Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill-Original, Black

Quick look notes:+++Variable, wholly consistent grinds on par with automatic burr grinders 10x's+ the cost+++Ceramic burr grinders retain grind quality for a long time+++Solid construction+++Easy to operate+++Lid prevents bean spillage+++BPA-free plastic is durable, good for travel, and easy to clean---Small capacity for both beans and fine (grounds)---Instructions are mainly in Japanese---Made in China (I realize this is a negative for some folks)---Will lull you into the murky world of searching out the perfect (read: expensive) local roastI don't shun electricity or automated processes, no, but I do find a certain amount of joy in a bit of manual labor when it produces something I am passionate about. I am also a sucker for economical efficiency. The Hario Mini Mill fulfills both of these ideals with gusto. One can easily spend a few hundred to well over a thousand dollars on a quality automated burr grinder, but there must always nag the possibility of diminishing returns.I see this product filling a niche market: The coffee connoisseur who wants to save a nice chunk of change, would like to be one step closer to intimacy with their brewing process, or would like a nice option for grinding on the go. Perhaps all three. The Mini Mill excels at all three.Variable grinds are adjusted via a rotating nut beneath the grinder. This allows for the coarsest grinds (for all you french press lovers) to a fine grind (for the auto-drip and pour-over crowds) to the finest of grinds (for all the brave Turkish style brewers). Adjusting the nut provides a nice, audible click, and I suggest marking down or making a mental note of the number of clicks from fully closed the provides the grind of your liking. TIP: Seven clicks from closed provides a perfect fine grind for my pour-over needs, but experiment to your liking.And boy what a grind! Consistency is key and the mill delivers on that front. The fine falls into the convenient plastic holder. The fine container holds about 24 grams of grounds, which Hario states is enough for two cups of joe. But note that those are two small cups, so for most this might be enough for one strong cuppa.The hopper logically then holds about 24 grams of beans and no more if you want the lid to close. And you want that lid to close so as to avoid a loose bean from shooting out and beaming you in the eye whilst you grind. It's a nice feature. The grinding itself is honestly a bit of a workout, but it is no more than I expected upon ordering. On average it takes me about two minutes of steady winding to grind 24g of beans, and I actually enjoy those two minutes. There's a bit a fun to be found in the manual process. The lid is clear, so you can watch the beans fall into the jaws of madness, and there's no question when it's finished because the sound of ceramic gnawing on crunchy beans lets up and the handle swings smoothly. The handle itself is comfortable and well constructed, with a knob that is just large enough to keep a firm grasp on without feeling unwieldy. The handle is removable, so keep that in mind for storage, but it does attach firmly with substantial depth, so there are no worries of it flying off while you are grinding. Also, the manual aspect of the little beast doesn't mean that it is also quite. It certainly removes the noisy whirring motors of its automated cousin, but it's not exactly operating in whisper mode either. Still, I grind near a wall shared by the bedroom of my sleeping wife, and I've yet to hear any complaints. Frankly, I find the crunch satisfying. TIP: I've found that sitting on a chair with the holder wedged between my legs provided the maximum comfort/efficiency/leverage for me while I'm grind, but I occasionally simply hold it in my hands with fine results. I do not suggest planting the device on the counter while grinding, as this increases both the noise and seemingly the amount of effort.The whole package is small enough to pack away for travel/camping use (perhaps accompanied with an aeropress or similar device), and the plastic holder means no shattering and would also work well to carry some beans. I have yet to travel with mine, but plan to in the coming month.The drawbacks of the device are few, but should be mentioned. I knew the capacity of the "mini" mill when I purchased it, but I will say that I was still slightly disappointed in just how few beans/fine this thing held. I knocked off a star for this, as I really wish that they'd simply made a slightly larger plastic container for the fine (see EDIT below). As stated above, the 24g is right at what I would use for a normal single cup for myself, and as I am generally the only coffee drinker in the house, this serves my purposes perfectly. When my wife also wants a cup, I simply split the magical liquid product between two smaller cups. With larger parties my sole option is to grind more than once. But it has always become a conversation point, and I love to relegate the extra grinding duty to curious guests. For those that consistently need a larger batch of ground, they might look into the Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton, which has a larger capacity.Also note that the instructions are primarily in Japanese, though there are limited English notes for each section. The pamphlet also has useful illustrations, and I honestly had no trouble at all getting the thing up and running. Still, for those of us that like to read the instructions cover to cover, this might be a slight ding.In the end, you will not find a better grind in this price range, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better one in a much higher price range. The quality of the design and build, as well as the consistency of the grind has made this one of my favorite purchases of the last few years. And since it's purchase I've found myself crawling the city for the perfect local roaster. All that said, this might be most useful only to those who really take their brewing seriously.I should also say that I'm hooked on Hario. Brand loyalty is something that I'd generally roll my eyes at, but the consistent craftsmanship and reliability of this Japanese company has led me to let them take part in nearly my entire ritual of coffee preparation. And coffee is liquid gold. In addition to this grinder, I use their Hario VKB-120HSV V60 Coffee Drip Kettle Buono, a Hario VDC-02W Dripper V60 Size 02 White Ceramic Funnel, and Hario Coffee White Paper Filters Size 02 for V60 Brewer, 100 Count. Enjoy!**Edit 9/10/13: I wanted to revisit this review and bump it up to five stars, as I see that the little grinder that can is on sale at the moment and I believe all coffee lovers should have one. I previously removed a star for the small amount of beans it processes at once, but I've since realized that this is illogical as its capacity is labeled here and heck, the name does have MINI in it. 10 months on, and this thing works like the first time. Better even, as I've developed my rhythm and wholly enjoy using it. And the size is perfect for my normal use. What are you waiting for?**

