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516 results for “heropress”
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Trying a new kind of coffee beans this morning with aeropress but it turned out rather sour ...
What could I do differently... Hmmm
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Trying a new kind of coffee beans this morning with aeropress but it turned out rather sour ...
What could I do differently... Hmmm
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Trying a new kind of coffee beans this morning with aeropress but it turned out rather sour ...
What could I do differently... Hmmm
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Good morning, but first, a coffee!
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Good morning, but first, a coffee!
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Good morning, but first, a coffee!
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Good morning, but first, a coffee!
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Good morning, but first, a coffee!
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#Tip time!!
EDIT: coffee grinds are bad for drains (more below)
Did some #bike workshop today and if you're as neglectful towards your hands as me and don't wear gloves when you working on your bikes, you end up with oily hands.
Old #coffee grinds with a bit of washing up liquid are great for this.
This video was part this morning's #aeropress puck and me washing them in real time.
Not perfect clean in video so took a second wash but you can see how much it's got off. No need to buy hand scrub which may have chemicals etc.
EDIT: I've been corrected + done a search that COFFEE GRINDS ARE BAD FOR DRAINS - I've never had any trouble but this was 8 grams of coffee and I probably only do this 3 to 6 times a year, thus never enough to accumulate any issues over the issues over the years I've done this. In future, I'll wash my hands to catch run off in a bucket rather than allowing it to drain. Thanks to @trouble for pointing this out.
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#Tip time!!
EDIT: coffee grinds are bad for drains (more below)
Did some #bike workshop today and if you're as neglectful towards your hands as me and don't wear gloves when you working on your bikes, you end up with oily hands.
Old #coffee grinds with a bit of washing up liquid are great for this.
This video was part this morning's #aeropress puck and me washing them in real time.
Not perfect clean in video so took a second wash but you can see how much it's got off. No need to buy hand scrub which may have chemicals etc.
EDIT: I've been corrected + done a search that COFFEE GRINDS ARE BAD FOR DRAINS - I've never had any trouble but this was 8 grams of coffee and I probably only do this 3 to 6 times a year, thus never enough to accumulate any issues over the issues over the years I've done this. In future, I'll wash my hands to catch run off in a bucket rather than allowing it to drain. Thanks to @trouble for pointing this out.
-
#Tip time!!
EDIT: coffee grinds are bad for drains (more below)
Did some #bike workshop today and if you're as neglectful towards your hands as me and don't wear gloves when you working on your bikes, you end up with oily hands.
Old #coffee grinds with a bit of washing up liquid are great for this.
This video was part this morning's #aeropress puck and me washing them in real time.
Not perfect clean in video so took a second wash but you can see how much it's got off. No need to buy hand scrub which may have chemicals etc.
EDIT: I've been corrected + done a search that COFFEE GRINDS ARE BAD FOR DRAINS - I've never had any trouble but this was 8 grams of coffee and I probably only do this 3 to 6 times a year, thus never enough to accumulate any issues over the issues over the years I've done this. In future, I'll wash my hands to catch run off in a bucket rather than allowing it to drain. Thanks to @trouble for pointing this out.
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@zakurzona @m0bi @siwa U mnie tak: rano w domu świeżo mielona Parzucha od #HardBeans (najlepsza kawa, jaką znam) + dripper Hario V60 01 + filtry z szarego papieru + troszkę chłodnej wody dodanej zaparzonej kawy; w pracy duża porcja z różnych ziarenek + ręczny młynek Hario + Hario V60 01 + filtry z białego papieru; okazjonalnie: kawiarka z pieca. Na wyjazdach Aeropress lub składany dripper. Przerobiłem też temat ekspresu kolbowego, NPFa, PIDa i około-wynalazków. Ekspresów automatycznych nie trawię.
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@herroyalmelness #Aeropress is overhyped anyway. All in all, not better enough than a #Hario filter #coffee to justify the fiddliness IMO
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My daily coffee gear: AeroPress with a Corretto permanent filter. Hario travel grinder and Hario mill stick. Subminimal milk frother. Steel jug. Not in the picture: the kettle with temperature selection to 95°C
#tasskaff #hariogrinder #hario #AeroPress #Subminimal #coffee -
Provocative normalization is the new black.
:tefillin:🖕"Dozens of #protesters gathered Wednesday evening near the #BabDoukkala ramparts in #Marrakech to denounce what organizers described as “provocative normalization practices,” after a viral video showed a group of #Jewish #worshippers performing #prayers in the same area."
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Ich denk mir grad so, wenn der #ÖRR das Gefühl hat, dass sie auch #Nazis eine Bühne bieten müssen... Warum nicht wieder rund um die Prime-Time ganz viele #Dokus über die Gräuel der #Naziherrschaft zeigen? (Und da nicht nur die Gewalt gegen 'Die Anderen')
Warum nicht nach jedem Interview mit einem #noAfD-Nazi eine kurze #Geschichtsstunde? Das ist doch euer #Auftrag, oder? Oder???
#WirSindMehr
@3sat @arte @BR24 @hrpresse @mdr @NDR #phoenixrunde @rbb @srfnewsrss @swr3 @wdr @ZDF @deutschlandfunk -
Beauty Parlour
I think I’ll start a beauty parlor promoted as “By bad spellers for poor readers.”
I’ll call it Heredressers.
#AucklandComedy #BeautyParlour #Comedy #NZComedy #Spelling -
Thirty years on, our research linking viral infections with Alzheimer’s is finally getting the attention it deserves
#Health #Alzheimers #ColdSoreVirus #HerpesSimplex #Vaccines #DementiaResearch #Neuroscience #Brain #APOE4 #VirusLink #Dementia #Shingles
https://the-14.com/thirty-years-on-our-research-linking-viral-infections-with-alzheimers-is-finally-getting-the-attention-it-deserves/ -
Füllstand der Gasspeicher ist zu Beginn der Heizsaison sehr niedrig
" Die deutschen Speicher für Gas sind nur niedrig aufgefüllt. Sollte der Winter sehr kalt werden, könnte es bereits im Januar zu Versorgungsengpässen kommen. "
Die Wirtschaftsministerin und Gaslobbyistin Frau Reiche ist anscheinend nicht in der Lage für ausreichende Gasspeicherstände zu sorgen.
Das kommt dabei heraus wenn die rechtskonservativen Wähler Parteien wählen deren Markenkern die Inkompetents ist.Man stelle sich die Schlagzeilen der Springer-Hetzpresse vor wenn das einem grünen Wirtschaftsminister passiert wäre. Der war dann doch wohl nicht so schlecht.
https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2025-11/gasspeicher-heizen-winter-fuellstand-niedrig-gxe#cid-78655987
#Deutschland #Winter #Gasspeicher #Reiche #Wirtschaftsministerin #Wirtschaftsminister #Politik #Politiker #Regierung #Inkompetent
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Today in the "Material Experiments" workshop: Recycling Plastics. #students shred thermoplastic #waste into granulates for further processing.
