If you like good coffee, then you like it all the time — both at home and at the campground. Some delicious instant coffee options exist, but there’s no substitute for using freshly ground beans. That’s true whether you’re using your kitchen coffee machine or your camp Aeropress, French press, or CHEMEX.
A quality hand grinder is a great camping tool for any self-described “coffee snob.” For more than 4 years now, I’ve used the VSSL JAVA G25 Coffee Grinder on a near-daily basis. I took that grinder on a 5-month stint in New Zealand with my family. I love that grinder.
But as GearJunkie Editor in Chief (and former coffee roaster) Adam Ruggiero outlined in his review, the JAVA G25 is great but not perfect. So, I was intrigued last spring when I heard of another notable outdoor brand offering a hand grinder that uses stainless steel burrs and adjusts for different grind sizes.
Over the past 2 months, I’ve had a chance to test the New Standard Hand Grinder from MiiR at home and on a 3,000-mile road trip across six states. Given that MiiR is still relatively new to coffee gear, I wanted to see how it would work on an extended trip and how it stood up to my VSSL.
In short: The MiiR New Standard Hand Grinder is a consistent, well-made grinder that’s great for camping and traveling. It allows you to choose from six different grind sizes, has a smooth action, and a 45g capacity for beans. It’s not without its imperfections, but as an addition to your camp coffee setup or something to bring when you’re on the road, it’s a great tool.
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High-quality burrs -
Smooth grinding motion -
Exact grind size for six different settings -
Looks good
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Lid made from plastic -
Awkward placement for grind customization settings
MiiR New Standard Hand Grinder Review
MiiR added coffee brewing gear to its lineup in 2022. The New Standard line includes pieces like the fully insulated French press, pour-over kettle, and now the hand grinder. Why add a hand grinder?
“It’s an essential part of the kit if you’re making coffee away from electricity,” says MiiR founder Bryan Pape. “There [was] a clear gap for a high-quality grinder with precision components that’s built well but not exorbitantly expensive.”
MiiR set out to fill the gap with a grinder that “fills easier, holds more, adjusts easier, feels more comfortable, and stows smaller than just about every grinder on the market,” according to Pape. He added that the MiiR version “also uses custom stainless steel burrs (rather than ceramic) and produces a consistently great grind.”
While ceramic burrs offer a high-end option for home and retail purposes, Pape said stainless steel is more durable and can withstand more rugged use.
Dimensions & Weight
Shaped like an hourglass, the figure of the MiiR hand grinder measures 2.83 inches wide at the top and bottom and stands 6.48 inches tall. By narrowing at the waist to a 7-inch circumference, the grinder is easy to grip firmly with one hand while the other hand works the handle.
It’s a thoughtful design element, but as someone with small hands, I found the waist is still a touch difficult to grasp tightly.
The grinder’s arm extends out 3.65 inches from the main chamber when grinding. It also conveniently folds over on top of the lid to make the grinder more compact for storage or when in transit.
I popped the hand grinder onto my MiiR Digital Coffee Scale and found it weighed just 16 ounces. In my book, that’s an acceptable weight penalty when camping. Depending on how much you value freshly ground coffee, it might be worth the weight for backpacking, too.
The hopper in the upper chamber holds 45 g of beans. That’s plenty for brewing five to six strong cups of Aeropress coffee or a full pot in the French press. It’s also about 15 more g than the VSSL Java G25 and Field Barista Coffee Grinder from Snow Peak.
True, the MiiR hand grinder’s hourglass shape and size make it slightly less pack-friendly than some competitors’ offerings. But the MiiR version also grinds enough coffee to make multiple cups. Having a larger hopper also means a larger target into which to dump the beans.
As other reviews have noted, the grounds like to stick to the stainless steel walls of the lower chamber. All it takes is a couple of taps to shake them loose, but it makes it marginally more difficult to get an exact amount of coffee into your brewing conduit. I’ve had this same issue with other grinders like my VSSL JAVA G25.
Burrs & Grind Process
Generally speaking, burr grinders (compared to blade grinders) use two pieces of ceramic or metal known as the burrs to turn beans into consistently sized grounds. Consistency enhances flavor extraction, which makes a better-tasting cup of coffee, according to the Specialty Coffee Association.
I found the MiiR New Standard hand grinder delivered consistency across its six different settings. I could quickly change that setting by turning the dial located at the grinder’s waist. In fact, the adjustment process is almost too smooth. I occasionally twisted it by accident while grinding. I’d like to see the dial either lock more solidly into place or be positioned elsewhere on the grinder.
Upon comparing the size of the grounds to the standards laid out in this brewing MasterClass, the hand grinder nails it. Admittedly, if you need uber-exact-sized grounds, say 0.79 millimeters, you’re out of luck. But for the most commonly used ground sizes — the ones you’ll probably use in backcountry settings — this hand grinder has you covered.
I also appreciated the fluidity of the actual grind process. The knob on the end of the crankshaft is big enough to grasp and hold onto, even when I get up to speed.
Durability
Despite banging around in a canvas tote bag, getting hauled around from car camping site to hotel to in-laws’ house to backcountry site over the course of 5 weeks, the MiiR hand grinder held up well. There’s one small nick in the black paint, but otherwise, there are no noticeable dings or gashes in the exterior.
The burrs still feel sharp and grind smoothly. While the plastic lid feels a little flimsy, I’ll give it credit for holding up over a long road trip.
The Price
At $130, the MiiR New Standard Hand Grinder is a spendy addition to your camping kit. That said, compared to other quality burr grinders on the market like the Java G25 ($160) and the Field Barista Coffee Grinder from Snow Peak ($98), MiiR’s price is competitive, especially given its larger-than-average hopper capacity.
Room for Improvement
Here’s where I’d like to see MiiR make improvements. On the upside, the plastic lid is lightweight. It secures over the hand grinder’s opening by snapping into place over the metal rim.
The problem: It’s hard to tell if the lid is fully secured. On two instances, I poured beans into the hopper, secured the lid (or thought I had), got grinding, and then had the beans spill out when the lid popped off. A screw top or some sort of latch could help prevent this issue.
As mentioned, I also has some trouble with the placement of the grind size adjustment dial. As is, it’s somewhat easy to inadvertently switch the grind size while you’re grinding coffee.
Overall, this wasn’t too big of a deal. The grind adjustment setting only moved a couple of times over the 3 months I tested this grinder, although it felt like it could move more often. A locking mechanism, or even just a notch that the adjustment dial slots into, could be helpful to prevent this.
MiiR New Standard Hand Grinder: Who Is It For?
If you’re a coffee aficionado who likes to brew on the go, this hand grinder is an easy, reliable way to grind beans anywhere.
The MiiR New Standard Grinder was useful on our road trip and will be perfect for future car camping adventures. If you’re a really dedicated bean grinder, you could conceivably take this thing backpacking. I’ve even found it useful at home.
Camping with the MiiR New Standard hand grinder might sound excessive to some. Your fellow campers might shake their heads and throw around terms like “coffee snob.” But it’s a compact and relatively lightweight piece of gear. It produces consistently ground coffee of different sizes and requires no battery or outlet.
For the cup of coffee this grinder allows me to make, it’s worth bringing on my overnight outdoor adventures.
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