Picked a $35 hand grinder over a $150 electric one, and now my arm hates me every morning

Amy Gonzalez · 2026-09-20T04:25:04.033816+00:00

So about two months ago my old blade grinder finally died on a Saturday morning in the middle of making coffee for my in laws, and I had to make a fast call. I stood in the kitchen looking at two options: a $150 electric burr grinder that got solid reviews, or a $35 hand grinder my buddy in Boise kept telling me about. I went with the hand grinder because I figured I mostly make one or two cups a day, how bad could it be. Turns out grinding 20 grams of beans for my pour over takes a solid minute and a half of cranking, and by the time the water boils my forearm is actually tired. The grind itself is honestly great, way better than the blade grinder ever was, and my cups taste cleaner. But here is the thing nobody warned me about, when I have people over and need to grind 60 grams at once, I am standing there cranking like I am trying to start a lawn mower. I keep telling myself I saved $115 but my wrist is starting to file a complaint. Anyone here make the jump to electric after dealing with a hand grinder, or did you stick with it and just build up the arm strength?

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Picked a $35 hand grinder over a $150 electric one, and now my arm hates me every morning | Coffee Enthusiasts - HW Forums