Abusing a #3Dprinter filament extruder to make tangled #diy bowls
Abusing a #heatpress to make #colorful sheets for #lasercutting
#muthesius #kiel #design #art #experimental #material #sustainability #recycling
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The “tootie-toosie” and the Hiking Antenna
My favorite way of operating is to hike into the woods, find a clearing, set up a quick and easy antenna, make one or more contacts and move on. Well, to be honest, I might pause long enough at a back country waypoint to get out my Aeropress and brew up a refreshing cup of Joe.
To do this my antenna must be simple, compact, lightweight and (hopefully) efficient. The simplest arrangement that meets those criteria is an end-fed wire, but quite often the trees are not tall enough, or contain dense brush in which wires can become entangled. I needed something compact and self-contained that is easy to carry into and set up in a dense wooded area.
I came up with a couple of ideas. First up to bat was a Linear-Loaded Monopole (LLM: no, not a Lunar Landing Module). The LLM is a recent bizarre invention that escaped from my basement skunk works lab and made its virgin QSO in the outback (out in my backyard). But I also had another idea on deck – a converted photo lighting tripod with short whip that I used very successfully out in the field last summer.
Hiking antenna 01: a Linear-Loaded Monopole Hiking antenna 02: 13ft tripod/whipOther craft ale inspired ideas may enter the fray during the course of the coming weeks and months but, for now, let’s discuss these two strange RF launch systems.
A rapid deployment hiking antenna does not share the same design imperatives as other less temporary antennas. The efficiency – the proportion of energy radiated compared to the amount delivered to the antenna by the transceiver – is obviously important, especially since my transient operating base will be primarily QRP. Rapid deployment is the key objective; it must be very fast to set up and tear down. Hiking expeditions often take me well away from my vehicle and any road. I operate in areas that are heavily forested and patrolled by sometimes aggressive black-coated guardians with big teeth and long sharp claws.
Another requirement that factors into the design is a small ground footprint. Trails in these parts are often shrinkingly narrow, rocky, uneven and sometimes covered in mud or pools of rainwater. Laying out a system of radials on the ground is not an attractive proposition and sometimes it is next to impossible. In a recent post (Link: Be gone pesky radials!) we introduced an alternative using a Ground Tuning Unit (GTU). Well, that’s all fine and dandy but the GTU I had built is a a little big and heavy for carrying down a trail. I challenged myself to come up with an alternative.
Most of my outdoor operating time is spent on one band: 20 meters, so I wondered whether it would be possible to design and build a much simplified alternative to the GTU that would be very small, very light and serve the same purpose. I came up with something that met those criteria very well indeed.
Enter the “tooty-toosie”
The “tootie-toosie”, or 2T2C is a Tuned Tank Circuit Coupler. The idea involves a tank circuit designed to resonate at a desired frequency. The frequency I targeted was 14.060 MHz which is the CW calling frequency in the 20-meter band. This L-C circuit is actually a series connected resonator so maybe not strictly a “tank” circuit but I liked the “tootie-toosie” name anyway.
It is actually quite difficult to wind an inductor and select a capacitance for resonance on a specific frequency. Instead I targeted the bottom end of 20m (I am a CW op). Component tolerances limit the accuracy so I gave it my best shot and the end result was quite good. A simple L-C resonant circuit will have a fairly low Q and that will give some leeway in the frequency response. I measured the finished project on a nanoVNA and the peak in the curve showed a useful bandwidth at the bottom end of 20m.
I had already designed a great little tool to assist in a project like this. It is a LibreOffice Calc spreadsheet that will compute the resonant frequency of an L-C tank circuit, or the capacitance required with a known inductance to resonate at a desired frequency; or the inductance required with a known capacitance to resonate at a desired frequency.
I plugged in some parameters to come up with component values needed then began construction.
20m 2T2C ground couplerJust like with previous projects I didn’t have the correct toroidal cores in my component drawer. And just like with those previous projects I leaned on my inner MacGyver to find a solution. T37-2 powdered iron cores were the best I could find and, just like before, I stacked multiple cores together to make a bigger aggregate core. As I understand it, inductors wound on toroidal cores perform best when as much of the winding as possible lies within the core. That gave me an idea. If I built a MacGyver version of a binocular core most of the winding will be inside the core. Could that work?
MacGyver inspired binocular coreHere is how it came together. Two tightly stacked sets of three T37-2 powdered iron cores were put together and secured with electrical tape. Then thin enameled copper wire was wound through the cores until the cores were full of wire. [By the way, the enameled copper wire was scrounged by unwinding old surplus transformers I had in my junque drawer]. I had no idea whether this would work but I gave it a try anyway. The inductance measured on my L, C meter was 29 microhenries.
The tuned circuit calculator told me that was probably too much inductance, but it would be easy to reduce it by unwinding a few turns of wire. I wanted to use a 10pF ceramic capacitor (I have hundreds of them) so I needed only about 13 microhenries in the inductor.
After carefully unwinding the cores and measuring the inductance I got it down very close to 13 microhenries. The capacitor and inductor were quickly soldered together in series to create my tuned circuit.
About that capacitor
A tiny ceramic disc capacitor looks a little dodgy in this application. It has to carry the full AC current flowing in the ground circuit of whichever hiking antenna is chosen. Operating QRP puts less stress on the capacitor so I am hoping it can carry the load. As a backup a short length of thin speaker wire, or maybe even coax can be substituted in place of the ceramic capacitor.
[UPDATE: the ceramic capacitor has now been replaced with a compression trimmer. The only value I had available is 3-30pF so I reduced the number of turns on the coil so that the trimmer could be adjusted near its top end. Adjustment is quite coarse but it gives some flexibility to peak the ground current fairly accurately.]
First field test
Most of the winter snow that was in my backyard has now melted so I was able to set up the tripod/whip antenna shown in the picture at the top of this post. Last summer this antenna was used with either two raised radials, or four ground radials. Will it work with the 2T2C ground coupler? On the day of the test there was a major solar storm and the bands were silent, but at least it would still be possible to see if the antenna would tune up with the radials replaced by this new arrangement.
This antenna has a radiating element only 13ft long made up of a 9ft Buddipole whip with the remainder coming from the tripod main tube itself. It requires a 4:1 unun and a tuner but has the advantage of operating on multiple bands from 20m up to 10m (but used as a fixed 20m antenna in this experiment).
The test was successful in demonstrating that the antenna with this new fixed, tuned ground system would deliver a low SWR (1.3:1) to keep the transceiver happy. The next step, when the bands cooperate, is a full magic smoke test.
