Working in coffee means getting asked for advice by those looking to make their first gear purchases; it is a burden we must bear for the betterment of humankind. The most common of such questions is, “what grinder should I buy,” the answer to which depends upon how much they are willing to spend and the potential uses. For those looking for an inexpensive or portable option, the hand grinder is generally my recommendation. Otherwise, the ease, consistency, and power of an electric home grinder is the way to go.
But what if you didn’t have to choose between the two? What if your home grinder could be converted into a hand grinder? That’s the idea behind the new ARCO grinder system from Goat Story. Now on Kickstarter, the two-in-one grinder setup switches easily between electric- and hand-power.
Goat Story is a familiar name in specialty coffee circles. The Slovenian company’s first product, the GOAT Mug, made waves for its, let say… not straightforward design. But the brand hit their stride a bit with their second product, the GINA brewer, which was part of 2018 World Brewers Cup champion Emi Fukahori’s winning routine. And with the new ARCO, Goat Story is looking to expand into the grinder market.
The modular design of the ARCO is rather brilliant. All of the grinding components—the conical burr, adjustment ring, and grinds catcher/doser—are built into a black metal cylinder, similar in size and shape to that of other hand grinders on the market. But how the ARCO is powered is up to the user. They can opt to attach the hand crank for manual grinding, or they can hook it up to the electric base for a more hands-free option.
Along with versatility, the ARCO touts a “near zero grind retention” and “best in class grind consistency,” though neither claim is particularly fleshed out or backed up empirically by the Kickstarter. Able to dose 50g at a time, the ARCO features 120 different grind settings, going all the way from ibrik/Turkish coffee to cold brew.
Going live this very day, December 8th, the ARCO Kickstarter has already blasted through its $60,000 funding goal, raising over three times that in the first three hours alone. But there are still a ton of deep discount backer rewards remaining for would-be contributors. The complete ARCO 2-in-1 system, regularly retailing at $499, can still be picked up for as low as $299. Or, for $150, backers can pick up the hand grinder portion of the ARCO, MSRP of $250. Expected delivery for all rewards is scheduled for June 2021. For more information or to back the campaign, visit the ARCO 2-in-1 Coffee Grinder Kickstarter page.
PS: If $500 is a bit steep—which it is, though you do kinda get two grinders out of it—or you already own a Hario hand grinder, the Japanese coffee gear manufacturer has recently released the “Electro Solo” Electric Grinder Attachment that only runs $95.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
