This is my review of the Vevok Chef Manual Coffee Grinder.
It’s been more than a year since I bought this device so I have plenty of experience to share with anyone wanting to get into the nitty-gritty.
The Vevok Chef Manual Coffee Grinder is a great choice for those who are looking for a budget-friendly, yet effective coffee grinder. It is simple to use, with a straightforward design and is built to last. Though it does not provide the same level of grind consistency as some of the higher-end manual grinders, this model is more than suitable for everyday use for Moka Pot or AeroPress.
I’ve been using Vevok Check for more than a year almost every day. The only deterioration I’ve noticed is that the paint has partially worn off of the wooden knob on the hand crank.
In this review, you’ll learn about the features of the Vevok Chef Manual Coffee Grinder, as well as how to use it and get the best results.
Keep reading to find out if it’s the right choice for you!
What’s In The Box
Vevok Chef Manual Coffee Grinder comes in a neat box that contains the following:
- Grinder x 1
- Flat travel bag x 1
- Instruction set x 1
- Customer care card x 1 (or more)
It’s very easy to assemble and use the grinder. You don’t need any extra tools. Screw the container to the main body. Add beans through the top. Close the hopper by attaching the hand crank and you’re good to go.
Design And Size
What I like about the design is that it’s simple and straightforward. The grind size scale is clearly marked on the side of the stainless steel body and the transparent glass vessel allows you to immediately see the result.
At the time of writing this article, the following color combos are available:
- Black with silver adjustment ring
- Gold with brown adjustment ring
- Silver with brown adjustment ring
The grinder is 2.1 inches (5.4 cm) wide and 6.1 inches (15 cm) high. With the hand crank atop, the overall height is 7.7 inches (19.5 cm). The overall weight is 1 lb (0.46 kg). This places it in the compact group of hand-operated non-electric mills.
The hand crank is easy to hold due to a nicely shaped wooden knob that revolves around its axis. With 5.7 inches (14.5 cm) in length, it ensures enough leverage for a smooth operation.
[grinder image]
The grip is good, even if you have smaller palms. The adjustment ring is positioned centrally and it’s easy to use. Though, you need to be wary of unintentionally changing the settings while grinding. I suggest trying to hold the grinder just below the adjustment ring.
Certainly, the design is not the trendiest one but it’s definitely functional and you won’t be ashamed by showing it off on the kitchen countertop.
Build Quality And Materials
All metal parts are made of high-quality stainless steel, ensuring resilient construction and simple maintenance. Inside, the grinder is coated with food-grade ABS plastic known for durability and sturdiness.
The cylindrical metal body houses the grinding mechanism. It also functions as a hopper where you toss the coffee in. You can help yourself when pouring the beans in by using the AeroPress funnel. It fits perfectly onto the hopper.
The crank attaches through a hexagonal shaft. By design, it’s not locked because it also serves as a lid to the hopper. Thus, remember not to grab the grinder by the crank. Always pick it up by the body.
The burr mechanism is made of 420 stainless steel. “420” denotes alloy steel with higher strength and hardness. In other words, it’s harder to break it. Burrs are sharp, precise and do a fair job of “shaving” the coffee beans.
The only potentially delicate component is the coffee receptacle made of soda-lime glass. While it’s cool to see the real-time results of your grinding efforts through a transparent container, you need to be careful not to drop it.
[grinder with glass container]
Capacity – 48 Grams Container, 20 Grams Hopper
The coffee receptacle can hold about 48 grams of coffee grounds. It’s not the biggest one out there but it’s enough for 4-5 espresso shots or 2-3 AeroPress doses. But you’ll have to refill and mill twice since the hopper capacity is only 20 grams.
Grinding Performance
The grinder features an easy-to-reach adjustment ring with six levels. With a simple turn of the ring, you can change the grind size.
While some coffee perfectionists might find six options as too few, for an average coffee brewer, it should be fine.
Here’s the breakdown of the settings for different brewing methods:
- 1-2 for Espresso machine
- 2-3 for Moka pot
- 3-4 for pour over and Chemex
- 4-5 for French press
- 5-6 for Cold brew coffee
In the table below, I tried to map the duration of milling 15 grams of coffee across different settings.*
| Setting | Rotations | Approximate Time |
| 1 | 43 | 75 |
| 2 | 46 | 20 |
| 3 | 35 | 15 |
| 4 | 35 | 15 |
| 5 | 30 | 12 |
| 6 | 28 | 11 |
*Your results may vary slightly or they can be way off, based on various factors like rotation speed, bean density, roast level and so on. Take these results as a ballpark.
