pulverize some beans? Sheesh. I was expecting a simple box with a crank, but instead it looks like a mini particle accelerator!But enough about aesthetics - down to business! I tossed in some oily beans and started cranking away like a madman. And you know what? This bad boy works! From sandy drip coffee grounds to velvety espresso fairy dust, this grinder can grind with the best of 'em. Although for super fine espresso grinds, you better have your Wheaties because it takes some serious elbow grease.Now, for all you pour-over fanatics, listen up. I ground up some beans at the "5" setting and brewed up an Aeropress. Well tickle my tastebuds and call me Sally! This was one smooth cup of joe with no bitterness or muck at the bottom. I did have to lean on the press pretty good though - so for next time I'll go more coarse. But all in all, a mighty fine grind for my morning mug!You're probably wondering - what's the catch? Well, a few minor quibbles. The instructions are printed inside the box and are teenier than a flea. But that's alright - this grinder is so intuitive, my grandma could use it (rest her soul). Oh! And the bean hopper only holds like three beans. Not ideal for grinding coffee for the whole block party. But for my personal travel brewing? Perfection.So all things considered, I'd say they really nailed it with this grinder. For a manual device, you'll be hard pressed to find one better engineered. It brings a tear of joy to my crusty old eyes. I hereby dub thee Sir Grinds-a-Lot! Now if only they could fix that handle storage system...

This Korean manufacturer came up with a beautiful and well-built little manual grinder whose style pays homage to great Italian coffee culture, all the way down to choice of font for the logos. It's a one-hitter; grinds enough in one filling for a double espresso, or a generous pour over cup. The grounds receptacle is clear, thick, and well-milled.Grounds are surprisingly uniform. I was able to make tasty Turkish, espresso, pour-over, and cold brew by adjusting the grind to the appropriate coarseness. The burrs cut into the beans easily. Obviously you will have to grind longer for a Turkish than a cold brew.There is a quirk: the grind marker wheel is numbered from 1 to 8, but it turns a total of three revolutions, which means there are really 24 grind settings. There is NO indicator for which revolution you are in. If you stay at a setting you like and there is only one user, you are fine. But if you want to set for different grinds then you will have to remember where you were on those complete revolutions, or dial back to the first "1" and start over again. Another option, which I use, is to put in a few beans and grind them to see where I am, and adjust, if necessary, from there. It's fool-proof, and at 5 AM, cold and bleary-eyed, I'm a fool.This sounds complicated, but it really isn't, once you have the unit in your hands and can see the issue. I'm sure you will enjoy fresh perfectly ground beans from a nifty little unit as much as I do. Just be aware of this quirk so you don't give up on it prematurely.This problem and the lack of good instructions are the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five. Everything else is simple, stylish, and it works!* revising to five stars because this thing is such a tactile/auditory/motor/olfactory delight to use every morning! (And the little quirks described above are helping to keep dementia at bay...)