1Zpresso

1Zpresso makes hand grinders and very little else. The Taiwanese company is now one of the names other hand grinders get measured against, and it got there by splitting its range by use rather than by price.

The J series leans espresso. Its top model, the J-Ultra, spends its adjustment on small steps, which is what a shot needs. The K series leans filter and keeps a usable espresso range, with the K-Ultra at the top. The ZP6 is a filter specialist that does not try to reach espresso at all. The Q2 is the compact entry point, small enough to go in a travel kit.

What the J and K series do best is the dial. It sits outside, at the top of the grinder, numbered, and you change it without taking anything apart. On a grinder with internal clicks, moving from espresso to filter and back means removing the catch cup and counting from zero. Here it means turning a ring and reading a number. The burrs are stainless steel cones, and the company has a good reputation for answering owners and supplying parts.

Two things to know before buying. The catalogue is crowded: older J and K models stay on sale next to the current ones under similar names, so check which generation a listing is before comparing prices. And dial numbers do not transfer between models, so a grind chart written for one 1Zpresso is not a setting for another.

The range suits anyone who wants one hand grinder for both espresso and filter, or who makes espresso by hand every day. The hand grinder guide picks both Ultras, the K for filter and the J for espresso, and choosing an espresso grinder sets the J-Ultra against two electrics. The rest of the category is on the hand grinders hub.