11 Best Burr Hand Coffee Grinders in 2024

Love to grind your coffee manually? You’re in the right place. I’m about to show you the 11 best hand coffee grinders money can buy right now. 

I’m always trying out different kinds of manual coffee grinders so I wanted to take the time to find out which are the best options available in 2023. So, I spent some time researching and testing a lot of them.

Having carried out this research, I found that the best hand coffee grinder overall is the 1Zpresso JX-Pro-S. This conical burr manual grinder is super smooth, well-priced and looks awesome too.

1Zpresso JX-Pro-S: Best Overall

• Price: $$
• Grind quality: Adaptable, very high 
• Capacity: 30-35 g
• Burr info: 48 mm conical, Stainless steel
• Best for: Anyone
• Best for coffee type:
  • Espresso, pour-over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew
• Warranty: 1 year

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But you might prefer one of my other top picks, so stay tuned to find out what they are. 

So keep reading.

Top 11 Hand-Crank Coffee Grinders

Before I review each of my top 11, here’s a look at them and the categories they win for me. 

• Best overall: 1Zpresso JX-Pro-S Manual Coffee Grinder
• Best premium model: Comandante C40 Nitro Blade Grinder
• Best for under $100/budget option: Timemore Chestnut C2
• Best for under $50: Yama Manual Coffee Grinder
• Best for espresso: Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill
• Best ceramic grinder: Hario Skerton Plus 
• Best large capacity: Orphan Espresso Lido 3 Swiss Burr Grinder
• Best for travel: 1Zpresso Q2 S Manual Coffee Grinder
• Best for UK and Europe: Kinu M47 Classic
• Best for Australia: Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill
• Best for French Press/Coarse Grind: Groenenberg Coffee Grinder Manual

The Best Manual Coffee Grinders in 2023

Now let’s take a closer look at each of those top picks.

#1 Best Overall – 1Zpresso JX-Pro-S Manual Coffee Grinder

Price	$$
Grind quality	Adaptable, very high
Capacity	30-35 g
Burr Info	48 mm conical, Stainless steel
Best for	Anyone
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour-over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew
Warranty	1 year

As an all-rounder, the best manual coffee grinder available is the 1Zpresso JX-Pro-S Manual Coffee Grinder. This conical burr grinder might be a touch on the expensive side but it offers an elite quality grind that beats some even more expensive models. 

The JX-Pro-S has a conical burr, which I believe is the best type of coffee grinder out there for most people (and most people agree with me!). It’s a good option for professionals and beginners alike as it’s great for all kinds of coffee, but is particularly suited for espresso.

The size of the burr is 48 mm which is about average. But the high quality, stainless steel mechanism helps it create one of the highest-quality coffee grinders you’ll get from a manual grinder. 

The price might look a little high to some but when you consider how high quality this product is, I think it offers great value. And it’s actually a fair amount cheaper than other products from the same class.

As a result, I’m confident that this 1Zpresso offering is the best manual grinder for the majority of people. The fact that 1Zpresso is one of James Hoffman’s favorite brands says it all!

#2 Best Premium Model – Comandante C40 Nitro Blade Grinder

Price	$$$
Grind quality	Adaptable, very high
Capacity	40g
Burr info	39 mm conical, Nitrogen stainless steel
Best for	Pros, but easy for beginners as well
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew, Turkish
Warranty	Lifetime

If you are less concerned with budget and want to get the highest possible quality, then check out the Comandante C40 Nitro Blade Grinder. This is one for the serious enthusiasts and professionals out there.

Comandante is a brand known for its quality and they’ve proved that again with this exquisite grinder.

You might have noticed the word ‘blade’ in the title of this grinder but don’t worry, this is still a burr grinder. It offers the world’s first heptagonal shaped conical burr and it’s 39 mm in size which is a little small, but that’s not a problem considering how good it is. 

Comandante claims that this burr shape means that the grind is going to be as consistent as it gets. I’d be inclined to agree with them. 

The bean capacity is pretty good as well at 40 g. But don’t think that means it’s going to be bulky. Some clever design work means that this grinder doesn’t feel above average in size. 

In fact, the design of the grinder is exquisite in general. It feels amazing to use thanks to good craftsmanship and high quality materials and that makes it easier to grind. As such, I’d recommend it for pros or even beginners with a large budget. 