i received prod well before due date, pleasant surprise.when i first used the prod, i thought to myself, well, it was ok, but not too sure i would do this every day. i gave it another shot the next day. then the next day, and the next, and the next. well, as you can see, i am still using it. i can get used to it. the eletric griders are quick and easy, 15 seconds and you're done. however, they are very loud and in an apt, everyone next to you hears the grinder. i had found and purchased a fairly quiet one (hamilton beach) but still too loud. but with the Hario, its pretty quiet.here some things i learned so far.the handle design (bent) was intentional. i figure that out. its bent for a reason..so you can alternate your thumb placement to relieve stress while turning!if you want it to last long, be sure to wash the base and top where they screw in. if you don't , then over time, as you screw and there are grinds, they will eat at the plastics and screwing will become less tight. also, don't screw too tight. find the right grip, stick with it and also find the right turning motion that will provide as much comfort as possible. get a balance between the gripping of the unit (grip the top base only) and twisting. or else over time, the poor method you use will lessen longevity. you don't want to be twisting the handle/grinding while the base keeps unscrewing. that will force you to think that you did not screw tight enough, and before you know it you are over-screwing it, etc. also, it is true, you can take this anywhere and grind your beans. however, i would not tilt it and grind because the beans need to fall into the grinder part. so bare that in mind. keep it horizontal, handle point up.now for the grounds. at the base of the grinder is a flywheel or spindle screw. it is adjustable. it sort of clicks. to adjust, put the beans in, and close the clear plastic lid. that sort of locks the screw where the handle goes, and helps to allow you to turn the spindle screw to make adjustments to the grounds granularity. so, place the grinder base in your left hand, and turn left/right the screw. you will feel and hear clicks. that is normal. turning right makes the founds finer while turning left makes them courser. here's a tip, turning too far to the right will give it too finder and ground, it will be powdery. and if you put that in your coffee machine, chances are, due to the lightness of the grounds, the hot water dripping on it will over-fill the grounds and flood it and also spatter the grounds over the filter and into your coffee cup or mug. i had a lot of trouble with this, couldn't understand it. couldn't get the connection. then i realized, i need to make the grounds courser. so i began turning (start at farthest right) and counted the clicks as i turned left. i think it is 15 clicks total. i am at 12 clicks or max i think. if you grind at the finer setting, it will take aprox 360 turns or 3 minutes. but at the setting i am using, i only takes aprox 150 turns, not bad. also, don't turn too fast. it does not grind faster because the beans need to fall into the base as you grind. if you turn too fast then the beans won't fall into the grinder. also, every so often, i shake the beans, just to make sure they are making their way into the grinder. but its probably not necessary, though i do it anyway. i think the broacher is misleading in a way. courser does not mean chunks or whatever it said. i read it only once and was skimming through it. chances are, you will probably adjust this to max (or near it) for your coffee maker machine. i have a one cup machine.i don't know how long these things last, although i've read where people say that ceramic last indefinite. i find that hard to believe, but they say it none the less. but if you prepare yourself with the above notes, its safe to say that the unit will last a long time. i grind my coffee every evening, and put the found in a separate glass jar similar in size to the one in the Hario and put in the fridge for the next day to take into work with me.there is nothing better tasting than freshly grounded beans, whether by an electric or manual turn, though the Hario does the job quite well, i am a very satisfied customer!!thanks, Hario.UPDATE AS OF 2015-08-19 WednesdayI am very happy to say that I am still using this product. And I have concluded that washing the internal parts of the unit is not necessary and have not washed it, except once, since I received it. And I have been using Peet's Coffee beans, French Roast (deep roast), for over a year now. It is, in my opinion, (after many other coffee bean brand taste tests) the best flavored tasting coffee. I drink one cup (typical size mug) a day. To keep the beans at their freshest, I fill a cup size, screw on cover, in my bottom draw away from sun light, and grind the beans out of that (not the original bag). That lasts me about 1 week or whatever 3 TBs serving size is from that storage cup. When the cup runs out, I refill it the day I'm going to make coffee--any way to help keep the storage freshness lasting longer. I open the bag very carefully, about two fingers worth, enought to pore the beans out into the storage cup, and quickly reseal the bag. For me, the scecret to great tasting coffee every single day is to follow these steps, plus, having a single-serve coffee machine (Black and Decker's Brew 'n Go -- http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-DCM18-Coffeemaker-White/dp/B00006IUVD) is the way to go. I've been using this exact same machine for at least 10 years, I think. People always compliment the aroma from my coffee.