The 10 Best Manual Coffee Grinders of 2021

Properly ground coffee beans are one of the most crucial elements in making a fresh, rich and flavorful cup of coffee. Although there are different ways of grinding the beans, a manual coffee grinder is one of the best ones.

Manual coffee grinders or coffee mills as they are often referred to as are small, highly efficient and cost-effective coffee grinders. And with the best manual coffee grinders, you also get a quiet and more satisfying coffee grinding experience.

These coffee grinders have been in use since the 18^th century and as their name suggests, they are the kinds that will require a little muscle power to grind the coffee beans.

Although manual coffee grinders are fairly inexpensive, you still want to get the most value from your hard earned bucks. And to help you out with this, below we review 10 top-rated manual coffee grinders and also explain in detail the factors to consider when shopping.

10 Best Manual Coffee Grinders – Review

• Capacity: 40 grams
• Grind Settings: 18
• Body Material: Stainless steel

The compact and highly portable design of this JavaPress coffee grinder is one of its most outstanding features as it means that you can carry and use it from almost anywhere.

Its more than 18 click grind settings also help to make this one of the best manual burr coffee grinders out there as they ensure that you will get more precise control over the coarseness of the coffee grinds.

With the conveniently removable hand crack mechanism, grinding is also a less noisy process, and you will hardly even hear any sound when the beans are being ground. But, it still does a very good job when grinding thanks to its more durable ceramic burrs.

Generally, this is also an easier grinder to clean as you can easily take it apart and clean the various parts with some soap and water on the sink.

The detachable hand crank seems to easily slip off when grinding, but this should never be an issue once you master how to hold and use it. Also, the coffee grounds might not be as consistent as what you get from top electric grinders but they will be consistent enough.

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• Capacity: 20 grams
• Grind Settings: 12+
• Body Material: Stainless steel

• Grind Settings: 18
• Body Material: Stainless steel

With more than 18 click settings on this Mueller Austria manual grinder, you can easily fine-tune the coarseness of your grind to suit any type of coffee.

Also, this top rated manual coffee grinder comes in a more compact and portable design to make it perfect for use on the go.

And you can also be confident that it will serve you well for many years thanks to its more durable ceramic burrs and sturdy stainless steel handle and body.

When compared to other grinders out there, this one offers a quieter grinding mechanism to ensure you do not have to disturb other people in the house when making coffee.

The instructions that come with the grinder are a little misleading and not very detailed, but you will probably not even need them as this is an easy machine to figure out.

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4. Porlex JP-30 – Well Thought Out Manual Grinder 

• Capacity: 30 grams
• Grind Settings: 12
• Body Material: Stainless steel

The overall design of the JP-30 by Porlex seems well thought out, and you can tell that it was made with the user in mind as this is both a durable and more consistent coffee grinder.

Its stainless steel body is meant to last for a long time and it is also static-free for more user comfort. The ceramic burrs are also highly durable and will provide a wide range of grind settings and more consistent grinding.

This rust-free coffee grinder will be ideal for both indoor and outdoor use which means it will also be handy for use when camping, and it is also designed to be easy to take apart for quick and simple cleaning.

Also, the more compact and lightweight design makes it one of the best travel coffee grinders as you can easily carry it with you anywhere.

The removable crank handle can sometimes pop off during use, but this is mostly the case for beginners because once you master how to use the machine and keep the handle balanced it will almost never happen.

• Capacity: 100 grams
• Grind Settings: Several
• Body Material: Glass

The 100-gram capacity of this Hario Skerton product is one of the highest among our manual coffee grinder reviews and it will ensure you can easily and quickly grind beans for making coffee for 2 or 3 people.

Besides the larger capacity, this manual coffee grinder also features a stronger grind shaft and a burr stabilization plate that will ensure you get a more uniform grind.

And the grinding process should also be easier and more comfortable for you thanks to the ergonomically designed handle and a non-slip rubber base that keeps the unit stable on the counter when grinding.

You can also take apart the grinder easily for more convenient storage and transportation for use on your travels.

Although the consistency might drop a little when on the larger grind settings, this is typical of most manual grinders and hence not a big concern. Also, the glass hopper is quite fragile but with a little extra precaution you can still carry it on your travels and use it long enough.

• Grind Settings: Infinitely adjustable
• Body Material: Glass

Khaw-fee HG1B is the best hand coffee grinder for you if you are on the hunt for something small and lightweight that is designed with portability in mind.

Also, this is your best choice if you prefer a manual grinder that will give you more control over the coarseness of your coffee as it has infinitely adjustable grind settings.

Precise and consistent grinding is also guaranteed by the high-quality ceramic conical burr. And this grinder will also come apart easily and its silicone base is removable to make cleanup easy.

