Hario "Skerton Plus" Ceramic Coffee Mill

I got this as a gift for the main coffee drinker in the family that wanted a hand crank grinder and they've loved it since. It has paid dividends over the years with daily use. James Hoffman's video on this product and those similar certainly helped influence this purchase decision.

This is my second unit. I broke the glass bowl on my first one. I like it because you can adjust the grinding to exactly what you want your coffee to taste like.

While I like the quality and capacity of this grinder, it hurts my hands to hold it. I wish the middle was a bit smaller in circumference. I have average sized hands for a woman, and I have to stretch my thumb around it awkwardly. By the time I'm halfway through 40g of beans, it's painful. I also wish there was an external way to adjust the grind size, but it's not too bad to pull everything off and adjust it. It is pretty much a guessing game though. A few twists, screw it all back together, test. Pull it all apart again and start over.

The Skerton Plus is an excellent alternative to electric coffee grinders, which I find loud, difficult to clean, and prone to breaking unexpectedly.By contrast, the Skerton Plus can grind coffee to a wide range of grain sizes, from chunky grains suited to a coffee press, to fine grains that are better for pour-over coffee. By dint of luck, I also found that the hopper mates with 1.5-cup mason jars, so if the glass bowl ever breaks (accidents happen!), simply attach the hopper to a mason jar instead. You can buy individual replacement parts from the Hario website, and cleaning is easy: just disassemble it and go over the parts with an old toothbrush and some detergent.In the interest of setting expectations, the Skerton Plus has some limitations:* Grinding a hopper full of beans will take 5 to 10 minutes, and you'll need to keep a tight grip on it* You can dramatically cut down the grinding time by pre-grinding your beans in a mortar and pestle; this also reduces the risk of stoppages* While grinding, periodically tighten the lug nut that holds the handle in place; if the lug nut gets too loose, the handle can bite into the shaft of the grinder (fortunately, the shaft can be replaced independently if this happens too often!). Just don't tighten it too much, or it can be difficult to remove!* If the hopper lid is not attached, beans sometimes jump out of the hopper during grinding* A small, clear plastic washer is used to set the minimum grain size for the mill; this washer can be lost during disassembly (fortunately, the washer, too, can be replaced through the Hario store)Within these parameters, the Skerton Plus will never let you down; I've been using it for over a year with no complaints. I wouldn't recommend it for travel because of its glass bowl and many small parts, but for home use, I'm very happy with it.

After learning about mold lingering in most coffee makers, I have simplified my coffee operation. I now use only a stainless steel pour over, and this lovely grinder. My counters are now clean and minimal! Everything fits in my cabinet. This grinder came with easy instructions and set up.I am a bit of a "closet" prepper, and have wanted something for a while that wasn't dependent on electricity. I am the only one who drinks coffee in my home, so I didn't need a large grinder. Grinding the fresh beans every day has added a few minutes to the routine, yes, but it is not difficult or frustrating. It is kinda fun and satisfying. Even my kids like taking turns helping me grind.Every once and a while a whole bean will get lodged in a way that the gears just spin instead of grind (at first I thought it was broken), but all it takes is a little agitation or gentle thump to loosen it up, and it is fine. Overall I am very happy with this grinder!

This is a nice grinder however and a big however.... the washer. It is small, clear and when you cleanyou will lose it. And, you do not get a spare one nor is it easy to buy one.You can ask for one via the company but BEWARE. They will make you pay for it and shipping.It will cost a crazy amount of money.

I went from using an electronic blade grinder to this grinder. It’s wonderful for grinding to a consistent size. It does take awhile to grind but since I’m grinding just for myself that’s okay. My arms got a little tired at the beginning but they’re getting better. I don’t often need the rubber gasket to keep it from moving since I sit and watch the news while grinding. I just hold it in my lap. Even if I grind on the counter with the gasket it doesn’t keep still but that’s okay too. I paid a lot of attention when I took it apart the first time because I wanted to get it back together correctly. There’s a tiny clear gasket in it that could easily get lost so I put all the small parts in a little pinch cup to make sure they stay in one place. The only other thing that’s interesting but probably true of most is that the top screwnut unscrews as I grind and I refasten it a couple of times while I’m grinding. It holds about 2/3 cups of unground coffee beans in the top and takes me awhile to grind them but that makes two to three days of grounds for the amount of coffee I make in a day. I love the simplicity of the process. And I can grind coffee even if the power is out. All told... I love it.

Great bargain for a burr grinder. If you cannot afford an electric this is a great starter. I only gave it 4 stars because your arm does get tired if you are grinding a lot of beans.