Hario Skerton Original Vs Plus Vs Pro
You’ll need to add a coffee burr grinder to your arsenal of coffee brewing equipment if you want to scale up and complete your home brewing expertise.
A burr grinder allows you to create freshly made coffee whenever you want.
Many consumers, however, still believe that a burr grinder is out of their price range. It may be true for some models if you're thinking of a high-end, highly sophisticated, ultra-elegant coffee bean grinder.
In all honesty, there are burr grinders that will do the job to your satisfaction without breaking the bank. One of these product lines is the Hario Skerton, which comes in three distinct models at three different price points. Hario Skerton Original, Plus, and Pro
The Hario Skerton is a hand coffee grinder available in original, plus, and pro models. Hario Skerton is a well-known Japanese burr grinder brand.
Hario Skerton, like Bialetti in Italy and Bodum in France, has established itself as a reliable bean grinder brand in the coffee industry.
All three models are made in Japan, have an adjustable grind setting, and come with cleaning brushes. Let's take a closer look at the Hario Skerton hands-on.
Hario Skerton Original
The Hario Skerton Original manual coffee mill is made of durable ceramic. It features a non-slip base to keep it steady during grinding, as well as an ergonomic design and a stepped grind adjustment mechanism to help you achieve just the right consistency of ground coffee.
The Skerton Original has an integrated grinder. You can also buy a separate grinder attachment that fits the Skerton Original to ensure that you have the correct grinding mechanism for your coffee beans.
With its step-by-step grinding adjustment mechanism, the Skerton Original makes it easy to adjust the grind size and achieve that perfect grind every time.
Features
- Strong ceramic burrs – Its ceramic burrs are solid and resilient, but they won’t burn your delicate beans. Grinding generates heat because of the quick friction between the blade and the beans. Metal burrs tend to heat up during the process, causing the beans to be damaged. Ceramic burrs, on the other hand, lack this feature. As a result, the flavour of the beans is preserved both before and after grinding.
- Can store up to 100 grams of coffee beans in the Skerton original – You should not estimate this little manual grinder’s capacity. Unlike its competitors, it can hold up to 100 grams of beans for manual grinding.
It's best for grinding for the French press. You may purchase coarse ground, which is excellent for a cold brew as well. You'll have to reload and grind with other grinders. Skerton allows you to save half of your manpower.
- It is cost-effective – The Skerton will not cost you a fortune. It is, in fact, one of the most cost-effective coffee burr grinders available. Check it out for yourself to see what an incredible discount you may receive when you buy a Skerton.
It provides a steady grind.
- Consistent grind – The Skerton can help you make a good coffee ground that’s perfect for your brew, whether you’re making Turkish coffee or cold brew. Just a word of warning: because Turkish brew necessitates ultra-fine ground coffee, expect to put in some elbow grease.
Hario Skerton Plus
Hario Skerton has always been an affordable mill with some of the best features. However, the Skerton Plus is the company’s most upgraded and refined model offering all the upgrades that people have been waiting for, along with the ability to adjust the grind setting in steps of ¼ of a millimetre.
The new and improved mill has a stronger, more robust steel shaft and a larger, ergonomic grip that is perfect for both righties and lefties. It also has a slightly taller and broader baseplate that helps the user stabilize the mill during grinding.
In addition, the step-by-step grind adjustment mechanism is easy to use and change, and the non-slip rubber base makes it stable during grinding. All of this comes in a sleek, attractive, and durable package that will last for years.
Features
Equips with a stabilizing plate
This is the most significant upgrade to the Skerton plus since the original. The stabilizing plate aids in the grinding of the bottom burr. It also reduces the amount of force needed to grind.
It features ceramic burrs that are pretty attractive
For coffee grinding, the burrs are appropriately formed. When opposed to electric metal burrs, this means you grind the beans in every turn, resulting in a more equal and consistent grind.
Ball jar thread
If the glass jar provided is too small for your needs, a larger ball jar can easily be substituted and still fit under the burr.
Cleaning and storing it is a breeze
Did you know that you can clean your Hario Skerton Plus without using water or soap? To remove any remaining coffee grounds in the burr, all you need is a little food brush. That’s all there is to it.
Using water may cause moisture to permeate the burr grinder's mechanical parts, reducing its optimal performance.
Hario Skerton Pro
- It is the new, refined version of the Hario Skerton Plus. Its unique design retains the shape of the classic Skerton design while adding some sleek, modern lines. It also has a new, more compact, detachable handle and a redesigned, more straightforward mechanism for adjusting the grind.
