Hario · Conical burrMini-Slim Plus
A pocket-sized ceramic conical hand grinder built for travel and single-cup brewing, not for serious espresso or big batches.
The short version
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 at coarse settings and that grinding more than a single serving will make your arm regret it.
Why people buy it
- Tiny, lightweight, and the handle detaches for packing
- Ceramic conical burrs stay sharp for years and are easy to hand wash
Why they don’t
- Grind consistency falls apart at coarser French press settings, producing boulders alongside fines
The full tally
- Tiny, lightweight, and the handle detaches for packing
- Ceramic conical burrs stay sharp for years and are easy to hand wash
- Genuinely good at fine grinds for pour-over and Aeropress
- Tool-free disassembly for cleaning
- Grind consistency falls apart at coarser French press settings, producing boulders alongside fines
- 24g hopper capacity means it is single-serving only, not practical for guests
- No numbered markings on the click adjustment, so dialing in takes trial and error
What the community knows
Years of owner threads, distilled — well regarded.
Solid budget entry and travel companion for filter work; ceramic burr fragility, steep coarse espresso steps, and parts scarcity are documented limits — community knows it excels at what it is (portable, cheap, pour-over ready) and accepts the tradeoffs rather than pushing it…
Value
price-to-performance the community respects
Convenience
speed and simplicity, day to day
Beginner fit
kind to first-timers
All 9 community measures
price-to-performance the community respects
shows up every morning, year after year
parts and repairs — you are never stranded
mods, guides, and community know-how around it
kind to first-timers
years before you outgrow or replace it
how far the cup can go, per dollar
speed and simplicity, day to day
Worth knowing before you buy — Most owners pair it with a second grinder for espresso or accept it as a dedicated pour-over tool — community consensus is "know what it is" rather than "upgrade later."
Known weak points — 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.
The measurements
Scored 0–5 on the same rubric as everything on file — the words matter more than the numbers.
The measurements
0–5, one rubric- Espresso
- brew-only1.5
- Versatility
- narrow2.5
- Built to last
- fair2.5
Position in the market
Every dot is a rival, measured the same way. The gold one is this.
- Lower half for espresso suitability
- a higher ceiling than 9 of the 154 grinders we’ve measured
- A value pick at this level
- 98% of grinders this capable cost more
- Lower half for build
- sturdier than 7% of the field, by the community’s own record
Every dot is a grinder measured on the same rubric. See the whole market
Living with it
The part spec sheets skip: counter space, upkeep, and what owners learn later.
The honest note — Owners who need more capacity or a steadier coarse grind move up to the Hario Skerton Plus/Pro, or jump to a stainless-burr hand grinder like a Timemore or 1Zpresso for better consistency across the range.
The full spec sheet
- Class
- Hand grinder
- Burrs
- 38mm conical
- Drive
- Hand-cranked
- Adjustment
- Stepped (micro)
- Clarity lean
- Syrup & body
- Espresso suitability
- 1.5/5
- Brew versatility
- 2.5/5
- Retention
- ~1 g
- Single dosing
- Yes
- Hopper
- 24 g
- Workflow demand
- 4/5
- Maintenance
- 1/5
- Noise
- 0.5/5
- Build longevity
- 2.5/5
- Dimensions
- 15 × 7.2 × 22 cm
Before it arrives
What completes this grinder — the faded pieces can wait.
Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Dosing cup — Pairs with single-dose grinding — grind into the cup, swirl, and transfer to the portafilter cleanly.
- Grinder cleaning kit — Brushes and grinder tablets keep retention and stale grounds in check.
Feed it right
Week one is dial-in — and stale beans will lose it.
Coffee more than a few weeks past roast won’t extract predictably, and a new grinder gets blamed for it. These burrs pull syrup — naturals and classic medium roasts play straight into their character.
Pick your coffee — any of these dials in beautifully here:
Highland Elixir - Papua New Guinean Sigri PlantationSCA 86Medium-dark · Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands · WashedBright Citrus · Caramel SweetnessSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$22.43 · roasted to order
Lavabloom - Indonesian Sumatra MandhelingMedium-dark · Mount Leuser, Sumatra · Wet Hulled (Giling Basah)Dark Earth · Bittersweet ChocolateSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$19.02 · roasted to order
Etherea - Ethiopian YirgacheffeSCA 88Medium roast · NaturalJasmine · BergamotSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$24.16 · roasted to orderWhole bean coffee, with the roast date on each bag.
Prefer regular deliveries? RoastPlan is RoastAroma’s coffee subscription. Choose your coffees and their available options, then set deliveries every 1–6 weeks.
One-time RoastAroma orders are roasted to order in Ajax, Ontario and ship Canada-wide. We’re the roastery behind this database — measuring the machines is how we make sure the coffee gets a fair shot.
On film
How it runs on camera, from around the community.
Common questions
Is the Hario Mini-Slim Plus good for espresso?
It can technically reach a fine enough setting, but without numbered markings and with drift in the burr alignment, dialing in and holding a consistent espresso grind is a struggle. Treat it as a pour-over and Aeropress grinder that can do espresso in a pinch.
How much coffee can the Mini-Slim Plus hold?
The hopper holds about 24 grams, enough for roughly one to two cups depending on brew method.
Worth comparing
Timemore
Chestnut C3 Max
A bigger-hopper version of Timemore's budget-darling C3 hand grinder, built around the same 38mm S2C conical burrs but scaled up to a 30g dosing chamber for grinding more than a single cup at a time.
CA$70–90 · US$45–65
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