VSSL Java Coffee Grinder Review: Make Fresh Coffee Anywhere

For coffee-drinkers, there’s a scale of seriousness. You might start out buying pre-ground coffee from the grocery store, and then one day find yourself grinding your own beans and roasting your own coffee for maximum freshness.

With plenty more time on my hands these days, and less opportunities for a fresh cup from a coffee shop, I’ve gradually found myself on the latter end of the scale. I’ve tried out both electric grinders (fast, but not great grind results) and traditional hand-grinders (slow, and inconsistent results), but my coffee-game has recently been changed for the better with the VSSL Java.

I was initially intrigued by this small coffee grinder’s portability—I’m too much of a germaphobe to use the provided coffee makers at vacation rentals or hotels, so I prefer to bring my own coffee and an AeroPress on road trips. The Java grinder is just 6″ x 2″ and weighs a mere 0.8 lbs, plus it features a handy clip and flip carabiner-to-grind handle, so you can easily attach it to a backpack for carrying. Despite the light weight, the Java is made out of a unique aircraft-grade aluminum, so it’s extremely durable (and perfect for camping). The burr is made from stainless steel, unlike most hand-grinders which use plastic that degrades quickly.

The Java really blows other coffee grinders out of the water with grinding speed. When I used other hand-grinders, it would take way too long to get the right consistency, giving me lots of time to reconsider my choices of using a hand-grinder in the first place. The Java, however, grinds 20 grams of coffee in under a minute.

There are 50 grind settings available, so you can make everything from espresso to cold brew, while quickly extracting the best flavor from the beans.