Hairo Slim on the left, Antique burr grinder on the right

I read several positive reviews of the Hairo Hand Grinder, and thought about ordering one, but decided against it because I thought my wife would think I was silly for buying another grinder. However, I went to Sage in south Tulsa and they had them in stock for less than I saw online, so I had  to, and I am glad that I did.  I knew my electric burr grinder was a cheap one, but the quality of the grind, and as a result the coffee, doesn’t even come close to this little $32 hand crank device.  I made a simple pour-over as soon as I got it and was very pleased with the result.  A friend came over for dinner that night and we used it for a moka pot.  He was sold on it right away(and the moka pot).  Now that was something, because this guy is a Keurig drip coffee drinker, and this made such an impression that he is willing to go to hand grinding whole beans and brewing on a stove-top with a moka pot.

Hairo makes a few different types of hand grinders, and the one that I bought is their most compact design.  It is very small and not well suited for grinding large amounts of coffee.  Since my wife does not drink coffee, I am usually brewing for one, so this works perfectly for most of my applications. One feature that I like is the lid on top.  Several other hand grinders are open and must sit flat and still while grinding.  I like that I can hold it and walk around while grinding without worrying about spilling. Adjusting the grind is very easy.  There is a knob under the burrs that you twist to get a fine or coarse grind and it clicks with each turn.  If you are switching between different types of brew methods, you can remember the number of clicks from one to the other and some of the guessing can be eliminated once you find the sweet spot for each method.

The Hairo Slim Grinder with crank and lid removed.

I suppose I should explain why the grind is so good.  It has everything to do with the ceramic burrs.  It is designed very well and gives you a consistent grind whether you are going fine or coarse, and I was also amazed at how fine of a grind this can produce.  It is definitely good enough for espresso. Being ceramic, you don’t have to worry about the burrs getting dull on you.  With electric grinders, you get what you pay for to an extent, but with this grinder you can get a grind as good as a $500+ machine would produce for under $40.  What you don’t get is speed and automation. You have to do the work, but then you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.

The young Barista version of myself would have called it heresy, but I bought a Nespresso Citiz.  I was in Williams Sonoma with my wife browsing their ludicrously expensive and wonderful espresso machines, when an employee asked if I would like a demonstration of their Nespresso machine.  She had me at free espresso, but no way was I buying a machine that uses capsules.  I need to grind whole beans to consider myself a real coffee aficionado right?  Well, unfortunately the espresso was much better than my little Breville espresso machine, and the process from start to finish was so fast! That is where it sold me.  Grinding, tamping and pulling espresso is a somewhat labor intensive task, and not the easiest thing to clean up after.  This was quick clean and pretty good. Before you get mad and leave, it definitely does not come close to quality, locally roasted beans ground fresh with a good grinder, and pulled on a $15k machine by a seasoned barista.  How could it?  But since I don’t have any of those things at home (except for the beans) I settled for this, and I don’t regret it.

Sleek and Convenient

It has a nice look to it, and doesn’t take up much space.  It holds water in the back tank and has few parts to clean up.  I have been using it for 3 months now with no problems.  Before I bought this machine, I would have to settle for terrible office coffee on days that I woke up late.  Now the process takes all of two minutes and I have hot espresso!  My wife and I like to entertain, and after dinner there is usually at least a few requests for specialty coffee, and I am happy to provide, but when I have to crank out 4 or 5 latte’s in a row, I end up grinding and brewing while everyone else is talking and enjoying themselves.  I don’t like to miss out, and with this machine, I don’t miss much.  And I didn’t even tell you about the Aeroccino!

Frothing Made Easy!

Nespresso also makes this nifty device for frothing milk that I bought with my machine.  You pour in milk, press a button, and seconds later you have hot frothed milk. BAM! He he.. sorry, I got excited. So about this thing, frothing is one of the most time consuming parts of making a cappuccino or latte and something you can easily screw up, but this takes all that away.  It is definitely not the greatest frothed milk you ever had, but convenience is at 10 so I’ll take quality at 6 for household use.

Final Comments

By now you realize I am a big fan of this machine, but also understand that you can’t expect the world from it.  It is not going to replace my local coffee shop, but for my current lifestyle it’s fantastic.  I am always on the go and often in need of a quick shot of caffeine.  This meets those needs and doesn’t taste half as bad as Folger’s at the office.