I finally figured out the right grind for my old hand grinder

My pour overs kept coming out weak and sour for weeks, no matter what I did. I was about to give up on my little Hario Mini Mill, thinking it just couldn't get fine enough. On a whim, I tried something different: I tightened the burrs way past my usual setting, did a full 30 second grind for 18 grams of beans, and then shook the grounds in the catch cup for a few seconds before brewing. The next cup was completely different, way more balanced with a sweetness I hadn't gotten before. I think the extra shaking helped settle the fines and even out the bed. It's not perfect, but it saved me from buying a new electric grinder for now. Has anyone else found a weird little trick that made a cheap grinder work better?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena3731mo ago

Wait you ground for 30 seconds straight... my arm would fall off.

victorb741mo ago

Honestly @xena373, I felt the same way. Trying it myself totally changed my mind though, it's way harder than it looks.

-1

jordang321mo agoMost Upvoted

Totally get that feeling of a small fix making a huge difference. I mean, it's like when you find the exact right way to shake a ketchup bottle, you know? @xena373, I'd need a whole new arm too after that grind.