Reviews / Coffee equipment
Lehman's Manual Coffee Grinder Review: Is It Worth It?

Hello, I'm Mark, and this one is about the Lehman's manual coffee grinder. My home bench runs every day, so I care how a hand-crank coffee grinder handles repeat use. The grinder is a ceramic burr model from Lehman's of Kidron, Ohio. It drops grounds into a glass quart jar.
The grinder makes one standard grind and cannot be adjusted. It stands 11 inches (28 cm) tall and weighs 1.8 pounds (0.8 kg). Owners rate it 3.2 to 3.8 out of 5. They like the quiet crank and the jar, and they dislike the stiff turning and the uneven grounds.
The grinder costs $24.99 at Lehman's and $34.98 at Walmart and Target. It suits drip coffee and outage backup, not espresso. Expect a close look at build and specs, owner ratings and price and rivals. This review is not paid for.
What Is the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
The Lehman's coffee grinder is a hand-cranked ceramic burr grinder that drops ground coffee straight into a glass quart jar. Lehman's sells it for camping, power outages and off-grid homes.
The grinder fits those uses because it needs no power. Jay Lehman founded the Lehman's store in Kidron, Ohio, in 1955 to serve the local Amish with non-electric household goods. The grinder carries that same no-power idea into the coffee kitchen.
The grinder is a Lehman's exclusive, listed under SKU 100069431. Amazon, Walmart, Target and Lowe's also list the same model.
Buyers get one standard grind, with no settings to change. Lehman's describes the result as consistent, fresh coffee with no electricity.
What Comes With the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
The Lehman's coffee grinder comes with a grinder lid, a ceramic burr shaft, a wooden knob handle and a detachable wide-mouth glass quart jar.
The jar lid is not included. Buyers who want to store grounds in the jar add a wide-mouth lid of their own.
The standard wide-mouth lid for Ball jars measures 86 mm (3.4 inches). Lehman's does not state the thread size of its jar, so size alone does not confirm a match. A test fit is the safe check.
Assembly falls to the buyer. Some owners report a handle that would not install and instructions that did not help.
Warranty details differ by seller. The Walmart listing says the grinder has no written warranty. The Target listing says warranty terms vary.
How Does the Lehman's Coffee Grinder Work?
The Lehman's coffee grinder works by hand crank, and the ground coffee falls straight into the jar below. A wooden knob on the handle gives the hand a grip.
The beans start in an open stainless steel hopper. Turning the handle spins the shaft, and the shaft turns a ceramic burr. The burr cracks the beans as they pass through. Lehman's says it redesigned the grinding shaft for a smoother grind.
Speed depends on the person turning the handle. A good hand grinder needs 30 to 60 seconds for 15 to 18 grams (0.5 to 0.6 ounces) of coffee. No tester has timed the Lehman's grinder.
Because the burr is turned by hand and no motor runs, hand grinders are nearly silent. The loudest sound is the crunch of the beans, so grinding next to a sleeping partner is fine.
Can You Adjust the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
No. The Lehman's coffee grinder cannot adjust its grind and offers one standard setting.
Target lists that single setting as medium. Some owners report that the grounds come out coarse, with large bean chunks left in the jar.
A fixed setting also rules out fine espresso grinds, because espresso needs a finer grind than the grinder can make. A rival such as the CEVING grinder offers 40 external settings and holds 60 grams (2.1 ounces).
What Are the Lehman's Coffee Grinder Specs?
The Lehman's coffee grinder specs list a ceramic burr, a wooden knob handle, a glass quart jar and an assembled height of 11 inches (28 cm).
The burr is the part that crushes the beans, and here it is ceramic. The handle is a wooden knob that the user turns by hand. The grinder stands 11 inches (28 cm) tall when assembled.
The jar holds a quart (32 ounces, 946 ml) of grounds. No listing states how many grams of beans the hopper holds. A buyer cannot learn that number from the product pages.
Target lists the weight at 1.8 pounds (0.8 kg). The grinder lid measures 4 inches wide by 5 inches tall (10 by 13 cm).
