# Using an electric screwdriver on a hand grinder



## Nad (Feb 11, 2021)

Hi everyone,

I have a Porlex mini which I'm using to grind coffee mostly for a v60. Has anyone had any success using a small electric screwdriver with a hand grinder for small single doses?

I was thinking about grabbing something like this which doesn't look too terrible, and finding the right screwdriver attachment. Has anyone done anything similar? Using any grinder/screwdriver combo.

Cheers


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## Waitforme (Dec 13, 2020)

Yes, I cut a slot in the top of my hand grinder, any time I use it now I use my battery drill with appropriate bit.

Tried using the battery screwdriver but it seemed to run out of oomf too quickly, maybe it's goosed though 🤔


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

That screwdriver will not have sufficient power to drive your Porlex.

If you want to use a driver you will need a reasonably powerful cordless drill as mentioned above.


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## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

Will need something with a decent amount of torque and speed control look at the motor spec for electric grinders to get an idea


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## profesor_historia (Sep 1, 2020)

Did you take a look to the incoming Arco grinder?


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## Mulligrub (Jun 24, 2020)

Surely the whole concept of a "hand" grinder, is just that. Operated by turning the handle using hand and arm. I don't think the little Porlex which I own, likes it's tiny burrs rotating at whatever rpm a drill generates. I look upon the "hand" grinding as part of the enjoyable coffee making process. Only my opinion.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Mulligrub said:


> Surely the whole concept of a "hand" grinder, is just that. Operated by turning the handle using hand and arm. I don't think the little Porlex which I own, likes it's tiny burrs rotating at whatever rpm a drill generates. I look upon the "hand" grinding as part of the enjoyable coffee making process. Only my opinion.


 Porlex (Hario Slim, Rhino) are great & value for money, if grinding under 20g a go (which I still do), at medium/coarse settings. But, I can fully understand people wanting a faster, less laborious option. I can remember grinding 30g brews for a Clever for me & my work colleagues, a sweaty race against the 4min boil of the kettle . Similarly, me and my brother grinding 60g odd, tag team, with a Hario Slim for a big French press brew at a family dinner... much as we enjoyed the coffee, never again! 

There are faster hand grinders (Aerspeed, 1Zpresso Q2), but not many that cost significantly less than an electric screwdriver. A slow speed (120RPM) AC drill might be a better option though.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Part of me is tempted to hook up my 18V brushless XR DeWalt drill to my Aergrind just for "shots & goggles" (you know what I mean, but I would probably need goggles). However I suspect that may not end well, despite the build quality of the grinder. You'd definitely need the torque, but keep the speed in check.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

There was a Japanese guy who built a motor frame to house the 1zpresso.

Was on Instagram. Wasnt cheap mind


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

This


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## rogher (Nov 22, 2020)

Surely a hand grinder is supposed to rotate at "hand speed"?

Spinning it much faster might heat up the beans as well as wear our the mechanism prematurely.

When grinding by hand, that's all part of the "occasion".


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I have a radical idea......buy an electric grinder!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> I have a radical idea......buy an electric grinder!


 It's not radical. If you have already bought a Porlex, you're not going to get a better electric grinder for another £50 outlay.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

rogher said:


> Surely a hand grinder is supposed to rotate at "hand speed"?
> 
> Spinning it much faster might heat up the beans as well as wear our the mechanism prematurely.
> 
> When grinding by hand, that's all part of the "occasion".


 120rpm (or a bit higher) is hand speed. Many hand grinders use burrs that grind at hundreds of rpm in electric grinders. Under 200 rpm, your arm is the mechanism.

Hand grinders grind at different rates, at the same rpm...but the cost rises exponentially.


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

That stick doesn't look like it's got much Wow....especially for £40...Wow-fail :classic_sad:


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## 29243 (Feb 8, 2021)

I've been using my aergrind locked into my cordless drill twice a day for the past couple of months. It was fine for v60 by hand, but was getting a bit tedious for espresso. My drill has two speed settings and I use the slower one (400 rpm), so it's not ridiculously fast. It still takes about 1 min to grind 14g coffee, so I don't think it heats the beans much. I'm away for a couple of days with my support bubble, but would be happy to measure the temp of the ground coffee when back to confirm. I tried 3D printing an adapter, but it wasn't strong enough and sheared off after a couple of days, so now I just tighten it onto the spindle. Obviously do so at your own risk, but I haven't seen any ill effects

I agree that an electric grinder is probably better, but this has helped tie me over until my niche arrives in March.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

MWJB said:


> It's not radical. If you have already bought a Porlex, you're not going to get a better electric grinder for another £50 outlay.


