If you prefer to use a hand grinder rather than an electric blade or burr grinder, then this Hario model gets a lot of really good reviews. The fact that it has ceramic burrs just makes this mill work a great deal better.
You can see from the image that it also looks great and should be affordable for most people. This particular manual grinder costs in and around £21-25.
Buyers also rate it highly with an average rating of 88% buyer satisfaction. It also happens to be the best selling coffee mill over at Amazon UK and many other online stores.
The Hario Brand
Hario are a Japanese company who specialise in making high quality glass. They have been manufacturing heatproof glass since 1921. They also make speciality coffee and tea equipment.
The V60 coffee dripper is their most famous invention. Their range of very innovative products have been used by many baristas around the world.
Summary Review of the Hario Medium Model
Hario call this one their "Skerton" model and it is certainly a well made product. Now personally I use a burr grinder, but those are expensive.
This one works really well and is ideal for someone who just wants to grind a few coffee beans on a regular basis. My friend uses this one every day and I have also used his, and it is super simple to use and does a very good job.
We have completed a full review below. However if you are pushed for time you can click here to check availability at Amazon UK
Below you can see a video of this hand grinder being used. That will give you a better feel and help make your decision easier, to see if this Hario Skerton is the right model for you.
As far as hand grinders go, then this one is the best seller for very good reasons.
Features of the Hario Medium Model At A Glance
- Best Seller in Hand Grinders at Amazon UK and online
- Good quality hand grinder
- Easy to use
- Has ceramic burrs
- Dishwasher safe
MAIN REVIEW
Burr grinders are the best type but an electrical one is expensive. This one gives you the advantages of the burr element but at an affordable price.
It is not obvious how you can change the size of the grind but it is done by an adjustment that you will see when you take the handle off.
So simply unscrew the handle and you will see what looks like a washer. You can move this up and down until you get the thickness of grind that you are looking for. The more you turn this clockwise then the finer of a grind you can get.
To get enough ground coffee for one cup takes about 1.5 - 2 minutes of grinding. that is the other disadvantage of a manual grinder as it will always be slower than an electric version.
Burrs vs Blades
Squeezing coffee beans between two burrs is the best way of grinding coffee as it gives you more flavour. Blades use a chopping action and chops the bean into pieces.
By using a set of burrs you get more flavour. Most people would like a burr grinder but can not afford the electrical version. With this one you do get the burr, but you replace the electric power source with good old-fashioned elbow grease.
As a result it is a heck of a lot cheaper and works like a charm.Now I think it is hard work and I guess my electric burr grinder has simply spoiled me.
I would not buy this one having owned the electric version, because I would get frustrated at the speed, and how long it takes.
A couple of minutes does not sound like much, and in fact many people enjoy using this one as it gives them time to think. I just want to hit a button and have perfectly ground coffee.
This one also has a non-slip sock on the bottom that stops the glass collecting jar from slipping when it is set on the work surface. That certainly helps a lot.
What Buyers Liked About the Hario Glass Coffee Mill
Below I have summarised what the majority of buyers liked about this particular model
- Almost all buyers thought this Hario product was good value for money
- Grinds to a very even consistency
- Very easy and simple to clean
- Easy to adjust
- The parts are well made and all easily assembled
- Not much can go wrong with this simple mill
What Buyers Did Not Like About the Hario Coffee Mill
- Thought it was a little expensive for a hand grinder
- Can't be used for spices or nuts
- Not good if you are in a hurry
- Takes considerable effort and I am rather lazy
- Adjusting the burr is fiddly
Summary & Conclusion
Product Rating Summary
Like any product that reaches the best seller at Amazon, this one also sells in its thousands.
Having used this one in my friend's house it does deliver a consistent grind and it works really well. I am not a fan of manual grinders simply because I like to get the job done fast.
There is no question that you will make the best cup of coffee if you use freshly ground beans. This one will does that and more and will not cost a fortune.
Quality
With a solid 90% buyer satisfaction rating online, the quality of this grinder is assured.
Grind
It does the most important thing of grinding extremely well, and with good choices of thickness
Cost
At under £25, this is about the average for this type of good quality coffee mill.
If this Hario option is not the one for you, then why not check out our top 10 list of coffee mills by clicking here.
It remains a best selling product and its popularity is down to the fact, that it does a very good job of grinding coffee and is available at a reasonable and sensible price point.
With many hundreds of buyer reviews there were only a small number of unhappy buyers.
Overall though if you are looking for a good quality glass hand grinder, then this Hario medium model is one of the best sellers, with a high satisfaction rating and it is hard to argue with that.
