Mark MorphewIf you’re on the fence about whether you should buy the JavaPresse manual coffee grinder, keep on reading. In this review, I’ve put the JavaPresse through its paces.
I’ll give you my thoughts on how it stacks up against similar grinders. I will also show you three different grinds from the actual JavaPresse – fine, medium, and coarse so you can decide for yourself if this manual grinder is suitable for your coffee brewing needs.
This hand coffee grinder has built up quite the following, and with over 13k positive reviews over at Amazon, I have to ask – is all the hype around this budget grinder justified?
Let’s take a closer look.
The Actual Hand Grinder – Close Up
As you can see, the JavaPresse isn’t a large coffee grinder by any means, and even the smallest of hands will have no problem gripping the brushed stainless-steel body of the grinder.
The steel body is a plus, for sure. A problem that often plagues budget hand grinders is plastic parts that, from my experience, often break or shatter – especially if accidentally dropped.
The durable design of the JavaPresse grinder lets you use it how you want when you want without fear of breakage.
Another thing I noticed when I first picked up the grinder was just how lightweight it was; it weighs almost nothing.
Weighing about 9 ounces, you can throw the burr grinder in your hand language without a second thought.
The JavaPresse can be broken down into four distinct parts. The bottom section collects your coffee, which features a slim glass section that allows you to eyeball the amount of coffee you’ve ground.
The main body which houses the grinding mechanism snuggly fits into the bottom section.
It’s worth mentioning that the parts of the JavaPresse don’t screw together like some manual coffee grinders. Instead, they push together, forming a tight seal.
And finally, on top of this is where you attach the lid and the manual crank arm.
Adjusting The Grind With The JavaPresse
According to JavaPresse, there are around 18 different usable settings with this grinder. To be frank, that’s more than you’ll ever need with a portable grinder such as this.
After all, this grinder has been designed for use on the road, where you’ll more than likely only have one or two different pieces of coffee brewing gear to hand.
However, it’s nice to know that you have the flexibility of multiple grind settings if you ever need them.
Locking in your preferred grind setting is simple using the JavaPresse, and with a few clicks of the adjustment knob underneath the burrs, you’re all set.
However, the bad news is that the JavaPresse lacks any indication on the settings dial to indicate that you’ve locked in the correct grind.
The good news is there is a way to work out just how many clicks you’ll need.
First, tighten the black setting knob as tight as you can – this is now at zero.
Now when you start to loosen the knob by turning it left, you are locking in each grind setting every time you hear and feel a slight click – the first click is your grind setting 1 (extremely fine) and so forth.
You basically keep clicking the dial, and with a bit of trial and error, you will be able to determine the best grind setting for your coffee brewing requirements.
I’m sure you don’t want to spend an entire afternoon experimenting and perfecting each grind settings – so I’ve done some of the hard work for you.
You can use these settings as a rough guideline:
| Brewing Type | Click/Turns |
| Espresso | 1 turns/clicks |
| AeroPress | 2 turns/clicks |
| Pour-Over/Drip Cone | 3 turns/clicks |
| French Press | 6-7 turns/clicks |
Grinding Speed
As you’ve probably guessed, this hand crank grinder isn’t going to win any prizes for being the fastest, but it’s not as slow as some other manual grinders I’ve tried – I would place the JavaPresse in the mid-range when it comes to speed and performance.
I did a quick speed test, 20 grams of Medium-dark roasted whole coffee beans – it took me:
Coarse Grind: 46 seconds
Fine Grind: 70 seconds
Obviously, these times will vary based on numerous factors, such as how fast you can physically crank the handle and the roast level of your coffee beans. But at least it gives you a good indication of what you should expect.
JavaPresse Grind Size Consistency
Despite this hand crank grinder’s low price point, I wasn’t expecting much in terms of a uniform grind.
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with the grind consistency of the grind with the JavaPresse. It doesn’t outperform, say, the 1Zpresso Q2, for example, but I wouldn’t expect it to at this price.
But the grind consistency is acceptable, and the JavaPresse can be forgiven for having a few rogue grounds slip through.
