Hario Coffee Mill - Skerton

Decided to switch to hand grinding pour over coffee so that I could make a better cup one at a time instead of a whole pot. This lil grinder does the trick perfectly! It is surprisingly quick to grind coffee with a little practice. The reason I took off a star was that the bottom stabilizer bit slips off quite easily and doesn't actually do a good job at stabilizing the grinder while using it. As far as I understand this has been addressed in newer models of this grinder. Overall, this grinder does the trick and makes a good cup of coffee even out of mediocre beans.

If you know what you're looking for with a manual grinder, Hario is among the best there is. If you just want coffee ground fast and aren't picky about coarseness and speed is paramount for you, an electric grinder is still probably your best route. For us, this was the perfect alternative.Set up was extremely easy and clean up is simple. All parts of the grinder can be removed and hand washed. The grinder also comes with a lid that you can use for the glass container. Perfect for those who want to grind coffee the night before for the next day.In terms of grind settings, there were actually no instructions on the box in terms of what setting to use for the type of coffee you will be making, so I did have to do some research online.The only issue I had with the ... MoreIf you know what you're looking for with a manual grinder, Hario is among the best there is. If you just want coffee ground fast and aren't picky about coarseness and speed is paramount for you, an electric grinder is still probably your best route. For us, this was the perfect alternative.Set up was extremely easy and clean up is simple. All parts of the grinder can be removed and hand washed. The grinder also comes with a lid that you can use for the glass container. Perfect for those who want to grind coffee the night before for the next day.In terms of grind settings, there were actually no instructions on the box in terms of what setting to use for the type of coffee you will be making, so I did have to do some research online.The only issue I had with the grinder is that it actually comes with a rubber cover to protect the glass base, but I found that it always falls off when I am in the middle of grinding.All in all, this grinder is an excellent choice for the price range. Would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind taking a couple of minutes each day to grind a delicious cup of coffee.

This was my first coffee grinder. It's still alive and well, I just can't be bothered to grind everything by hand every morning.I put a lot of time into figuring out which hand grinder to get. I wasn't ready to drop the money on an electric grinder, but I also wanted something high quality that would give consistently good grounds. The Hario Skeleton is your best bet if that's what you're looking for.The grinder itself is ceramic and very hardy. I've had mine for 5+ years and it's still in perfect shape with no sign of wearing out. You can set the ground size as small or large as you want, but be warned the smaller grinds increase the time you'll be grinding by quite a bit. The ground holder is large enough for a pot of drip coffee but small enough to hold in ... MoreThis was my first coffee grinder. It's still alive and well, I just can't be bothered to grind everything by hand every morning.I put a lot of time into figuring out which hand grinder to get. I wasn't ready to drop the money on an electric grinder, but I also wanted something high quality that would give consistently good grounds. The Hario Skeleton is your best bet if that's what you're looking for.The grinder itself is ceramic and very hardy. I've had mine for 5+ years and it's still in perfect shape with no sign of wearing out. You can set the ground size as small or large as you want, but be warned the smaller grinds increase the time you'll be grinding by quite a bit. The ground holder is large enough for a pot of drip coffee but small enough to hold in your hand or lap while grinding without feeling awkward. It's absolutely perfect for individual serving methods like the moka pot or Aeropress.This is a great introductory grinder if you're trying to make your way up the coffee snobbery ladder and want to get your grind on. I've since gotten an electric grinder, but I'm keeping this handy for travel and the impending apocalypse when electricity doesn't matter and quality ground coffee becomes currency.

Also great when used with a cordless drill or drill press - see below

While manual grinders work OK including this one which I've had and used daily for 2 years, they nearly all lack 2 things;1. a really secure way to hold the grinder (with the left hand for RH people).2. not ideal leverage and subsequent poor ergonomically.I just got sick of doing it manually and now use a drill press - but the same approach works with a cordless drill/driver.I replace the top screw with a split washer and a suitable nut, then got a 10mm hex head driver bit to suit the nut. Obsessives ex sailors like me choose stainless nut and washer.You can always take your grinder to Bunnings so you can be sure to get nut with a thread that suits.I can do 5 days grinding in a couple of minutes.The fact that you get a storage lid with the grinder is the ... MoreWhile manual grinders work OK including this one which I've had and used daily for 2 years, they nearly all lack 2 things;1. a really secure way to hold the grinder (with the left hand for RH people).2. not ideal leverage and subsequent poor ergonomically.I just got sick of doing it manually and now use a drill press - but the same approach works with a cordless drill/driver.I replace the top screw with a split washer and a suitable nut, then got a 10mm hex head driver bit to suit the nut. Obsessives ex sailors like me choose stainless nut and washer.You can always take your grinder to Bunnings so you can be sure to get nut with a thread that suits.I can do 5 days grinding in a couple of minutes.The fact that you get a storage lid with the grinder is the clincher for me on this model.

