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
Wild Ember - Ethiopian Buno Dambi UddoSCA 92Medium roast · Odo Shakiso, Guji Zone, Oromia · NaturalBlueberry · MarmaladeSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$26.83 · roasted to orderWhole bean, dated, ready for your burrs the week it lands.
Roasted to order, daily, in Ajax, Ontario · ships 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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