Hario V60 Electric Grinder
PLAY: Click Photo to watch my new VLOG about what I think of the new Hario V60 Electric Grinder
Grinding fresh coffee at home is essential for getting the best out of your coffee. That’s why you should always see baristas in cafes grinding your coffee to order.
The reason being is that once coffee beans are ground, they release gasses, which contribute to their flavour. If you have pre-ground coffee that has been sitting for a while unused, it is more likely to have a flatter or even stale taste.
Coffee is getting higher quality and therefore more expensive. The flavours we are so lucky to have access to are the result of amazing roasters being able to source top grade beans from developing coffee farming regions, which means we should aim (where possible) to optimise its quality from origin to cup as well as make the most of what you spend your money on.
Hand-grinding your coffee is very good, but once you start making more than one coffee a day, or in larger amounts, hand-grinding can be time consuming and if you’re like me with little arms (and a little lazy sometimes) it can be a workout.
When I’m working in cafes, I have access to the some of the best commercial grinders in the world. They are designed for high volume, accuracy and speed. But I think spending £2000 for an EK43 Mahlkonig to make your coffee at home might be a little excessive. Comparatively, the Hario Electric Grinder costs 10% of that at around £200.
I became very interested in electric grinders when I got a batch brewer for home. Grinding 40g-80g by hand was not efficient. What I wanted was something for home that had speed, accuracy and good design – and not crazy expensive. I’m sure many of you buy your home coffee equipment from department stores, and while you can get grinders around the £30-50 mark, I wouldn’t recommend it. They won’t last as long or be up to constant use. Even Heston’s Sage grinder is around £130-180 but it looks clinical and has too many unnecessary options. To me, less is more and I was really happily surprised when I got the Hario Electric Grinder.
I know coffee, and even I get confused and bogged down with all the different options so many products offer. It really doesn’t need to be that complicated to make a great brew at home.
There’s been a lot of anticipation for this product, as it is the first of its kind to be added to Hario’s electric range. I’ve been testing out the new Hario V60 Electric grinder, which has been fantastic.
It has 44 settings to grind your coffee, which means it can grind your coffee at small increments to suit your taste for whichever brew method you choose (filter, French press etc).
The V60 Hario grinder also uses steel conical burrs which means it should last a long time and as well as grind coffee much more effectively than blades which cut coffee. I found the picture of the “V60” on the dial to be a good visual guide to use for what point to grind your coffee at. You can use it as a reference and count the clicks right or left of it to consistently grind at your desired preference specifically for a V60.
I’ve done quite a number of tests at different settings to look at the consistency and evenness of grind size and I’ve been really happy with it. My brews have been very consistent and tasty.
The most interesting feature that I haven’t seen on other electric grinders is an external “shoot” that allows the coffee to come out. Many home electric grinders are box shaped and collect the coffee in a container, which means you must take out the container and then fill your brewer with the ground coffee. This Hario v60 grinder actually has an optional switch pad, which you can press to grind coffee directly into your v60 or cafetiere! You have to watch the chaff flying about, but if you hold the V60 or whatever brewer you’re using directly under it, it’s fine. It’s quite fun and does emulate on some level how it feels to be a making coffee in a café!
New added edit: **on further testing, I wouldn't recommend regular use of this grinder for espresso though.
As I mentioned in the video, I also think cafes on a budget, making some filter coffees but not huge amounts could definitely benefit by starting off with this grinder for filter coffees, before you invest in heavier commercial grinders once you start getting super busy.
Personally I really like the look of the grinder in my kitchen at home. It’s sleek, discrete and looks sophisticated as well as, very easy to use and clean.
Hario are a long-standing Japanese company who specialise in coffee equipment for baristas. In the coming months I will be testing some more of their new products to let you know what I honestly think.
Hope you get to try this grinder. I think you’ll like it.
If you like these products, they're available through online shop and links.
Please feel free to message and comment below for advice or if you have questions. Subscribe to my newsletters for new vlogs, blogs and events.
Special Thanks to Carl Darling for the use of his music track