And when I say a large budget, I really mean it. This is one of the most expensive manual coffee grinders going right now, but at the end of the day, I do believe you get what you pay for in terms of quality. And on top of all that, you’ll get a lifetime warranty so if it breaks, you’ll be covered!

#3 Best for Under $100/Budget Option – Timemore Chestnut C2

Price	$
Grind quality	Adaptable, consistent
Capacity	25 g
Burr info	38 mm conical, Stainless steel
Best for	Anyone
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot
Warranty	1 year

If you want to save some money with your next coffee grinder purchase, the best pick for me is the Timemore Chestnut C2. For me, it’s a brilliant product for beginners and professionals alike but it comes at a very low price.

This grinder uses a conical burr, which is the most popular type of grinder in the world. There’s a reason for that: it’s super adaptable and is great for all kinds of coffees, especially espresso and pour over.

The size of the burr is 38 mm. A lot of people say that the larger the burr, the better the performance because there’s more cutting area available and this leads to a smoother, more efficient grind. 

38 mm is a little small. However, for the price, that’s not such a bad thing and I did find that the performance of this grinder is still pretty good. 

It’s a lot more affordable than some manual grinders that aren’t actually as good. And, it’s really easy to use thanks to smooth mechanisms.

The bean capacity here is pretty average at 25 g. Enough for a few cups of coffee, for sure. It should make about four cups.

So, whether you’re looking for your first ever manual grinder or you’re a seasoned barista looking to upgrade, the Timemore Chestnut C2 could be a very good option for you. 

#4 Best for Under $50 – Yama Manual Coffee Grinder

Price	$
Grind quality	Difficult to get fine but okay for coarse
Capacity	30 g
Burr info	N/A, conical, Stainless steel
Best for	Beginners
Best for coffee type	Filter coffee, French press, cold brew
Warranty	1 year

One of the cheapest grinders we could find that still does a fairly reasonable job of grinding your beans is the Yama grinder.

It has a reasonable capacity of 30 g and the steel conical burrs should offer enough of a grind for filter coffee, French press etc. I wouldn’t expect to be able to get a good espresso from this grinder though as it’s just not fine tuned enough for the very fine grind.

Still, it’s fairly sleek and incredibly affordable so there’s no wonder that it’s a super popular offering. 

Be warned though. I’d personally recommend spending a little more, even if you just go up one budget category for my number three pick. But if you really want to save a lot of cash, the Yama grinder is a reasonable option.

#5 Best for Espresso – Zassenhaus Santiago Coffee Mill

Price	$$$
Grind quality	Very fine, even
Capacity	30 g
Burr info	38 mm flat, Stainless steel
Best for (level of expertise)	Pros and espresso lovers
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew, Turkish
Warranty	25 years

Love espresso? Your best bet in terms of manual grinders will be the Zassenhaus Santiago coffee mill. 

The grinder features a flat burr, the best type of burr for super fine blends. The size is 38 mm which is about average for a flat burr and the quality of the burr is very high. It’s made of very strong stainless steel.

As such, this is a great pick for those who like to make a lot of espresso or Turkish coffee. 

The bean capacity here is a little higher than average at 30 g, which should get you around 4 or 5 cups of coffee without having to refill. 

This grinder’s exterior comes with a beautiful beech wood so it’s definitely one of the best-looking manual grinders on the market.

Another great thing about this grinder is that you’ll get 25 years of warranty with it. Considering that the life span of most coffee grinders would be no more than about 10 years, Zassenhaus must be pretty confident that this product is very durable.

Of course, all of these great perks come at a price. The Santiago coffee mill is pretty expensive. But, as I’ve been saying, you get what you pay for. You won’t find a better manual coffee grinder for espresso blends in my opinion. 

#6 Best Ceramic Grinder – Hario Skerton Plus

Price	$
Grind quality	Fair, fine
Capacity	50 g
Burr info	N/A size, conical burr, Ceramic
Best for	Beginners
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew
Warranty	1 year

If you’re looking for a pretty high quality but still entry level ceramic grinder then check out the Hario Skerton Plus. There are still better ceramic grinders out there in terms of quality but I think this one offers the best value for money overall.

