It's so simple: the handle/lever is the lid, which pops off to be stored separately.
Put the beans in the top, put the crank on, grind the beans, and then unscrew the bottom to pour the grounds out (the perfect amount for a strong single-serving in my aeropress).
I have had some issues with static in the bottom when trying to get the grounds out, but I think it might be bean-dependent; I have no trouble with the decaf fair trade french roast beans I usually get from Trader Joe's.
(As far as I can tell, this is just a white-label version of the TIMEMORE Chestnut C2 manual coffee bean grinder that was at some point (and may still be) the top Wirecutter pick that happens to cost 25% less.)
One word of warning: it might be a little too fun to use. One of my besties came to visit and the amount of coffee that was consumed after the discovery of this object probably went up 5x.
On the topic of coffee (and partially inspired by this early pandemic video of the Bon Appétit staff making coffee in their preferred ways during lockdown):
I've been thrilled with using this grinder with my aeropress (I do it inverted), a little half & half, and then topping it off with a blanket of foam which is crazy-easy thanks to my adoption of ultra-filtered milk (read more at
Update: I bought myself a fancy but simple milk foamer for Christmas that heats whatever you put in there to whatever temperature you choose. It has a latte mixer head and a cappuccino mixer head—I’ve been on a milky tea kick this winter so I’ve just been basically letting it serve as kettle and frother in one and have just stuck with the latte attachment. Looking forward to hot cocoa.
I tend to nurse my hot beverages, so I use one of my
Update: I finally pulled the trigger on the 14oz Ember 2 and I’m in love. I’ll add some notes in the
I've also started using the baby whisk for "golden milk" because it was recommended that I try to get more turmeric into my diet. I've been using this mix, which is great, but even with my magical whisk, the last few gulps require a little more aggressive swishing in my mug to get the last bit of grit out of there.
(I’ve also discovered that my whisk will give me basically instant whipped cream if I want some with a few strawberries or even on my hot cocoa—especially useful if you have someone with a
I don't currently have a way to make coffee for a crowd, but for hot beverages like cider, I recommend the