Ham Radio Outside the Box will report back when the hiking antenna options have been exposed to full field conditions. I am looking forward to getting back into the woods with my radio gear after another long, snowy winter!
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#AmateurRadio #Antennas #Counterpoise #CW #Ground #OutdoorOps #Portable
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
Article J-Ultra GrinderGallery J-Ultra Grinder J-Ultra Parts Breakdown Another closeup of the burr Grinder and Blow Bulb Top Lid 1zpresso J-Ultra X-Ultra Ti-Coated Burr The Grinder and Brush 1zpresso Box One Piece The Shape Agressive Burrs Opening the Case Travel Case 1zpresso K-Ultra J-Ultra Spindle Top Burr Stack and Parts Parts, Sideways ID Tag The Grinder and its Parts 1zpresso Handle Folded Testing Stage More Branding! A Whole Lotta Magnets Burr in Place Dial and Textures J-Ultra Grinder Two Rotations The Main Grip Grinder at Zero Point Whereto Buy Manufacturer Website Buy from Amazon (US) Buy here to support CoffeeGeek! Buy from Amazon (CA) Buy here to support CoffeeGeek! coffeegeek advertisers make this website possible.
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us.Out of the BoxJ-Ultra Grinder
The J-Ultra grinder from 1zpresso comes in the same box that the other Ultra series grinders come in. The only way to tell what grinder is inside is by looking at the small white label on the side.
Because these grinders ship with a protective travel case, packaging is minimal, and the only environmentally unfriendly part in the box is a square of polystyrene to keep the shape of the travel case intact, in case some 500 pound weight is placed against the outer box.
The travel case is quite nice, with a good zipper, a nice small size, and the 1zpresso logo emblazoned on one side. Opening it up reveals the grinder, all assembled. There is also a blower to blow out stray grinds when you clean the grinder.
In the back of the case you’ll find a cleaning brush, a silicone ring you can optionally attach to the main body of the grinder for extra grip, and card with a scan code. Scan that and you’ll be taken to the product page and manual for the grinder.
The box the J-Ultra comes in is identical in almost every way to the other Ultra grinders from the company. The white label ID tag on the box is the only way to tell what's inside. The 1zpresso travel case. They have stopped using the tube shaped one, and gone for this mini briefcase style When you first open the case, there's one block of polystyrene to deal with, then the rest is all grinder stuff. The J-Ultra is already all assembled and calibrated in the case. Everything the J-Ultra comes with: brush, blow bulb, silicone spare grip collar, and a card.At 684 grams, the 1zpresso J-Ultra is a substantial piece of metal, though still lighter than previous J series grinders. Indeed, other than the semi opaque plastic lid, silicone grip and foot, and the wood handle, it is all metal construction top to bottom.
Holding it in your hand gives the utmost confidence in the device. This isn’t some janky basic plastic manual grinder. The grip area is a slightly smaller diameter than the grind adjustment ring or the bottom catch cup area, giving your hand a natural place to grip and hold the device. When extended, the handle is a good length and the wood grip feel like the perfect size and shape for the task.
The body of the grinder is all curves, and curves with intent. Because the catch cup is held on with magnets, some grinders with this feature had the rare tendency to be knocked off by your gripping hand if you were going to town cranking the handle and grinding at speed. This wasn’t a good thing: ground coffee would fly everywhere. The J-Ultra’s shape is designed to minimize this error because of the bulge and curve of the body about 1.5cm above where the catch cup attaches.
The J-Ultra, with the handle extended. It has a very good overall reach and wide turning circumference.Same goes with the adjustment dial: on some manual grinders with external adjustment rings, users have reported accidentally adjusting the grind size while grinding because their hands would slip and the top external grind selection rings would rotate. On the J-Ultra, this is not an issue: again, the bulge and larger diameter of the adjustment ring area naturally stays separate from your gripping hand as you operate the grinder.
Top to Bottom, Externally
Right up top is the lid and handle assembly. The J-Ultra, like all of 1zpresso’s top grinders features the folding handle design they were forced to come up with after Commandante’s threatened lawsuits. On one hand, I’m not a fan of it because it can be tricky to operate and it’s not the ideal solution for travel or storage, but on the other hand, it does make the grinder more compact when not in use, and makes it less prone to toppling over because of the heavy one sided weight of the grinder when the handle is extended.
As for the range and “feel” of the handle when extended, it’s nearly perfect. The big bulbous wood handle fits perfectly in most hands, and gives you a good operating area for using the grinder. The handle’s rotation circumference aids in good grinding speed and countering the resistance crunching down beans will give to shorter handles.
The main lid that closes off the bean hopper is the only plastic on the device: this is actually a good thing because it helps keep the weight down a bit, and honestly, this part never needs to be metal on any manual grinder. It just needs to fit well on the central spindle shaft connection, and the 1zpresso one does this very well. Of course, the actual metal handle connects to a metal spindle connector.
The handle folded, the grinder has a tighter center of gravity and is less prone to tipping over. The dial is very easy to read and adjust. Clicks feel solid and authoratative. The grip is... grippy. The grinder, with handle in the folded down position. The wood handle is big and well formed for most hands. The top lid is the only plastic on the grinder, which is fine. The mounting point for the spindle is all metal.Speaking of the spindle and shaft: 1zpresso is one of only two manual grinder makers who currently recommend their grinders are compatible with electric drills. In fact, the shaft connector is the same size as the bit holder in most electric and cordless drills. They can claim this because their spindle shafts are thicker metal than most other manual grinder makers’ designs on the market currently.
So basically when the Jim Hoffmanns of the world recommend using an electric drill to power your manual grinder, you really shouldn’t, unless you own a 1zpresso manual grinder (or 3Bomber’s Blade R3, or certain KINGrinders).
Moving down from the lid, we have 1zpresso’s unique (and frankly: amazing) external grind selection dial. It actually works a bit opposite from their other grinders: Rotating it clockwise both lowers the dial into the grinder body more, and make the grind coarser. On their X-Ultra and K-Ultra clockwise rotation also makes the grind coarser, but the dial itself doesn’t move up or down.
The adjustment dial is easy to grip, and features 100 very reassuring and confident clicks per full rotation. The adjustment dial can be rotated a total of five times, giving you 500 (!!!!) total click settings. At the fine end, it stops rotating when the burrs are locked together (and the grinder is factory calibrated to be indicating 0 at this lock point). The collar will also stop rotating after 5 clockwise rotations at the top end, or 500th click.
There are numbers 0 through 9 embossed on the grind dial, with an embossed dot between each. Between each number are ten click settings (the dot indicates the 5th click in each range). They are easy to read in most lighting conditions. The grind selection indicator on the grinder body is five rows of dots, shaped like a pyramid, with the lowest row having 5 dots, and the top row having one dot.
I have a lot to say about this grind selection dial and how it works (including an absolutely ingenious feature 1zpresso built into it) which will come later on in this First Look.
