Indiegogo staffers are putting crowdfunded products to the test in our new series of honest reviews. In this edition, our very own Senior Analyst and Relationship Manager Morgane Li tried out the new MILLAB – Wireless Portable Electric Coffee Grinder which is live now on Indiegogo. Does it live up to the hype? Read on as we put it to the test!
I have been looking at brands and models of electric coffee grinders at different coffee shops because upgrading my coffee grinder has been on my wishlist for a while. The electric coffee grinders in the retail market that are made by specialized brands either require more counter space than my kitchen can accommodate, or come with a jaw-dropping price tag that I cannot easily commit to.
It almost seemed too good to be true when I saw MILLAB – Wireless Portable Electric Coffee Grinder and its demo videos – it doesn’t look like it needs much counter space, it is portable, it has a sleek aesthetic, and most importantly it is developed by TIMEMORE, who had previously developed one of the best coffee grinders chosen by Wirecutter. It checked off all my boxes.
Unboxing
The MILLAB E01 grinder feels sturdy and it takes even less counter space than my old grinder – for reference, the base of the grinder stand is just about the size of my palm.
Putting it to the Test
I normally grind 2 tbsp of coffee beans to make a pour over, and grind 4 tbsp of coffee beans for French press. For MILLAB E01 to grind 2 tbsp(~20g) of coffee beans, coarse grinds (dial 18) took me about 35 seconds and fine grinds (dial 2) took me about 70 seconds; 4 tbsp (~40g) coffee beans took me 80 seconds for coarse grinds. It turns off automatically a few seconds after the grinding cycle is over.
The main reason I wanted to upgrade my grinder at home is because my current grinder doesn’t grind very evenly. I set the grinds from MILLAB E01 next to grinds from my old grinder and definitely noticed MILLAB E01’s grinds are much more even. I made French Press with it and it definitely tasted more smooth than the previous French Press I made at home with my old grinder.
Two Weeks Later
I have been using MILLAb E01 for two weeks now and it is definitely growing on me.
- It is quieter than my old grinder
- It is easy to use and doesn’t require any attention once I start the grinding cycle
- It has a sleek aesthetic and requires very little counter space
- It is wireless so you can place it on any flat surface you like
- It requires minimal maintenance – A fully charged unit can generally be used for 4 months if used once a day. The MILLAB team shared with me that it takes about 4 hours to fully charge its battery. I haven’t had a chance to go through an entire charging cycle at this time
Final Thoughts
- I had the grinder set on the stand and a small amount of grinds came out through the gap between the grinder and its holder while grinding, so it requires some cleaning.
- The maximum capacity of the bean hopper is 50g (~5 tbsp) and the maximum capacity of the container is 30g; this isn’t an issue for me but I think it’s worth noting
Overall, I think MILLAB E01 has all the qualities I wanted and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new grinder to check it out. Back the MILLAB – Wireless Portable Electric Coffee Grinder campaign now!