So why buy a ceramic grinder in the first place? I’ll go into this in more detail in the buying guide later on, but the bottom line is that ceramic burrs will stay sharper for longer. Some people even say that they produce a better grind, but I haven’t seen that specifically.

This is a conical burr grinder and while the quality of the burrs aren’t quite as high as some of our other top picks, you should still find that they make a pretty good grind overall. That’s especially true for espresso lovers. 

This grinder would fit into the budget category. It’s actually around the same price as our budget pick, the Timemore Chestnut C2. And it’s nearly as good!

Another noteworthy feature of this grinder is that the bean capacity is a lot higher. The hopper itself will fit around 50 g of beans but the glass jar that it comes with will fit up to 100 g. 

Ceramic burrs are high quality but can be more brittle so make sure to look after them if you end up buying this grinder. If you like the sound of them, the best option in terms of value for money has to be the Hario Skerton Plus.

#7 Best Large Capacity Grinder – Orphan Espresso Lido 3 Swiss Burr Grinder

Price	$$$
Grind quality	Versatile, fine
Capacity	70 g
Burr info	48 mm conical, Stainless steel
Best for	Pros
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew
Warranty	1 year

If you want to grind up a lot of beans manually in one go (and do so to a fine degree), then the best option for you in my opinion is the Orphan Espresso Lido 3. 

You’ll see a 48 mm conical burr on this grinder which is the largest set of burrs from our top picks today. This means it’s going to be able to grind a lot of beans very finely and consistently, which is a pretty tough job! 

The capacity of this grinder is 70 g, which should make you 10 or more whole cups of coffee with ease. 

The downside to having a manual grinder with this much bean capacity is that it’s a little bulky. So, you’ll need to decide whether you want capacity or portability.

Of course, for this size and quality, it’s going to be expensive. So, the Lido 3 is only a suitable option for those with a large budget. But if that’s you, and if you want to be able to grind a lot of beans to a high quality in one go, it’s going to be the best option.

#8 Best for Travel – 1Zpresso Q2 S Manual Coffee Grinder

Price	$$
Grind quality	Fine but adaptable
Capacity	15 g
Burr info	38 mm conical, Stainless steel
Best for	Everyone who loves to travel
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew
Warranty	1 year

This mini coffee grinder comes from the same line as our number one overall pick, and it comes with almost as much quality as well. We’re back to one of James Hoffman’s favorite brands, 1Zpresso. 

The Q2 S is a super small grinder which makes it perfect for traveling. It won’t take up anywhere near as much space in your suitcase as all of our other top picks.

If you’re going camping, for example, you’re going to want to pack light. But the Q2 S still allows you to make a great cup of coffee out in the wilderness. 

Of course, the fact that it’s small means that the capacity will be lower. It’s only around 15 g, which will make you a couple of cups of coffee at most. 

This grinder features a 38 mm conical burr so you won’t have to compromise too much on burr size with this grinder. It’ll still grind up a good cup of coffee, but you won’t be able to do it as quickly as the turning mechanism is a little awkward to grip because of the size. 

For a mini grinder, it’s surprisingly expensive though. I’d have thought that the lack of size would save some money, but that’s not the case with 1Zpresso.

Nonetheless, if you want to buy a grinder to take on your travels with you, the Q2 S is definitely the most practical option for me. 

#9 Best for UK and Europe – Kinu M47 Classic

Price	$$$
Grind quality	Very high, even
Capacity	40 g
Burr info	47 mm, conical, Stainless steel
Best for	Beginners and pros
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour over, filter coffee, aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew
Warranty	5 year

Customers in the UK and Europe will love the Kinu M47. It’s made in Germany, which will make customers’ lives easy if needing to put in a warranty claim, for example.

And the warranty is very good at some five years long. That’s a lot more than you’ll get with a lot of the American brands. 

It’s a conical burr grinder, which is the most popular form of coffee grinder in the UK and Europe as it is in the US. You’ll be able to grind a fairly good espresso with the impressive 47 mm steel burrs of this grinder. 

The hopper is slightly over average in size as well. You’ll be able to get 40 g of beans into it which will be enough for 5 or 6 cups of coffee at a time. 

In fact, James Hoffman picked this as his favorite manual coffee grinder in the world. They’re crazy about this thing over there in the UK!

And we can see why. It’s slightly on the expensive side, but it is a fantastic grinder. Not only is it the best for European customers, but it’s a great shout for us in the states as well. 

