A pair of EtzMAN grinders from Etzinger. All images courtesy of Etzinger.
Liechtenstein-based Etzinger, maker of the electric EtzMAX series of customizable grinders, has introduced two new hand-powered coffee grinders: the handheld Etz-I and the larger, tabletop-oriented EtzMAN.
The company is currently accepting pre-orders for the new models, which like its predecessor is centered around a RRB (Rotating Ring Burr) grinding mechanism, in which the outer ring burr of the conical burr set rotates around a stationary inner cone burr. Shipping of the new models is expected later this fall.
The Etz-I grinder.
The handheld Etz-I has two variants designed to accommodate different ergonomic needs: Regular and Trim. Both come with 30-gram grinding capacities, magnetically attached lids and collection cups, retractable cranks, ergonomic handles, an 88-step adjustment mechanism and custom-cut burrs.
The Regular model weighs 705 grams with a 55-millimeter-diameter midsection, while the Trim weighs in at 665 grams with a 48-millimeter midsection.
The EtzMAN Basic and EtzMAN-W are essentially hand-cranked, motor-free versions of the EtzMAX grinders that the company launched in 2017. They are built within the same exterior cases as their electric forebears, but with suction cup feet for added stability.
The Basic model is entirely electronics-free and geared towards single-dose grinding, while the W version features grind-by-weight capabilities by way of a scale and notification system that runs on three AA batteries.
All Etzinger grinders are built around sets of 32-millimeter conical burrs. All also include what the company calls an Antistatic Jig, a proprietary system for mitigating static.
Etzinger said that its shift into manual grinders reflects a desire to offer grinding solutions that don’t require energy consumption. In the manual category, the company aimed for ease of use while maintaining the mechanical focus on an element for which the Etzinger name is well known: the burrs.
Related Reading
“We love to be challenged and do things our own way,” Etzinger Founder and Designer Christian Etzinger told Daily Coffee News. “Slow grinding further underlines [the] proficiency and potential of our burrs and their geometry, which is why we wanted to entirely focus on the grinding part itself. I strived for the simplest solution possible, since everything else available on the market seemed complicated and tricky to adjust, especially for coffee lovers new to manual grinding.”
Etz-I grinders carry a retail price of US$285; EtzMAN machines are priced at $950 for the Basic and $1,300 for the W. Distribution of Etzinger manual grinders in the United States will be handled by Grinding and Brewing Solutions.
Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
Comment