Retailers also describe the look and origin of the grinder. Walmart lists the body material as wood and the color as black. Lehman's lists the country of origin as China.
Lehman's Coffee Grinder Specs:
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Burr | Ceramic |
| Height with jar | 11 inches (28 cm) |
| Weight | 1.8 pounds (0.8 kg) |
| Jar | Glass, wide-mouth quart (946 ml) |
| Grind settings | One standard setting |
How Tall Is the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
The Lehman's coffee grinder stands about 11 inches (28 cm) tall with the jar attached.
Target lists a 4 by 4 inch (10 by 10 cm) footprint. That is the space the base takes up on a counter. The lid is 4 inches wide and 5 inches tall (10 by 13 cm).
Most hand grinders are small enough to fit inside an AeroPress or a jacket pocket. The 11 inch (28 cm) Lehman's grinder fits neither.
What Do Owners Say About the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
Owners rate the Lehman's coffee grinder between 3.2 and 3.8 out of 5, depending on the retailer.
Amazon shows 3.8 from 23 ratings. Target shows 3.6 from 51 ratings. Walmart shows 3.2 from 28 reviews. Together, that makes 102 ratings.
The retailers have different numbers of ratings. Weighting each score by its rating count gives an average of 3.5 out of 5.
An average of 3.5 hides how split owners are. At Target, 51% of ratings give five stars, and 20% give one star.
The Lehman's product page shows no ratings yet.
Ratings by Retailer:
| Retailer | Rating | Ratings count |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 3.8 out of 5 | 23 |
| Target | 3.6 out of 5 | 51 |
| Walmart | 3.2 out of 5 | 28 |
What Do Owners Like About the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
Owners like the quiet cranking, the jar that catches the grounds and the compact look of the Lehman's coffee grinder.
The quiet comes from the hand crank. Hand grinders in general make far less noise than electric grinders. A small electric grinder can wake a household at 6 AM.
The same crank also works without an outlet. Several owners keep the grinder as a backup for power outages and off-grid living.
What Do Owners Dislike About the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
Owners dislike the stiff cranking, the uneven grounds and the grounds that escape at the lid of the Lehman's coffee grinder.
Some owners report coarse grounds with large bean chunks. Others report a handle that stripped the screws in the wood.
Some owners report that the unit broke or fell apart quickly. One owner advises against it as a backup because of the leaking lid joint.
Is the Lehman's Coffee Grinder Good for Camping?
Yes. The Lehman's coffee grinder is good for camping and power outages because it needs no electricity.
Lehman's markets the grinder for camping, power outages and off-grid living. A hand grinder has no motor to fail and no power draw. It works anywhere a person can turn the crank.
The hopper, the part that holds the beans, is open, and no hopper lid is listed. The jar that catches the grounds is glass.
Which Brew Methods Suit the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
The Lehman's coffee grinder suits drip and pour-over brew methods, since it makes one standard grind.
That single grind is a fixed medium setting. Espresso needs a fine, uniform grind, and a fixed medium setting cannot supply it.
Uniformity matters most in espresso, because uneven particles show up more there than in drip coffee. Chunks in the jar make espresso a poor match for this grinder.
How Does the Lehman's Coffee Grinder Compare With Rivals?
The Lehman's coffee grinder compares as a low-cost jar grinder against costlier steel burr hand grinders.
The Santiago mill from Lehman's costs $219.95. The Timemore C2 is a steel burr hand grinder. It costs about $60 to $65, so it sells for far less than the Santiago.
The Hario Skerton Pro is the closest jar design. It pairs an adjustable ceramic conical burr with a 100 gram (3.5 ounce) grounds bin. It lists around $56.
Other brands sell lid grinders that screw onto a Mason jar. The PARACITY grinder ships with two glass jars of 11 ounces (325 ml) each.
Lehman's Coffee Grinder vs the Santiago Mill?
The Lehman's coffee grinder costs far less than the Santiago mill but lacks its grind dial and its warranty.
