The Anatomy of a High Precision Hand Grinder

When it comes to hand-brewed coffee, we consider factors such as water temperature, water stream, and coffee-to-water ratio to be controllable and adjustable. However, the quality of your grind is set in stone, so to speak, by the particular hand grinder you are using. Therefore, we are firm believers in the importance of optimizing the quality of the grind upfront.

Since it first launched in 2019, the premium X Series Hand Grinder has gone through several iterations of development and enhancement, as well as rigorous testing. Our designers wanted to create a grinder that combined power, ease and elegance, and to test it with baristas who know quality. And one thing became clear when working with our pros - they absolutely insist on that.

So let's dive into the scientific inner-workings of the X Series Hand Grinder.

60 Grind Settings + An External Adjustment Scale

The X Series Hand Grinder is one of the few hand grinders in the market designed with an innovative external grind adjustment scale. The vast majority of grinders place their graduated scales and adjustment mechanisms internally.

Designing the grind adjustment scale on the exterior makes grinding more intuitive and user-friendly. Plus, with over 60 coarseness settings you have the freedom to create the grind that suits your fresh morning brew. Used in combination with the internal adjustment screw, the X Series Hand Grinder has nearly limitless capabilities that will satisfy the needs of even the strictest expert barista.

Single-Core, Triple-Shaft Design Offers the Ultimate Stability

The X Series Hand Grinder was designed with stability in mind, and one of the primary factors for this stability is the design around its central axis. For example, the shafts of an unstable hand grinder will rock and pivot about its central axis, compromising the consistency of the grind regardless of the precision and quality of the grinding burr.

The X Series Hand Grinder offers precision down to 1 µm. What exactly does this mean? Well, 1 µm is a mere 1/1000^th of a millimeter! For scale, the platelets in your blood are 2 µm, while the thickness of a single strand of hair is 80 µm! 

From the grind size adjustment ring to the bean and powder storage chambers, many components of the X Series Hand Grinder are made from 7075 aluminum alloy - a lead-free, corrosion-resistant, high-strength alloy commonly used in the aircraft and shipping industries. Manufacturing begins with raw material sized at 63 mm in diameter, while the final product comes in at 56.3 mm in diameter with 1 µm-precision. The assembly tolerances typically seen in other grinders are virtually nonexistent here, which allows all of the X Series Hand Grinder's components to stay perfectly aligned to center.

The bearings are sourced from NSK, the Japanese bearing pioneer, and manufactured to a precision of 1 µm as well. With its smart bearing positioning - a dabber with 3-tiered bearings - the grinder offers precision, comfort and easy rotation for perfectly-ground coffee beans time after time. 

Italian Made Burrs that Balance Hardness and Toughness to Perfection

The X Series Hand Grinder uses Italian made conical burrs, made from high-grade custom steel with a hardness of 800HV (64HRC). The steel is then coated with titanium, which increases its hardness to 2400~3000 HV. With a higher hardness level comes greater durability. The prevention of fractures and exposures to high temperatures, along with the minimization of temperature swings during the grinding process, will result in the smallest impact to the flavor of your coffee grounds with this burr.

Z-Shaped Handle and Tilted Base for Effortless Grind Control

Every feature in the X-Series is designed to make your coffee experience simple. We learned the importance of getting a proper grip on your grinder, and created a handle that was balanced, stylish and very easy to control. Our ergonomic Z shaped handle helps you achieve perfectly-ground coffee faster and easier.

Internal Advanced Adjuster for the Expert Barista

Due to the addition of a spacer block for the internal adjuster, a “clicking” noise is heard whenever the adjustment screw is turned to the next setting. This allows you to clearly hear when an adjustment has been successfully made.
 
For the expert barista who wishes to adjust the grind scale manually, the grinder offers a pattern to do so. And, if you find that you have adjusted past your desired grind setting, you can simply tighten the advanced adjuster the rest of the way clockwise and it will release to its original setting, thereby allowing you to begin the adjustment process again.

Now let's put it to the test ...

So you really want to geek out on coffee grind precision? We conducted grind size distribution testing to see the precision for ourselves. Here was the test subject:

Coffee Bean: Dried Mango Blend
Roast: Color Value 57; City/Medium
Roast Date: April 22, 2021
Test Apparatus: Lighttells CM-200

Note: There is a certain level of chance inherent to using coffee grind samples in determining grind size distributions; for this test, the results shown for each type of grind are averaged across three samples.

Grind Scale: 0

Grind Scale: 5

 Grind Scale: 10 

Grind Scale: 15

Grind Scale: 20

Grind Scale: 25

 Grind Scale: 30

Grind Scale: 35

Grind Scale: 40

 And the X Series Hand Grinder in action ...