 Neither are you going to convert it to a decent 'electric' grinder....all you might do, is save yourself a bit of arm work. Over the years, I have bought many half decent grinders for less than a £100....you just have to work at it


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Yes, you can use a screwdriver(cordless drill) to run your manual coffee grinder at least Niche does so.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

L&R said:


> Yes, you can use a screwdriver(cordless drill) to run your manual coffee grinder at least Niche does so.


 For those of us, not quite at your intellectual level, would you like to explain please


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Sure, DFK41 find the difference in both engines:

This you can find in a cheap electrical screw driver:
http://oldintranet.puhinui.school.nz/Topics/Machines/HowStuffWks/www.howstuffworks.com/gif/sd7a.jpg

and this is a Niche heart










https://www.facebook.com/avx.hu/photos/pcb.3487435068031448/3487434011364887

The only difference is DC voltage!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

L&R said:


> Sure, DFK41 find the difference in both engines:
> 
> This you can find in a cheap electrical screw driver:
> http://oldintranet.puhinui.school.nz/Topics/Machines/HowStuffWks/www.howstuffworks.com/gif/sd7a.jpg
> ...


 So, let me understand then.....you are saying that the Niche motor is the same as any old cheap electric screwdriver....if that is so (and you are wrong), can you expand a bit further for me please


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Yep cheap because you will find in DeWalt lets say far better gear mechanism, if you can not understand it by seeing above pictures then I am helpless, I am afraid.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

@L&R


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

L&R said:


> Yep cheap because you will find in DeWalt lets say far better gear mechanism, if you can not understand it by seeing above pictures then I am helpless, I am afraid.


 May I be the first to say you are talking utter and complete bollocks......the Niche motor is a custom wound motor made especially for them......have you any documented motor fails? They have only sold £10,000,000 worth (excluding Asia)...happy hunting


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Yep custom! Pictures say more then thousand words. Back to the topic: *Yes, you can use a screwdriver(cordless drill) to run your manual coffee grinder at least Niche does so*


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

L&R said:


> Yep custom! Pictures say more then thousand words. Back to the topic: *Yes, you can use a screwdriver(cordless drill) to run your manual coffee grinder at least Niche does so*


 I said the Niche motor is custom wound and it is. Some of the earlyish models had the standard markings on the case, however that has changed, unlike your diatribe which is wrong.......and you have not managed to pass comment upon how many (20,000) Niche grinders are sold (excluding Asia) with this apparently poor cheap motor that have failed. If we are going to discuss this, let us do that without your unsubstantiated view point


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

there was one on here last week, but tbf to niche they picked up, sorted and no charge returned it to the customer asap


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

I am not saying Niche is not well devised, its developer made the best out of given pool of parts, nice housing+ wooden elements hence good looking in the kitchen , cheap motor and gear mechanism(plastic cogs and bushings based), good Mazzer conical burrs 191C and of course perfectly constructed grinding chamber. Probably they made lots of money that is also normal if you find a new niche. I have limited experience with Niche I have opened only two units, what about you?

Cheers!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Cuprajake said:


> there was one on here last week, but tbf to niche they picked up, sorted and no charge returned it to the customer asap


 and it was 2 1/2 years old......


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

L&R said:


> I am not saying Niche is not well devised, its developer made the best out of given pool of parts, nice housing+ wooden elements hence good looking in the kitchen , cheap motor and gear mechanism(plastic cogs and bushings based), good Mazzer conical burrs 191C and of course perfectly constructed grinding chamber. Probably they made lots of money that is also normal if you find a new niche. I have limited experience with Niche I have opened only two units, what about you?
> 
> Cheers!


 Experience of opening them up......none......but I introduced @DaveCcUK to Martin Nicholson and since you have followed the Niche project closely, know what happened next. Sorry, I am not able to argue from an engineering side but I suspect @DavecUK will chip in and confirm if you are right or wrong with your assertions that a project that was 5 years in design before they brought out prototypes cobbled together from a given pool of parts


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## Baffo (Jan 23, 2021)

Any and every product is designed with some compromises. I suppose that unless and until such cheap internals prove to be unreliable in the long term, we can only say that Niche spent money where it was good to spend money and saved where it did not add value.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

L&R said:


> I am not saying Niche is not well devised, its developer made the best out of given pool of parts, nice housing+ wooden elements hence good looking in the kitchen , cheap motor and gear mechanism(plastic cogs and bushings based), good Mazzer conical burrs 191C and of course perfectly constructed grinding chamber. Probably they made lots of money that is also normal if you find a new niche. I have limited experience with Niche I have opened only two units, what about you?


 Have Niche shared the commercial in confidence details, tests, ratings and rationale for the parts used with you...including those parts that were customised specifically for them?


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