#10 Best for Australia – Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill

Price	$$$
Grind quality	Exceptional, very fine but adaptable
Capacity	24 g
Burr info	N/A conical, Ceramic
Best for	Anyone
Best for coffee type	Espresso, pour over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew, Turkish
Warranty	1 year

Based in Australia? Why not check out the awesome Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill hand grinder.

Perfect If you’re on a budget and want to make some awesome coffee.

This grinder comes with a ceramic conical burr, which is about par for the course in the world of hand coffee grinders. But it’s very, very good. This is one of the only conical burr grinders we’d recommend for any coffee type, even Turkish coffee. 

While the capacity of 24 grams is a bit small, it will be enough for two cups of coffee.

However, this, combined with the smaller burr, which prolongs the grinding process – makes it a bad fit if you plan to brew many cups of coffee simultaneously.

To our surprise, the instructions also come in Japanese, which isn’t the best if you want to understand them.

That said, if you’re on a budget and want to keep it Australian, the Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill could be perfect.

#11 Best for French Press/Coarse Grind – Groenenberg Coffee Grinder Manual

Price	$
Grind quality	Fine grind not so good, but coarse is okay
Capacity	35 g
Burr info	N/A, conical, Stainless steel
Best for	Beginners
Best for coffee type	French press, filter coffee, aeropress, cold brew
Warranty	1 year

Here’s another coffee grinder that you can pick up for $100. You don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money if all you want is a coarse grind for a French press. If that’s all you want, check out this Groenenberg offering.

This is a cheap grinder and it kind of shows. It has steel conical burrs but they’re not as good as most of our other picks.

I wouldn’t use this coffee grinder for espresso at all even though it says it can carry out a fine grind, its fine setting isn’t very good. But that’s why we’ve picked it for this particular category!

This grinder still has a fair hopper size of 35 g. So overall, I think it’s a good pick for beginners on a budget looking to make French press or filter coffee.

Hand Coffee Grinder Buying Guide 

Now it’s time to find out a little more about how I came to the decisions of my top seven. This will help you understand what’s important to think about when you buy a hand coffee grinder.

And if you come to the end of this buying guide still wanting to know more, you can check out our ultimate coffee grinder buying guide which covers coffee grinders more generally. 

1. Manual vs electric coffee grinders?

Are you sure you want to opt for a hand coffee grinder over an electric one? Each of these options has a couple of key benefits over the other.

The key benefits of a hand grinder are that they’re more portable and more affordable. 

You’re not going to be able to take an electric grinder into the great outdoors either. If you like to grind up your beans fresh on a camping trip, it’s an essential item! 

However, electric grinders are better for convenience. They’re easier to operate and you’ll get your grind quicker. 

With an electric grinder, you’ll also be able to control the speed of your grind much more easily. Different coffee grinding speeds are better for different coffee drinks so you’ll have more control this way.

Hand coffee grinder benefits

• Portability
• Less expensive 

Electric coffee grinder benefits

• More convenient
• More control

To learn more, read our article on manual or electric coffee grinders.

2. Burr material

Most coffee grinders have stainless steel burrs because they’re robust and easy to clean. But there are different grades to stainless steel, such as the nitrogen stainless steel in the Comandante C40. This is going to be even more robust and stronger in the blend.

But there’s also the matter of ceramic burrs. These can often be a little more expensive but they can also last longer by retaining their sharpness over a longer period of time. 

Nonetheless, manual grinders will last a lot longer than electric ones regardless of their material. So overall, I think it’s better to focus on a material that performs a good grind. 

In my experience, that would be a high quality stainless steel like the nitrogen steel I just mentioned. This will be bound to last a long time as well. 

To learn more, read our article on steel burr vs ceramic burr.

3. Flat vs. Conical Burrs & sizes 

The conical burr is the most popular type of coffee grinder in the world and for a couple of key reasons. It’s affordable (but you can spend a lot if you go for a fancy one) and it’s versatile, which means it’s good for all kinds of coffee types.

A flat burr is a bit more intricate and expensive and it produces a finer grind which is great for Turkish coffee and espresso. Finer grinds aren’t so good for French press coffee though, for example. A finer grind can actually impede the water flow of French press and ruin the coffee. 