The top of the spindle; very strong and thick, and will fit standard drill bit holders. The grind dial is easy to read and very study.Below the grind selection dial is the grip area for the grinder. If you only rely on photographs of this grinder, you might think this area is wrapped with fabric, showcasing the 1zpresso logo. It’s actually textured silicone, and very grippy. This keeps your hand very secure when operating the grinder.
Moving down the grinder, the narrow diameter of the grip area bulges out to a wider diameter for the lower body. There is a hash ring around the body and just below that, the catch cup is attached, via 12 rare-earth magnets.
This design is the result of 1zpresso’s long term experience designing these grinders and getting user feedback. In previous versions of their magnetic catch-cup grinders, the grip area was the same diameter as the catch cup. Because there was little separation between the grip area, sometimes users would accidentally dislodge the magnetic catch cups while operating the grinder, sending ground coffee flying everywhere.
With this new design, your hand stays more secure in the grip area, and is much less prone to accidentally knocking the catch cup off. 1zpresso also beefed up (upgraded as they say!) the magnets to stronger versions.
The main grip is made from textured silicone. On its own, it gives a good no-slip area to hold the grinder. If you still find it slipping, put the included silicone ring on this area. The grip, and curves keep your hand steady while operating the grinder. A lot of magnets built into the catch cup; the X-Ultra has more than previous models. The overall shape and design of the grinder helps give a confident grip and assurance in use.The catch cup can be removed either a) through brute force, pulling it straight down, or b) much easier by just twisting it slightly then pulling it down. The magnets line up with counter-magnets built into the main body of the grinder, so twisting the catch cup misaligned them, taking away their magnet effect.
The catch cup’s capacity is just under 40 grams of ground coffee. The J-Ultra’s hopper can hold about 38.5g of coffee in my testing, which is in line with 1zpresso’s claim of 35-40g capacity.
Right at the bottom of the grinder is a silicone footpad, with the 1zpresso logo on it. I mention this because the addition of this kind of material gives long term benefits from a manual grinder. It makes it less prone to slide around and topple over on your counter or table, and long term, will prevent possible damage to wood table tops and the like. It also just makes less noise when you put the grinder back on your table or countertop.
The bottom silicone pad, an upgrade from just leaving this area as metal.Overall, the 1zpresso J-Ultra is just… a work of engineering art. Curves in the right places. Finished edges. Graceful lines. Fit and finish is honestly the best in the industry. This grinder looks and feels like a precision instrument. It is very reassuring and inspires confidence in its use.
Unlike the X-Ultra, the J-Ultra only comes in one colour choice: it’s a bit hard to describe, but it’s like a midnight blue-purple colour that almost seems like a midnight grey in some light, more purple in other light, and more midnight blue in different light. 1zpresso themselves call it “iron grey”.
What’s Inside
A lot of engineering, that’s what. The entire gear design for the grind selection is brilliant and unique to the J-Ultra (the K and X Ultras are different). The grind dial actually moves up and down on the J-Ultra when adjusting the dial, which also leads to one of the grinder’s killer features, detailed more below.
The spindle is held in place by three bearing rings and three connection points, two of them a solid range of metal. Way back in the bad old days of manual grinders, spindles would wobble as you operated the grinder, causing very uneven grinds. The spindle arm in the J-Ultra stays absolutely straight through the full 360 degree rotation of the grind handle.
The grind selection click dial built into the top of the grinder is very solid and gives reassuring clicks for each individual grind setting. If you want to do just one click (8 microns!) adjustment, you can, with confidence. The grinder can be taken apart entirely without tools, and this starts at the top. Rotate the grind selection a full rotation from zero, then push up on the bottom burr, and you can unscrew the top lock nut, by hand, to disconnect the spindle from the grind selection mechanism. Slide the spindle down through the body, and the spindle with attached inner burr will pop out.
The J-Ultra, completely disassembled. The burr stack, with the three attaching nuts / bearings. The Ti-coated burr has a unique cutting pattern in 1zpresso's lineup. A super close up shows additional groves in the sloping surfaces. The burr in place show an all black area at the bottom of the grinder's insides. The outer burr, hard mounted into a section of the grinder shows pretty agressive teeth patterns. Another closeup of the burr, note the details in the design. A side view of the main three parts of the grinder. Unlike previous generations, the "stack" of the burr in the J-Ultra is permanently attached - you can remove the washer and spring, but the burr is hard mounted on the spindle.For the J-Ultra, 1zpresso ditched their mounting bottom plate for the burr. It is now directly attached to the spindle (on previous models, only the bottom plate was attached, and the burr mounted on it via a steel nub). You can remove the burr from the spindle, but there is absolutely no reason to do so, unless you need to replace the burrs.
The burrs themselves are a custom 48mm heptagonal (7 bladed) design, titanium coated. These burrs are different from the ones in 1zpresso’s other Ultra series grinders. They are specifically tuned for better output in the espresso and finer range, but still do an excellent job for drip coffee, and a good job for press pot grinding.
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us.First UseJ-Ultra Grinder
After putting about 2.5kg of old coffee through the J-Ultra to season it, (thank God it is drill compatible!), I started actually using the grinder for its primary use: espresso output. Using 1zpresso’s guide, which says espresso starts at 100 clicks (one full rotation of the dial off zero), I set it to 110 clicks 1+1) and loaded up 18.5g to pull in our lab machine, a Breville Dual Boiler.
The first shots ran very tight, so an adjustment 10 clicks (keeping in mind that’s 80 microns of vertical burr travel, but only about 40-50um actual grind size difference), tried again. This time too fast. I took off 4 clicks (32 microns vertical, about 18um particle size), and as they say in Australia, bob’s your uncle: I had a nearly perfect (visually, and time based) shot of espresso, delivering out 45g of liquor in 35 seconds (including the 10 second preinfusion). This is based on our long standing espresso testing regimen.
Taste? It was a postcard perfect representation of what Social Coffee’s People’s Daily blend can deliver. This was looking very promising.
I happen to be a closet Turkish Coffee fan, and have an automatic Turkish coffee maker. I noted that 1zpresso gleefully claim their grinder can do the powder grind needed for Turkish, so I set that up next. 7.1 on the dial, or 71 clicks off zero.
It took some time, and the grinder was pretty hard to crank at times but we got there, and I got powder. Almost talcum powder levels of coffee grounds. And it brewed a lovely, foamy cup of turkish coffee. This is significant, because even though it was a difficult and long grind session, a) it was easier than other turkish-capable grinders I have, and b) I felt I could go even finer.