Big Pieces In Action, 4reaction!

Listen like fresh crack coffee beans! So have believed, that cracked beans Need to be gently, cracked! Not ground Into powder but, large if you will, pieces! This manual grinder, is good but, wish Would make bigger pieces from the beans?! The largerPieces allows more oils and flavonoids, In the French pressed coffee! Fred from Iowa

Good so far!

I like the glass bottom of the grinder, it makes it feel more substantial than my previous smaller Hario grinder that had a plastic bottom, and I like the glass better than the metal Javapresse grinder.In terms of adjustment, the Hario Mini had the easiest-to-use adjustment knob, which only required me to unscrew the bin, and it had raised dots around the adjustment screw so I could feel the clicks as I screwed or unscrewed it. The Javapresse had a similar mechanism but without as clear a counting feature. The Skerton's adjustment requires me to take off the lever and unscrew from the top, and doesn't have any sort of indicator. So I have to judge visually, and it seems like you'd only want to use the veeeery edge of the adjustable range. I do like that the ... MoreI like the glass bottom of the grinder, it makes it feel more substantial than my previous smaller Hario grinder that had a plastic bottom, and I like the glass better than the metal Javapresse grinder.In terms of adjustment, the Hario Mini had the easiest-to-use adjustment knob, which only required me to unscrew the bin, and it had raised dots around the adjustment screw so I could feel the clicks as I screwed or unscrewed it. The Javapresse had a similar mechanism but without as clear a counting feature. The Skerton's adjustment requires me to take off the lever and unscrew from the top, and doesn't have any sort of indicator. So I have to judge visually, and it seems like you'd only want to use the veeeery edge of the adjustable range. I do like that the mechanism seems more secure than the spring-tensioned plastic of the Hario Mini, though, and after a few attempts I seem to have found a setting that works for my pourovers.I like the size of the Skerton. It's wider than either the Hario Mini or Javapresse, which makes it more stable if I'm trying to grind with it sitting on a flat surface (which I try to do to keep the grind more consistent). My hands aren't, like, "Big", but they're not small, and the middle of the Skerton is about as wide as it could be and still be easily grippable. It's got a substantial weight to it, which I like. It feels less portable, because of its size, weight, and glass compartment, but honestly unless I was backpacking I wouldn't feel uncomfortable bringing it with me. The actual grinding motion of the Skerton feels easier than either of the other two I've tried.Cleaning is a bit of a pain, because there's sections at the bottom of the hopper that are hard to reach. You'll definitely have to air-dry for a while to make sure those get dried out.Overall, I'm pretty happy with this grinder so far.

Grinds well!

This grinder is really well-made and sturdy. I feel like it's going to hold up very well (barring glass breakage). It grinds my beans nicely and the adjustments are pretty easy to make for your grind preference. Where I find it difficult is holding it while grinding. I wish the jar part was less rounded at the top so I could give some downward pressure to hold it steady. It's too wide for me to get my hand around, even at the 'collar' at the base of the grinder top. Being able to press down would be a lot better. I'm imagining a few ways to outsmart the machinery. Other than the awkward grip/lack of grip, I am pleased with how it works, the capacity, the extra lid to keep grounds fresh if I over-estimate what I need, and how sturdy it feels.

Perfect for single-serve coffee

Have been using this most mornings (whenever I make coffee) for several weeks now. So far it has satisfied my needs exactly. I have a very small kitchen so I've stuck to hand grinders because I don't want to deal with cords and I ALWAYS grind my coffee fresh. The grind is smooth and I do like the option to grind my coffee the night before and store it in the glass container until the morning. i make my coffee in an aeropress so we're talking single-serve. I can't imagine someone who uses a multi-cup coffee pot wanting to use a hand grinder, but if someone did, this one grinder does have a bigger capacity than some others have I have used.

Seems like a solid little unit.

Purchased this after many years of waiting for a good hand grinder that was practical and easy to use and would be durable , made with qualitycomponents. There are many good reviews out there , as there are for many things. I purchased for when the grid goes down and when travelingin areas where good coffee is hard to find. If you are traveling by vehicle , that means always having your camp stove , water and fuel along ,as well as your favorite brew method. We have only used it for the set up , taking it for a test drive. Do not yet have any longevity studies testingit's durability. After 2 trial runs it continues to prove easy to use and to produce a consistent grind.

Uncomfortable

Pros:- well built- good materials, feels as it could last years easily- grinds reasonably well* (see cons section)Cons:- grind adjustment is very difficult- no clear indication of what is your current setting or what is the step size- the handle has to be tightened with pliers or some other tool in order to stay in place as you grind, or it will come off- it is very, VERY uncomfortable to hold. I mean what size hands do you need to be able to wrestle this thing with ease? sheesh!- rubber "boot" is constantly falling off as you struggle to grind with it. No big deal though, you can remove it completely