It seems like a menial task to grind coffee beans. It’s noisy, uncomfortable, and most people just want to get it done so they can start brewing up some coffee.
Many of us get it wrong here.
Buying whole beans and grinding them yourself ensures a level of freshness not found in pre-ground coffee. To get the most out of your coffee, it’s always best to grind your own coffee beans right before brewing. And to grind your own coffee beans, you need to choose a coffee grinder.
It’s not just another step to add to your morning routine; it adds an even huge reward. A great grinder will elevate your coffee experience. Your coffee will taste better and be more delicious. You’ll get to enjoy coffee that tastes just like your favorite coffee shop.
This is why the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder should be on your radar. If you’re looking for a great hand grinder that won’t break the bank and is portable so you can take it with you while you travel, JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder is the way to go.
Read on for our in-depth review to see if it’s worth investing.
About JavaPresse
Starting in 2015, JavaPresse is primarily a company that sells organic coffee beans. While beans are indeed their top priority, the brand also sells some high-quality gear, one of which is their Javapresse Manual Coffee Grinder. This grinder has a sturdy stainless steel build and will give you a consistent grind of upto 15 various sizes (more on that later).
If you’re having any trouble using your grinder, Javapresse offers quick start guides, grinding chart templates to help you get the perfect grind, and a few how-to tutorials to show you exactly what steps to take to use your grinder. Not to mention, the brand is known for its excellent customer service.
Moving on, JavaPresse also strives to be an environmentally responsible company by ethically sourcing coffee beans and donating a portion of its profits to the Make-a-Wish foundation. They grow all of their coffee on micro-lots, and many of them are family-owned.
Design And Build
Javapresse isn’t particularly a large coffee grinder; in fact, even the smallest of hands should be able to hold this grinder conveniently. Also, don’t worry about breaking it. The JavaPresse Grinder’s stainless steel design has got you covered. Plastic parts that often break or shatter when dropped are one of the most common problems that plague budget grinders. However, that issue is long gone if you have a Javapresse Manual Grinder with you.
The durable design of the JavaPresse grinder allows you to use it the way you want without fear of breaking it. Another thing you’ll notice while holding is how lightweight this grinder is; it weighs 9 ounces straight, so you can easily carry it around in your hand.
Furthermore, the Javapresse consists of four distinct parts. The bottom section is responsible for collecting your coffee grounds. This section contains a slim glass display that lets you eyeball the amount of ground coffee you’ve made. The main body which holds the grinding mechanism snugly fits into the bottom part of the device.
It’s worth pointing out that these sections of the Javapresse don’t screw into each other like the 1Zpresso Q2 and some other manual coffee grinders that we’ve reviewed before. Rather, they push together, creating a tight seal.
Finally, there’s the lid and the manual crank arm, which resides on top of this main body section. JavaPresse dimensions are 1.8*1.8*7.5 inches.
Overall Performance
Taste Quality
If you’re using a brewing style that requires fine grounds, say Pour-Over, for example, you’ll be surprised to know that the JavaPresse surpasses the grind quality than many of the other manual grinders that you can find online. This excellent grind quality reflects the overall taste of your brew.
Having said that, if you loosen the burr to achieve a coarser grind, you’ll notice a slight inconsistency in grind size leading to an overly bitter cup of French Press or a Moka Pot.
Ease of Use
The Javapresse grinder is designed in such a way to help coffee connoisseurs grind beans quietly. Almost all the hand crank grinders out there produce loud crunching and cracking noises. But with the JavaPresse grinder, all I could hear was a soft hum.
Praising this lovely feature, one happy customer of the JavaPresse wrote, “3 of my children have bedrooms off the kitchen, and they are light sleepers. With this manual grinder, I can enjoy fresh beans each morning without disturbing anyone.”
The grinder owns a removable lid for loading whole beans, a removable base for getting out grounds, and an internal dial for adjusting the grind size. It’s cleverly designed to be totally self-contained when in use, so no grinds can flee and make a mess across your counter.
Grind Adjustments
JavaPress designed an adjustment knob underneath the burrs for around 18 different usable settings. To be frank, you won’t really need all of them with this portable grinder.
