A hand grinder with 38mm stainless conical burrs in an aluminium body, aimed squarely at filter coffee. Coffee Chronicler scored it 4.8 out of 5 and CoffeeXplore 4.7, both on the same grounds: the grind is even enough for pour-over and press, and the mechanism turns far more easily than the price suggests. Home Coffee Expert put it at 8 out of 10 and Tom's Guide at 4 out of 5, with the caveat every review reaches, that it will not grind fine enough for espresso.
Full review
38mm steel burrs on a double-bearing axis
The burr set is 38mm conical stainless steel turning on a double-bearing central axis, and that bearing arrangement is what reviewers keep crediting for the feel. Home Coffee Expert describes the mechanism as smooth to the point of being effortless, with the handle offering very little resistance. Coffee Chronicler reports getting close to a gram a second on coarse settings, which is quick for a hand grinder, and the burrs are aggressive enough to pull beans in without the stalling that plagues cheaper mills.
20 grams a fill, so a full pot means two goes
Capacity is 20 grams, which covers one or two cups and stops there. A full French press means grinding, emptying and grinding again, which is the trade for a grinder small enough to travel with. Whether that grates depends entirely on whether you are making coffee for one person or for four.
A click system with no numbers on the dial
Adjustment means turning the nut fully clockwise to the finest position and counting clicks outward. Home Coffee Expert's description of a dot-marked click system with no printed numbers matches every other review. If you brew one way it is a non-issue, because you find the setting once and leave it. If you switch between pour-over and press daily you are counting clicks each time, and there is nothing on the grinder to remind you where you were.
Aluminium outside, plastic stabilisers inside
The body is textured aluminium and feels better than the price, but the internals include plastic stabilisers. Home Coffee Expert's view is that this is a weight-saving decision rather than a defect, and that even expensive grinders have plastic somewhere. CoffeeXplore, reviewing the upgraded full-metal version, treats that unibody construction as the main thing the extra money buys. The thin aluminium shell also offers less protection than steel if the grinder gets knocked about in a bag.
Filter coffee yes, espresso no
Every one of the five reviews lands on the same limit: the C2 does not go fine enough, or consistently enough at the fine end, for espresso. Home Coffee Expert scores the grind range lower than anything else about the grinder for exactly that reason. For AeroPress, pour-over cones, Chemex and press it is not a compromise at all, and FlyPresso's 4.5 out of 5 and Tom's Guide's 4 out of 5 both read as filter-brewer verdicts. Anyone with a pump machine should spend the money on a grinder built for one.
Strengths
- +Sleek, well-made metal construction with precise machining and smooth grinding mechanism
- +Portable and compact design, just 6 inches tall, fits in travel bag
- +Stainless steel adjustable burrs allow for consistent grind size adjustments
- +Affordable price point, often under $70, with good value for manual grinder category
Watch-outs
- −Small capacity requires multiple grinding cycles for full pot of coffee
- −Not suitable for espresso due to inability to achieve fine enough grind
- −Some internal plastic parts may raise durability concerns for some users
How it compares
The Timemore Chestnut C2 offers excellent value and portability, outperforming the Cuisinart Supreme Grind in consistency and build quality, but it's less precise than the 1Zpresso J-Max and lacks the fine-tune settings of the Baratza Virtuoso Plus. It's more affordable than the Fellow Opus but not as versatile for espresso.
Rating sources
Our 4.3 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
