When you stumble into the kitchen first thing in the morning desperate for a shot of the black stuff to kick start your brain the last thing you want is to the ear-splitting mechanical scream of a coffee grinder rattling through your skull. The Coffee Grinder from ROK is a blissfully quiet manual grinder, a much more ear-friendly way to start the day. It is incredibly easy to set up and use; simply attach the handle and place the cup underneath, add your beans and turn the handle clockwise to grind. The grinder has a mechanical design which appears quite stylish at first look, however some parts could have a cleaner finish, the plastic gear cover felt quite thin and stands out from the rest of the chrome design, the base could be heavier to prevent any movement whilst grinding although there are two grippy strips that run along the underside of the grinder and this does a reasonably good job of securing the unit to your work surface. The cup felt a bit cheap until I realised it was made from bamboo, so ROK gain points for choosing a sustainable and more environmentally-friendly material.
This grinder is suitable for all types of coffee from French to Turkish and features a double bearing drive shaft to prevent wobble and provide a consistent coffee particle size. It weighs just 2.25 kg so moving it from place to place isn’t an issue however at 30.40 cm x 17.70 cm x 22.50 cm it will be easier to keep the grinder on the worktop rather than in the cupboard, and the handle is quite long so you will probably need to pull the grinder forward for use to avoid it hitting the wall. Turning the handle is straightforward, no muscles necessary thanks to the bevel gears and their self-lubricating properties, however the plastic construction could affect the longevity of the product. To adjust the coarseness of the grind you simply twist the dial but there is no indicator to suggest where to put it for French press for example, so it’s done by trial and error. The ROK Coffee Grinder provided a consistent coarseness suitable for espresso to filter coffee and everything in between, there is something pleasant about using the manual grinder and tweaking the burrs to fine tune your grind, a much nicer way to prepare your morning coffee whilst half asleep. RRP £159
4 out of 5
Pros
Looks stylish
Quiet to use
Consistent range of coarseness
Simple manual control
Double bearing drive shaft
Steel burrs
Bamboo cup
Cons
Plastic components not as durable
Could have a cleaner finish
No visual indicators of how coarse the grind is
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