Ditched my $180 burr grinder for a $25 hand mill and the cup got better
My electric grinder died back in March after 4 years, and I stood in the kitchen staring at two options: drop another $180 on a new one or grab a cheap hand mill from the shop down on 9th. I went with the hand mill and braced myself for regret. Turns out cranking it by hand for 30 seconds changed everything, because I could actually feel the beans cracking and adjust finer for my pour over without guessing. The cup came out sweeter and way less muddy, and now I kind of look forward to the little workout every morning. Anyone else make the switch backward like this and stick with it?