There are two manual coffee grinders on Kickstarter at the present moment. Each one is constructed with care and precision, but does one campaign out-do the other?
EvenGrind by Kuissential Review
These seemingly minor improvements are actually attempts to solve some of the most common issues with inexpensive, manual hand grinders: poor grind consistency. If these additions to the classic design work, they are game changers. In addition, a hopper lid keeps beans from flying out mid-grind and an easy adjustment ring make settings easy to manipulate.
Kuissential has also put some effort into examining their grinder in a lab, comparing it to several grinders, including the Hario Skerton. You can see the extent of their research here.
The EvenGrind successfully completed their Kickstarter campaign. You can now buy the grinder on Amazon for only $37.99, which I believe is a steal.
Handground by Handground Review
The Hanground grinder features a “triple mounted stainless steel axle”. I wish the creators would go into more detail about how this technology solves the problems most hand grinders have with instability and inconsistency. Maybe that’s the technology that will usher in a new era of hand grinders, but maybe not – I’m not sure because the creators have not convinced me that it is.
The Handground’s Kickstarter campaign has also come to an end but is now available on Amazon for $55.97.
Check out their Kickstarter campaign page for yourself to learn more!
Personal Thoughts: EvenGrind vs Handground
I’m really impressed with both grinders and want to see them both created, but one sticks out to me.
I’ve spent hours upon hours toying with the Hario Mini Mill to achieve the greatest grind consistency possible with decent results, but there’s only so much you can do without more expensive equipment. The added stability through the cage and bearings of the EvenGrind appeal to me dramatically for this reason. They are the answers to the Mini Mill’s greatest faults.
I understand that the visual appeal of the Handground may win some over, or the side handle, and I’m sure their “triple mounted stainless steel axle” technology is a step up. I don’t blame anyone who would choose the Handground, but I can’t help but wonder what this grinder has to offer toward the final cup, especially while being pricier.
The creators of the EvenGrind have made a convincing case to consumers that they are working diligently to solve the grind consistency problems in most manual grinders. They use multiple images and diagrams to prove their point, but Handground did little to none of this.
As a result, I know the EvenGrind’s improvements will positively impact the final elixir, but I just haven’t been shown how the Handground’s improvements will.
For only $37.99, the EvenGrind is hardly more expensive than the Mini Mill and appears to have solved many of the Mini Mill’s problems.
UPDATE: See my review and grind comparison for the EvenGrind.
I’m also very interested in the consistency of Handground. I have messaged them regarding this issue of not much proof of consistency and awaiting their reply. Has anyone tried it out in the tour they’re doing? Is it really consistent over all the grind sizes? Thanks
I love both of these concepts. Every morning I use my Hario Slim and grind enough coffee for my French Press. To be honest, I don’t find the ergonomics sufficient. I’m constantly wedging the Hario against my stomach, or thigh, or just spinning the handle with the grinder in the air. It also takes awhile to grind. I am sure that the Evengrind is better than the Hario but by how much? It still looks like a pain to use. Conversely, I love the ergonomics of the side turning lever on the Handground. You put the grinder on a table surface (as I saw in the video), and with my left hand I can stabilize the grinder from the top as I spin the lever with my right hand. This seems much easier and faster than the Hario and Evengrind. Of course, we will have to wait to see how consistent the grinds are from the Handground. On another note, none of the grinders here look attractive to me. Perhaps if the Handground had a wood body, it would warm it up some. With that said, both grinders seem excellent for the price.
So you didn’t personally see, hold, or try either grinder. Your opinion is based entirely on what you read on Kickstarter (that’s where you pulled all your information regarding this article). That graph by Even Grind looks fancy, but what does it actually tell you? For example, if statistics were used to analyze the grind data, instead of each person trying to interpret a graph, would there be any difference between coffee beans ground using the Even Grind hand grinder versus coffee beans ground with the Hario Skerton? It’s interesting that Even Grind doesn’t include one statistical analysis, but leaves the determination of a consistent coffee grind, and the difference between two types of coffee bean grinders, up to a graph that may actually show no statistical difference when comparing beans ground by these two coffee grinders.
You wrote “. The creators of the EvenGrind have made a convincing case to consumers that they are working diligently to solve the grind consistency problems in most manual grinders. They use multiple images and diagrams to prove their point, but Handground did little to none of this.” I went to Kickstarter and read the information posted by both Kickstarter adds. Maybe you are associated with the Even Grind group, because the Handground text and videos goes into quite a bit of detail on how their design evolved, how they researched ceramic conical burrs to find a design that would provide a suitable and consistent coffee grind, how they researched what type of gearing (and what type of steel for that gearing) would be best to ensure long term consistent performance, the research that went into the design of the handle to optimize it’s function and ergonomics so the end result would be a consistent coffee grind, how designers of the grinder actually went to the manufactures of the parts of the coffee grinder to ensure the parts would be repeatedly made to high quality standards, etc. That sounds like a convincing case to me. It doesn’t sound convincing to you?
I have had no dealings with either the Handgroud or EvenGrind creators prior to this post. The information and opinions I conveyed were based entirely on the Kickstarters, which I did not hide. I have not touched or played with either one, although I will be able to compare both in the next two months.
The claims of the Handgroud are strong claims that anyone creating a hand grinder should make. Of course they should research burr and gear design – every hand grinder creator should! What they didn’t do is prove that their research and design actually causes the Handground to be a better grinder than any other grinder. They have claims, but no data to convince anyone that the product stands above other products.
The EvenGrind, on the other hand, did exactly that. Their lab tests are visible for everyone to see. They have offered clear comparisons of their product and another highly-respected grinder.
I apologize that you were offended by my comparison and opinions.
I’m annoyed that I got all the way to the bottom of this post before it was made evident that this was not an actual review of actual products. Most people don’t write a post titled as such as this without having actually had both products in hand with which to test with. Most people would also state at the beginning of the post that the content within is purely speculative instead of letting the viewer get all the way to the bottom before *subtly insinuating* that the author has not actually yet touched nor seen the products in the ‘review’ – you say you didn’t hide this, but let’s be real, you didn’t say it either.
There’s a total of 2 1/2 paragraphs about HandGround, then you go right back to talking about EvenGrind. Even if you had both products in hand, I wouldn’t consider this a well balanced post in the slightest.