Hario Mini-Slim Plus vs Hario Skerton Pro
Stablemates — both from Hario, aimed at different mornings.
About CA$16 apart — the split below is what the gap buys.
Hario
CA$45–60 · US$35–45
This is a cheap, honest travel grinder that does one thing well: it grinds fine for pour-over and Aeropress in a package you can drop in a backpack. Accept that the ceramic burrs get sloppy…
Full record & live prices →
Hario
CA$55–81 · US$35–45
This is the grinder you hand a friend who just discovered specialty coffee and does not want to spend real money yet. Accept that the click-steps are coarse and the coarse end still wobbles…
Full record & live prices →The split
Where they actually differ
On 4 of 6 measures these two tie. The 2 rows below are the entire argument.
Mini-Slim Plus
Skerton Pro
Reliability record
Skerton Pro leads, clearly
The price
Mini-Slim Plus costs less, clearly
CA$45–60· CA$55–81
Brew range
Skerton Pro leads, clearly
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Their burrs share a character — this choice will not change the shape of your cup.
The counter’s vote
Looks barely figure in either machine’s record — the counter can sit this one out.
Mini-Slim Plus: Compact, minimalist aesthetics appeal to travelers and desk aesthetes; no major polarization or design-award citations suggest it is functionally appreciated rather than bought for visual statement.
Skerton Pro: Minimalist, compact, utilitarian — looks were never a purchase driver; kitchen-neutral appearance counts neither for nor against it.
Only the Mini-Slim Plus: a single-dose workflow.
Where they tie: espresso duty · built to last · value per dollar · quiet operation — don’t let a spec sheet invent a difference.
On the counter
The size difference, to scale
So — which one?
Take the Mini-Slim Plus if —
- The difference stays in your pocket — or goes into beans
- You weigh every dose anyway
Take the Skerton Pro if —
- It has to just work, every day
- You brew more ways than one
Both columns reading true? Take the Mini-Slim Plus and put the difference into fresh, roast-dated beans — they move the cup more than this choice will.
Known weak points
Mini-Slim Plus
Ceramic burr breakage under pressure or drop impact; coarse adjustment steps unsuitable for espresso consistency; replacement burr sets not widely available; internal wear accelerates with high-volume filter grinding.
Skerton Pro
Original Skerton suffered burr wobble (Pro version addressed); ceramic burrs prone to chipping if dropped or if grind setting forced too tight.
For the row-by-row readers
The whole sheet, side by side
Matching rows fade back — the ink is where they differ.
Mini-Slim Plus
Skerton Pro
Class
Hand grinder
Hand grinder
Burrs
38mm conical
39mm conical
Drive
Hand-cranked
Hand-cranked
Adjustment
Stepped (micro)
Stepped (micro)
Clarity lean
Syrup & body
Syrup & body
Espresso suitability
1.5/5
2/5
Brew versatility
2.5/5
3.5/5
Retention
~1 g
—
Single dosing
Yes
No
Hopper
24 g
50 g
Workflow demand
4/5
4/5
Maintenance
1/5
2/5
Noise
0.5/5
0.5/5
Build longevity
2.5/5
3/5
Dimensions
15 × 7.2 × 22 cm
16.7 × 9.5 × 19.5 cm
Wrong match-up? Change one side → — any two on file compare.
Still torn?
This page weighs them against each other. The finder weighs them against your mornings.
Two minutes of questions — milk, noise, budget, space — scored across everything on file. It’s honest when the answer is neither of these.
Take the two-minute finder →