Kitchen

Hario Skerton Hand Crank Coffee Mill

Ceramic burr with a fine grind

One of the first things one learns when one gets serious about coffee is never, ever to use those whirring coffee grinders with the blades. To make consistently good coffee, you need an adjustable burr grinder, for which you could spend hundreds of dollars.

I don’t have hundreds of dollars, but I do have this diminutive, inexpensive and nearly perfect burr grinder by Hario. They call it a “Skerton” by which I think they mean “Skeleton” but what do I know?

It is extremely well made, with a ceramic burr; it’s easy (although a little imprecise, until you get to know it) to set the desired grind, it does the job every bit as well as the expensive grinders, and I find that hand-grinding has become a lovely part of my daily coffee ritual.

Caveat: If you are grinding for more than two people, you will find that it quickly becomes a pain in the butt. But it’s a perfect tool for traveling, and when you combine it with an Aeropress there is no better way to grind and brew a cup at a time.

-- Peter Dworkin 04/9/12

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