I use grades 2 and 3 most of the time. It’s my optimal spot between the speed and coarseness for AeroPress and pour over grind.
Occasionally, particles can get stuck between the burrs making it difficult to move the ring. In that case, try to gently rotate the ring back and forth a couple of times. It should do the trick.
Grind Consistency
Settings 1 and 2 produce uniform grind in general. It’s not perfect though. You’ll find some inconsistencies here and there. Yet, it’s much better than the other grinders in this price range.
Coarser settings give less consistent grind and more fines than you want, especially with denser beans. Yet, at this price point, it’s hard to beat these results. You’ll pay at least double the amount to achieve greater consistency at coarser settings.
Is It Good For Espresso?
This grinder is not really suitable for espresso. Although you can use the lowest setting and get a pretty good consistency, the grinding takes a fair amount of time. I’ve only ever used it once or twice.
With espresso, you need to experiment a lot and nail that perfect grind size. With a single espresso setting, you won’t be able to do that. Therefore, if you’re adamant about espresso, think about using another mill. Or have your espresso beans ground in the store or your local coffee shop.
Also, some users have reported that using setting 1 for the first time caused issues. They would end up with large boulder-sized chunks on coarser settings.
Additionally, some users have reported that the grinder started passing through large boulders after having used settings 1 for the first time.
Portability
This hand grinder is a pretty portable device. Its small size allows it to be easily tucked away in a bag, briefcase, or even a pocket. This makes it perfect for those who need to enjoy a cup of freshly ground coffee while on the go.
Be careful, though. If you take it on a trip, the pouch that comes with it can’t really secure the glass container. You might consider additionally wrapping it in a piece of cloth before putting it in the bag. This will prevent any friction between the main body and the handle to avoid any scratches.
When going on a trip, I usually carry the grinder in the card box packaging that it came with. It’s not very convenient but I like to play safe with my coffee gear.
How To Clean It
After each usage, remove the glass jar and clean the bottom with a small brush. Then turn the grinder upside down and shake it a few times to drop the residue coffee.
Every once in a while, you’ll want to thoroughly clean the grinder by taking out the burrs.
By following the steps below, you’ll be able to dismantle the grinder, clean the burr mechanism and put everything back together just as easily.
- Gather the tools: a wrench or a ratchet wrench
- Attach the handle
- Fix the top nut by holding together the handle and body then unscrew the bottom nut using the wrench
- Take out the following parts and pay attention to avoid the loss
- Nut
- Gasket
- Inner Burr
- Washer (I got 2 pcs while official instructions mention 3 pcs)
- Use a brush or cloth for cleaning. You can even rinse parts with water.
- Make sure that all parts are completely dry before reassembling to prevent rust (You can use a hairdryer.)
- Turn the settings to level 1 then place the parts back in the opposite order 4 > 3 > 2 > 1 and screw the bottom nut back on
Alternatives To Vevok Chef Manual Coffee Grinder
If for any reason, you decide that the Vevok Chef Manual Coffee Grinder is not for you, there are other manual coffee grinders on the market that may be a better fit for your needs.
Hario “Skerton Pro” Ceramic Manual Coffee Grinder
This mill is equipped with ceramic burrs, which result in a slower grinding speed than that of stainless steel burrs.
TIMEMORE Chestnut C2 Manual Coffee Grinder
This is an excellent choice for those looking for a high-quality manual coffee grinder. It has a sleek, stainless steel design and an ergonomic handle, making it easy to operate.
It features 36 adjustable grind steps allowing you to find the perfect setting for your beans.
Verdict – Is It Worth Your Money?
The Vevok Chef Manual Coffee Grinder is compact, fast and simple to use. The overall build quality seems decent. It grinds beans quickly and easily.
I’ve been using Vevok Check for more than a year almost every day. The only deterioration I’ve noticed is that the paint has partially worn off of the wooden knob on the hand crank.
The drawbacks are the lack of settings for espresso fine-tuning and the fragile receptacle. If you accept these, then you should definitely consider buying this device because it’s a decent hand mill for a very reasonable price.
At this price point, there are not many better deals out there.
