New Coffee Grinder Day - 1Zpresso J-Ultra

[john_pifer]

Can’t wait to try this out making some espresso on the Flair 58 tomorrow!

I’ve started seasoning the burrs in the last couple of days by using it to grind for our daily pot of coffee (which this grinder also does quite well).

I’ve owned the X-Pro (pictures on left) for about a year and a half now, and I’ve absolutely loved it. It’s one of the best “all around” hand grinders on the market, and makes excellent pourover as well as espresso, with the heptagonal 40mm conical burrs producing a flavor profile that tends towards a pleasant acidity that works very, very well for the light to medium roasts that I like to brew.

I’ve liked the X-Pro so well, that I started wanting to also get another 1Zpresso (pronounced “EZ-presso”; a Chinese language play on words; these grinders are made in Taiwan).

So when their top of the line espresso-focused grinder (the J-Ultra) went on sale for 20% off on Amazon, and I realized that I also had some credit card points I could use along with a gift card I’d gotten for my birthday, I couldn’t pass it up.

The J-Ultra is similar to the X-Pro, but with a couple of differences - It’s a slightly larger burr at 48mm, and has a titanium nitride coating, where the X is just bare stainless. And it’s more narrowly focused on producing grinds for espresso, so the output is more unimodal, and it produces more fines. Which, while that’s not ideal for drip, it’s good and necessary for espresso. And with the larger burrs, grinding effort is a bit less than with the X.

As I was saying, I’ve yet to grind for espresso with it, but the coffee produced with it, brewed through the MoccaMaster, has been very good. I’ll be using it to grind for some shots on the F58 tomorrow! Will update here.

Here’s an exhaustive written review by CoffeeGeek:

https://coffeegeek.com/reviews/firstlooks/1zpresso-j-ultra-manual-grinder-first-look/

And a good video review by the Coffee Chronicler:

 

[fantastic]

Cheaper than the coffee shops & much more pleasurable to make your own while getting it to taste "exactly" how you like it. Sure they've paid for themselves.

 

[john_pifer]

I tried 150 clicks out from full fine for my first shot, using Onyx Kenyan Munthigini, and was initially disappointed because I could only hit about 2 bar of pressure, and it flowed out in about 5 seconds. But then I tasted the shot, and was blown away by how tasty it was!

I assume that I unknowingly produced what’s called, a “turbo shot”. This is a shot that’s pulled with a grind size that’s quite a bit coarser than a regular espresso shot, which results in a pull that’s much shorter duration, and builds far less pressure, than a normal shot, which would be around 30 seconds at 8-9 bar of pressure.

For my next shot, I went 20 clicks finer (130 clicks out from full fine), using Onyx Geometry (a medium light blend of Ethiopian and Colombian beans). This time, I was able to build a bit more pressure (3-4 bar), but I still pulled about 40ml from 18g of coffee in less than 10 seconds.

I was again frustrated, but was again surprised at how good the coffee was. It was great!

So I guess I’ve discovered turbo shots? LOL.

Even with “turbo shots”, the quality of the grind of the J-Ultra is obvious.

Loving this grinder so far, and can’t wait to experiment with it more!

Next time, I’ll go another 20 clicks finer. But I’m guessing it’ll need to be even finer than that, to get to a 9 bar shot in under 30 seconds with the Flair 58.

 

[Antitryptic]

Very nice! I have an X-Ultra at home, which is a big upgrade from the Baratza Encore I was using before. Nothing wrong with the Baratza but the coffee I'm making with the 1zpresso is noticeably better. Using mostly for pour overs, still have yet to get into espresso making!

 

[john_pifer]

Very nice! I have an X-Ultra at home, which is a big upgrade from the Baratza Encore I was using before. Nothing wrong with the Baratza but the coffee I'm making with the 1zpresso is noticeably better. Using mostly for pour overs, still have yet to get into espresso making!