As this grinder was designed to be used on the road, so you’ll probably be having only one or two different pieces of coffee brewing gear at your disposal.
However, it’s still nice to have the flexibility of using multiple grind settings.
To dial in the grinding, remove the bottom grind chamber and make your way to where the grind setting knob is located. Try to tighten it as much as you possibly can. Loosen the knob by unscrewing it from the left, counting each click as you go. These clicks will determine the grind sizes. Start at zero, and set your grind size.
This is where you get to play around! Find out which grind size you enjoy most for each brewing method you’re interested in.
Use these settings as a guideline.
- French press: 3-6 clicks
- Pour Over: 3 clicks
- Aeropress: 2 clicks
- Espresso: 1 click
It’s not the fastest manual grinder, but it isn’t too slow, either.
Our test showed that to grind 20 grams of beans it takes:
- Coarse Grind: 46 seconds
- Fine Grind: 70 seconds
Depending on various factors, such as how fast you can physically turn the knob and the roasting level of your coffee beans, these times may vary. But at least it gives you a rough idea of what you should be expecting.
Ceramic Burr Mill
The Javapresse coffee grinder features a high-quality ceramic burr mill. This ceramic burr is excellent since it lasts five times longer than comparable stainless steel burrs. For those who don’t know, Ceramic offers strength, durability, and precision to any coffee grinder and sometimes even surpasses in grind quality than stainless steel.
That’s not it; the conical shape of the burrs assists you in achieving a consistent grind for a number of brewing methods, be it French Press, Aeropress, or even Pour-Over. Plus, Javapresse designed its burrs to be a dual-plated system meaning one burr would remain stationary while the other turns. The reason behind this is to increase stability since it is the slight wobbling of a hand grinder that leaves room for error, resulting in boulders or fines after you end your grinding process.
The company claims to be testing its dual plate system against 34 other competitors and ensuring that it provides the most consistent grind. Spare inexpensive burrs are also purchasable directly from JavaPresse if you manage to break the existing ones.
Cleaning & Maintenance
The Javapresse manual coffee grinder is craftily designed to come apart for thorough cleaning. You can remove the handle, the hopper lid, the top chamber, and the ground catcher without any hassle. On top of that, you may also unscrew the ceramic burr for cleaning with the included bristle brush.
First off, the handle and the hopper lid simply require rinsing and nothing more. The bottom chamber can build up some oils; to overcome those buildups, just give it a quick scrub with soapy water and dry well. Using a dishwasher for this task isn’t recommended by the manufacturer as the grinder’s small parts may move around and can be hard to find inside the dishwasher.
After you’re done cleaning, reassemble all parts together the way shown in this video:
Reasons To Buy
- Reasonably priced manual coffee grinder
- Highly portable design plus durable construction
- Doesn’t make much noise while grinding
- Excellent Javapresse Customer Service
- 15+ grind adjustment options available
- Hand crank requires minimal effort
- Doesn’t heat the coffee beans as it crushes them
- Long-lasting ceramic burrs are durable & precise
- Suitable for camping, outdoors, office or quiet homes
Reasons To Avoid
- Relatively difficult to hold steady while grinding
- Grinding large volumes of whole coffee isn’t possible
- Changing grind size can be tricky for some people
- Ceramic burrs are more likely to break than steel ones
- Detachable hand crank may slip off when in use
Wrapping Up
Just because you are taking the inexpensive approach to brewing consistent grind doesn’t mean you have to compromise quality.
While the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder takes some elbow grease and skews towards a bit of inconsistency in the coarser grinds, it’s very rewarding. It provides a unique sensory experience allowing your morning mind to awake with focus and embrace the meditative ritual of grinding your coffee by hand. It’s literally the appetizer before the meal as the aromas rise to your nostrils.
I can’t think of anything bad about this hand grinder with its beautifully consistent grind, top-notch burrs, and high-quality construction. All in all, the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder is a masterpiece for the traveling coffee enthusiast.
Taimoor followed his passion to become a coffee connoisseur and now travels the world to visit the most popular coffee shops. His cupboard is also stocked with a collection of brewing gadgets. He loves to drink Death Wish Coffee’s dark roast and highly caffeinated coffee grounds when he needs a boost of energy.