Third, pour over testing. Comparing to other products’ output would come later on, I just wanted to see how the cup tasted using the J-Ultra and brewing in a Hario Mugen / Switch hack device. To get there, 1zpresso recommends 2.7 on the click dial – that is, 2 full rotations, then go to 7. 270 clicks off zero! But because the selection dial and markings are so well made, rotating it and getting there was easy. The little pyramid indicator (more on that below) also helps keep track of how many full rotations you’ve done on the grinder.
Absolutely no complaints about the pour over quality from this grinder. In fact, it was one of the better cups I’d had in a few weeks. And fast… this grinder is very fast for a manual grinder. Visually, I didn’t see a lot of excessive fines either, either in my hand, on a white table, or in the filter.
The J-Ultra delivers. Especially for espresso.
The Killer Feature
For many, the killer feature of the 1zpresso J-Ultra is the grind selection dial and the micron adjustment size: just 8 microns in vertical movement in the burr set (which translates to about 5 microns or smaller in actual grind change) per click. And each click feels very precise.
That’s not my fave killer feature though, no matter how amazing it is. No, mine is the innovative way 1zpresso shows how many rotations you’ve made on the grind selection dial! Because the dial moves up and down on the body as you adjust the grind, for each full 360 rotation of the dial, a set of dots is displayed at the adjustment marker. When the grinder is “zeroed” out, meaning the burrs are fully locked, the dial reads “zero” at the marker point, and the marker is a pyramid of five rows of dots: 5 dots at the bottom, 4, then 3, then 2, then finally 1 dot at the top. When you do a full rotation coarser, the first single dot row is hidden by the grind dial, showing 2 dots, indicating the grinder is on its second 360 rotation. Keep going coarser, and then the 3 dot line is the first visible one. And so on.
It’s brilliant, because this grinder has so many clicks to get from an espresso grind to pour over grind (about 140 total clicks between those two!), this little indicator really helps you know exactly where the grinder is in its range of 500 (!!!!!) total clicks.
At zero, or locked, the pyramid indicates all five rows, with 1 dot at the top. At one full rotation, the pyramid shows that you are on the second rotation. After 2 rotations, the 3 dot row is shown, indicating you are on your third rotation with 3 full rotations, the indicator shows 4 dots. After rotating the dial 4 times, the last row with 5 dots shows.Speaking of clicks: the dial has embossed numbers from 0 to 9 on it, with a mid dot between each number. Going one full number on the dial is 10 clicks in the grind setting. This means one full 360 degree rotation on the dial is 100 clicks. The dial can be rotated 5 total times (it has a lock out at the coarse end). Given that each click is 8 microns of burr movement vertically, this grinder has an effective range of 0 microns to 4,000 microns, in 500 steps.
Keep in mind, this is vertical movement. The actual grind particle size varies across this range because of the overall shape and curve of the burrs: in the turkish to espresso range, it could be 3 microns change in particle size per click, expanding to around 6 microns by the time you get to press pot. Based on some initial evaluation, the effective grinding particle size of this grinder is 150 microns to about 1800 microns.
1zpresso recommends starting at 7.5 (or about 75 clicks off zero) for turkish style powder (I did this at 7.1). Espresso range starts at 1 full rotation (0, or 100 clicks) through 140 (1rotation+4). Aeropress starts at 2 full rotations (200 clicks), pour over at 2rotations+5, (250 clicks), Chemex / no-bypass brewers at 3rotations+5 (350 clicks), and press pot at 4 full rotations.
That may seem like a lot of clicks – 400 to get to press pot? – but in reality, it’s very easy to do, and the pyramid dot indicators help you know how many rotations you’ve done.
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For this First Look, this section is going to be very brief. I put the grinder up against its siblings, the K-Ultra and X-Ultra, and also tested the output next to the Lagom Mini, Turin SK40 and Baratza Encore ESP.
Against the 1zpresso K-Ultra and X-Ultra
The J-Ultra is very close in size and shape to 1zpresso’s K-Ultra; they are even the same colour externally. Two main elements of each grinder is quite different: the K=Ultra’s grind selection system is different engineering and has a bigger micron gap between clicks; and second, the burr group in the K-Ultra is a different design and composition when compared to that inside the J-Ultra.
K-Ultra on the left, J-Ultra on the right. Note the K's different grind dial, and the black handle.The K-Ultra is 1zpresso’s “brew primary” grinder, meaning it s designed for optimal pour over, drip, and Aeropress coffee brewing. It is very capable as an espresso grinder, but you don’t have the fine dial in adjustment ability that the J-Ultra provides.
For the First Look, I organized 3 side by side blind taste tests of espresso shots using our standard formula of 18.5g in, 45g out in 35 seconds on our lab machine, the Breville Dual Boiler. After calibrating the grinders as best I could, three samples were brewed and tasted, and in all three cases, the J-Ultra presented the better shot. It was a close sampling, and in two cases, I had to drink the entire shots to come up with my determination.
On pour over tests, the K-Ultra produces a slightly cleaner, more balanced shot with a slightly faster flow through time, telling me that the J-Ultra, for a V60 style grind, produces slightly more fines.
The X-Ultra… this is 1zpresso’s “all purpose” grinder, equally capable on espresso as it is on pour over. The X-Ultra has a much finer micron adjustment range between its clicks, which provides the grinder better dial in ability. The burrs look similar to the K-Ultra burrs, but I’ve been told they are a slightly different geometry and pattern. Taste wise, the X-Ultra is very, very close to the J-Ultra on espresso. I didn’t do the formal 3 shot blind taste test I did with the K-Ultra, but some informal side by side tasting, and I struggled to find a difference between the X and J models.
I will say the X-Ultra, with its more-slim body and weight is actually my favourite of the three models to use. It seems to just work better in my hands.
The X-Ultra on the left. It turns a bit easier, and I like the feel better, but that is personal preference.Against the Lagom Mini
I didn’t think I’d find another conical burr grinder that produced better espresso and pour over results than the Lagom Mini. That grinder is absolutely amazing.
But guess what: the J-Ultra edged it out on espresso taste. It was so close, I had to do 3 different taste tests, and the J-Ultra won 2 of the 3. It’s also faster to grind for espresso: I could do 18.5g in the J-Ultra in about 45 seconds or less; the Lagom Mini’s electric motor takes almost 60 seconds.
On pour over, the Lagom Mini remains the champ, at least compared to the J-Ultra. Cups are more expressive, more rounded, more things to discover. Again, the taste difference is pretty slight, but on three blind tests, the Mini won all 3, one almost a tie though.
Testing the J-Ultra against the Lagom Mini and Timemore C3 ESP Pro.Baratza Encore ESP
When I get into the full review process, this one is going to be the most interesting lineup: the J-Ultra and Encore ESP are the same retail price, but offer very different packages to the end user.