The 1Zpresso X-Pro & X-Ultra produce really outstanding coffee that can compete with just about any other hand grinder out there, and many electric grinders, as well.

The fact that they’re designed so well, and have such good build quality for the money, is amazing.

 

[Spro4Life]

The 1Zpresso X-Pro & X-Ultra produce really outstanding coffee that can compete with just about any other hand grinder out there, and many electric grinders, as well.

The fact that they’re designed so well, and have such good build quality for the money, is amazing.

The brand is quite good for the money, my only minor complaints would be that they use slightly higher quality ball bearings and possibly redesign their calibration process. That might have improved a bit since I had the JE Plus several yrs ago, which was quite good for the price point, but every time I took it apart for a deep cleaning the maxed out burr rub spot would vary each time. Not that numbers on any grinder really make any usable difference as it's a point of reference, but when you have a range of numbers in mind for certain coffees you have to readjust that thinking the next time around. Granted some don't bother even tearing a grinder down for a thorough cleaning, but over time dust/oils will build up and cause a bit of binding in some areas, especially exposed bearings.

I also had a Helor 106, which is a rather expensive beast, but the build quality/alignment of it is on another level most hand grinder manufacturers can only dream about. Every grinder made regardless of cost will have slight quirks/workarounds, but that 106 was/is about as near perfect as a grinder can get.

I recently thought of getting another hand grinder just to have for occasional use and did think of the 1Z line, but they have made way too many changes in recent years, as in will they ever perfect one design, and I would likely opt for stainless instead of aluminum as regardless of how well an aluminum grinder is handled even the slightest bump will usually ding one up. Having said that, I would likely go with the Kinu M47 if any at this point. Quite content with my current electric though, but will still always respect hand grinding when it doesn't affect my health.

 

[john_pifer]

The brand is quite good for the money, my only minor complaints would be that they use slightly higher quality ball bearings and possibly redesign their calibration process. That might have improved a bit since I had the JE Plus several yrs ago, which was quite good for the price point, but every time I took it apart for a deep cleaning the maxed out burr rub spot would vary each time. Not that numbers on any grinder really make any usable difference as it's a point of reference, but when you have a range of numbers in mind for certain coffees you have to readjust that thinking the next time around. Granted some don't bother even tearing a grinder down for a thorough cleaning, but over time dust/oils will build up and cause a bit of binding in some areas, especially exposed bearings.

I also had a Helor 106, which is a rather expensive beast, but the build quality/alignment of it is on another level most hand grinder manufacturers can only dream about. Every grinder made regardless of cost will have slight quirks/workarounds, but that 106 was/is about as near perfect as a grinder can get.

I recently thought of getting another hand grinder just to have for occasional use and did think of the 1Z line, but they have made way too many changes in recent years, as in will they ever perfect one design, and I would likely opt for stainless instead of aluminum as regardless of how well an aluminum grinder is handled even the slightest bump will usually ding one up. Having said that, I would likely go with the Kinu M47 if any at this point. Quite content with my current electric though, but will still always respect hand grinding when it doesn't affect my health.

Dang, I looked up that Helor 106. What a beast! Truly industrial in design and implementation! Also very heavy at (WOW) 1800 grams!

Personally I like the Al construction of the 1Z grinders; it doesn't need to be made of SS. After all, it's grinding coffee beans. It's not a rock crusher, right? Aluminum is the perfect material, and plenty tough enough.

IDK if you've handled one of the newer 1Z grinders with external adjustment mechanism, but they're extremely convenient to calibrate, as well as to adjust back and forth between settings for espresso and filter coffee. Personally, after owning the X and the J, I wouldn't want to own a grinder without external adjustment.

RE: Kinu M47: By all accounts, it's an awesome grinder, especially for espresso (though they offer "pour over" burrs for it, as well). Until yesterday, I actually wasn't aware that they offer a less expensive version (Phoenix) for $179. Apparently, it uses the same burrs as the higher end versions, but has an Al body and some plastic parts to cut cost a bit.

