Like with almost everything we buy, not only does quality matter, but we notice a difference between good and cheap. While this is not the case for many things, for products we rely on, we want and need something durable that does the job well.
For example, I was curious about how well a cheap water bottle holder for my handlebars would hold up. I picked one up for $3 on Temu. Within the first 30 minutes of use, one of the straps broke. Lesson learned. However, I’ve picked up other fun little accessories from Temu to test drive, like a small top tube bag, which has held up incredibly well.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with a variety of hand grinders. I had gone through several that I picked up for $10-$15 on Amazon. Small, compact, and lightweight. At that time, I wasn’t interested in spending more because it didn’t really matter to me. It got the job done. However, I began paying attention to the actual process of grinding 15-17 grams of coffee. It seemingly took forever.
So, I began to time how long it’d take to grind enough coffee for a cup. It was around 3 minutes. Other than being annoyed, I didn’t think too much about it. I simply accepted my fate that brewing coffee would take a bit of time.
When it came time to replace my hand grinder, I knew I wanted to test drive a higher-end and more expensive one. Would it even make a difference? That’s when I decided to pick up the TIMEMORE Nano. I knew TIMEMORE already created a wide variety of quality coffee serving and brewing products. It was time to make the leap from a $15 grinder to a $120 one. Would I even notice?
Did I notice? That was an understatement …
The first thing you notice about the Nano is the quality of construction. There is no comparison to the cheap off-brand hand grinders I had used previously. Ok, cool, but how did it perform? The capacity for a Nano is about 15 grams, which is the amount I typically grind for a cup of coffee, whether using a hand grinder or an electric grinder at home. With the Nano, it took 30 seconds to grind. Yes, 30 seconds. That is an enormous difference compared to 3 minutes!
Unfortunately, several months ago, I discovered there was a stone in a bag of coffee I bought from a local roaster after the fact. I didn’t notice when I poured the coffee beans into the Nano. It did its damage quickly. Now, it takes me about 45 seconds to grind coffee.
Beyond that, the Nano has some other features I enjoy. First, it is small and compact. That detail matters a lot when you need to save space and weight. The Nano weighs about 360 grams. Another feature I love is the foldable handle. That allows you to slip it into its carrying bag when not and use and pack it wherever you need it.
The Nano also features what TIMEMORE calls their S2C (spike to cut) premium quality burrs. Between that and their coarseness adjustment, you can grind coffee however you want to brew it, from espresso to French press. Cheaper grinders don’t usually do too well at grinding for espresso.
While there are other features that I could highlight, I want to turn my attention to the Nano’s functionality instead. There’s a reason I called this review “the hand grinder you need for bikepacking.” Because it is. Small, compact, lightweight, and durable … all attributes essential in determining whether it is worth it to pack on a multi-day bikepacking trip. To be fair, I also bring the Nano when I am camping in Nacho the Van. I toss it in my Stanley lunch box along with the rest of my coffee brewing setup. That was what prompted me to get the Nano in the first place. It was compact enough to fit in my lunch box.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, while quality doesn’t matter in everything, it really does in some things. After struggling with cheap hand grinders for years, since I’ve switched to the TIMEMORE Nano, there’s no going back. My only regret is that I didn’t make the switch sooner. Click the button below to pick up one, whether you’re using it at home, bikepacking, overlanding, or other camping. You won't regret it.