The grinding is also quieter than what you get with most other manual coffee grinders and the hand crack mechanism is designed to make the process also much easier.

Glass hopper is quite fragile, and so it might not be great for traveling if you are not a very keen individual, but for most coffee aficionados, carrying it around should not be a problem.

• Capacity: 38 grams
• Grind Settings: 12+
• Body Material: Stainless steel

The best manual coffee grinder does not always have to be the priciest because something as highly affordable as this model by Brillante still performs as well as others that cost double or more its price tag.

But apart from an affordable price tag, it is also a well-built coffee grinder that features a sturdy stainless steel body and superior ceramic burrs that are designed to ensure fast and consistent grinding.

The manual grinder uses a long handle that makes grinding more comfortable and easy for coffee lovers. And it is also designed to ensure easy grind setting adjustment and you can choose from more than 12 options.

Although the plastic piece on the grinding mechanism feels cheap, it is still quite durable and given the price of this machine, it will last long enough.

• Capacity: 100 grams
• Grind Settings: 15
• Body Material: Glass

With a fast and quiet manual coffee grinder like this one, coffee making is not only a fast process but also a simpler and more convenient activity for you.

This grinder is also designed to provide smoother and more consistent coffee grounds and allows you to choose from 15 grind setting with the simple-to-use selector.

The design of the grinder also keeps it more stable on most surfaces to ensure a hassle-free grinding. And because this is also an easy machine to set up and take apart, things like loading and cleaning will be simpler.

Another impressive feature that many users will love about this manual coffee maker is that the handle is located on the side to ensure a more natural motion when grinding.

The bottom hopper should be larger or at least as large as the top one but it will still hold more than enough grounds to make coffee for at least a couple of people which is good enough for most users.

• Capacity: 100 grams
• Grind Settings: Several
• Body Material: Die-cast aluminum

While all the products in our manual coffee grinder reviews work well and look good enough, the vintage charm of this one by Norpro is unmatched by any other in our list. And so you can be confident that it will always be an attention grabber.

Besides its unique and charming look, this coffee grinder also features a highly durable die-cast aluminum construction to ensure many years of top-notch service.

The machine delivers better grind consistency than many other manual ones. And it is also designed to be more stable and with a nonslip ring to prevent wobbling and sliding when in use.

Adjustability is also another impressive feature of this Norpro coffee grinder as you can easily switch between stepped and step-less grinding and from right hand to left-hand use.

For a manual grinder, it might seem a little pricier but given its performance, quality and capacity, it is even worth more than what you pay for it.

• Grind Settings: Several
• Body Material: Stainless steel

The lightweight and highly portable design of this Tesso Coffee manual grinder makes it the best choice for you if you are looking for something for use when traveling.

Besides being one of our best portable coffee grinders, it is also the second most affordable product on our list which means you also get to save cash when buying it.

Also, this is a well-built grinder with high-quality materials that include durable ceramic burrs and a stainless steel body and handle. And it also comes with a silicone grip for easier handling and convenient storage.

And because assembling it is a quick and easy process, cleaning the grinder should also be a quick and effortless task for users.

It is true that cleaning will require you to take it apart which is typical of most manual grinders, but this should not be a deal breaker because assembly and disassembly are both quick and easy.

Manual vs. Electric Coffee Grinder

If you prefer making coffee with freshly ground beans and are on the hunt for a grinder, one of the first and most important decisions to make is whether to go for a manual or electric coffee grinder.

Ultimately, the choice between the two coffee grinders will depend on your preferences, but to make sure that your choice is more informed, it is important to know what sets the two machines apart and their pros and cons.

Manual Coffee Grinder

Manual coffee grinders are designed to provide an even more hands-on approach to coffee making as they will give you greater control of the coffee grinding process.

These machines are hand-operated which means they require some elbow-grease to grind the beans. But, they will still produce uniformly sized grounds just like the electric ones.

The coffee grinders also come in a small and compact size which makes them highly portable. When compared to electric grinder such as those with blade grinding mechanisms, they are also less noisy.

With the simple design of manual coffee grinders, they will require less maintenance as they are less likely to break down and are hence more durable.

However, like with any other manual machine, the manual coffee grinders are slower than the electric ones and will also often have fewer grind size settings.

Electric Coffee Grinder

Electric coffee grinders are designed for coffee aficionados that do not want to put in the work when it comes to grinding coffee and wish to have coffee grounds at the push of a button.

These are automatic machines that will only require you to pour in the beans, choose the appropriate grind settings, push a button and then wait for the beans to be ground.