In a very brief side by side test of both grinders, the J-Ultra is the “ultimate” in terms of dial in ability. As lauded as the Encore ESP’s espresso-side grind adjustment system is, it cannot match the calibrated magic that the J-Ultra offers. I found on the Encore ESP going one click difference on the grind selection resulted in no real changes some times, and other times, a very big jump in shot times. This tells me the collar doesn’t always move with each single click, but will jump a big jump in selection at other times.
Look, on its own, the Encore ESP’s adjustment system is fantastic. But when you put it up against the precision tool that the J-Ultra is, you see issues.
On taste, I also have to give the nod to the J-Ultra’s shots. As mentioned way earlier in this First Look, I had a postcard perfect example of what our test coffee – Social Coffee’s People’s Daily Blend – has to offer, with the J-Ultra. I didn’t get to that level of shot perfection with the Encore ESP.
When it comes to pour over grinds, I found the grinders were a lot closer in taste quality, but again, the J-Ultra offers way way tighter grind dial in ability, which also gives it the edge. It’s also pretty fast hand grinding 21g for pour over: around 30 seconds. It won’t match the 10-ish seconds of the Encore ESP (not to mention the Encore does the work for you), but it is noticeably fast.
Turin SK40
We didn’t do any real tests against the Turin SK40 and the J-Ultra for this First Look, but plan to compare them in our Full Review.
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Given that I had one of the best shot pulls ever from our test-standard espresso blend, Social Coffee’s People’s Daily, and dial in was extremely easy, those two factors alone really speak volumes for how fantastic 1zpresso’s J-Ultra manual grinder really is.
I don’t want our First Looks to draw too many conclusions; for that reason we don’t score products in these articles or give final ratings. But it’s hard not to, with the J-Ultra.
Everything about the grinder screams quality, engineering perfection and precision. I struggle to find anything I don’t like about the grinder. The least favourite thing is the handle design; I don’t like how difficult it is to fold down to its storage position, and don’t like how it has a click-lock half way through the process (why did they design it that way?) But the handle and crank arm itself function excellent under operation and make the grinder very easy to use.
All the materials, all the construction, the ways the 1zpresso J-Ultra go together are best in class. As an espresso grinder, I don’t think this has an equal in the market. I was also amazed at its Turkish coffee grinding ability. As a brew grinder, it is more than capable, being beat by a few models (including it’s sibling, the K-Ultra) but not by any large measure most home baristas would notice.
$200 may seem a lot for a manual grinder. Considering the Commandantes and other ultra-premium grinders are $100 to $150 more, and the grinder I have that is closest in terms of output – the Lagom Mini – is double the price (and slower on output), $200 is a pretty decent price.
Sometimes when I do a First Look, I have a gut feeling my Full Review might change some of my opinion; in the case of the 1zpresso J-Ultra, I’m confident my opinion of this grinder will only get better.
This grinder is the complete package with a special focus on espresso. The case, the accessories, the build quality, the materials, everything are best of class. If you want one of the best espresso grinders on the market today, this is the model for you.
If you are interested in this grinder, please consider buying it via our affiliate link with Amazon. The small income we make from these sales keeps our website going.
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Connect with us on Social Media MastodonFacebook-fInstagramYoutube SearchSearchhttps://coffeegeek.com/reviews/firstlooks/1zpresso-j-ultra-manual-grinder-first-look/
#1zpresso #bestOfClass #espressoGrinder #grinder #jUltra #manualGrinder
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🔥 Maximizing the Dumbbell Hex Press ↕️
Maximize your form and muscle engagement in the Dumbbell Hex Press, which is a powerful chest exercise emphasizing inner chest development, triceps recruitment, and controlled pressing mechanics.
#dumbbell #dumbbellpress #hexpress #chest #chestworkout #weightlifting #strengthtraining #exercise #workout #pressing #pushing #onlinecoach #personaltrainer
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I have been using several of his WordPress themes in various ways, and so I was very interested in reading about the man behind the themes.
In this article, @andersnoren writes about the blessings and curses of turning your hobby into a career:
https://heropress.com/essays/blessings-and-curses-of-turning-your-hobby-into-a-career/
Very honest, and a very interesting read. Keep hiking, Anders, and thanks for all your themes 🤗
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https://www.europesays.com/ie/425796/ Antiviral drugs and shingles vaccines tied to lower dementia risk #Acyclovir #Cytomegalovirus #dementia #Drugs #Éire #Health #Herpes #HerpesSimplex #HerpesSimplexVirus #IE #Ireland #Language #shingles #therapy #Vaccine #Valacyclovir #Vascular #virus
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@3sat @arte @BR24 @hrpresse @mdr @NDR @rbb @srfnewsrss @swr3 @wdr @ZDF @deutschlandfunk
Ich mein, das ist vielleicht eure letzte #Chance, noch mal aufsässig zu sein und das Richtige für eure #Jounalist|innen und #Zuschauer|innen zu tun, statt euch selbst in der Kategorie #Mittäter / #Steigbügelhalter / #Feigling einzubetonieren.
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#weeklyreview 45/2025
Of course started the week with a swim in the lake. It’s getting colder and below 10ºC now. No more casual swimmers for sure 😉
Also back in the office after two weeks of vacation. Was really looking forward to putting my hand on the Atlassian AI tools that have been enabled in our production instance. But then had to learn that the feature I was intending to use (build your own agents) is blocked for everyone because its pending works council approval. I get that this is important. Would just have been nice if IT wouldn’t have announce the stuff being available already know that it’s practically not.
Fiddled with the normal Atlassian Cloud automation for confluence and of course got frustrated that even the most simple things don’t seem to be possible. Create a new page from a template, ask the user to fill out a few fields and then replace variables in the template with the user input. How hard can this be. Atlassian’s answer: YESSSS!!!!
Cleaning up iCloud
I ran out of iCloud storage because I sync my Photos via iCloud. Now how to download and delete photos there? Turns out there is a tool called iCloud-downloader that can do just that. And also in a smart way by either just downloading, syncing or moving the files off iCloud. Unfortunately I had to temporarily disable certain security features (advanced data protection (e2e encryption) and 2FA with Passkeys) in my Apple Account for the script to work. But those can be turned on later again. The download maxed out my DLS Line and was done after a few hours. It placed the files in a folder structure like I would normally do: YYYY/MM/DD.
Now having the files locally, I started to import them into my Immich instance. For that I used an Immich CLI container to consume the file I had just downloaded and feed them into my instance. This tool would delete the files that it had already uploaded into Immich. Before the upload starts, the tool build checksums of all files to detect files that have already been uploaded to Immich. Those would be skipped for uploading. Rather neat. That tool can even watch a directory and continuously consume images into Immich.
In combination with the iCloud downloader that also has a watch mode, one could potentially build a continuous upload from iCloud into Immich. Of course only if you don’t have the Immich App installed on your iPhone that’s backup up all photos to Immich anyway.
