tldr; The 1Zpresso J-Ultra is highly praised for its exceptional grind quality, competing with expensive electric grinders, and is noted for being quiet and affordable.
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Best praise vs top criticism for 1Zpresso J-Ultra
“Let’s just say, that unless I’m commenting on a Flair subreddit or something, I generally expect to get downvoted for expressing my preference for manual lever machines, but since you’re asking, here goes: It’s hard to beat the quality/price ratio with a manual setup. It would be arrogant of me to say that the quality of espresso that I produce on a manual machine is qualitatively better than a shot from a semi auto machine, but with so many variables that can be tweaked with a manual lever machine it’s easier for me to make espresso exactly how I like it. So even though I have a favorite coffee shop in town that can pull some really good exotic single origin shots, and I do go there a few times a week, I still tend to prefer the espresso from my Flair 58. People also talk about the hassle of manual grinding, and heating up water separately, but I feel like that’s less of a thing in the pour over community, since you hear less people arguing in favor of drip coffee in place of a Hario V60 If you don’t mind the physical effort involved, there’s a lot less that can go wrong with a fully manual setup. Every time I entertain the idea of getting an electric grinder, I start reading all of the things that can go wrong with electric grinders and the hassle of modding them, calibrating them, etc, Then I realize that neither my Kingrinder K6 or my 1zpresso J Ultra has ever given me any problems or required any maintenance other than a very simple initial calibration on the J Ultra. I also haven’t heard or seen evidence that an electric grinder would notably improve my grind quality. I’m pretty sure I could be convinced to get a high end electric grinder, or semi auto machine, and in theory I like the idea of doing so, but thus far I haven’t seen a need to go that route.”
“Of the options listed, if you're ok with using a manual grinder daily, I'd definitely go for the 1Zpresso J Ultra. They are very well built and offer ample micro adjustments and a consistent grind at various settings. Definitely a versatile grinder that will last you for many years. The Kingrinder k6 is also good. Not on your list, but worth considering, is the new DF54. It is getting strong reviews out the gate and should be superior to the Baratza ESP. Wouldn't recommend the Breville at all unless you're just a huge fan of Breville. Really underperforms compared to similarly priced options.”
712 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 2/24/2026