Pietro Pro Brewing Hand Grinder: Who It's For and How It Compares

Pietro hand grinders are made by Fiorenzato, the Italian company behind the AllGround line, and they do something unusual: they put 58mm flat burrs in a hand grinder. Most hand grinders use much smaller conical burrs. Flat burrs that size are what you'd normally find inside an electric grinder, and the cup quality shows it.

The Pietro Pro Brewing ($499) is the version built for filter coffee. Here's who it's for, what you're paying for, and how it compares to the electric grinders we carry.

What makes it different

• 58mm flat steel burrs, vertically aligned. The same burr size and orientation you'd find in an electric brew grinder, in something you crank by hand.
• Filter-tuned burr geometry. Pietro calls it M-Modal. The burrs shape the grind for pour-over, Chemex, Kalita, and AeroPress, where an even spread of particle sizes gives you clarity and sweetness.
• Stepless adjustment at about 15 microns per click. Fine enough to dial in a V60 in the morning and switch to a Chemex in the afternoon.
• Detachable burr chamber. Push, twist, lift, and the burrs are out for cleaning in under a minute.
• Accessory pack included. A stabilizing baseplate for steadier grinding, a dosing funnel, and a cleaning brush.

Specs

• Burrs: 58mm flat stainless steel, vertical alignment
• Adjustment: stepless ring nut, about 15 microns per click
• Bean capacity: 60g
• Size and weight: 8.2 x 4.5 x 3.1 inches, 3.3 pounds
• Build: food-grade aluminum and plastic, magnetic sealed containers, silicone non-slip base, retractable lever

Who it's for

• Pour-over and AeroPress brewers who make one or two cups at a time and care about tasting the difference between coffees
• Anyone who wants flat-burr cup quality without a large electric grinder on the counter
• People who want a serious grinder for a cabin, an office, or a road trip
• Early risers who don't want a motor waking up the house

Who it isn't for

• Espresso drinkers. The burrs are tuned for filter, and grinding espresso-fine by hand is real work. Look at the Baratza Encore ESP ($199.95) or Sette 270 ($399.95) instead.
• Big batches. If you brew a full pot of drip every morning, an electric grinder will save you a lot of cranking.
• Backpackers. At 3.3 pounds it travels well by car, but it's heavy for a pack.

How it compares

The short version: the Pietro gives you flat-burr grind quality for less than an electric flat-burr filter grinder, in exchange for doing the work yourself. If that trade sounds good, it's one of the best values in filter coffee. If it doesn't, the Virtuoso+ is the easy electric choice, and the ProBrew is the no-limits one.

Which color?

All four colors are the same grinder inside:

• Blue
• Green
• Oyster grey
• Pink

Getting started

Start in the middle of the range for pour-over and adjust by taste: finer if the cup tastes sour or thin, coarser if it's bitter or the brew drains slowly. Brush out the burr chamber every few weeks. For the rest of a pour-over setup, see pour-over coffee essentials. Still deciding between hand and electric? Read manual vs. electric grinders.