Akirakoki Manual Coffee Bean Grinder Wooden Mill with Cast Iron Burr, Large Capacity Hand Crank, Portable Travel Camping Adjustable (Brown wood)

I've been looking for a hand grinder recently to use with my moka pot since my wife stopped joining me for weekend coffee, causing the pre-ground bags I used to be happy with to go stale long before I could get through them. After doing some research on recommended models, I bought this grinder on a whim to try out instead of springing for a more expensive one. I figured if I wasn't happy with its performance for coffee, it would certainly be up to the job of grinding spices, since I'm a fanatic for fresh spices and I can never get through most ground spices before they go stale. So this review will address both use cases.There are a couple of unusual features to this grinder that I'll come back to later - one is the narrow wooden body, the other is the use of rough cast iron burrs and other mechanical parts. Those features gave me pause, especially since there is zero information out there about cast irons burrs, though the manufacturer touted them as a feature that prevents heating of the beans, so I was curious to see how it would perform.GRIND PERFORMANCE - 10/10Let me start by saying that I am not a big coffee geek - maybe above average in that I use a moka pot and have a basic understanding of brewing methods, roasts, grind size, extraction, arabica/robusta, and growing regions and tyles. This is my first hand grinder, so my basis for comparison is the basic Krups electric burr grinder I used to own, the professional grinders in stores, and the "factory" grind of the various Southern Italian pre-ground espressos I buy.I started by grinding some cinnamon on the finest setting. The end result was indistinguishable from finely ground cinnamon from a baking supply store (see attached picture).A few days later I finally had some beans and could try grinding coffee. To push the limits of the grinder and to help clear out the spices, I thought I would carefully try grinding the coffee (Kimbo Espresso Napoli - a dark roast with some very dark and some lighter beans mixed in) on the finest setting and making it Turkish/Arabic style. I know there are more expensive grinders where the manufacturer says not to do this, but this grinder had little trouble - I was able to grind the beans to a powder without much effort and without much caking in the final product (see picture). Granted it took a loooong time, but I was able to brew a strong cup of coffee just with water from the kettle, not even simmering over the stove - very impressive!Finally, but most importantly, I decided right after my Turkish test to make coffee in the Moka pot. I turned the grinder to the fourth finest setting, at which it took me about five minutes to grind a 3/4 full hopper or 20 grams of coffee - enough for about 5 "cups" in a moka pot, though many people would consider two cups a proper serving. The grinder puts up surprisingly little resistance and noise. The final grind was significantly finer than what is normal for a moka pot, but I was very pleased with the result - the coffee brewed up a little bitter from the finer grind and probably some leftover powdered coffee, but was otherwise fantastic - I almost wanted to jump up and grind another pot.Today I went up one grind setting and was treated to perfect results - the best coffee I've ever had in a moka pot. As before, it took about a minute per "cup" - 3 minutes to grind 14 grams. As you can see in the attached picture, there were just enough fines to enrich the brew without creating any significant sludge.EASE OF USE AND OTHER FEATURES - 8/10I'll start with the good - this grinder looks neat, and it's nicely built. The wooden base screws on smoothly, and the metal parts have a comforting heaviness to them that feels like good quality. The capacity of the grinder is fairly impressive too, and the crank is comfortable to hold and doesn't feel loose or delicate.However, the design does seem to have a few disadvantages:First of all, the adjustment method, which involves loosening the top bolt and nudging a tooth out of a gap in a gear and over to the next gap, is as finicky as it sounds, and makes it difficult to keep track of grind level - I wouldn't recommend this grinder to anyone who needs to frequently switch settings, though as long as the difference isn't large it's certainly doable.Second, there's a semicircular metal flap that swings out from the body to allow the hopper to be loaded. Nothing is holding it shut, so that it can easily open on its own while the grinder is in use, and you have to hold it in place with a finger while grinding, or tilt the grinder to the side which affects performance.Third, the design could be improved. I think the painted-on logo looks a little cheap (especially since it seems to be stamped onto a generic product), and the wood body has the slick look and feel of machined wood reminiscent of those mass produced wooden sunglasses and phone cases that were all the rage a few years ago, which looks a tiny bit weird in person with the rough cast iron parts, and makes the slight mismatch in grain, color, and centering between the top and bottom more obvious to my perfectionist eyes - I reckon a more natural finish would look a lot nicer. It could be sexier, but it's charmingly unique - I do still think it's an attractive grinder, nice enough to display proudly on my counter, and I reckon all but the most vain coffee snobs would agree.Finally, the cast iron burrs give me pause. The cast iron parts all have a rough, stippled texture to them like a cast iron pan, and turning the grinder on empty generates an audible sound of rough metal rubbing on rough metal, especially since there's enough play in the shaft to allow the inner and outer burrs to make contact. While all grinders wear down, I can't help but wonder if this design isn't creating extra wear. I also wonder about rust resistance of what appears to be uncoated cast iron - though the oils from coffee probably help, I would have appreciated being put at ease by the manufacturer regarding proper care. I also suspect the rough burrs retain more material - I can still taste cinnamon after grinding three loads of coffee. As I said, the grinder works fantastically, but giving how little info is out there about cast iron burrs, all other things being held equal, I would probably opt for stainless steel - rather the devil I know.All in all, I'm very pleased with my purchase - so much so that I'm not sure what to do about my planned upgrade. It doesn't seem worth my money to get a slightly more expensive one - in fact, I worry that it might not be as good - but if I get another identical grinder, how will I tell my coffee grinder from my spice grinder? I may end up saving money and buying a cheaper spice grinder, as this one almost feels like overkill. It's not perfect, but for $55, I'm more than willing to overlook what I currently think are minor drawbacks.

