1. How to Choose a Hand Coffee Grinder
I'm often asked which hand grinder to use for espresso, lattes, or pour-over coffee—is it one with conical, flat, or ghost burrs? My simple answer is that none is superior, and they yield different flavor profiles.
I suspect the real question is: “I'm a coffee beginner; how can I ensure I don’t mess up a cup of coffee?" Or, "I'm a coffee enthusiast have a conical burr grinder, will switching to a flat burr or ghost burr yield a better flavor?” I decided to write this product manual to address these concerns.
Coffee beginners need to have a tool with a high tolerance for error; my suggestions are:
- Espresso (including Latte): I recommend the GRIZZ-63 Conical Burr Hand Grinder. It produces a tight, even coffee puck that works well with any espresso machine, easily delivering a rich, intense espresso with thick crema.
- Pour-Over Coffee: I suggest the ORCA-GO Ghost Burr Hand Grinder. Its uniform coarse powder is perfect for both the 4-6 brew method and the Hario Switch’s immersion-plus-pour technique, producing a smooth balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness without off-flavors.
Coffee enthusiasts with a passion for exploring coffee flavors; I recommend experimenting with all three burrs. For instance, when I brew with light-roast beans:
- Washed Process beans: I prefer the ORCA go Flat Burr for a clearer floral and fruity aroma.
- Natural Process beans: I lean towards the GRIZZ-63 Conical Burr to amplify the fruit acidity.
- Smooth Balance: I go with the ORCA Go Ghost Burr delivers a gentle mix of acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and aroma.
2. Comparison of ORCA Flat, Ghost, and GRIZZ-63 Conical Burrs
ORCA-GO Flat Burr |
ORCA-GO Ghost Burr |
GRIZZ-63 Conical Burr |
|
| Cutting Method | Parallel shearing, similar to scissors | Dual-peak serrated crushing; combination of cutting and kneading | Conical compression, progressive grinding |
| Particle Shape | Thin flakes with sharp edges | Spherical polyhedrons with smooth surfaces | Three-dimensional polyhedrons with microfractures |
| Particle Size Distribution | Unimodal, with slightly more fines | Uniform coarse powder | Relatively wide distribution |
| Main Drawback | Excess fines cause astringency | Acidity lacks dimensionality | At high temp, flavors can become muddled |
| Acidity | Sharp, bright, and linear | Gentle, rounded, with a silky acid-sweet balance | Vibrant and layered |
| Sweetness | Straight sucrose sweetness | Lingering caramel sweetness | Explosive honey sweetness |
| Body & Texture | High flavor separation, but may taste thin; light, tea-like | Dense; natural fusion of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness; texture transitions from silky to creamy | Powerful flavor impact; heavy, syrupy feel |
3. Features of CafeSing ORCA GO Ghost Burr Hand Grinder
ORCA-Ghost-Burr epitomizes balanced aesthetics, delivering a harmonious blend of smooth acidity, lasting sweetness, and silky, clean flavor—much like a French chef’s sauce that gives the dish flavors a balanced, polished, silky-smooth finish. It works well for AeroPress, Pour-Over, and French Press coffee. Though its flavor is not explosive enough, it has a high tolerance for error during pour-over brewing, easily striking a golden balance between acidity, sweetness, and body. For AeroPress, use a grind setting between digits 4 and 6, Pour-Over between 6 and 8, and French Press between 7 and 8.6.
4. Pour-Over Coffee Demonstration
The pour-over brewing time must be extended with dark roasts to achieve a full-bodied, rich flavor. This can increase the risk of uneven extraction. I recommend using the ORCA Ghost-Burr to produce a uniform coarse powder, lowering the water temp, and using the 4-6 method for extraction.
| Coffee Beans | Brazil Colombia Ethiopian, blend, dark roast, 20g |
| Grind | ORCA Ghost-Burr Hand Grinder, digit-8 (click-64) |
| Water Temp | 85°C |
| Dripper | Hario V60 |
| Pour-Over Brewing | 1. Pour 60g of water 2. At 45 seconds, pour 60g of water 3. At 90 seconds, pour 60g of water 4. At 130 seconds, pour 60g of water 5. At 180 seconds, pour 60g of water 6. Remove the dripper at 210 seconds. |
| Adjustments | Coarsen the grind degree or shorten the overall brew time if you encounter sharp bitterness or off-flavors. |
5. Tools Free Disassembly
The purpose is to remove residual coffee powders from the hand grinder burrs, making it easier to adjust the grinding degree and switch to a different type of coffee beans.
- First, adjust the hand grinder to a coarser setting—for example, set it to number 8.
- Next, remove the powder cup, then use one hand to push up against the lower-burr while turning the top nut with the other hand.
- If it’s a single-layer nut without a ball-bearing washer, turn the top nut clockwise to remove the spindle and lower burr; if it has a ball-bearing washer, turn it counterclockwise.
6. ORCA-GO Ghost Burr Manual Coffee Grinder Parameters
| Product Material | stainless steel + aluminum alloy + walnut |
| ORCA Ghost Burr | 49mm upper burr + 46mm lower burr; SUS420 stainless steel titanium-coated burr |
| Beans Capacity | 25g Beans |
| Body Diameter-Height-Handle | 2-6-6.5in (5-15-16.5cm) |
| Product Weight | 1.57lb (712g) |
| Grinding Degree | Total 72 clicks in one turn; 16-micron per click; Burrs rub between digit 0-2; AeroPress digit 4-6(clicks 32-48), Pour-Over 6-8(clicks 48-64), French Press 7-8.6(clicks 56-70). |
| Package Includes | ORCA Ghost Burr Grinder × 1, Non-Slip Bracelet × 2 |