I often get asked, what is different about the Rhino Coffee Gear Hand Grinder compared with other brands on the market, so I thought I would pen the path of events that has led us from our first grinder to our latest compact handgrinder with the adaptor to suit Aeropress.
When we first designed the Rhino Coffee Gear grinder, it was based on a number of factors and common problems I would hear from customers on grinders selling for under $75:
- Handle comes off too easily
- Central rod wobbles, affecting grind consistency
- Too big to hold in one hand, a must for any hand grinder
- Made of plastic so it breaks easily
So my aim was to develop a grinder that would address these key points, which I think we did!
My good friend and long time product tester and critique extraordinaire James Phillips from Dose Espresso fed back that an issue with many grinders was that the outer burr moved whilst grinding. I spoke to a Japanese supplier about this as I noticed all Japanese style hand grinders had this 'feature'. He said it was designed this way so when a hard bean or object was in the burrs the outer burr would move and let the object through. With modern Specialty Coffee roasting and processing we rarely get this. So we focused our design on removing that outer burr wobble. This improved the quality of grind dramatically: no big broken chunks or unusual size grinds of coffee coming through. We tested grind quality using several fine grade geo-tech screens and believe our consistency of grind is now one of the best on the market in the under $ 200 hand grinder category.
Our other objectives of avoiding plastic and making the unit fit comfortably in the hand were met by making it in stainless steel. I think it’s fair to say that when aspects of a product make sense then stick with what works. The handle was also critical. We looked at handle length (for ease of action – especially on the finer grinds), a comfortable knob, and most importantly a solid fit to the grinder so It didn’t come off during grinding.
After our first grinder was released, it was quickly followed up with requests for a smaller more compact grinder that would fit in an Aeropress. The compact grinder answered this request and we took it one step further and included an adaptor that fits to the body of an Aeropress. This adaptor made the process of producing a brew less cumbersome and it’s always good to have something fit for purpose.
It’s great to get ongoing feedback as it allows us to improve our products. Be assured a lot of thought has gone into making the Rhino Coffee Gear hand grinders the best quality for money on the market. We also pay attention to the functional aspects of use and performance, and of course, it is all in an effort to help achieve a better cup of coffee consistently!
- Paul Radin
Director of Coffee Hit and Partner in Rhino Coffee Gear
