1Zpresso is a Taiwanese company that focuses on producing manual coffee grinders. They have quickly become a prominent player in the specialty coffee community, producing affordable and top-quality grinders. So we are super excited to review the 1Zpresso J and Jx hand grinders. The 1Zpresso J and JX have become some of the best-selling grinders in the 1Zpresso lineup. In this review, we will compare the two grinders so you can see which one is best suited to your needs.
1Zpresso Overview
If you are in the market for a manual grinder, a 1Zpresso grinder is well worth considering! These grinders are extremely well-built, have excellent grind consistency, and are quick and easy to use. The 1Zpresso J is geared towards filter coffee, whereas the 1Zpresso JX Pro S excels at both espresso and pour-over. When considering these grinders in relation to the current 1Zpresso lineup, the 1Zpresso J is a superb entry-level grinder offering the best bang for buck. The 1Zpresso JX Pro S is harder to recommend with the 1Zpresso J Max S being better suited for espresso and the 1Zpresso K-series offering better all-round grinders.
Why Buy A Manual Coffee Grinder?
There are several benefits to investing in a manual coffee grinder over an automatic grinder. The first of these is price. Hand grinders offer far more bang for your buck. Because there are very few parts to a hand grinder, most of your money is going towards the quality and make of the burrs. Secondly, hand grinders offer portability. They tend to be far smaller and more durable than electric grinders, which makes them great for travel. Finally, the process of using a hand grinder allows you to make a hobby, a passion, an art out of brewing. You get great satisfaction in grinding your own beans by hand.
About 1Zpresso
Firstly, a lesson in pronunciation. The 1 in 1Zpresso is pronounced “eee” in Chinese, so 1Zpresso should be read as “Easypresso,” not “One-Zed-Presso”.
Now that we have cleared that up… who is 1Zpresso? These guys are pretty new to the coffee scene, launching their company in 2017. They were founded by a bunch of specialty coffee lovers with engineering backgrounds. Based in Taiwan, their coffee brand focuses on producing premium hand grinders. They have quickly gained popularity in the Asian market, and we expect they will have a bright future in the coffee industry worldwide.
The 1Zpresso JX and JX Pro have been some of the most popular grinders in the 1Zpresso lineup to date. They have undergone a few upgrades this year with the 1Zpresso JX being discontinued for the 1Zpresso J S and the 1Zpresso JX Pro being replaced by the JX Pro S.
What Models Are Available?
1Zpresso has an ever-expanding and evolving lineup of grinders which can be hard to keep track of. We have summarized the different series below.
Q-Series
The 1Zpresso Q2 grinder is their smallest grinder, built for travel and designed to fit perfectly inside an Aeropress. It has 38mm stainless steel burrs, making it quick and easy to grind coffee beans. This is an excellent choice if you are looking for a travel grinder.
X-Series
The X-Series is a new range of budget grinders from 1Zpresso offering incredible value for money. There are three grinders in the series; the X-Pro, X-Pro S, and the X-Ultra. The X-Pro is the most basic model in the lineup, while the X-Pro S is decked out with the new foldable handle. The X-Ultra is the premium model which is available in a range of colors and includes a magnetic catch cup.
J-Series
We will go into the J-Series in more depth below, but as a brief introduction, there are three grinders in this series: the J, JX-Pro S and the J-Max S. All the J-Series grinders share the same burr set (although the J-Max is titanium coated) and thus grind uniformity. They have a larger capacity making them great for Pour Over, French Press, and Aeropress. All of the grinders can grind fine enough for espresso, but the JX-Pro S and J-Max have the micro-adjustment required to dial in precisely.
K-Series
The K-series grinders allow you to easily set your grind size and switch between different grind settings with an external adjustment ring. There are four grinders in the series, the K-Pro, K-Max, K-Plus, and the K-Ultra. While the style and extra features differ slightly all four grinders have 48mm stainless steel burrs and offer exceptional grind quality. The K-Series grinders are great all-rounders, capable of grinding for both pour-over and espresso. See our guide to 1Zpresso grinders for a more in-depth overview.
1Zpresso J vs JX Pro S -At A Glance
1Zpresso J S
1Zpresso JX Pro S
1Zpresso J and JX-Pro S Review
Design
The 1Zpresso J and JX-Pro S are both excellently designed grinders. They are built from aluminum and stainless steel for durability. Inside, are large 48mm stainless steel burrs that are fixed to the shaft and held in place by dual bearings for greater stability. They have a sleek and modern look with a matte finish, a silicone grip wrapped around the middle, and a beautiful wooden knob on the handle, making them easy to grip and turn.
The updated 1Zpresso J and JX-Pro S both feature the new foldable crank handle, which makes the grinder more compact and easier to carry around. The 1Zpresso J has also had several other upgrades including:
Another benefit of the 1Zpresso range is that all the grinders are made to be disassembled without extra tools and don’t require recalibration once put back together. This thoughtful feature makes cleaning and maintenance a breeze. Overall both these grinders simply look and feel premium; you can tell they have been well-made and are going to last.
