Weber Workshops · Conical burrHG-2
An 83mm conical-burr hand grinder built like a Rolex, with a two-speed gearbox so you're not fighting a light roast with your bare forearm. Absurdly expensive for a manual grinder, but the cup quality and build back it up.
The short version
This is a hand grinder for people who have already decided money is not the constraint, only cup quality and ritual are.
Accept the price and the fact that you're still cranking a handle for every dose, gearbox or not.
Why people buy it
- 83mm Mazzer conical burrs deliver espresso-grade consistency most hand grinders can't touch
- Two-speed gearbox genuinely cuts cranking effort for light roasts in half
Why they don’t
- Price is genuinely absurd for a manual grinder, more than many electric single-dose machines
The full tally
- 83mm Mazzer conical burrs deliver espresso-grade consistency most hand grinders can't touch
- Two-speed gearbox genuinely cuts cranking effort for light roasts in half
- Near-zero retention thanks to the Magic Tumbler and EG-1-inspired wipers, so no RDT ritual needed
- Overbuilt aluminum construction that reads as a lifetime tool, not an appliance
- Price is genuinely absurd for a manual grinder, more than many electric single-dose machines
- Still requires real physical effort and time per dose, gearbox or not
- Bulky and heavy compared to travel hand grinders, this stays on the counter
What the community knows
Years of owner threads, distilled — strongly recommended.
Heirloom-grade hand grinder that demands genuine commitment to manual workflow; the community sees it as a forever keeper for craft-focused espresso users, not a convenience upgrade—engineering and burr durability are flawless, but it rewards ritual and penalizes those chasing…
Built to last
years before you outgrow or replace it
Reliability
shows up every morning, year after year
Parts & serviceability
parts and repairs — you are never stranded
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 wish they'd prioritized finding their hand-grinding style BEFORE committing $2k—it's a lifestyle choice, not an equipment upgrade.
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
- reference4.5
- Versatility
- do-anything4.5
- Built to last
- heirloom5
Position in the market
Every dot is a rival, measured the same way. The gold one is this.
- Upper half for espresso suitability
- a higher ceiling than 112 of the 154 grinders we’ve measured
- Fairly priced for its level
- 54% of grinders this capable cost more
- Top quarter for build
- sturdier than 89% 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 to keep the same 83mm burrs but drop the hand-cranking usually move up to Weber's own electric Key or EG-1, which reuse the same burr platform with a motor.
The full spec sheet
- Class
- Hand grinder
- Burrs
- 83mm conical
- Drive
- Hand-cranked
- Adjustment
- Stepped (micro)
- Clarity lean
- Syrup & body
- Espresso suitability
- 4.5/5
- Brew versatility
- 4.5/5
- Retention
- ~0.1 g
- Single dosing
- Yes
- Workflow demand
- 4.5/5
- Maintenance
- 1/5
- Noise
- 0.5/5
- Build longevity
- 5/5
- Dimensions
- 19 × 21.5 × 43 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 Weber Workshops HG-2 worth the price compared to cheaper hand grinders?
Only if you value the 83mm commercial-grade burr size, near-zero retention, and heirloom-grade build over saving money. Grinders a fraction of the price will get most people to a similar cup with more effort or fiddling.
Does the two-speed gearbox actually make a difference?
Yes, per the company's own account it roughly halves the cranking effort in first gear, which matters most on dense, light-roasted beans that are otherwise brutal to hand grind.
Can the HG-2 do both espresso and filter coffee well?
Yes, its stepped adjustment range runs from Turkish-fine through pour-over, and reviewers note it holds up on both ends, though its conical geometry leans toward body and sweetness over maximum clarity.
Worth comparing
Kafatek
Monolith Flat (Titan SDRM)
A Seattle-machined single-dose flat burr grinder built around 75-80mm in-house Shuriken burrs. This is the boutique end-game grinder people save up for and then stop shopping.
US$2,650
Option-O
Lagom P64
A 64mm single-dose flat burr grinder from Melbourne's Option-O, built around a CNC-machined unibody, swappable SSP/Mizen burr sets, and a variable-RPM motor. Long considered a benchmark for premium single-dosing, though we hear the price tag every time we recommend it.
CA$2,000–2,200 · US$1,585–1,650
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