I've owned the Hario Ceramic Slim grinder for a year now, so I figured I'd weigh in on it's strengths and weaknesses as I see 'em. I use the Slim exclusively with my "boutique" coffee makers, a Chemex and, my current favorite, a Planetary Designs 6 cup press pot.
The Slim looks great on the table, and feels very high quality in the hand. The slim body and textured upper make for an easy hold. The infinitely adjustable nut at the bottom of the grind mechanism is good/bad - with a simple turn or three, you can find just the grind you're looking for. But because there's no detente, or mark to set a specific grind, good luck getting back to exactly the same place once you've changed it substantially. However, since living with it, that turns out to be not a big deal, as I usually just leave it at a single setting for most of my purposes.
Breakdown is simple - undo the nut at the bottom, slide the central shaft out, and separate the ceramic burrs - don't drop 'em! (they'll chip on a hard surface like granite counter tops). 10 minute job, every other week.
The burrs tend to "float" inside the body, but it doesn't appear to affect the consistency much - in comparisons with other grinders (below) I've found the consistency is remarkably good - if you're new to burr grinders, coming from say a Krups blade, it's an order of magnitude better.
In over a year of hard usage, the Slim has worn very well - looks practically new. Only wear spot is on the hex-head handle connection, which has "jumped track" a half dozen times and popped off the head while grinding. It has ever-so-slightly begun to strip at the nut edges - it's still a snug fit for now, but after perhaps another few years, it'll be the first thing to give. I would have recommended a square-head connection.
I have access to an interesting competitor, at the same price point - the larger, Hario Skerton, which my brother-in-law owns. We regularly compare & contrast:
vs. Hario Skerton: the Slim has a plastic grind cup, the Skerton a larger glass cup - if you tend towards more than 4 cups at a time, you'll quickly tire of the Slim, as it will require two grind cycles. Plastic contributes to the Slim's extremely low weight in the hand, and slimmer design; it's simply easier to hold. The black plastic of the grinder body is also lightly textured, so it has a natural non-stick in the hand; the Skerton has a more rubber-like feel.
KEY: the Slim's plastic grind lid cover is a high value addition - no dust, "jumping beans" and if it's accidentally dropped or knocked over, simply no mess - not true of the Skerton. The adjustment design of the Slim is also superior - easy and quick to alter the grind.
Both are excellent, but if slim lightweight and adjustable are important, the Slim wins out. If you make more than 4 cups, the Skerton is the way to go. Both are high quality, and excellent grinders.
The Slim is a winner, especially factoring in the price - for the money, it's tough to get a higher quality, more consistent grinder (except for the Skerton). Any other burr grinder at this price point - and substantially above - uses steel burrs, not ceramic. And it's just fairly sexy - it gets as much notice as any of my other coffee items, so if good-looking design and wow-factor have any importance to you, this one has it - much better looking (more "fit") than the Skerton.
Just accept that it doesn't have a power cord, and you supply the energy - hey, that's a winner when you bring the beans on the camp-out! |