If you’re interested in just how the JavaPresse performs, here’s an example of three popular everyday grinds – fine, medium, and coarse.
Each setting is achieved by 2-3 “clicks” on the setting dial, as mentioned above.
As you can see, some boulders have slipped through on each of the grind piles.
You can also see that some micro fines are resting in the medium grind example. For coffee brewing methods that require a medium grind, such as regular drip coffee or even pour-over, you can get away with a bit of unevenness in the grind.
But I wouldn’t recommend the JavaPresse for its fine grind – it will be unacceptable for, say, espresso.
The Grinding Mechanism
One thing I’ve not really touched on so far is the actual grinding mechanism.
The JavaPresse houses a set of ceramic burrs that are driven by an internal axel that’s powered by – yes, you guessed it, …you.
JavaPresse claims that their ceramic burrs last up to five times longer than stainless steel blades.
I’m a bit skeptical of this claim. From my experience, I have found ceramic to be brittle in other hand grinders and can easily break if you are unfortunate enough to hit an extra hard coffee bean while you are cranking the burrs.
Stainless steel is the better option, but these are typically reserved for pricier manual hand grinders.
The plus of ceramic burrs is they are not prone to heating up like their stainless-steel counterparts. But again, for the budget price, the JavaPresse has provided the best burrs it can, and if their claim is true, the set found in this grinder should be just as durable as steel.
Sleek Design
The slim design of the JavaPresse is both practical and functional. Some thought must have gone into the initial design of this grinder’s body because it is uncanny how nicely it fits inside an AeroPress.
The cylindrical aluminum body is durable, and any small scratches go unnoticed due to the brushed finish; you don’t have to be afraid of throwing this grinder in your backpack.
The removable hand crank arm is easily detachable from the hex axel, making the grinder easier to store.
However, a word of warning, I did find that it detached a few times when I was vigorously cranking while grinding a batch of coffee beans.
I was able to get 40 grams of whole beans inside of the chamber. This isn’t too shabby for a small grinder, and you should have enough coffee for about 2 to 3 cups.
So, if you’re brewing coffee for one or a couple of friends, the grinding capacity should be more than enough.
Overall Performance
The JavaPresse manual coffee grinder provides adequate performance for its size and price, which is on par with other grinders that cost almost twice the amount.
One of the first things I noticed when I started to use the JavaPresse was how quiet it was.
Almost all the hand crank grinders I have used let out loud crunching and cracking noises. But with the JavaPresse grinder, all I could hear was a slight scraping sound.
I believe that the metal body, which contains the grinding burrs, is acting as sound-proofing, which is softening the noise as you grind.
JavaPresse themselves actually claim that their grinder is up to 90% quieter than most electric grinders – I believe them!
During my testing, it was apparent that the noises coming from the JavaPresse were reduced, and if I’m honest, this little grinder was probably 10-25% quieter than most manual grinders on the market.
When cranking the arm of the JavaPresse, I noticed that it felt different from other manual grinders – less wobblily and a lot smoother.
Intrigued, I did a bit of digging online. I came across some information from JavaPresse themselves regarding their dual plate system designed to hold one of the burrs in a stationary while the other spins with the crank.
This probably explains the experience I was getting when cranking the grinder.
JavaPresse also states that this dual plate burr system gives its ground coffee superior consistency compared to other grinders in this price bracket.
As seen in the photos above, the ground coffee looks pretty good, and the consistency is more than I expected from this pocket-sized grinder.
Conclusions
I know, I get it. Manually grinding coffee is a bit of a chore, but if you put in a little extra effort, I can guarantee that you will reap the rewards when your taker a sip of your brewed coffee.
The JavaPresse, from my testing, does live up to the hype it has rallied up over at Amazon.
It excels at cranking out medium to fine grinds for the AeroPress and a uniform medium grind that’s perfect for Pour Over coffee.
Combine its performance with the brushed stainless-steel body and ceramic burrs, and you have a grinder that feels durable and almost indestructible.
What We Love
- You can’t beat the price.
- Durable stainless-steel body.
- Dual plate burr design gives a better grind size distribution.
Take Note
- Grinding large volumes of whole coffee isn’t feasible.
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.
