What materials is handground made from?
Handground is made from over 40 different components that represent 11 different types of material. The entire drive train is made from solid steel and aluminum and the axles are supported by brass bushings.
We will go through the major components and their material types by each number listed on the image above.
1. Top Cap
The top is made from ABS plastic. Inside of it is a gearbox that has 4 brass bushings which support two stainless steel axles and hardened steel miter gears.
2. Handle
The handle is made from solid, die cast aluminum which gives it a lot of strength for grinding lightly roasted beans.
3. Knob
The knob is made from Pakka wood. It's made by compressing together many layers of tropical hardwoods and then it goes through a treatment process to bind the layers together so they can withstand years of use with no cracking or splitting.
4. Adjustment ring and bottom ring
The outer adjustment rings are made from ABS plastic. The inner stepper piece and steps are made from POM plastic because it has better properties to resist wear over time as the stepper travels up and down the steps.
5. Coffee Grounds Catcher
The catcher is made from glass to reduce the amount of static that builds up during grinding. It also has a clear silicone ring around the top threads to provide a snug fit when the catcher is tightened on.
6. Grip pad
The grip pad on the bottom of the glass catcher is made from polyurethane or PU. It has the unique property of being very tacky, yet easy to clean. This helps the grinder grip the counter while grinding and makes grinding much easier. Over time dirt or coffee particles may build up on the pad and cause it to lose some of it's stickiness. If that happens checkout the Cleaning Guide
7. Burr mill and thumb nut
The burr at the heart of Handground is made from alumina ceramic. If you are interested to see how the burrs are made, check out this article: Ceramic Factory Tour
8. Hopper
The hopper is made from PMMA, also known as Acrylic.
9. Axles
The axles are made from stainless steel. Each axle is machined on a 5-axis CNC to tolerances within 0.004 inches. We published an article with pictures and video of a tour through the steel factory you can checkout here: Steel Factory Tour
Brushed Nickel Finish
The nickel grinders go through a few more steps to achieve the brushed nickel finish.
The first step is to take the ABS top and rings through an electroplating process. In the electroplating process a thin layer of copper coats the piece and then another process coats the pieces with a layer of nickel. The outcome is the original ABS pieces are evenly coated with a thin layer of shiny metal.
To achieve the brush marks the pieces must then go through another process where each piece is brushed with an abrasive pad.
The electroplated pieces are slightly heavier and stronger than the original ABS pieces, but the main difference is an aesthetic one. All the internal components are the same as listed above.