The Santiago mill uses a conical burr of hardened carbon steel made in Germany. A 25-year warranty covers the grinding mechanism.
A knurled knob below the crank adjusts the Santiago from fine to coarse. The beech wood body weighs 2 pounds (0.9 kg). The Lehman's grinder has no such dial, so the grind setting cannot be changed the same way.
The price gap is $194.96. The Santiago lists at $219.95 and the Lehman's grinder at $24.99.
Lehman's Coffee Grinder vs the KINGrinder K6?
The Lehman's coffee grinder trades the KINGrinder K6's stainless steel burrs and straight handle for a jar and a fixed grind.
The fixed grind is the main limit. The Lehman's grinder has one setting, so it cannot change the grind size for different brew methods. The K6 can. It suits pour-over, AeroPress and French press, where grind uniformity matters.
The jar explains where the money goes. A hand grinder like the Timemore C2 or the 1Zpresso Q2 spends all its cost on burrs. Burrs are the parts that crush the beans. The Lehman's grinder spends part of its cost on the jar, so less is left for the burrs.
Price and Burr Comparison:
| Grinder | Price | Burr |
|---|---|---|
| Lehman's coffee grinder | $24.99 | Ceramic |
| Hario Skerton Pro | About $56 | Ceramic conical |
| Santiago mill | $219.95 | Hardened carbon steel conical |
How Much Does the Lehman's Coffee Grinder Cost?
The Lehman's coffee grinder costs $24.99 on the Lehman's website and $34.98 at Walmart and Target.
The same grinder sells for $9.99 more at the two big retailers. Buyers who go direct to Lehman's pay the lower price.
The Timemore C2 costs $35 to $40 more than the $24.99 Lehman's grinder. The Lehman's price buys the jar and a fixed grind.
The jar lid is a separate cost. No listing states a price for it, so the full cost of the setup stays unclear.
Price by Retailer:
| Retailer | Price |
|---|---|
| Lehman's website | $24.99 |
| Walmart | $34.98 |
| Target | $34.98 |
Where Can You Buy the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
Shoppers can buy the Lehman's coffee grinder at Lehman's, Amazon, Walmart, Target and Lowe's.
Lehman's sells the grinder directly and also takes phone orders at 800-438-5346. Buyers who prefer to talk to a person can order this way. Walmart lists Lehman Hardware and Appliances, Inc. as the seller.
How Do You Care for the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
Lehman's coffee grinder care comes down to brushing out the grounds and keeping the wooden parts dry.
Lehman's publishes no care steps for this model. The Santiago mill page says to wipe the mill clean and not to submerge it.
A hand grinder needs only an occasional teardown and a brush. The brush clears out old grounds. Ceramic burrs do not rust.
How Do You Clean the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
Cleaning the Lehman's coffee grinder starts with emptying the hopper and brushing out leftover grounds.
The body is wood, so soaking it is a poor idea. Water can harm wood, which is why a dry brush is the right tool. It reaches the burr without any water.
The jar is the only part that tolerates a rinse. Dry it fully before the next grind.
Is the Lehman's Coffee Grinder Worth It?
Yes. The Lehman's coffee grinder is worth it only as a $24.99 backup, not as a daily espresso tool.
The price is low and the jar is handy. Ratings of 3.2 to 3.8 out of 5 show the build and grind quality vary.
A buyer who wants a quiet outage grinder for drip coffee gets a fair deal. A buyer who wants control looks elsewhere.
Pros:
- Low price of $24.99
- Quiet hand crank
- Jar catches the grounds
- No electricity needed
Cons:
- One fixed grind setting
- Uneven grounds reported
- Stiff cranking reported
- No written warranty at Walmart
Who Should Skip the Lehman's Coffee Grinder?
Buyers who brew espresso need to skip the Lehman's coffee grinder.
Buyers with weak wrists also skip it. Owners report stiff cranking, so hand grinding takes real effort.
Anyone who wants to tune the grind skips it too, because the grinder has only one setting.
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