The Sovrano Int'l Coffee Grinder - Best Ceramic Conical Burr Coffee Bean Grinder, Stainless Steel - Aeropress Compatible - Travel Ready

Love this coffee grinder! I purchased the coffee gator, the coffee gator coffee canister, and this little Sovrano gem of a coffee grinder. Makes my morning ritual of grinding my beans and brewing a steaming hot cup of aromatic (LaVazza) coffee something I really look forward too. This is a beautiful and handy little grinder which takes up so little space. The grind adjustment is easy to set and takes only moments to adjust to whatever size coffee grind you need or prefer. Set the crank handle on top and start cranking clockwise. With a little elbow grease the beans are ground perfectly in no time. Another great feature of this grinder is that it packs easily (removable crank lever) and you can take it with you for great freshly ground coffee when your camping, traveling, vacationing, or even to work with you. I admit this is my first manual coffee grinder so I have nothing to compare it to but this beauty looks the part, is well made (stainless steel & ceramic grinder), and it delivers the goods!!

Now, just over a year after I purchased it, I need to revise my review from 5 stars down to 1. Initially, it was just perfect, with an adjustable grind, and elegant design. Then, suddenly, it stopped grinding! The handle and central rod would turn, but the burr wouldn't. Turns out that there is a small, conical plastic piece that can just suddenly wear out, rendering the grinder useless. The Soverano company is totally stealthy, with no email, phone, etc. Even Amazon was unable to contact them about my complaint. They do, however, sell a 6 dollar "upgrade" grinder, which you can buy to replace the worn out part. It took quite a bit of searching to find it. The nature of the defect is one of poor design. DON'T BUY THIS ITEM!

Broke after 8 months of daily use, plastic piece in it cracked in half. Other than that it was a good grinder, but needs to be sturdier

The good: Grinds consistently and produced the best cup of coffee I have been able to make at home without any excessive bitterness which can happen with uneven grinds. The bad: It only holds about 30g of beans at a time, and I usually do 60g in the morning with 800ml water in my French press so I have to grind twice. Not only this, but it takes a long time and your hand starts to hurt after a while. Overall: As any coffee lover knows, it's worth the time and effort to make the perfect cup. If you have the time in the morning and don't mind getting a good arm workout in, this is a great product.

I love this grinder. No I'm not a paid reviewer. In fact I am brand new to the french coffee scene altogether. To be honest, I use to be one of those people that thought a cup of coffee was a cup of coffee, no matter what. It was all gimmicks. I was admittedly dead wrong. My first go at using my french press I mistakenly used a traditional electric grinder (non-burr). It wasn't until a wiser friend of mine walked me through the process and the proper tools (French press, coffee scoop, burr grinder, and quality beans) that I learned properly grinding was crucial. So, I invested in this grinder. After a few tries I was able tighten it up to the perfect coarseness. Sure hand cranking is a bit bothersome, but not as much as you'd think. It is rather smooth. Overall this grinder gets the job done great. If you are on the fence about this and an electric burr grinder, I'd say save your money and snag this one. It really is great. I don't have anything bad to say about this little product. Great for home or camping use. Hope this review helps.

guess it would be good for travel hard to grind but ok for price I paid

I make French press coffee in my office one 12 oz glass at a time, so this grinder is perfect for me! It took me about four cups of coffee to get the grind set just the way I like it, but experimenting was fun! I started with a coarse grind then kept tightening the knob until I started getting mud in the bottom of the cup -- then backed off two clicks. Now I get a consistent grind with great flavor without the "mud" in the bottom of the cup. The grinder looks very classy on my office credenza. Caveats: (1) The grinder is fine for grinding enough for one or two large cups of coffee, but you'll probably want an electric model if you're going to grind more than that. (2) People with arthritis, shoulder problems, or grip issues won't like it. You must be able to firmly grip the cylinder in the middle while turning the crank. The crank takes about as much effort as stirring a batch of oatmeal cookie dough.

Small black plastic piece that bears the weight of the crank handle broke in two. Asked about covering it under warranty. Amazon says Sovrano doesn't have an e-mail address anymore. They posted my query to a message board. No word from them in a week. So much for the warranty?