- Non-slip rubber feet keep the Skerton Pro in place during grinding. In addition, the Skerton Pro is a true workhorse with its Ceramic conical burrs, allowing you to produce a precise, uniform grind.
- It has a more quality feel and appearance than its predecessors – Both the Hario Skerton original have a sleek and beautiful appearance. However, the Pro model outperforms these two in every way.
With a sleek finish, the burr handle lasts long. In addition, the bell jar has a higher level of polish. Most of the components are durable plastic and silicone.
Glass is still used to make the jar. However, if it breaks, an ordinary mason jar can readily be used as a substitute.
- It’s simple to use – With a single click, all pieces are locked into position. There’s no need to re-adjust anything. Then, hold the jar and the other, grind with one hand. It’s as simple as that.
- It now has a better grind adjustment – You had to remove the lid, dismantle it, and locate the ring that adjusted the burr grind on older versions. The ring of the Skerton Pro is right below the burr, allowing you to adjust the grind to your liking swiftly.
It can grind quickly.
- The Hario Skerton Pro manual grinder can ground 27 grams of coffee beans in roughly 99 seconds. This quantity will make 2-3 cups of coffee. In 2 minutes, it can also grind espresso coffee.
Hario skeleton Original vs Plus vs Pro: The comparison
Besides the classic Skerton, Hario has introduced three versions of this burr grinder. Although they are categorized as Skerton original, Plus and Pro models, there is a significant difference between them.
The most crucial difference is that the Plus model can grind beans more quickly than the original model, and the Pro model can grind beans more rapidly than both models.
The coffee grind range from 77 to 100, with an average of 90-91 per minute depending on which version you get.
The Skerton Plus is an improved version of the Original. It features two additional features: a non-slip silicone base for stability during grinding and a stabilizing plate that helps maintain the bottom burr and reduces the amount of force needed to grind.
The latter feature is a significant upgrade that significantly reduces the amount of hand fatigue during grinding.
The Skerton Plus is a vast improvement over the Skerton and the Skerton Pro with these additions. The only drawback is that it has a shorter handle than the original model.
The Hario skerton pro does not have any improvements over the original model except that its plastic parts are made of more durable materials, making them more durable.
The plus model has a bell jar with higher polish and is expected to last longer than those on the originals. However, they do not have an ergonomic handle designed to allow a more natural grip.
Overall, the plus model slightly upgrades the original model, but it has no significant benefit. On the other hand, the pro model has many improvements over both the original and models, but none outweigh its shortcomings, which are small and insignificant.
Things to keep in mind while buying a burr grinder
Burr grinder vs Blade Grinder:
Blade grinders are the cheapest type of coffee grinder. They use a sharp blade to cut the beans into fine powder. However, this results in uneven grounds that may taste burnt or bitter.
Burr grinders use a burr (a set of revolving abrasive surfaces) to crush the beans into even grounds that give you a better cup of coffee than blade grinders.
Conical or flat burr?
Both types of burrs are used in coffee grinders. Flat burrs produce a uniform grind, while conical ones produce a slightly more coarse grind for Turkish coffee.
Price and quality
Although very expensive burr grinders are available, the price is usually proportional to the quality. Of course, finer burrs make for a better one, but our experts say that even cheaper models can deliver good results if you know how to use them properly.
Counter Space
Burr grinders take up less space than a blade grinder, making them better for small kitchens.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The burrs inside the grinder can get ground into your coffee grounds, but this won’t be a problem if you regularly clean your grinder. Otherwise, once the grinder has stopped working, you will have to replace it with a new one.
So, which Hario grinder should you buy?
- If you want uniform grounds, the best option is the Skerton Plus. It significantly improves its original model and even the Skerton Pro. It has a better grind adjustment system, and it’s relatively cheap for what it does. The only flaw is that its handle is shorter than the classic Skerton.
- If you want an ergonomic handle and better quality, go for the Skerton Pro. It is also a significant upgrade over the original model. It is made of more durable materials, and it has an adjustable handle with a better grip. It can also grind fine enough grounds for espresso coffee.
- If you want something that’s cheap and lasts long, then get the Skerton Original. No matter how much you use it, it will last for years. But, its lack of quality will be apparent compared to other models.
Conclusion:
The coffee grinds produced by these models vary based on the setting and how you use them, but all three are pretty decent. The Skerton Plus is a significant upgrade over the Original, and the Pro models are upgrades over both.
So, which one should you get? We recommend the plus model, though slightly pricier than the original model. On the other hand, the Pro is not a significant upgrade over the Plus, so we do not recommend it.