With a good electric coffee grinder model, you will get a highly consistent and convenient machine that will allow you to choose from several grind settings. Also, some of these machines will only take seconds to grind the beans, and this makes them way faster than the manual ones.

You also do not need to use any elbow-grease to grind the beans, and this makes them perfect when grinding coffee beans for making coffee for a larger group.

But, some electric grinders can be quite noisy, and they are also not very portable as you can only use them where there is electricity, and they are generally larger and bulkier. Also, a typical electric grinder will cost several times of what you would pay for a good manual one.

Buying Advice: If you prefer a more hands-on approach to coffee grinding and also want a more affordable, quieter, highly portable and durable machine, the manual coffee grinder is your best pick.

But, if you just want a machine that will grind the beans super fast without having to use any elbow grease or want something for grinding beans for making lots of coffee, the electric coffee grinders are a better choice.

How to Buy the Best Manual Coffee Grinders

Finding the best hand coffee grinder is not always a straightforward process as there are many types, models, and brands available.

But, to make sure that you choose a quiet, convenient and efficient manual coffee grinder, you should take the following factors into account when shopping.

1. Capacity

Because grinding coffee beans manually takes a lot of effort and time, most manual coffee grinders are made to be small and compact which means they have a smaller capacity than electric ones.

However, the capacity still varies among different models. Thus, you need to consider the number of coffee cups that you take as it determines the coffee grounds you will need.

Also, if you want to use it on your travels, you should make sure that it is small and lightweight enough for easy portability.

2. Grind Settings

Different coffee brews will require different grind or particle size, and so it is always a great idea to have a coffee grinder that allows you to choose from different grind settings.

For example, an espresso will require finer grinds while making coffee with a French press requires you to have larger particles.

Manual coffee grinders will not have as many grind settings as the electric ones but the models with a burr grinding system will allow you to choose from a few settings. Most manual models will have at least 10 grind settings.

The more the settings the better the machine will be as it means you can use it for a variety of brews.

3. Consistency

A good manual coffee grinder is one that produces consistent coffee grinds. Consistency is an important factor because it can affect the coffee brewing significantly.

Uniform size particles will ensure that there are no smaller grinds that can get over extracted or larger ones that will be under-extracted.

While both blade and burr grinders can still provide consistent coffee grounds, the latter is the better choice where consistency is concerned.

Reading genuine customer reviews can provide valuable information on the consistency of a manual grinder before you buy it.

4. Material

A manual coffee grinder might not cost as much as the high-end electric models, but whatever you choose should still offer you value for your money by being well-built with some high-quality materials.

There are various materials used to make manual coffee grinders, but the most popular ones are steel, stainless steel, ceramic and glass.

A lightweight stainless steel grinder will be perfect for use when traveling as it can withstand the hazards and perils of outdoor use. Glass and ceramic hand grinders, on the other hand, have a more classic look, but they should only be used at home as they are quite brittle.

5. Portability

One of the key benefits or advantages of the manual coffee grinders is the fact that they do not use any electricity and are hence more portable than the electric ones.

However, portability of a particular model will depend on its size, weight, and material. And so, not all manual coffee grinders will be convenient to carry around.

A lightweight and compact coffee grinder with at least enough capacity to grind beans for making coffee for a couple of people will be the best choice when it comes to portability.

6. Noise Level

The noise level of the coffee grinder matters a lot especially when you need to make coffee in the morning when everybody else in the house is still sleeping.

A noisy manual coffee grinder can be very annoying as it means you cannot make your cup of coffee without waking everyone in the house.

The good news is that most of these coffee grinders are designed to provide a quieter operation than the electric ones. But to ensure your grinder will offer quieter operation, go for one with a burr grinding system and make sure that it is easy to keep stable on the countertop.

7. Ease of Use and Cleaning

The best hand crank coffee grinder for you will be one that does not take a lot of effort to use and is also equally easy to clean up after use.

Grinders that will fit the criteria above are those that have a comfortable crank handle as they are easier to use and those that are easy and quick to take apart are the simplest to clean.

If you are able to take apart the machine with ease, cleaning  it should also not take a lot of effort as you only need to put any dishwasher-safe parts into your dishwasher and then hand wash the rest on the sink.

Conclusion

Manual coffee grinders provide a low cost, efficient and convenient way of making great coffee at home as they ensure you will always have fresh grounds for brewing coffee.

These coffee grinders also provide a more hands-on and satisfying coffee making experience, and you get to have more control over the process.

And to get the best manual coffee grinder, you only need to consider important factors like capacity, grind settings, material and ease of use and cleaning

Although your choice of a grinder will ultimately boil down to your tastes, preferences, and requirements, you can be certain that you will have a great machine regardless of what you choose from our top 10 reviews above.