I (Heart) Skerton
I love this grinder. Not only is it small and attractive, making it a very fine hat, but it does its primary job of grinding coffee very well. I love the motion of hand grinding my coffee in the morning, what a nice gentle way to wake up. It takes a few more minutes than buzzing beans with an electric grinder, but it never takes longer than the time it takes me to boil water for which ever method of preparation I choose. The ceramic burrs are adjustable and have a good range from large particles for a Press Pot to a fine powder that would work for Turkish Coffee. It's a little bit more work with a super fine grind, I wouldn't pull espresso shots for an entire team grinding solely with this little guy. For me and my sweetie at home? It's perfect!
You can adjust and lock in the particle size you want and these burrs deliver a very consistent result.
This
is the grind I set for making a Press Pot. Yes, there is some variation
in particle size, but that happens when you bust apart brittle roasted
beans. This is much more consistent then I can get from a blade
grinder.
This is the best I could get from a blade grinder. You can see there
are many large chunks surrounded by lots of tiny chips. I've found that
in a Press Pot this inconsistency in particle size sometimes makes it
very hard to push down the plunger. Talk about pain in the neck, and
danger of burns!
The Skerton has totally solved this problem for me. It has also solved the problem of who gets the kitchen in the morning. I have very precocious, skittish, and demanding roommates who will not stand for the noise of a coffee grinder during breakfast.
Thanks to the Skerton we are all happy in the morning!
This
is the grind I set for making a Press Pot. Yes, there is some variation
in particle size, but that happens when you bust apart brittle roasted
beans. This is much more consistent then I can get from a blade
grinder.
This is the best I could get from a blade grinder. You can see there
are many large chunks surrounded by lots of tiny chips. I've found that
in a Press Pot this inconsistency in particle size sometimes makes it
very hard to push down the plunger. Talk about pain in the neck, and
danger of burns!The Skerton has totally solved this problem for me. It has also solved the problem of who gets the kitchen in the morning. I have very precocious, skittish, and demanding roommates who will not stand for the noise of a coffee grinder during breakfast.
Thanks to the Skerton we are all happy in the morning!
Latest Photos
Peter Nov 28, 2009 – 11:02 PM
Interesting and informative. But will you write about this one more?
devorah_freudiger Nov 30, 2009 – 12:04 PM
Definitely, I love this little grinder. Do you have any specific questions?
Mark Nov 30, 2009 – 2:11 PM
I do... I'm new to french press and have been disappointed with the results produced by my Macap M4. It makes quite a bit of dust and I've heard that's frequently the case with espresso grinders like that. (It's not so much dust that it's hard to push down the plunger but it makes more sludge at the bottom of the cup than I'd like.) Do you think the Skerton would do a better job at coarse grinds than something aimed at espresso? Does it produce much sludge?
Even more specifically, I'm debating between trying the Skerton or a Capresso Infinity if you happen to have any experience with that one.
Jay Dec 2, 2009 – 12:06 AM
Hi, Devorah:
How does it do for an espresso grind?
Gabe Dec 4, 2009 – 2:37 PM
How would you compare this grinder to the Krups burr ginder or a Baratza burr grinder?
erin Dec 7, 2009 – 3:16 PM
excellent. how much?
Thomas Reyer Dec 23, 2009 – 5:18 PM
It compares to a traditional Zassenhaus hand mill, Swiss made.
It will be interesting to see how the materials hold up over a decade + or so however, it is a better grind consistency and uniformity than any electrical device at 10 times its price.
I'm with Devorah on this one.
Tomas
devorah_freudiger Dec 25, 2009 – 4:52 PM
Hiya Mark and Gabe,
I really enjoy this grinder for French Pressed coffee. You always have some sludge with unfiltered coffee, part of the joy if ya ask me. Because of the consistency in particle size, much less dust form pulverized beans, there is noticeably less to chew on with press pots brewed with coffee ground with this little guy.
I have never played with a Capresso Infinity, or really with any electric burr grinder. I've always liked hand grinding and have used a Zassenhaus mostly. I always look at coffeegeek.com for gear reviews. The feeling on there seems to be that the Capresso Infinity is good for the money: at the lower end of higher quality home brewing equipment .
The Infinity looks like a good burr grinder for someone just moving from a blade grinder, which is how I feel about the Skerton. The Skerton is amazing for the money. Very easy to clean, durable, and has a good range of particle size. I guess the biggest decision is whether or not you want to spend another hundred buck to not have to hand crank your coffee in the morning. I personally like the hand grinding, it starts to chase away morning the fog before even get my first sip.
Either way you go with this, getting a burr grinder leads to better coffee. Happy brewing!
devorah_freudiger Dec 25, 2009 – 5:00 PM
Erin-
DUDE, It's 44 bucks! Can you believe?!?! Get one!