Sushi & Poker
After a bit back and forth on the schedule of our weekly poker night we settled on wednesday this week. For dinner we decided for self-made Sushi again. Just simple one with cucumber, avocado and raw salmon. It’s actually a quick meal to prepare of the rice is already read. That takes the longest as it needs to cook for about an hour and then cool down again for at least as long.
That dinner got the blessing of our oldest kid as delicious 😉
The clear highlight though was a powerpoint presentation of our youngest to sell a China vacation to her brothers. She was working on that the whole week and did her research where to go, what’s the local thinks to visit (and why), the accommodations, cost, flights. etc.
n8n vibe coding
Finally found some use case for my n8n instance. I’m capturing some web links in my Wallabag instance. If I want to make sure those links are still available in a few years, I should probably submit them to the Internet Archive so I can use their Wayback Machine to find it if has been removed or changed by then on it’s original place.
For that I needed a n8n node for Wallabag. Couldn’t find one from the community so I asked Claude Code to create one for me.
It’s now working for me. Still need to polish the N8n workflow, but for my use case the Wallabag node seems to do what it needs to do.
While I was at it … I also had Claude create a node for Immich.
AeroPress
My default coffee make is the trusty AeroPress. I just got a new one for Berlin as I took the old one to #project25. The new AeroPress now has clear plastic and one can see the coffee grounds soaking pretty clearly now. On to many years of good coffee.
glasses
I’m considering getting glasses for work eventually. It’s getting slightly more difficult to read small text at arms length. Given my age and spending almost 35 years in front of computer screens for several hours a day I think it’s OK to admit that eyesight is slowly but surely deteriorating. So I got my eyes measured and was testing some frames. I think the final candidates are:
Will do another round of testing next week and then probably order. Will just use them for screen work and stuff. Far sight is still perfectly fine.
Dorfdisco
On Saturday evening I joined a few friends to a small dancing / disco outing at a nearby small village. Really lovely old village restaurant with a small room with a bar where the food and drinks were served. A larger ball room in the back was set up with a DJ for dancing. Met quite a lot of people I know from when I grew up in Templin. The dinner of a pork schnitzel was really good and affordable. Will definitely come again as the place was tidy nice and neat and staff very friendly.
#enEN #food #Immich #project25 #vibecoding #Wallabag #weekly #weeklyreview
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Minimum Viable Arduino Project: Aeropress Timer
https://netninja.com/2025/12/01/minimum-viable-arduino-project-aeropress-timer/
#HackerNews #MinimumViableProject #Arduino #Aeropress #Timer #DIYTech #Gadgets
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It’s not often I get excited by certain innovations in the manual, hand cranked grinder world.
Sure, there’s been some fantastic innovations in that space ever since the Porlex Mini came along 13 years ago and really shook the space up. Everything from intricate burr geometry designs, to ultra precise 8um adjustments on grind settings, to triple and even quadruple bearing mounts for rock solid burr rotations, and even things like hybrid grinders, doing double duty as electric grinders for home use, and manual when out on the go.
But as amazing and value-rich the hand grinder market has gotten, I still get my kicks from the innovations in the motorized grinder world, for the most part. Then I saw a new manual grinder from the feisty upstart company with the horrible branding name – MHW-3Bomber – that actually got me pretty excited. Because this new grinder has a wildly interesting innovation: it has a sieve and shaker system to separate out fines from your grind. Built right into the grinder.
The sieves for the Blade R3 manual grinder, from MHW-3Bomber.That’s a bit of a game changer for anyone who happens to like no-paper filtration methods for brew coffee. If you’re a Kone user, use metal filters for your AeroPress, like using the Espro Bloom, or are a press pot aficionado, you probably know using a sieve system like the Kruve sieve can improve the cup of coffee quite a bit, and reduce the sludge in the finished cup. Problem is, the Kruve starts at $100 (IMO still well worth the investment!) and can go up to $200 or more if you go for most of the sieve options.
But today, we have the MHW-3Bomber Blade R3 manual grinder, with a built in sieve system. And in many cases, the entire grinder with sieves costs less than the Kruve starter system. Right now the Blade R3 Grinder is $90 on Amazon (once you apply the 10% off coupon). So is it worth the money?
Well, this is not our formal review, but your TL:DR is: heck yes!
Heck, I even bought one on my own, I was so intrigued (since then, MHW-3Bomber has also sent us a test unit, so I now have two to compare, side by side!)
The MHW-3Bomber Blade R3 grinder with grind cup, shaker lid, and five sieves.The Blade R3 Grinder
Before I even get to the sieving system, which has benefits and drawbacks, let me briefly cover the rest of the Blade R3 from MHW-3Bomber. It is extremely well made, top to bottom. It certainly does not feel like a $90 grinder; just in feel, fit and finish, it matches well with $150 to $200 manual grinders out there. The entire construction is metal, and everything fits together with precise engineering.
The Blade R3 has an external click dial for adjusting the grind fineness, and each individual click adjusts in the burr vertical movement by 16 microns. That puts it on par with some 1zpresso grinders, and and has better grind selection performance than the Commandante and other grinders currently on market. The grind number indicators are very easy to read, and the grinder comes zeroed out from the factory. The grinder can also be calibrated: it has a similar spindle / locking nut mechanism to some 1zpresso grinders.
The Blade R3 has an external adjustment dial for grind settings, with 60 clicks per full 360 degrees of rotation. Each click is about 16um in vertical burr movement.On visual inspection, 3Bomber’s “custom” heptagonal (7 bladed) 48mm conical burr looks very similar to recent 1zpresso flagship grinders’ burrs, but not the current K-Ultra, J-Ultra or X-Ultra from 1zpresso, all of which are brand new designs. Once I get down to the full Snapshot Review for the Blade R3, I’ll give the burrs a much closer look. For now, here’s what they look like.
The inner conical burr for the Blade R3. 7 blade design, 48mm burrset.The burr stack is also similar to the previous gen 1zpresso manual grinders: the thick spindle (electric drill compatible according to the manufacturer!) is permanently attached to a bottom block plate. The inner burr slides down the spindle and locks into place on the block plate via a mounting bolt. The spring sits above it. In this case, 3Bomber’s spring is a lot longer than those found on 1zpresso models.
I should note, 1zpresso did away with the bottom block plates on their most recent grinders, and instead, hard-attach the inner cone burr directly to the spindle. They said this reduces static issues with their grinder. Here’s what the 3Bomber setup looks like:
The burr, spindle, spring and mounting cap for the Blade R3.The crank arm is very similar to those found on the Commandante, older 1zpresso and Kin Grinders, but has a longer reach. It is longer than the current gen 1zpresso J-Ultra handle, for example. The handle is beefy, made of wood and a bit different in shape compared to other grinders I have here.The mounting cap for the crank arm is made of metal and secures very well on top of the grinder.
