by SlowRain » Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:20 am
If anyone is interested in either the Kyocera or Porlex, there is someone from Japan on Ebay selling both. I think the price includes shipping. He or she is still selling them at a huge markup, probably because the person knows what they are going for in the US and Australia, but it makes the option somewhat more accessible for Europeans. Be warned: you're still being overcharged; these things sell for 2,100-2,500JPY.
I had an opportunity to play with the Kyocera last week when a member from CoffeeSnobs.com.au came to Taiwan. Internally, both the Porlex and Kyocera are identical, which shocked me a bit. The shaft, the burrs, the whole design are all the same. The only real difference is the outside. The Kyocera is easier to hold in the hand, but it's made of plastic and glass. The Porlex slides around a bit in the hand, but it's made of stainless steel. Make your decision based on the externals.
I've only tried it for French press a few times. I'm going to do a bit more playing before I pass judgement. However, I think these grinders work better for grinding finer rather than coarser.
I also need to correct a comment above: I said that these grinders corrected a flaw in the Hario Skerton design. That only applies to the MSCS-2TB (the bigger of the two Skertons). The smaller Skerton (MSS-1B) has a somewhat similar burr design as the Kyocera and Porlex, except the outer burr is (seems to be?) more fixed. I haven't played with the MSS-1B too much, but it does have a wobbly shaft when compared to the Kyocera and Porlex.
I still want to get more information on the one made by IWAKI, which seems to be a third, potentially-identical ceramic-burr grinder.
La Pavoni PRH, Aerobie AeroPress, 2 Bodum French presses, Sözen Turkish mill, Porlex ceramic mill, Feima 600N