Mark MorphewLet’s face it, taking all of your coffee brewing gear on a camping trip isn’t practical. You need to find space in your backpack for a manual grinder, some sort of coffee brewer, ideally a reusable filter, or maybe a travel thermos or cup.
What if I told you that you could do away with all of those and replace them with one compact coffee brewer that has everything you need in one tiny package.
Don’t believe me? Well, keep on reading because I managed to get my hands on the Soulhand all-in-one portable coffee grinder set.
Before we jump into this review, I will tell you this thing is fantastic!
Soulhand All-In-One Coffee Maker At A Glance
I’ve seen a lot of coffee paraphernalia over the years, but this is the first time I have seen an all-in-one coffee brewer quite like this.
You can grind the coffee beans at the top and pour over coffee at the bottom with the built-in filter. It’s a brilliant product.
Soulhand has found a niche market with this item. They’ve designed a perfect product for campers, hikers, and anyone who wants a full-fledged coffee experience from practically anywhere.
You could be sitting at the peak of a mountain and still be able to grind, pour and drink coffee all in one practical set.
Not much of a mountain climber? It works well in the office too!
Let’s take a closer look.
Features And Functions
Everything you need is enclosed inside of the black cylinder, which doubles up as a travel thermos mug that fits in most car cup holders.
From looking at the Soulhand coffee maker set, I can tell that nothing has been left out, and a lot of thought has gone into every component.
It’s the small details that most manufacturers wouldn’t even consider adding, like the predefined coffee bean separation in the lid, one side for 5g and the other 15 grams of coffee. The pouring spout built into the side of the travel mug turns it into a “drip kettle” – Amazing!
Every little detail in this compact brewer has been added for a reason, and nothing has been overlooked.
A Closer Look At The Burr Grinder
Most manual coffee grinders give you one way to grind, typically with a crank arm that attaches to the grinder. The Soulhand gives you two options; yes, two.
A retractable hand crank mechanism that extends and fixes to the top, and you also have the option of using the “hand twist” method by simply twisting the top cap of the device, without the need for any crank arm being attached.
The ceramic burr grinding mechanism is pretty standard, and the same style can be found inside other manual coffee grinders, such as the Javapresse grinder.
On the bottom of the burrs, you have a dial that adjusts to a finer grind if turned clockwise and counterclockwise allows you to set a more coarse grind. As I said, the grinding mechanism is pretty much the standard in most manual grinders.
You can set a grind for almost any coffee brewing, albeit French Press, AeroPress, or manual pour-over.
Because this device is designed to be used for pour-over coffee, you only need to set the grind setting once, at a medium-fine grind, at leave it.
The design is clever.
As you grind, the coffee falls directly into the metal filter below, so it’s ready for the next stage – pouring water over your grounds.
How Fast Does it Grind?
The first question anyone asks when talking about manual coffee grinders is how fast does it grind. After all, you’re going to be cranking on the handle. So how much elbow grease is needed to grind enough coffee for one?
I added 15 grams of coffee and grinding that took me about two minutes to complete. That was using the provided retractable arm and not the twist cap alternative method.
Compared to other manual grinders, it’s not too shabby, and it’s on par with others like the Hario Mini Mill, which can grind the same amount in about a minute and thirty seconds.
Reusable Coffee Filter
As I mentioned earlier, I have never seen a mini reusable metal coffee filter this size, let alone included with a portable device. Have you?
The filter has been manufactured from a stainless steel fine mesh. If you have ever used a regular-sized metal reusable coffee filter, you know what to expect.
It’s precisely the same as one of those – just a miniature scaled-down version.
There’s no need for paper filters. After each use, the filter can be washed and used again.
Thermal Coffee Mug
With a bit of swapping around of parts, you can use the lid that covers the top as a lid for the bottom thermal mug.
It is pretty hard to explain, but it all makes sense when you have one in your hand.
Every part has a function, even more than one function in many cases, and every feature is useful. Whoever designed this was definitely thinking “outside of the box.”
The travel mug can hold up to 260ml of coffee or hot water to brew coffee.
It’s been manufactured from quality stainless steel and food-grade polypropylene material. It’s both easy to clean and durable, and it does a pretty decent job at keeping your coffee hot for a long time.
Drawbacks: Some Things I Don’t Like
Okay, so there’s one small thing that I don’t like.
For starters, the retractable crank arm is slightly oversized.
I understand the trifold design to allow the arm to fold up to fit inside the lid. But for more stability and speed while grinding, I think two sections would have been better than three.
It might be possible to remove one section to shorten the arm slightly. But don’t forget you also have the option to use the cap to twist and grind, so it’s not a big problem if you find the arm too big.
The Verdict Is It Worth A Buy?
I’ll be honest. The Soulhand all-in-one coffee maker isn’t something I would use at home on a daily basis. I have other more suitable coffee brewers for that.
But when I go to the beach or a camping trip, the soulhand all in one brewer has been my first choice.
The AeroPress used to fill that void, but I still had to pack my bag with a separate coffee grinder, cup, and coffee beans. Not anymore.
Whether you’re out camping, on a hike, or if you simply enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee when you’re away from home, I would definitely recommend that you take a look at the soulhand all in one coffee maker – it’s an ingenious device that will become your best friend on the road.
What We Love
- All in one coffee maker: grind, brew, and drink.
- Durable materials and compact design.
- Two ways to grind: use the grinding arm or twist cap.
- Built-in pour-over kettle design.
- Washable, reusable coffee filter.
Take Note
- The detachable grind crank arm is slightly too big.
- A tiny amount of fine grinds slip through the filter. But this is the case with all filters of this type.
When he's not fiddling around with a new coffee gadget, you'll find him busy doing DIY projects around the home and taking his German Shepherd for a walk, who funnily enough is called Kona!
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Since the creation of the Bean Ground coffee blog in 2014, Mark and a small circle of coffee hobbyists have rigorously tested, reviewed, and researched coffee gear. In most cases, they have purchased the items themselves with the sole intention of rating and evaluating.
In that time, they have built up a list of quality points to look for and what makes specific equipment better than others. They cut through the noise and marketing hype that often surrounds products to give you their unbiased opinions so you can make clear decisions on your next purchase.
