Field Trip - Roustabout: Hario Hand Grinders

[hikesthess]

From the video i have the impression that the mini only has 2 pre-sets.1 for French coffee and 2 for espresso. Is that correct or there are more steps between 1-2 ?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@hikesthess No, we were able to use this for more preps. We have a couple of other videos featuring these grinders you might want to check out as they give more information than this overview - Kat

[joeldamianicigan]

Seems to be what you'd use to make Turkish coffee. I haven't tried making coffee in a cezve/ibik but from other YouTube videos, it looks delicious and interesting!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@joeldamianicigan It would be a TON of work, though, to grind that fine. We had to grind forever to get an espresso grind on it, and going fine enough for turkish might not be worth the elbow grease ;) - Kat

[ckaukis]

I don't do espresso, but I have your typical Cusinart drip machine (the one on Amazon with somewhere north of 2,000 positive reviews; it gets the job done I think) and I do prefer paper filters for it since I dislike the sediment. So, my question is can I use my Hario Skerton for drip coffee? If so, what setting (notches from bottom or top) have you found best? I like to make a pot and bring it to work and sip on through out the day. I have been unsuccessfully experimenting.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@ckaukis You can, but it might favor a finer drip than a coarser, for consistency's sake. We haven't experimented with it for drip coffee (just espresso and pour over), so I can't give you a notch number...and since all coffees are different, it might not be helpful even if I could. Sorry I don't have anything to offer you here ;) - Kat

[fwtechwiz]

I have seen some comments about the mount for the handle and sometimes the handle itself rounding off after a year or so, sometimes sooner. Seems this one is not without it's design issues too.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@fwtechwiz Yes - we haven't heard of this with the ones we've sold, yet, but we've only been carrying them for about a year. We have some other hand grinders we're going to test, though, to see if there are any other options that are as versatile, grind-wise, as these. - Kat

[junglenaut]

The ceramic slim has been a nice, very affordable grinder.

@3:39 he mentions the handle coming off. This happened to me pretty frequently on storage, often caught on other objects in the cabinet. The grinder went tumbling out once and the plastic receptacle easily cracked on my soft pergo floor. Beware!

Easy to adjust the grind but with the machine I'm using, I seem to be between two settings on the Ceramic Slim for espresso regardless of the bean (freshly roasted high quality espresso).

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@junglenaut Thanks for sharing your experiences! - Kat

[maxinvictus]

I'm considering the mini mill slim for a french press. Can you tell me if it makes a consistent grind for a french press? Thanks.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@maxinvictus It is fairly consistent, but a bit more suited for pour over (obviously) - Kat

[jsp48080]

So is there less wobble in the mini's burr set than the Skerton...I have seen video's of the very inconsistent grind of the Skerton @ coarse...just wondering if this was remedied at all in the newer design. Would love to see the mini with a glass canister as well and the Skerton with a lid....seems they should take the best of both and combine them...LOL

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@jsp48080 I agree!! Not sure about the wobble, seems to still be there somewhat, wish it was stabilized a bit better. :) - Kat

[aikidokamks]

The slim fits my budget nicely. Unfortunately I have to put off getting a Vario for awhile. I'm liking that vintage look grinder at the beginning on style though but it doesn't have ceramic burrs from what I've found. How big a deal is that? Once I get my slightly used Gaggia Carezza running and a grinder I'll be good to go :)

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@aikidokamks I don't think it's that big of a deal; it's a nice to have for longevity, etc., but steel burrs will get the job done. - kat

[fwtechwiz]

I have the Hario Skerton, and enjoy using it, made 3 modifications that greatly improved it. First ,addition of a nylon spacer under the mounting for the moving burr, stabilizes the shaft horizontally and eliminate wear on the mount hole. Second ,addition of a bushing and spring on the shaft itself, between the burr and the adjustment threads, which stabilized the shaft vertically. Much more consistant grind size now. Third ,replaced the adjustment cog with a nylok nut. Now it's stepless!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@fwtechwiz Awesome! Thanks for sharing as I'm sure others would love to tweak their grinder this way :D - Kat

[streetmackerel]

@fwtechwiz these mods are a big help, and don't forget the "bottom" rubber piece fits over the top of the hopper so you can maximize your workout and minimize bean loss.

