I can't say enough about this grinder. It's small and compact, taking up only a couple square inches of space on my kitchen counter, and extremely portable-friendly. But its size says nothing about its effectiveness: this little grinder is as efficient as they come. Hand-grinding for two cups of coffee (which is the maximum it can grind for at a time) takes only one or two minutes, and it takes very little effort, despite being a hand-powered grinder.
Controlling the coarseness of the grind was a little tricky at first: there's a nut below the ceramic burrs that you turn clockwise for a finer grind, and counter-clockwise for a coarser grind. There are no pre-set settings for specific types of grinds, so it took a little bit of trial and error to figure out exactly which setting was right for me.
Cleaning it is easy: the entire product is easy to take apart and put back together again.
One possible downside: if you're looking for a grinder that grinds enough for multiple people, you might want to look elsewhere. The Hario Mini can only grind enough for two cups of coffee at a time. That's not to say you can't empty the bottom after it's full and keep grinding more, but it all comes down to time: the more you want to grind, the more time it will take. That's not a problem for me, personally, because I only make coffee for myself, but if you're regularly grinding coffee for 4+ people and you don't want to spend five minutes grinding away, then it's up to you.
Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with this grinder, and would not hesitate to buy again. Great product, great price (and it shipped earlier than expected, too)!
EDIT: Two years later, and I am still using this grinder! I have used it daily since the day I bought it (over 700 uses). I've used it to grind coffee for drip, pourover, French press, and Turkish methods, and have always been satisfied with the result. It still works as well today as it did the day I received it.
EDIT: A 10-year update? Why not! My grinder is chipped, cracked, and beaten to hell and back. It's ground thousands of cups' worth of coffee across multiple cities and countries. I thought for sure I'd have upgraded by now, but I'm still using it ¡ªin fact, I made a cup with it just this morning. In a world where "they don't make things like they used to," it's a pleasure to come across such a well-made product. You won't find a better bang for your buck.
| Brand | HARIO |
|---|---|
| Model Number | MSS-1B |
| Colour | Black |
| Product Dimensions | 18.54 x 11.43 x 8.13 cm; 317.51 g |
| Capacity | 2 Cups |
| Material | Ceramic |
| Special Features | Cordless, Manual |
| Item Weight | 318 g |
