"Acrylic Box" Ceramic Coffee Mill

I've had this Hario Acrylic Ceramic manual grinder since 2016. Today, is March 21, 2022. Which means it's been in service for around six years now, and I can comfortably say it's still going strong.Now, I'm an early riser with a shameful caffeine addiction. I love gourmet, hipster, free-range, fresh-ground, locally grown, yadda-yadda coffee. My wife, on the other hand, isn't an early riser. She's a goblin unless I let her sleep until 11--which is problematic when your burr grinder is louder than the parking lot at a heavy metal concert. So, I figured buying this device was a much less expensive compromise than paying for triage or couple's therapy.The device itself is well-made, save for the rubber suction element on the bottom, which tends to come loose when you're really cranking away. I often endeavor to remind myself that it's okay to take things slow in the morning. However, my caffeine monkey has its own agenda, which means sometimes I get overzealous. I've found the easiest way to solve this problem is to wet the rubber a bit and hold the grinder as steady as possible while cranking. It's not always effective, but it gets the job done most of the time.There's also no real instruction with the grinder on how to dial in your grind size. That's an issue for some, but if you're reading this review, then maybe I can help you out.First, zero the grinder out by tightening the notched nut until it's finger tight. Don't crank down too hard here. Then, take a marker or something you can scribe with and make a mark on the stem portion of the grinder as well as the notched nut. (Second to last photo shows the scribe line I made) These will be your reference lines. From there, turn the notched nut one notch COUNTERCLOCKWISE (loosening it)--a single notch. NOT a full turn. Just a notch, until you achieve your desired grind size.- 1 notch = fine grind (espresso/moka pot)- 2 notches = medium fine (Aeropress or pour over)- 3 notches = medium grind (drip coffee/pour over)- 5 notches = medium coarse (Chemex)- 7 notches = coarse grind (French Press)If you use those settings, then you'll be able to achieve a really great cup of coffee. I use a moka pot, and the results are pretty mind-blowing.Hopefully, that saves you a week of frustration. Don't say I never did anything nice for you.Aside from the rubber bottom and the learning curve, there is one additional thing to be aware of. This grinder is a bit tough to clean. It has a ton of little nooks and crannies, and the best way I've found to get it spotless is to wash everything after I use it. If you hate washing stuff, then I'd advise you to pick something else that is a little less finicky to clean.Despite those tiny issues, I have to say that this grinder suits my purposes, and it has for a long time. It's inexpensive, doesn't take up a lot of space, and it lets me make a small amount of coffee for myself while the goblin queen gets her beauty sleep.Should you buy it? That's not up to me. But, consider the fact that I came back to this page six years after I bought the thing to post a positive review of it. What does that tell you?

I just have this grinder for a few days (will write an update and give impression about it) but so far I find it excellent. It is my first grinder, and I chose it after having read all these reviews of other manual action ceramic grinders having the problem of requiring a 'death grip' to use, or having to 'turn the grinder for a long time' and eventually the users give up and buy electric ones, So I was looking for a full featured manual ceramic grinder that was easy to use. This grinder has a neat feature of a suction base, and boy does it WORK! After activation, it feels like the grinder was bolted down into my granite counter top (will only work on relatively smooth surfaces I think). After a few uses and one wash with running water, the grounds no longer flew everywhere after pulling the drawer out, now the grounds stay put in the tray, with the occasional few grounds escaping around the side of the collecting tray and collecting at the bottom of the main grinder house (where the suction silicone base area is). Thankfully it is completely disassemble-able. The lid even has a slot so that if you screw off handle (nut and threads are nicely machined and have a solid feel, and smooth screw/unscrew action that glides) the hand fits into a small slot on the side of the lid into the main body such that the lid is 'locked' into place so it wont fall off/be lost and the whole unit is compact. Oh those clever space conscious Japanese designers, well done!I find grinding a pleasure with the sound of the grinding, and the easy action of the wide turning arm while the main housing is firmly attached to the counter. No death grip, hurray! Filling the upper tray about 80% of the way you can grind about one "2 cup" mokapot coffee grounds basket. The grinds form a 'mound' underneath the ceramic burrs, and you may need to 'tap' the side of the grinder to have the grinds settle so when you pull out the tray, the grounds aren't spilled and left back in the main housing.It is made out of plastc, so there is some static, much worse on the first grind but got better after subsequent grinds and a rinse with water once. I like it so much I think I will give it away as a gift. For the price range of grinders ranging from $25-$110, this grinder is not the cheapest, but for the features, I think it's worth it. Anyway, it's the ceramic burr that we all really want. All the other features are for user friendliness and of which this one is overflowing with nice little features. My only redesign would be: upper tray is some what 'loose' and while grinding, will tend not to stay in one place and bounce around in the main housing a bit. I would also consider making the housing metal or glass instead of plastic to reduce static transfer.I use a 'coarse' setting for use with the moka pot (looks like a setting of '5' from my local grocer) with French Roast from Pete's Coffee, and the results are astounding, makes home made coffee so much more fun and enjoyable in the mornings :)

I own several other Hario coffee grinders and will rate this one 3 stars. It's not my favorite of the one's I own and could use improvement in the overall design. The best feature is that it has an intuitive suction base that allows for one handed grinding and keeps it secure. There is also a nice slot at the top which allows you to hide the handle when stored away. The negative is that the overall size is so small that you'll really only get a single serving with use. I have to grind at least 3 times to equal the amount I get with my other two Hario grinders, so if all you're looking for is a cup of coffee just remember you will need to grind every day with this one. The other thing which sort of bothered me is that it leaves coffee grinds outside of the plastic catch. It happens every time I have used it and makes for longer cleanup time. With a few improvements (if they ever decide to update this model) this could be a really incredible grinder, but I would only recommend for travel and maybe for someone with very little kitchen space due to it's small size.