[ntnnot]

@fwtechwiz Hi, about the placing of the spring on the shaft, is it underneath the plastic parts, between the burr and the nylon spacer? Or above the plastic against the nylok? Also, the nylon spacer, did you secure it with some glue etc.?

[deeptrtpozman]

@ntnnot the spring goes underneath the plastic/nylon parts, between the burr and the spacer. I used stainless washers on either end to protect the surfaces. To secure the nylon spacer, I used aquarium grade silicone cement from Lowe's. Note, it has come apart three times, so it dosen't seem to be a good choice for a permanent hold.

[ntnnot]

@deeptrtpozman Ok, thanks

[dayingyang0]

I love the mini slim hario grinder. I use it with the breville "my k-cup" single server brewer and the aeropress. It allows me to have a freshly ground cup of coffee each day without having to pay the hundreds for a good electric conical burr grinder.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@dayingyang0 That's awesome -- glad it is working well for you. It's definitely one of my favorites; great results at a great price. - Kat

[IamSteelManS]

I use Zassenhaus & Peugeot - they are not ceramics :(

But works great

[junglenaut]

Thank you for this. I can't afford an decent electric grinder for my espresso machine and this looks as if it will suffice. My friend really likes his Hario.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@junglenaut We did test these on an Silvia and they performed well so it's a great option for a lower cost grinder that gives you good results. - Kat

[azsingersigner]

I bought the Hario Ceramic Slim based on watching this video. I bought it from Prima, though, because you didn't have it in stock on your website. Just FYI! :-)

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@azsingersigner Yeah, the supply of these has been difficult to keep smooth, sadly. Still working out their US distribution kinks we assume. :) - Kat

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@azsingersigner Yeah, the supply of these has been difficult to keep smooth, sadly. Still working out their US distribution kinks we assume. :) - Kat

[kwantran]

Do you know if these go fine enough for turkish?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

I am not sure; I suspect they do not but we will test when they get in here in the next few weeks and I'll address it in the review. - Kat

[monkeycasa]

How long is it going to take to hand grind 7grams or how much ever it a shot is?

I'm interested, but I don't want to get carpal tunnel =)

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Hmmm -- well, we will get some of these in at the end of the month and I will time it for you then :) Our demo that we did was with pour over, which is a lot more quantity than 7grams. - Kat

[monkeycasa]

Ok, I'll be waiting for that video.

p.s. I watched about 1/2 or more of your videos so far =) Keep up the good work!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Thanks for the feedback! :) - Kat

[garbon2535]

Great video! I look forward to you doing your own product reviews once these grinders arrive.

[JmanEspresso]

What Deters people, is ease of use. Sure, a Rocky/Ascaso might be quicker, but it wont make a better cup of espresso. Fact is, people think cost=quality, when that isn't true. Heck, the Vario is $429, and its BETTER then grinders costing $800-900 dollars, taste wise, and consistency wise. It slaughters the Mazzer Mini, yet the mini is almost $300 more!

For the true enthusiast, or anyone wanting the best grinder under $400, these Harios are it. UR going to sell these like hotcakes!

[JmanEspresso]

in my opinion(and most enthusiasts would probably agree), first, I think its PERFECT that you guys are going to be carrying hand grinders now, and secondly, I think you should be marketing them to anyone getting into espresso, who isn't going to spend at least enough to get a Baratza Vario. The Hand Grinders just beat out every entry level grinder up to the Maz Mini, and they're about equal the Baratza Vario/Super Jolly level of grinders.. yeah, they're THAT good!! :) Awesome Kat!!!

[JmanEspresso]

IMO, hand grinders are SO overlooked, and I think its terrible. My FIRST espresso grinder, was a vintage Peter Deines hand grinder, and I still own it today, and I can consistently use it with my La Spaziale Vivaldi II, and pull shots just as good as I can with my Mazzer Major, or Macap Conical(like the Mazzer Kony). The Hario Skerton is under $50, and has been tested on a GS/3, and a plethora of entry level machines, and it works wonderfully

[perdolum88]

i hope you guys do your own review on these - I'm looking into buying a burr grinder, but am wary about spending >$200 for one! this may be the trick, as I wouldn't mind working a little bit for the grind

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

We will do our own reviews once we get our stock in -- they are currently still backorderded in Japan. The price on these is really good, though - well below $100. - Kat