Porlex · Conical burrTall II
A pocket-sized Japanese hand grinder with ceramic conical burrs and a stainless body, built for pour-over and Aeropress on the road, not for daily espresso duty.
The short version
This is the travel grinder people actually keep for a decade: stainless everything, ceramic burrs that will not rust, and it slides inside an Aeropress.
Accept that it is a filter-first grinder that demands real forearm effort, and that fine espresso-range consistency is not its strength.
Why people buy it
- All stainless and ceramic build, nothing to rust and nothing plastic touching the coffee
- Fits inside an Aeropress plunger, genuinely one of the most packable grinder setups available
Why they don’t
- Grinding takes real physical effort and time, roughly 3-4 minutes for a 25g pour-over dose
The full tally
- All stainless and ceramic build, nothing to rust and nothing plastic touching the coffee
- Fits inside an Aeropress plunger, genuinely one of the most packable grinder setups available
- Click-stop adjustment ring on the II fixed the drifting-thread problem of the original Tall
- Every part is field-replaceable, so a decade-old unit can be kept running with spare parts
- Grinding takes real physical effort and time, roughly 3-4 minutes for a 25g pour-over dose
- Not well suited to espresso: fine settings are reachable but consistency drops off sharply there
- Handle ergonomics are just functional, some owners add a grip sleeve or aftermarket extended handle
What the community knows
Years of owner threads, distilled — well regarded.
Respected hand grinder with excellent build and longevity for filter/pour-over workflows; espresso users consistently report grind inconsistency and labour barriers that make it a temporary stepping stone, not an espresso platform — the community respects the burrs and…
Reliability
shows up every morning, year after year
Built to last
years before you outgrow or replace it
Value
price-to-performance the community respects
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 who try it for espresso later wish they'd committed to electric burr grinder sooner.
Known weak points — No documented mechanical failures; primary complaint is grind consistency at espresso fineness and manual labour intensity at scale.
“Have been using it since arrival every day without issue.”
“This is the most common complaint about the Porlex Tall II, and it's valid: grinding takes effort.”
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-only2
- Versatility
- flexible3.5
- Built to last
- heirloom4.5
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 18 of the 154 grinders we’ve measured
- A value pick at this level
- 96% of grinders this capable cost more
- Upper half for build
- sturdier than 69% 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 want better espresso-range consistency at a similar hand-grinder format tend to move up to a Timemore Slim Plus or Comandante C40; those who outgrow hand grinding altogether move to an entry electric single-dose grinder.
The full spec sheet
- Class
- Hand grinder
- Burrs
- 38mm conical
- Drive
- Hand-cranked
- Adjustment
- Stepped (micro)
- Clarity lean
- Syrup & body
- Espresso suitability
- 2/5
- Brew versatility
- 3.5/5
- Single dosing
- Yes
- Hopper
- 44 g
- Workflow demand
- 4/5
- Maintenance
- 1/5
- Noise
- 0.5/5
- Build longevity
- 4.5/5
- Dimensions
- 4.7 × 4.7 × 18 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
Does the Porlex Tall II fit inside an Aeropress?
Yes, it is a well-known pairing: the grinder body fits inside the Aeropress plunger for compact travel packing.
Is the Porlex Tall II good for espresso?
Not really. It can reach fine, espresso-range settings, but grind consistency drops off noticeably there, and hand-grinding an espresso dose is slow and effortful.
How much coffee can the Tall II hold?
Sources vary from about 25g to 44g depending on bean density and the exact fill line, with most retailers citing around 40-44g capacity.
Worth comparing
Hario
Mini-Slim Plus
A pocket-sized ceramic conical hand grinder built for travel and single-cup brewing, not for serious espresso or big batches.
CA$45–60 · US$35–45
Baratza
Encore
The Encore is the archetypal entry-level burr grinder — cheap, repairable, and genuinely wide-ranging for filter brewing. Espresso dialing is its known soft spot; the stepped adjustment gives 90-micron jumps at fine settings, which is more guesswork than craft.
US$119–175 · CA$195–200
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