I am very happy with the quality of this grinder, really like the adjustability / fine tuning of the grounds. So far it has been working great after a few weeks. Highly recommend!

An essential item for coffee lovers - a very good burr coffee grinder. The cast iron makes this a bit heavy; on the other hand it seems very sturdy. The wood is adequate; for the price point I would have preferred an interesting grain or pattern. See picture for size comparison. At full capacity makes about 5 tablespoons medium ground coffee. Very easy to remove top screw and take off handle/crank if you need to pack away.

First off this is a manual grinder. Not electric. That said I experienced none of the difficulty in using this that some reviewers have indicated. Turning the handle to grind coffee was super easy no matter the setting I have used. If you think it’s getting bound, just reverse a half turn.On to the main event!This thing is awesome, simply. Figuring out your preference on grind size does take a couple tries, but its still a delicious loss as its coffee! 😉 another review said to do test grinds and I second that. I had mine dialed in by my 3rd press full.I found that going from full closed to about 2 and a half to 3 turns open works perfect for my press and my percolator both. Take that for what its worth. Its hefty, rugged, and with good care will take years of abuse but best of all: it grinds coffee simply, effectively and efficiently.Worth every penny!

I’m compelled to write a review for this wonderful addition to my morning routine. Forget that it’s beautiful, feels appropriately sturdy, and uses a burr cast-iron to grind your beans. I have found it to be a meditative pleasure to grind. It takes a few trials to dial-in the size you like but after that it’s consistent smooth sailing. The grinding couldn’t be easier. I think I grind about 44 grams (I load 22 grams twice) for a nice 700 gram coffee result (2 large mugs). I can grind in about 2 minutes total and once you get used to it, you barely even notice. It packs away for travel or in the cabinet for the next use. But, it looks so good I might be tempted to just keep it out as a conversation piece.

I should note that I'm not a coffee connoisseur - but I (think) I know the difference between a solid cup of coffee and gas station swill. I have been using this grinder for a few months to make my morning French Press, and it gives me a great cup every time.It fits approximately 25 grams of beans in the grind chamber at one time (I use the Don Pablo Signature Blend - Medium-Dark Roast). So, for two cups of coffee, I need to load the chamber twice, which isn't a big deal. The hand-crank is not too loud - substantially more quiet than my wife's EXPENSIVE electric grinder that sounds like a chainsaw - and doesn't even bother the dog in the morning. I've seen some hand-grinder reviews mention you need "muscle" to crank the handle. Yes, you need muscle, but c'mon, you don't need to be Arnold. This one takes little effort.Although the grinder allows for adjusting coarseness, I'd say you can go from a "medium" grind to espresso. I haven't been able to get a really course grind out of it - not that I really wanted to, though.The $60 cost may put some people off, but I didn't mind spending that kind of money on a device I'll be using several times a week for a couple years.

This thing is powerful and sturdy. The grounds it produces are perfect. It can go with you camping and it'll hold up and it looks nice on the counter top.Manually grinding my coffee beans is my new favorite ritual in the morning because of this thing

I purchased this for my office, and has been used by at least 10 others multiple times each day, and it is still performing exactly as it did the first time I used it. The only drawback is that it is not easy to find and/or change the grind settings as there are indicators other than a rotating nut.However, we use this for French press coffee (and the like), so it all needs to be at the same level of coarseness.The wood feels solid, as does the cast iron workings and burrs. It is obviously well made to be used this much and still feel, look and function as if it is brand new!This is a very good product and I would certainly buy it again. Although, it was $67 when I first purchased it, it is worth the almost $200 it is priced at now.

Fonctionne très bien.

Confronto a quello elettrico che avevo prima la macinatura è mille volte meglio, lo preferisco così.Si può regolare come vuoi sia fine che a scaglie, anche se più e fine più tempo devi stare li, con una moka da 3 sono stato li 10/15 minuti per avere una macinatura fine ed è troppo...L'unico difetto è che dopo diversi mesi di utilizzo ho notato piccole scaglie quando macini, secondo me il legno non è dei migliori, perchè non dovrebbe fare così. Un conto se fossero passati anni lo potrei capire ma non dopo pochi mesi.Di sicuro se un giorno dovrò ricomprarlo prenderò qualcosa di più serio tipo sugli 80 o 100€, pagato quasi 50€ piuttosto se so che fa così vado a spendere di più ma almeno vado su cose più professionali...

Mostly using for aeropress ad it works pretty well so far.

I had never had a hand grinder before so was looking for something to get me started. I read a lot of reviews on many grinders on offer. They all had good and poor reviews. I read that a common problem with grinders is that the shaft gets damaged where the handle is attached - I saw a few pictures with a handle that had detached itself... This particular grinder appealed to me right away as the construction of the mechanisms and handle seemed quite robust so I ordered one.My only concern was the grind quality, some reviews noted that the grind quality, although acceptable, was inconsistent. I'm jumping ahead a little here, but I found the grind quality to be perfect for the way I like my brew and quite consistent.The wood and cast iron construction gives this grinder a solid feel and is also pleasing to the eye.It was easy enough to set the grind quality and once I got it right, it never changed.I've been using this for a few weeks now and there is no sign of wear or deterioration in it's performance (It is still new so will update if I have any problems).It takes me under a minute to grind enough coffee for one cup and it's not a lot of work for me.I'm well pleased with this.