Portability
As we mentioned above, one benefit of a hand grinder is its portability. However, we must admit it would be a bit of a push to bring either of these grinders on your travels-they are pretty substantial, weighing 705 grams. While the new foldable handle does mean they are more compact, they are certainly not the most travel-friendly grinders. If you want a more suitable grinder, take a look at the 1Zpresso Q2. Alternatively, if you are planning on traveling with your 1Zpresso hand grinder, you can purchase a travel case to carry it in from 1Zpresso.
Grind Size Adjustment
While both the 1Zpresso J and JX Pro S have the same burrs, they utilize different grind adjustment systems and therefore have a different range of grind settings. We found 1Zpresso’s grind guide here an excellent guide, giving starting points for each different brewing method.
1Zpresso J
The 1Zpresso J has a simple stepped adjustment dial located under the main body of the grinder. To adjust the grind setting, you turn the dial clockwise for finer grinds and counter-clockwise for coarser- the dial clicks at each increment. There are ten numbers on the dial and an additional two clicks between each number giving you 30 clicks per full rotation. Each click moves the burr by 25µ. There are about 120 settings allowing you to brew anything from Espresso to French press. While the 1Zpresso J is more than capable of grinding fine enough for espresso, it does not have the ability to fine-tune the grind setting. Because of this, the 1Zpresso J is best suited to pour over.
1Zpresso JX-Pro S
The 1Zpresso JX-Pro S model has a more precise grind adjustment system allowing for the fine adjustments required to dial in an espresso shot. The grind adjustment dial is located on top of the grinder so you don’t have to take it apart to change the grind setting. Like the 1Zpresso J, you turn the dial clockwise for finer grinds and counter-clockwise for coarser. The dial clicks at each increment. There are ten numbers on the dial and an additional three clicks between each number giving you 40 clicks per full rotation. Each click moves the burr by 12.5µ. With over 200 stepped grind settings, you are able to make the micro-adjustments required in an espresso grinder.
Grind Speed
Anyone who has used a manual grinder will know that grind speed is a game-changer. Grinding beans by hand can be time-consuming and tedious. However, 1Zpresso has made it seem like a walk in the park. To start with, they have added bearings to the crank to make it smooth and easy to turn. Secondly, the grind speed on both grinders is exceptional. The fast grind speed is largely due to the large 48mm stainless steel burrs, which make short work of grinding.
Consistency
The grind consistency produced by both the 1Zpresso grinders is excellent. Given that both grinders have the same burrs, they perform similarly, with the main difference being the way you adjust the grind size and the sheer number of grind sizes available. They both produce an even grind size with few boulders or fines. This is particularly noticeable at the coarse level, which is the real test. Both these grinders outperform other entry-level grinders and are up there with models such as the Comandante C40 and Helor 101.
As a side note, some users have found the consistency is not as good when the grinder is new, creating fine dust. This is because stainless steel burrs are very sharp at the beginning and need to be seasoned. The consistency becomes more uniform after a few months of use.
Ease of Cleaning
As we mentioned above, 1Zpresso has designed all of its grinders to be able to be taken apart without the need for extra tools. This is extremely helpful when it comes to cleaning your grinder. 1Zpresso recommends you do a thorough clean once a month. To do this, you take it apart and brush out any debris with a dry brush to clean (do not use water). You may use a damp cloth to help remove built-up coffee oils but leave the parts to dry completely before reassembling.
1Zpresso J vs JX-Pro S?
So which one is best for you? We recommend the 1Zpresso J for those looking for a manual grinder for pour-over or other manual brewing methods. It offers a superb balance between affordability and grind consistency.
If you want a budget hand grinder for espresso, the 1Zpresso JX-Pro S is a better option as it allows the fine micro-adjustments required to dial in a shot. In saying that, it is hard to recommend the 1Zpresso JX Pro S over some of the other grinders in the 1Zpresso lineup. If you are able to stretch your budget a bit further and are looking for an espresso grinder the 1Zpresso J Max is a better option offering even finer adjustments and a titanium-coated burr. Alternatively, the 1Zpresso K Ultra is an excellent multipurpose grinder able to grind for both espresso and pour-over.
The Final Verdict
To wrap it up, if you are in the market for an affordable manual hand grinder, either the 1Zpresso J or JX Pro S will serve you well. The 1Zpresso J is best suited to manual brewing methods, while the 1Zpresso JX Pro S can work for both pour-over and espresso. Both grinders grind consistently and quickly, are beautifully designed, and are built to last. Moreover, they are extremely affordable (about 2-3 times cheaper than rivals). So what are you waiting for?
2 thoughts on “1Zpresso J and JX Pro Review”
Wow! Thanks Amy! Your review was comprehensive and phenomenally well organized. I was looking for this information to consider buying my son an early Christmas present ( a new one is available on a resale site). I will add your site to watch. As you know there are plenty of YouTubers who go through these (i.e., Lance, James, etc) but often get so far into the weeds that its hard to keep track of everything – especially related to the 1zPresso line.
Thanks Geoff- I’m sure your son will love the grinder!