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Whether you're an amateur enthusiast or a bonafide coffee aficionado, having one of the best manual coffee grinders will take your morning joe to the next level.
With hand grinders, most — if not all — options you come across will feature burrs (as opposed to blades, which are common in cheaper electric grinders). Burrs are generally preferred because they create a more uniform batch of coffee grinds every time. When shopping around, you'll have to decide between two common materials for your burrs — ceramic and stainless steel. This factor is a matter of personal preference, but each has its pros and cons:
- Ceramic: Typically more durable and able to stay sharp longer, ceramic burrs aren't as heat conductive, and some people believe this makes the resulting cup of coffee more full-boded. The downside is they're more delicate and not as sharp out of the box.
- Stainless steel: If you have stainless steel burrs, they can be banged around a little more, and they will be sharper from the start. The drawbacks are that they tend to get dull faster and they do conduct heat, which can potentially affect the oils of your coffee beans.
On top of materials, you'll want to think about things like how smoothly the crank turns, whether the coarseness settings have markers, and how portable the grinder is. Below, I've made a list of the best manual coffee grinders, with a variety of options to suit any need. Read on to find the best addition to your home.