Dropped $85 on a hand grinder that made my coffee taste worse, and I want to know if I'm the only one
About 4 months ago I got talked into buying a hand grinder at a shop in Portland for $85. The guy behind the counter swore the burr set was the same one used in grinders that cost three times as much, and I believed him because my electric blade grinder was giving me muddy cups. Here is the problem. The crank wobbles after about 200 turns, so the grind size drifts and I get a mix of powder and boulders in the same scoop. I tightened the nut on top twice and it still wanders. My old $20 blade grinder at least gave me a consistent, if uneven, mess. Now half the people I talk to say a hand grinder under $100 is a waste and you should just save up for a good electric one. The other half say I bought the wrong brand and a $60 one with steel burrs would have been fine. I honestly cannot tell who is right. Did you ever sink money into a grinder and then feel like you went backwards? How much did you lose before you figured it out?