When grinding to a super fine degree with a manual grinder, the flat burr is perfect as it will require more effort to get close with a conical burr.  

The downside of a flat burr is that it’s harder to maintain due to being a more intricate shape. Plus, it retains more heat. Some people say that this will have a negative effect on the taste.

That being said, heat is only really an issue when it comes to electric grinders. You’ll be unlikely to generate much heat with a manual grinder. 

Flat burr benefits

• Uniform grind: Produces consistent particle size, ensuring even extraction & well-balanced flavors.
• Clarity of taste: Delivers a clean & clear flavor profile, highlighting individual tasting notes.
• Less retention: Retains fewer grounds between uses, reducing waste & cross-contamination.

Conical burr benefits

• Less heat: Generates less heat during grinding, preserving delicate flavor compounds.
• Greater complexity: Produces a mix of particle sizes, enhancing flavor depth & complexity.

You can learn more about the differences between conical and flat burr grinders in this article.

Burr Sizes

Burrs are of different sizes most of the time too. You might get a burr that’s 30 mm in size but this can go all the way up to 50 mm or so with manual grinders and even bigger with electric ones. 

What effect does burr size have on the grind? Well, the bigger the burr, the more cutting area available. This means you’ll get a smoother and more efficient grind when you use a larger burr. 

The downside of having a large burr is that the grinder itself is likely to be bigger, so it’s not ideal for if you’re going camping, for example. 

This is flawless for electric grinders. But with cheaper manual grinders, a large burr can be more difficult to turn, so look out for that. 

4. Grind levels

These different types of burrs will be better suited to different types of coffee as you can see in this table:

You might also find adjustable manual coffee grinders that will pre-set themselves to particular grind types if you want to keep things coarse or go extra fine. 

You can find out more about coffee grind sizes (and see a helpful chart) in my article here.

5. Your budget/price

Manual coffee grinders can vary in value quite substantially. You could spend as little as $20 or all the way up to several hundred.

I’d generally recommend starting at around the $50-$100 price point if you’re new to coffee grinding. 

Naturally, the more you spend, the better quality you’re going to get (for the most part). But you don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune to get a great cup of coffee. $100-$200 is a good range for a very high quality coffee grinder. 

6. Bean Capacity

The average bean capacity of a manual grinder is about 25g. That should make about four cups of coffee.

But if you want to make more cups of coffee, you’re going to need to look for a grinder with a larger capacity.  

Or, if you want a more portable device, you could opt for a smaller capacity grinder such as the 1Zpresso Q2 S. This will be easier to take on the go with you. 

Having an enormous bean capacity on a manual grinder would be a bit of a waste of time as at a certain point, it becomes tricky to actually turn the grinder if it’s too full. 

7. Grinder brand 

The more notorious the brand of the grinder, the more likely you’re going to end up with a higher quality product. 

Good brands tend to offer better warranty coverage and customer support as well. 

Here are a few to look out for:

• Krups
• Smeg
• KitchenAid
• Breville
• Barista & Co.

These are above and beyond the brands of the grinders I recommended today. A couple that are specifically good for manual grinders are 1Zpresso and Comandante if you’re willing to spend a little more money. 

Best Hand Coffee Grinder FAQ

Check out some more important information about manual coffee grinders below.

Our Verdict on the Best Hand Coffee Grinders

Here’s another look at the best of the best:

1. 1Zpresso JX-Pro-S: Affordable but very high quality grind output.
2. Comandante C40 Nitro Blade: Absolutely elite grinding experience in every way, but you have to pay for it.
3. Timemore Chestnut C2: Proves that you can get a very well-manufactured and easy to use coffee grinder for under $100. 

Having researched all these coffee grinders, I’m sure that the best option for most people will be the 1Zpresso JX-Pro-S. It ticks all the boxes for me, and it’s as good for beginners as it is for experts. 

Looking for more options? Check out all our manual coffee grinders.

1Zpresso JX-Pro-S: Best Overall

• Price: $$
• Grind quality: Adaptable, very high 
• Capacity: 30-35 g
• Burr info: 48 mm conical, Stainless steel
• Best for: Anyone
• Best for coffee type:
  • Espresso, pour-over, filter coffee, Aeropress, French press, moka pot, cold brew
• Warranty: 1 year

Check Current Price