Hario Mini Mill Slim PRO

What it does well

Weight and size are the draw. Prima Coffee's reviewer says "the lightness of this grinder is really exceptional" and that it is easy to throw into a backpack. Hario lists the body at 15 × 7.4 × 21 cm, and Crema Shop lists it at 21 cm tall with the crank.

Build is better than the price suggests. Prima Coffee calls it a "nice and sturdy product," with a steel upper casing and a steel catch. It also notes that the new molded aluminum handle has a hex drive that wears less than the old style.

The lid is practical. Prima Coffee says the silicone seal "seals pretty well," so you can leave beans in the hopper. It puts hopper capacity at roughly 40 to 50 g and the catch at roughly 30 g, while Hario and Crema Shop both list 24 g, so treat the numbers loosely.

On value, Prima Coffee's verdict is that it is "good for the price for sure." Crema Shop's page shows 16 buyer reviews averaging 4 out of 5, with buyers calling it small, solid and easy to use.

On consistency, Prima Coffee ran it at a medium-coarse setting and saw "some larger boulders," but described the texture as "that coarse, sandy consistency that I was looking for."

Where it falls short

Cup quality is the main complaint. Prima Coffee says "the flavor is a little bit muddy" and that fines show up in the cup. The reviewer calls it entry level and "just probably not a super-premium product." More fines in the cup is a typical trade-off at this price.

Adjustment is coarse. The grinder uses a stepped click wheel, and Prima Coffee says "the clicks can be a little bit big," so fine-tuning is difficult. That makes dialing in a recipe slower than on a grinder with smaller steps.

Buyers on Crema Shop's page add practical complaints: slow grinding, effort for two cups, a high centre of gravity that makes it shift in your hand, and many large chunks at coarse settings. One buyer reported a spring lodging in the shaft tube during cleaning, and another found the bottom container fits loosely and scratches easily.

Espresso is out. Prima Coffee says it is "not really great for espresso" because adjustment is limited, and Crema Shop notes that espresso enthusiasts may want finer adjustment.

Who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy it if you want a cheap grinder to carry for AeroPress or pour-over. Prima Coffee recommends it for coarser brews such as V60 and AeroPress, where it says smaller doses and finer grinds are where it excels.

Skip it if you pull espresso, or if you want clean, even filter cups. The ratings reflect that: espresso is zero and filter is modest. If you are choosing for coarse brews like French press, note that Crema Shop buyers report large chunks at coarse settings, so a bigger burr is a safer pick.

How it compares

The Mini Mill Slim Plus is the model it replaces in Hario's range; Hario describes the Pro as the same shape with a steel body and aluminum handle.

The KINGrinder P1 is another compact travel hand grinder. Zelpio, a retailer blog, reports it grinds faster and with less effort than the Hario Slim it tested against, though the P1 produced more fines in its particle analysis.

If you want a step up in consistency, the KINGrinder K2 has a 48 mm burr and an aluminum body, per Sigma Coffee, and the Timemore C2 is another compact hand grinder to shortlist.

Owning it

Plan on a hand-washable, simple design. Our guide to cleaning a hand grinder covers the routine, and one Crema Shop buyer warns to watch the spring in the shaft tube when you take it apart.

Hold it steady. Buyers on Crema Shop say the high centre of gravity makes it shift, so brace it with your other hand. After reassembly, use calibrating a grinder to find your zero point before you write down click numbers.

Check stock before you plan around it. Hario USA's page showed the silver Mini-Slim Pro as sold out when we checked it.