Recently, I've become intrigued with the Orphan Espresso line of grinders. Their latest one (which has been out for a few years) is the Lido OG. Really neat grinder with an awesomely precise adjustment mechanism. It's also made in the USA, and the owners seem like really cool people (from the Youtube videos I've watched).

I'd love to own both the Kinu and the Orphan Espresso one day. But I'm all set on grinders for the moment.

 

[Spro4Life]

I've followed OE for many yrs and they do offer some pretty good grinders, but their lack of customer service as in taking weeks for a reply to none at all is the main reason I won't buy their offerings. Having said that, I'm also not impressed with their design on adjustment compared to what some other companies have done and it seems IF you ever need replacement parts long term good luck.

On the aluminum vs. stainless, just noting that the slightest bump into anything will usually ding up the aluminum units. Mostly cosmetic, but I've seen pics of some being dropped and damaged beyond use, as in ruining shaft alignment. Granted it likely won't happen, but yeah I will take stainless for overall heft and longevity all said and done. I will say after cranking 175-200 lbs (yes lbs) through that Helor 106 in a 2.5 yr timeframe most any hand grinder will feel dinky.

 

[john_pifer]

I've followed OE for many yrs and they do offer some pretty good grinders, but their lack of customer service as in taking weeks for a reply to none at all is the main reason I won't buy their offerings. Having said that, I'm also not impressed with their design on adjustment compared to what some other companies have done and it seems IF you ever need replacement parts long term good luck.

On the aluminum vs. stainless, just noting that the slightest bump into anything will usually ding up the aluminum units. Mostly cosmetic, but I've seen pics of some being dropped and damaged beyond use, as in ruining shaft alignment. Granted it likely won't happen, but yeah I will take stainless for overall heft and longevity all said and done. I will say after cranking 175-200 lbs (yes lbs) through that Helor 106 in a 2.5 yr timeframe most any hand grinder will feel dinky.

Why did you get rid of it? Sounds like something that would last for life.

 

[Spro4Life]

Why did you get rid of it? Sounds like something that would last for life.

Living with severe chronic persistent asthma hand grinding was affecting that quite often. Of course there's always using a drill/driver to spin it, but to get consistent grind fineness from a hand grinder maintaining RPM and angle it's held at is quite important as I discovered through quite a bit of testing. I do miss the process, but not worth the toll it was taking using it daily.

 

[john_pifer]

Living with severe chronic persistent asthma hand grinding was affecting that quite often. Of course there's always using a drill/driver to spin it, but to get consistent grind fineness from a hand grinder maintaining RPM and angle it's held at is quite important as I discovered through quite a bit of testing. I do miss the process, but not worth the toll it was taking using it daily.

Sorry to hear about your asthma.

I have noticed that the angle at which it’s held affects the grind.

I used to hold it straight up and down until I saw a video by Lance Hedrick in which he demonstrated a more consistent particle distribution by feeding the beans into the burrs more slowly, which can be done on a hand grinder by holding at an angle.

Still, I get variance in shot timing because it’s tough to be 100% consistent in grind RPM and angle it’s held at.

Oh well. The shots are still good! The beans themselves make the biggest difference.

 

[Spro4Life]

With the Helor 106 I tried various angles/RPM on my own, not bothering to read into the influencer fad. Been at this since Hedrick was in diapers! Anyway, since the 106 has a 4:1 gear reduction I found rotating it 2 revolutions per second was just right in terms of being comfortable and consistent, so at the burrs that was approximately 30 RPM. Found holding it around a 30-40 degree angle was best for my use. Of course that can/will vary from one hand grinder to the next as they will have varying feed rates depending on throat design/burr cutting edges. I've seen people at times just crank away with no rhyme or reason then wonder why there is so much inconsistency on back/back extractions. A bit of variation can be fine as having insane consistency repeatedly can get boring.