Planning a trip this year but don’t want to leave home without the convenience of a top-notch coffee routine? You’ll want to pack a portable coffee grinder for your trip, and one option that’s hit the market in the past year is VSSL Java coffee grinder.
Here at Sprudge, we often hear about innovations in non-electric, portable coffee grinders, which may or may not come as a surprise to those of you who have never tried one. However, the manual grinders of yesteryear have moved away from the slow-spinning spice mills and hard-to-hold cylinders into a sleeker, more attractive category of gear. From Japanese innovations from Hario and Porlex to recent inventions on the shores of Europe and North America, the market for manual grinders is no longer the exclusive domain of those for whom a plug-in coffee grinder seems “too high-priced.” Indeed, you can find grinders like the VSSL Java ($145) or Commander ($270) priced at or above many countertop coffee grinders.
We first heard about VSSL’s Java Grinder during the product’s Kickstarter campaign, and like many other Kickstarter users, we were a bit wary. Headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, the company is a hardware manufacturer first, and a coffee grinder second. The concept of their product line takes tubular tools and includes cylindrical power packs, lighting, drinkware, and some pretty sweet looking first aid tube. Throwing a coffee grinder into the mix seems both coincidental and completely sensible. And to live up to the high standards of design and durability of the rest of the range, the VSSL Java had to impress campers and coffee connoisseurs alike. It turns out it did — or at least it seemed impressive to me, as someone who went camping by car in 2013.
Here’s what VSSL Java has to offer: A 50-position set of stainless steel burrs with radial ball bearings that work together to ensure consistency. And they do it quickly and smoothly – grinding a similar amount of coffee in a grinder Hario Ceramic Slim or Porlex it just takes longer. We tested grinding 20g of rough ground coffee in each grinder: the VSSL Java took just 22 seconds, followed by the fancy-but-large-profile Hario Ceramic Slim in 29 seconds, and the Porlex in a glacial 70 seconds. (The grinder can hold just over 20g of ground coffee at a time.)
If you’re scrubbing your coffee or having your kids grind your coffee, time may not matter – but if you’re like me and want to have a cup of decaf STAT before your next afternoon Zoom call, well, well, you’ll appreciate VSSL Java’s efficiency. Trust me.
The construction is robust, made of “aircraft-grade aluminum” with a matte black finish, copper trim, and a satisfying weight. Feel weighty? No problem, the extendable folding arm — which is a bit of a pain to get used to at first — doubles as a carabiner, so you can simply clip it to your gear, your kid’s backpack, or anything else. The only real complaint I’ve heard about this sander is that it doesn’t fit snugly into AeroPress like Porlex. But hey, not everyone makes coffee in an AeroPress — or even leaves the house — which makes the VSSL Java a great option for many of us looking for a precise, powerful hand grinder for the countertop or campfire.
Java VSSL Grinder
MSRP $145
Rating: 4.5/5 Buzzy