This has been an excellent grinder over the last 5-6 years. Use around every couple of days (I go in phases) and still in perfect condition. Well made and very adjustable burr grind. Coffee tastes better than from previous blade grinder. A pleasure to use. Only negative is that suction needs a very smooth surface and/or a little oil/water to work well (small enough flaw not to loose a star imo). Review based in purchase price of ~£33. Would give 4* if ~£45 or higher due to slight lack of suction issue.

This coffee mill seems well designed for grinding small batches of coffee. It is a good size and holds enough beans in the hopper for about two pots of a larger French press. The long removable handle gives good leverage for grinding and the adjustment nut does allow for a little adjustment in the coarseness. It is very easy to grip the mill while grinding, and the suction apparatus on the bottom works well on the granite countertop, making it much easier to grind smoothly and continuously. The ground coffee drawer comes out easily and keeps the ground coffee neatly contained, but emptying it about every 200 turns is probably a good idea so it won't spill onto the suction cup and countertop. Cleaning is easy as it comes apart quickly, but it is important to be careful not to lose smaller parts. The Japanese/English instructions are somewhat ambiguous but it is a fairly simple machine to use. So far I haven't found the acrylic exterior parts to be flimsy at all and the grinder is attractive enough to leave out on the counter until the next use.

The luft is insignificant , though the suction is kinda clumsy , easy to clean, easy to reassemble , would recommend as a good point between low-end and high-end grinders.Yes the suction works, recommend to drag your handle a bit upwards not to unscrew the top stopper , be aware of the small, transparent plastic stopper at the bottom ,read the instruction before use , would recommend.

I wanted a manual ceramic burr grinder that didn't require a strong grip to use, and I've found it in this well-designed item. By moistening both its base and my work surface it sticks in place and lets me grind away comfortably without having to hang on to it like grim death.The unit's a decent size, about 8" (20cm) tall including handle and less than 3" (7cm) deep (about the equivalent of a vacuum-inflated 227g pack of coffee beans or a small 1kg bag of flour). The product photos are rather misleading as the body of the unit is very dark - an opaque deep grey-black - with a transparent lid and grounds drawer, all made of perspex. High humidity isn't normally an issue where I live so I haven't had a problem with 'static cling'. By sliding off the lid the grinding assembly can be lifted out bodily, so the various parts can be cleaned easily.The best thing about this product is its ability to stick fast to the work surface while I'm grinding. There's a flip-down handle on the side which, when pushed down, brings the internal suction plate into operation. This took a bit of trial and error initially, but I find it works well by thoroughly wiping both the base of the unit and my worktop with a damp cloth, pressing the unit very firmly onto the work surface, then pushing down the side lever. I always hold on loosely to the grinder since - like most things that adhere by suction - it'll suddenly detach itself mid-grind. Simply re-apply the side lever to get it sticking again. It usually detaches itself once or twice during a 3-4 minute grind but that's fine by me. I hold it near its base so my thumb stops the slippery little grounds drawer from popping out.The top hopper can accommodate up to 30g of coffee beans, and the pull-out drawer beneath it holds over 20g of grounds. The grinding action's very comfortable with quite a wide swing to the handle.I'm no coffee connoisseur so I can't comment on the quality of the grind. All I'd say is that by taking off the handle assembly you can adjust the unmarked gear beneath it to vary between coarse and fine grind (turn clockwise/tighten up for fine). Claire Jordan's excellent video review for another Hario grinder shows how to do this  Hario Medium Glass Hand Coffee Grinder with Ceramic Burrs, Clear . You need to support the grinding mechanism from underneath with one hand while reassembling, otherwise it can drop down and stop the grounds drawer from opening.Overall I'm very happy with this grinder though I wish there was a little catch to stop the drawer from slipping out so easily, particularly when putting the grinder away or taking it down from a shelf. The removable handle can be slotted down into the body of the unit when transporting it, securing both the lid and the drawer and stopping them from falling out completely - a nice design touch. Hario Medium Glass Hand Coffee Grinder with Ceramic Burrs, Clear

This has been a great purchase! Over 4 months of use and I'm very happy with this product. Goes well with my Bodum 12 oz french press. Definitely needs tinkering with at the beginning to get the right coarseness. Very easy to take apart for cleaning.Suction on the bottom works most of the time. Some surfaces may work better than others. If suction starts to deteriorate, in my experience, that means it's time to give it a thorough clean and get rid of whatever residue is at the bottom.