COFFEE
The Timemore Nano - the best hand grinder to hit the streets this year? We think so. See out latest product review below to read about why we think it's a serious contender for home coffee product of the year.
We don't tend to take on new products very often, mainly because there are not that many great products being released. It takes something pretty exceptional for us to be interested and to consider adding it to our range.
We were told by another reliable overseas coffee business that the Timemore Nano was pretty special and that we should check it out fast. We did, and we are happy to say it made it all the way to our website and range as quickly as we could get it there.
What is it?
The Timemore Nano is a micro hand grinder that falls under the product group we like to call 'Pro Hand Grinders'. They are exceptionally well built and can grind to a quality level that beats a fair few electric grinders, even some commercial.
Production quality:
It's a very well made unit, produced from a mix of steel, aluminum, and wood. You can tell just by looking at it that there has been a huge amount of thought put into the design, layout, and overall finish to the grinder. The grinder arm folds into itself and clicks outwards to form a solid grinding arm in a very well-considered design feature. It even has a piece of rubber fitted to the back of the arm that stops the back hitting the base of the grinder (no scratches here!).
It's a very neat and slick product with a beautiful tactile feel about it. It even comes housed in a superb presentation box, containing a drawstring holder bag and a user guide for use / cleaning it.
How do you adjust the grind?
It has the same style of mechanism as the Comandante C40 Nitro, positioned under the base of the top section of the grinder. You access it by unscrewing the base and adjusting the settings from there. So long as the lid (holding the arm) is attached, you can adjust the grind mechanism accurately.
How much coffee does it hold?
It's tiny in size and fits around 18g of coffee. But it varies depending on what style of beans you are using.
What's the grind quality like?
The grind quality is pretty amazing. We tested it out across super course for cafetiere, mid-range for Chemex and Kalita, fine for espresso, and superfine for Turkish and it delivered on all settings with ease.
What's it like to actually grind with?
The way the unit is assembled really contributes towards it being a really straightforward unit to use. You can grind really easily without it being a massive burden on your wrist, which is a big thing with lots of other cheaper and less well thought out hand grinders.
What version of burrs does this one have?
This precise version comes with the standard steel conical burrs, not the carbon steel (titanium coated) version. We opted for this version as the likelihood of anyone grinding so much coffee with this unit that they may need the titanium version burrs are pretty unlikely! Our view was why bump up the cost more when it's not necessary?
How does this compare with other hand grinders?
In our opinion, the Nano is right up there alongside the Comandante and Knock grinders. With zero movement on the shaft, you can adjust the grind without losing a high level of uniformity.
In terms of grinders like the Hario Mini Mill, Mini Mill Plus, Skerton, Rhinowares, Porlex Mini & Tall, it beats them all hands down, both in terms of build and grind quality.
Conclusion:
We are pretty stoked with the new Nano. It's super micro, uber neat and grinds to an amazing level of accuracy. It's not cheap, but hey - if you want great grind quality, you have to pay more than the cost of a budget grinder!
The team here have all had a play with our demo model and the overall feedback has been of much enthusiasm.
Check out the full range here
