The 1Zpresso Q2 is the smallest grinder in the 1Zpresso range and is built for travel and designed to fit perfectly inside an Aeropress. If you are looking for a portable hand grinder then the 1Zpresso Q2 should at least be on your radar. This is an impressive grinder for the price and an excellent choice if you are looking for an entry level grinder.
1Zpresso Q2
The 1Zpresso Q2 is a portable grinder that excels in build quality, grind consistency and ease of use. This grinder is really designed to grind for Pour over or Aeropress (not Espresso). It boasts 38mm Steel burrs, a compact and lightweight design and even fits inside an Aeropress making it a great choice for those who travel regularly.
Why Buy a Manual Grinder?
It is a well-documented fact in the specialty coffee world that one of the easiest ways to up your coffee game is through buying a quality burr grinder. Investing in a hand grinder over an automatic grinder has several advantages. The first of these is price. Hand grinders offer far more bang for your buck. Because there are so 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
1Zpresso is relatively new to the coffee scene, launching in 2017, however they have already made a name for themselves producing affordable and top quality grinders. 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. To view some of their other models, check out our 1Zpresso grinder comparison.
As a side note the 1 in 1Zpresso is pronounced “eee” in Chinese, so 1Zpresso should be read as “Easypresso” not “One-Zed-Presso”.
1Zpresso Q2 Review
Design
The 1Zpresso Q2 has a beautiful, minimalistic design. Being aimed at travel, it has an aluminum alloy body which is both light and durable. It has a dual-bearing shaft for greater stability and 38mm stainless steel burrs that are built to last. There are two different shaped burrs available; Pentagonal and Heptagonal. The Pentagonal burrs are the standard shape and offer better grinding efficiency. The Heptagonal burrs are a limited edition which offer more effortless grinding.
The 1Zpresso Q2 is made to be disassembled without extra tools and doesn’t require recalibration once put back together. This thoughtful feature makes cleaning and maintenance a breeze. Overall this grinder simply looks and feels premium; you can tell it has been well made and is going to last.
Portability
As we stated above the 1Zpresso Q2 is an excellent choice if you are looking for a portable hand grinder. Weighing only 385g and measuring 13.8 x 12 x 4.6cm it is smaller than a can of coke! It has a grind capacity of 15-20g which is sufficient for most single-serve brews. We love that it is built so it can slip into an Aeropress itself.
Grind size adjustment
The 1Zpresso Q2 has a simple stepped adjustment dial located under the main body of the grinder. To adjust the grind size you simply turn the dial clockwise for finer grinds and counter-clockwise for coarser. The dial clicks at each increment. There are 10 numbers on the dial and an additional 2 clicks between each number giving you 30 clicks per full rotation. Each click moves the burr by 0.75mm.
Grind Consistency
Ultimately the biggest question to be asked of any burr grinder is what is the grind consistency like? If it doesn’t perform well here then it is simply a waste of good money. So how does the 1Zpresso Q2 stack up? The 1Zpresso Q2 performs well when grinding at a medium fine to medium coarse level. As with most hand grinders, the 1Zpresso Q2 struggles to do either the very coarse grinds required for French Press or the very fine grinds needed for espresso (although who would ever want to hand grind for espresso!?). It really is a grinder that is aimed to be used alongside manual brewing methods.
As a side note some users have found the consistency is not as good when the grinder is new, creating a fine dust. This is because stainless steel burrs are very sharp at the beginning and need to be broken in. The consistency becomes more uniform after a few months of use.
Ease of Cleaning
As we mentioned above, 1Zpresso has designed all of their 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.
Alternatives To The 1Zpresso Q2?
Knock by Aergrind
The Aergrind by Knock is probably the most comparable grinder in terms of size and capability. This is a superb buy for those who are looking for a compact hand grinder that doesn’t compromise on quality. It boasts 38mm black steel burrs, a hand crank that doubles as a bottle opener, and like the 1Zpresso Q2 can fit inside an Aeropress. See our full review here.
1Zpresso JX
If you are looking for a grinder more for daily use, the 1Zpresso JX is a good option. It boasts 48mm steel burrs, a larger capacity and faster, more consistent grinding. This is an excellent hand grinder for manual brewing methods, but is slightly more expensive. See our full review here.
Who Is The 1Zpresso Q2 For?
The 1Zpresso Q2 has really been designed for travel, so if you are on the road a lot this is the grinder for you. It has a compact design, is well built and performs well in terms of grind consistency. Being a travel grinder, it does have a smaller capacity so is really aimed at single cup manual brewing methods like Pour over or Aeropress.
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1Zpresso Q2-Final Verdict
The 1Zpresso Q2 is an excellent entry level hand grinder. It is very well built, has high quality steel burrs and good grind consistency. It would make an excellent grinder for travel or daily use. We think you can’t really go wrong especially at this price point!
