Is the Kinu M47 a Good Grinder for Espresso?
There are many ways to make a great cup of coffee.
Some processes are more involved than others.
Things can be even more involved when attempting to make quality espresso.
Generally, things start with sourcing and roasting coffee, but for most of us, the process begins with grinding coffee beans.
When it comes to manual grinders, you couldn't do much better than Kinu.
The M47 lineup is the company's newest and most advanced lineup of coffee grinders, and they're sure to take your coffee game to the next level.
In the rest of this article, we'll explore why we're excited about the Kinu M47 lineup and all you need to know about the grinders.
What are Manual Grinders?
Kinu is a respected brand of German manual coffee grinders.
Manual grinders—sometimes referred to as hand grinders—are coffee grinders powered by manual force.
To operate, the user must spin the handle to pull and grind coffee beans through the body of the coffee grinder.
Premium manual grinders are highly coveted, typically in lower-volume brewing environments.
The tactile experience of controlling every facet of the grinding process empowers many home coffee enthusiasts and professional baristas.
Some enjoy the feel of manual control of the grind. Besides a satisfying way of grinding coffee, premium manual grinders afford their owners precision grinding experiences.
What is the Kinu M47 Series of Manual Grinders?
There are a lot of manual coffee grinders on the market these days.
They come in all shapes and sizes with a variety of features.
If you're looking for a reliable, quality grinder that will get the job done without bells and whistles, then the Kinu M47 Series of Manual Grinders might be a good option.
The M47 is available in three different models:
All three grinders are designed with German precision engineering and built to last.
The Phoenix is the more affordable option, while Simplicity and Classic are a bit pricier but come with upgraded features.
No matter your model, you get a high-quality grinder that will allow you to grind your coffee beans quickly.
What Makes for A Quality Manual Espresso Grinder?
The quality of manual grinders can vary widely.
You'd discover this if you've been in the middle of a grind when the arm handle bends or if you notice plastic parts breaking.
A quality manual espresso grinder is essential to your coffee prep as an alternative to an automated device.
Without the quality in place, your coffee grinder will continue to frustrate you and diminish the results that you expect in the cup. Here's what to look out for:
The grinder should be reliable. It should be able to produce uniform grounds consistently, whether you're grinding once or twenty times a day.
The handle and body of the grinder should be sturdy and up to the task of manually asserting torque. Stress is part of the game, so if the grinder's design can't handle the stress of grinding coffee beans in the long term, it isn't worth your time.
Ease of use should be a consideration. Many people enjoy the experience of grinding manually, but cheaply made and unreliable grinders can make this process difficult. A quality manual grinder will make your life easier and help you make better espresso.
What Makes Kinu Products Stand Out?
Kinu products are known for their quality. They routinely get high marks in customer satisfaction and overall durability.
The strength of Kinu having a lineup of M47 grinders is that, for different price points, you can get a reliable espresso grinder.
The M47 Classic is Kinu's flagship manual grinder.
It comes at a higher price point, but expert baristas love this grinder unit.
It is heavier due to its stainless steel construction with minimal use of ABS plastic components.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is the cheaper M47 Phoenix.
Kinu makes these with the same burr components as the M47 Classic, but the rest of the unit consists of ABS plastics.
These plastics are food safe and make for a lighter grinder.
The plastic construction brings down the price, making the ability to grind with a quality grinder more accessible.
The most significant difference between all three units is their method of burr alignment.
A quick overview of those is:
M47 Classic - Unique Morse Cone principle fully metal construction, resulting in the auto-centering of the burrs
M47 Phoenix - High precision axis alignment, no adjustment needed.
M47 Simplicity - Unique Morse Cone principle fully metal construction, resulting in the auto-centering of the burrs
So, the lower-priced Phoenix relies upon axis alignment, whereas the higher-priced units feature a Morse Cone burr construction.
At any rate, these are quality grinders.
| M47 Classic | M47 Simplicity | M47 Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grind Adjustment | Step-less | Step-less | Step-less |
| Mechanical Construction | Full Metal | Full Metal | Axis Alignment |
| Burrs | 47mm Conical | 47mm Conical | 47mm Conical |
| Thumb Stopper | Yes | Yes | No |
| Silicone Grip | No | No | Yes |
| Bean Funnel | Stainless Steal | ABS Plastic | ABS Plastic |
| Catch Cup | Stainless Steal, Magnetic | Food Safe ABS with Silicone Ring | Food Safe ABS with Silicone Ring |
| Weight | 1170g | 965g | 715g |
Why Is Grinding Important to Espresso Making?
Grinding coffee beans is one of the most critical steps to pulling a perfect shot of espresso.
A good grind will result in consistent, uniform coffee grounds that are fine enough to extract all the flavors and aromas from the coffee bean.
A bad grind, on the other hand, can result in an uneven extraction that leaves your espresso tasting sour or bitter.
It can also make it difficult to get a good crema - that delicious, velvety layer of foam that sits on top of a perfectly made espresso.
So, what are the essential components of a quality ground?
Coffee must be "Finely" ground. Since espresso is made under heat, having coarse coffee grounds would limit the pressure on the ground coffee and create a poorly extracted shot.
The whole puck of coffee grounds must be uniform. If the size of the ground coffee varies, as the espresso puck is pressurized, the pressure will find a weak point due to inconsistency. This inconsistency will break through the puck, and your espresso shot will lose pressure and experience uneven extraction across the puck.
A quality grinder can achieve both aims.
Without one, your espresso shots are at a disadvantage even before you begin.
Luckily, with the Kinu lineup of M47 manual grinders, you should have a coffee grinder worth using for espresso.
For a full feature comparison head over to the Kinu comparison table.
If you prefer an automatic espresso grinder, check out our article on the Niche Zero grinder.
