The burrs in mine are not well stablized, resulting in an inconsistent grind on any setting higher than the fine to very fine settings (poor alignment becomes noticeable above four or five ticks). This is a common problem with these manual grinders, but for the price of the Porlex, I expected better.

Apart from this, this grinder is well built and has a very durable feel with its stainless steel construction. The design is a bit flawed by not having a threaded connection between the top and bottom halves, and also a slightly larger model that could accommodate more than this model's ~28g would be a welcome addition to the product family.

Apart from this, if you stay toward the fine range, this grinder does quite well. Fine grinds are consistent with no "dust", and the brews I've made with the resulting grind have just tasted plain wonderful. The stainless steel construction prevents static from accumulating while grinding, which is very nice compared to the glass and plastic containers featured on other grinders where static causes ground coffee to stick to or fly out of the jar. No static here, so when you're finished grinding, the grounds can be easily poured out of the bottom bin.

I'm not happy about the stability of the lower burr, though. My old Hario Mini Mill did not have this problem, though an old Hario Skerton I used to own did. Again, both of these Hario products are almost half the price of the Porlex, so there's no reason this grinder should have this issue. Bummer.

This is a repurchase so I have one at each of my addresses. I use it daily. There is an improved engagement design feature between the handle and shaft. The result is that the handle never comes off while cranking. There are improved instructions and manual for operation, namely; they are in English, instead of just Japanese. The most critical part of the manual are the instructions for the number of clicks on the adjusting nut, in order to get the grind size desired. Once set it stays set and consistent. The product is of excellent workmanship and design and will last beyond your needs for it, if you get my drift. It grinds coffee better than any of the home-use electric grinders I have used. I grind for french press which always takes less than 200 rotations per full charge (usually in the 120 rotations range). The torque required depends on the beans and darkness of the roast, but never seems burdensome to me, however, if you have weak hands and do not wish to improve their strength over time, than I would not buy this product.

I have been using this for Moka pot coffee and french press coffee and it grinds the beans perfectly and consistently. I set the grinder at 3-4 clicks from the fully closed position for the Moka pot and 12 clicks for french press coffee. Of course, it is a hand grinder and it takes a decent amount of time and energy to grind your coffee. I didn't have the money to spend on a good electric conical burr grinder and this is a cheap way to get perfectly ground coffee.

This is a well designed and durable grinder. The only problem is the lower chamber that catches the coffee is just a friction fit. THis means that you cannot hold on to it while cranking the handle. THe upper chamber where the grinding is done, is a little small, so you need to hold both sections. This does make grinding more difficult.

Saw this grinder at Blue Bottle Coffee's website; what clinched the deal was a friend using the 20-gram sized one on a recent beach camping trip. Done deal. This is a very well made small-volume ceramic conical burr grinder made in Japan. I use it to grind 15-19 grams for use in an Aeropress and for 30 grams for use in a French press. The upper body workout is worth it! Getting a uniform grind really does make a palatable difference in the richness and mouthfeel of the coffee compared to a Cuisinart blade grinder. Happily, it's quite intuitive to use which is good since there are no instructions- only the packaging which is in Japanese.
Pros:
well made, easy to use, easy to take apart, clean and reassemble.
Cons:
brushed steel cylinder is hard to hold onto, and there is no band (like on the 20 gram grinder) for holding the crank when not in use. I just use a big rubber band, which also makes it easier to grip during use. Not great looking, but quite serviceable.

Would definitely recommend it to a friend, especially one who wants a grinder that's portable, doesn't take up a lot of space and cost hundreds of dollars. I would not suggest it for someone who has very poor upper body/grip strength or significant arthritis.