Porlex Mini II Review

Grind Quality

The Mini II's 30mm conical ceramic burrs are the headline feature, and they do perform respectably at medium to fine settings. The redesigned outer burr sits firmly in the body thanks to three stabilizing notches, which Porlex added specifically to address the wild fines-and-boulders problem that plagued the original.

At pour-over and AeroPress ranges, the grind is noticeably more uniform than the first-generation Porlex, and the new adjustment collar clicks in smaller, more defined increments, which makes dialing in a repeatable recipe easier than it used to be.

Coarse settings are still a weak point. Our long term testing reported an uptick in fines at French press-sized grinds even after a break-in period.

For pour-over and AeroPress — which is what this grinder is actually sold for — the consistency is good enough that most drinkers will be happy.

Build Quality

Made in Japan from brushed stainless steel, the Mini II feels denser and more reassuring than its 250g weight suggests. The biggest physical improvement over the original is the crank attachment: a flat, slightly spiraled wing nut replaces the pentagonal nut that famously wore out, and the redesigned handle stays put while you grind.

Pourover Project did notice a small notch forming in the softer new wing nut after just a couple of sessions, so it isn't indestructible, but it's a real upgrade.

The 40g weight gain over the original is a fair trade for the added sturdiness, and the cylindrical body slips cleanly into an AeroPress chamber or a jacket pocket. There is no anti-static treatment, so expect a fine layer of grounds on your hands and a tap-and-bang cleanup at the end.

Ceramic burrs will not rust and don't need the same care as steel, which suits a travel tool well.

Workflow in Daily Use

Single-dose is the only workflow here, and the 20g bean capacity is genuinely the bottleneck. A double-shot pour-over or a single AeroPress is the realistic ceiling, and cranking through 20g by hand is a real workout.

The 1.3x speed improvement over the original is real but not transformative — plan on two to three minutes of grinding for a full load.

The stepped adjustment is simple and repeatable once you learn the click count, but it lacks the fine control you'd want for espresso or for nudging a few microns finer on a pour-over that's pulling slightly fast.

Cleaning is straightforward: the body comes apart without tools, the burrs lift out, and a stiff brush is all you need.

Who It Suits

This grinder earns its place for one specific user: someone who wants freshly ground coffee on the road, brews pour-over or AeroPress, and values the "fits inside an AeroPress" form factor above all else. It's a strong pick for backpackers, hotel-room brewers, and anyone who has been pre-grinding at home and pre-dosing before a trip.

If you brew mostly at home on a single method and just want one good grinder, you have better options at this price.

On that point, the Mini II is no longer the obvious default it once was. The 1Zpresso Q2 offers meaningfully better grind consistency, a wider range including true espresso, and a similar footprint for only a little more money.

The Hario Mini Slim Plus is the closest direct rival and tends to come in cheaper, though its burr stability is a step behind. If you need a slightly more travel-tough build, the 1Zpresso Q-Air is worth a look as well.

The Bottom Line

The Mini II is a meaningful, well-engineered refresh of a grinder that had earned a cult following on travel-blogger lists for a decade. It genuinely fixes the original's worst habits: a loose outer burr, a slipping handle, and vague adjustment clicks. Pour-over and AeroPress users will be served well.

The remaining compromises — a tiny hopper, stepped-only adjustment, and weak coarse-grind consistency — are inherent to the form factor, not to this specific model. As long as you buy it for what it actually does, it's a reliable little tool.