The Blade R3 (foreground) has a slightly longer handle than the 1zpresso J-Ultra; also note the slightly different handle design.The entire grinder can be disassembled without tools (except the adjustment external dial). This is fantastic for deep cleaning. Here’s the grinder, entirely disassembled, with all its parts:
All the parts that make up the Blade R3 Grinder. Can be disassembled without tools.The grinder is long, with a good grip portion that is particularly elongated. The catch cup is held in place by a gazillion magnets, and holds on even tighter than the current generation 1zpresso grinders, which is saying something because the K-Ultra, J-Ultra and X-Ultra’s catch cups are held on quite firmly compared to previous generation models.
Now to the catch cup itself. It is a four part affair: the main catch cup, a screw on base, a sieve disk, and there’s also a magnetized lid to use when shaking the catch cup full of grinds. The Blade R3 comes with five sieves, in micron size holes of 300, 400, 500, 600, and 850. As mentioned there’s a gazillion magnets (each component has 24 rare earth magnets installed).
The catch cup, with outer magnets, and inner screen installed. The sieve installed in the bottom of the catch cup (but the bottom screw plate is not attached). One of the sieves, showing the hole pattern. The MHW-3Bomber Blade R3 grinder with grind cup, shaker lid, and five sieves. The catch cup, with outer magnets, and inner screen installed. The sieve installed in the bottom of the catch cup (but the bottom screw plate is not attached). One of the sieves, showing the hole pattern. The MHW-3Bomber Blade R3 grinder with grind cup, shaker lid, and five sieves.There is one really weird thing about the Blade R3 you should note if buying: the capacity of the grinder is barely 20g if you are using the built in sieve system. This is weird because the grind chamber and “hopper” for beans above the cutting blades can hold a lot more coffee: at least 30g if not more. But the catch cup, at least when the sieves are installed, will top out at about 22-23g which I don’t recommend doing because that tops out the catch cup. If the catch cup is full to the brim, shaking the coffee for the sieving effect won’t work very well. You need some headspace in there, so 18-20g is the max coffee you should have in there when using the sieve.
Of course, you could use the catch cup without any sieve installed, and the capacity of it increases to around 25-30g, nearly matching the hopper up top.
Using the MHW-3Bomber Blade R3 Grinder
Currently we’re testing a lot of manual grinders: three 1zpresso models, the latest Timemore external adjustment grinder, two from Staresso (including one that is rechargeable!), and a Kin Grinder. For the past 45 days, about 80% of the espresso and coffee brewed in my lab space and at home has come from manual grinders. I mention this because I’ve been able to do a lot of side by side comparisons with a lot of different brands.
Again, stressing this isn’t my formal review: the MHW-3Bomber Blade R3 is holding its own. It isn’t matching the king of espresso grinders – the J-Ultra from 1zpresso – on overall espresso quality, but it is on par with the more expensive Timemore and K-Ultra. Considering the grinder is only $90, that’s seriously impressive.
The biggest issue I’ve had with the Blade R3 is static. The mix of materials (steel, aluminum, lots of magnets, and the steel sieve disks) plus the block-plate at the bottom of the burr set all seem to create a bit more static than I’m getting from the current gen 1zpresso models and the new Timemore. RDT’ing the dose helps a bit, but it is still there, and that moisture, as minute as it is, is also evidenced in the catch cup, with some grounds sticking stubbornly to the angled edge where the sieve meets the side walls of the catch cup.
Static is a problem with the grinder from time to time.In terms of grinding “action”, it is smooth and very low resistance. This is obvious because of the long crank arm design. The spindle is held in place with three anchor bearings, making the rotation of the burr rock steady and even. And because the spindle is very thick, using an electric drill with this grinder, if you follow Jim Hoffmann’s advice, is actually fine (you should not use an electric drill on more narrow gauge spindle grinders like the Timemore series).
Everything fits together well. The grind markings are extremely easy to read in most light conditions. The catch cup is held on so tightly it’s actually a bit difficult to remove, but there should be almost no worry about accidentally knocking it off and spraying coffee everywhere while you operate the grinder.
In short, this is a very well built, well engineered, precision instrument.
Sieving
I didn’t expect the sieves to work all that well. After all, the surface area of the sieves is like 1/6th the surface area of the Kruve Sifter sieves. But in practice, it actually works quite well, removing about .5g of fines from an 18g dose ground for pour over and using the 500um sieve, in my limited testing.
It even works better for press pot. I set the grinder up for 1200um particle sizes, used the 850um sieve, and for every 15g I ground (I would grind two batches to hopefully get 28g of coffee to use), it would sieve out about .75g of fines. This resulted in a lot cleaner cups overall from my press pot brews. Keep in mind you’ll have to grind about 8-10% more coffee to take the sieving amount into consideration.
The process is this: install the sieve of your choice, set the grinder to your set grind level, and grind the coffee. Once done, remove the catch cup, put the catch cup lid on it, and start shaking the bejeebus out of the container. Side to side motions, knock motions, up and down. Do this for about a minute. Then pour out the coffee from the catch cup. Later on, unscrew the bottom plate, and witness all the fines you sieved out. Magic.
There is the aforementioned problem with static. I’ve also noted coffee would get stuck in crevices and edges in the grinder, making it a bit hard to get all the usable coffee out
Coffee, stuck at the edges; it amounts to about half a gram.Oh, one more thing: 3Bomber, in their promo literature, says the act of shaking the container is calming and focusing, which has health benefits for you. Specifically: “sieving also relieves your pressure; enjoy it in the present moment!” More magic? 🙂
Should You Buy One
If all you do is espresso with your manual grinder, instead go with the 1zpresso J-Ultra, which is probably the best manual espresso grinder you can buy today. With the MHW-3Bomber Blade R3, the sieves won’t give you much benefit for espresso, and all that time shaking the grinds catch container will stale the coffee.
Also, if you want your manual grinder to crank out large (30g+ batches of coffee in one go, the Blade R3 might not be for you.
But if you want an all purpose grinder that gives you good value and excellent construction for under $100, then heck yes you should consider this one.
If you prefer using metal filters (or ultra rare, luxurious all ceramic mesh filters boo yah!) in your pour over, or metal filters with your AeroPress, or are a big press pot fan, this grinder might be the best choice for you, because of the sieving system, built in. The biggest drawbacks are a) the low capacity and b) the static. I did note there was less static when I did not use the sieves in place, so I’m pretty sure the mix of metals contributes a tad to this.
Right now, the MHW-3Bomber Blade R3 is listed for $100 on Amazon, with a 10% off coupon available, making it $90. That’s a killer bargain for this device. We’re working on a full Snapshot review for this grinder and several other manual grinders, coming soon.
https://coffeegeek.com/blog/new-products/mhw-3bomber-blade-r3-manual-grinder/
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