When you’re ready to upgrade your coffee game, one of the first purchases you’re likely to make is a coffee grinder.
Grinding your own beans makes an enormous difference over pre-ground coffee, but only if you choose the right grinder for your coffee needs.
Let’s look at the Javapresse Manual Burr Grinder, one of the most popular grinders on the market. It’s small, portable, and affordable, but does it live up to its reputation?
Read on as we go over the pros and cons to help you decide for yourself.
What to Consider Before Buying a Burr Mill Grinder
You should consider a few things before buying a burr mill coffee grinder. The first is whether or not you really need one.
If an even, consistent grind isn’t as important to you, you can probably get by with a cheaper blade grinder. But if you want the best possible cup of coffee, a burr mill grinder is worth the investment.
Another thing to consider is what kind of burr grinder you want. There are two main types – conical and flat. Conical grinders are more expensive, but they’re also more precise and tend to produce less heat and static. Flat grinders are cheaper and faster, but they can be less consistent.
Finally, you’ll need to decide on a budget. Burr grinders can range in price from around $30 to $500, so deciding how much you’re willing to invest in your coffee setup is important.
Who should use a manual burr grinder?
Manual burr grinders are often more affordable than electric ones, and they’re also more portable.
Whether you’re on a budget, tight on kitchen space, or looking for a good travel grinder, a manual burr grinder is likely your best option in terms of price and practicality.
The JavaPresse Manual Burr Mill Grinder: An Overview
If you’re looking for a high-quality manual coffee grinder that will give you the perfect grind every time, then you need the Javapresse Manual Burr Mill Coffee Grinder.
This grinder is made with durable stainless steel burrs that will stand up to years of use, and it features an 18-setting precision grind adjustment that lets you get the perfect grind for your coffee beans, no matter your brewing method.
The Javapresse Manual Burr Mill Coffee Grinder is also easy to use, thanks to its simple cylindrical design. Just place your coffee beans in the hopper, add the handle to the top, and crank the handle in a circular motion to get the perfect grind.
And when you’re done, the Javapresse Manual Burr Mill Coffee Grinder disassembles easily for quick cleaning.
This coffee grinder’s design couldn’t be simpler. It’s a durable stainless steel cylinder with a detachable handle and a glass carafe for your coffee grounds.
It’s perfect for travelers, those with small kitchens, and anyone on a budget who wants the quality of a burr mill grinder without the high price point.
Check out our video review of the grinder to see how it’s done.
Features & Benefits
Durable Streamlined Design
One of the more distinct features of the Javapresse burr grinder is its stunningly simple shape and design, which make it immediately recognizable from the competition.
The outer body of the coffee grinder is durable stainless steel. It sits well in the hand without slipping or sliding, and the detachable handle easily comes off for storage.
The overall look is stylish and classic and will look great in any kitchen or travel setup. Plus, it can fit just about anywhere! Measuring 7.5 inches high and only 1.8 inches wide at the base, you can place it in a drawer, a cabinet, or right on the kitchen counter if you like.
Lightweight and Portable
This is the feature that generally attracts coffee lovers to this grinder. It’s small, lightweight, and just big enough to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.
Weighing in at only 9.4 ounces, it’s the perfect travel companion for any caffeine fiend.
It’s ideal for traveling and can be an excellent addition to your office coffee setup (who doesn’t love fresh ground coffee at work?).
You can toss this grinder in a drawer, your work bag, your camping duffel, or your suitcase, and have fresh coffee wherever you go—most electric burr grinders can’t say that!
Ease of Use
Using the Javapresse manual burr grinder couldn’t be simpler. Just open the grinder, add your beans to the hopper, close it, attach the handle, and then crank the handle until you’ve ground all of your beans.
The ceramic burrs inside the grinder take care of the rest, and the entire grinder comes apart for quick and easy cleaning when you’re finished.
It’s not just the simple design and grinding process that makes this grinder worthwhile.
Unlike electric grinders, the JavaPresse manual coffee grinder doesn’t need batteries or an electrical connection to produce an even and effective grind.
18 Adjustable Grind Size Settings
Every coffee lover knows how important the right grind size is to brew delicious cups of coffee.
One thing we can’t stand about budget grinders is that they tend to have fewer grind settings than you would expect, leaving a lot of room for error.
But the Javapresse has enough settings for even the most particular coffee lover—18 settings in total!
Simply rotate the adjustment knob to the grind size that you want, attach the handle, and begin grinding.
With so many different grind sizes, finding the best size for your preferred brewing method will be easy, resulting in the perfect cup of drip coffee or espresso.
Affordable Price Point
One of the biggest drawbacks keeping people from upgrading to a burr mill grinder is that electric grinders can cost several hundred dollars, making them too expensive for most people to justify.
Luckily, this grinder is much more affordable than that, mainly because it has no electrical components and it’s a small handheld model.
And since it’s one of the more popular budget options out there, it’s easy to find and purchase from just about anywhere. You can’t beat that kind of convenience and value!
Drawbacks
Slow Grind
As with most things, we pay for convenience. One of the most obvious drawbacks to an affordable manual burr grinder like this one is the time it takes to grind the beans compared to a more convenient (but expensive) electric burr grinder.
In fact, it may take you upwards of 5-10 minutes just to grind your beans thoroughly, depending on the grind size you want. That’s a major disappointment, and, unfortunately, it makes it difficult to recommend this grinder if you’re the kind of person with a busy morning routine and no time to waste.
Finicky Handle
Since this is a manual grinder, we had hoped the handle would attach and stay snug while in use. But it can easily slip and slide off if you don’t have the proper grip on it or don’t attach it firmly at the start.
Unfortunately, this is one of the side effects of having a handle that can easily detach—it’s great when traveling but terribly inconvenient when grinding.
There’s no doubt about it; this grinder requires quite a bit of elbow grease to operate, so if you are worried that you may not have the arm and grip strength to keep the handle firmly on the grinder, we suggest giving this one a pass.
Final Thoughts
The Javapresse Manual Burr Grinder combines all the features you want in a coffee grinder: an affordable price point, quality ceramic burrs, a consistent grind, multiple grind size options, and a stylish, travel-friendly design.
But unfortunately, it’s not for everyone. It’s a manual grinder and needs a bit of manual labor to operate. Some coffee drinkers may not want to spend the time and energy hand grinding their beans, especially if they’re brewing for more than one person.
This is a practical and well-designed grinder for a single person who likes to travel, but it’s not suited for larger groups, offices, families, or anyone who wants a fast and easy grind.
If you’re not convinced that the Javapresse grinder is right for you, consider the Mr. Coffee Automatic Burr Mill grinder instead. It has the same number of grind settings and a small footprint. It can even offer a beautifully consistent grind, but it also has all the convenience of an electric grinder.
For a more high-end option, go for the OXO Burr Mill grinder.
Looking for more budget-friendly coffee grinder ideas? Check out a few of our favorites here. Or, take a peek at our in-depth review of the OXO Burr Mill coffee grinder.
Good luck and happy grinding!
