Hario MM-2 coffee grinder – Hero or Novelty?
Hario MM-2 Coffee Grinder
I decided to purchase the Hario MM-2 coffee grinder last month because my Breville BCG450XL Conical Burr Grinder died. With only 1 1/2 years of service, the Breville should have lasted much longer. Plastic gears inside the grinder stripped because it choked on a hard bean. That story will be left for another time.
With the failure of the the Breville, I didn’t want to rush into buying another expensive electric grinder until more research was done. For 30 bucks and a few months of use I couldn’t go wrong. Hario is a recognized name for brewing accessories like the V60. The vintage look with the added value and the fact that it is a ceramic burr grinder made my decision a no brainer.
The Hario MM-2 coffee grinder has an adjuster that allows you to set various grind levels. The Hario produced consistent grinds for the first dozen uses. You sure get your exercise using this ceramic burr grinder. The wooden drawer catches all of the grinds and is kept in place by a handy magnet until you pull it out to dump the coffee into your filter.
The base of the Hario MM-2 coffee grinder is made of wood, stained and clear-coated. The upper assembly and handle is made of stainless steel and contains the ceramic burr grinder. There is hopper cover made of soft plastic. It was easy to clean and maintain for the first couple of weeks. All was well and my arm was stronger than ever! Sometimes it was hard to grind because of some of the beans would jam. I think lighter roaster coffee requires more effort to grind than darker roast coffee.
Fortunately, I use one primary brew method (the clever dripper). For those who want to use this grinder for a variety of brewing methods, the news is not so good. You will need to disassemble the handle, remove the key and then turn the setting to the appropriate position for your brew method. The challenge will be to turn the adjustment to the correct position you desire. It usually takes several attempt to find the right position. Changing back to another brew method requires the adjustment process to start all over again.
The Hario MM-2 coffee grinder is not without it’s issues. Not only was adjusting the grind level tedious but going back and forth from one setting to another would be a pain. Grinding takes a very strong grip to keep the grinder in place. The wood box had some quality issues as the knob fell off. There was no glue used to hold it in place? The biggest complaint I have is entire stainless housing became loose from working the grinder handle, causing uneven grind levels. There is a nut under the burr grinder mechanism that holds the assembly together. It began to come loose after a dozen uses and continues to get worse. I’m just waiting for the whole assembly to break off soon.
The novelty of grinding by hand wore off pretty fast. Honestly, the only reason I would find this grinder useful would be for traveling. It would serve a great purpose by being so compact. I would not recommend this grinder for daily use. When I find a good replacement I will let you know.
