VSSL JAVA is the ultimate hand grinder designed for gear and outdoor enthusiasts ready to take an upgraded coffee experience anywhere. Born out of our core design principles, VSSL Java is durable, portable, and features functionality that can deliver the best cup of coffee with a variety of brew methods wherever you choose to brew it.
A**S
Not as fast as another, but it almost fits in my AeroPress plunger.
I've used a manual coffee bean crusher ($40) since 2017 and didn't know better. I count everything, and it takes 300 turns to crush 15 g of beans. A former student told me he recently bought an electric, single dose, sleek black, large setting knob grinder that proved to be a game changer for he and his roommates. I explored electric grinders. Some are tried and true. Some are new and bold. They require from 400-1000 cubic inches of kitchen counter space and emit 85-91 dB of sound pressure.As an a married American male I have no counter space. That, and most of the electric grinders sounded like a large blue plastic pencil sharpener former students silenced by sharpening the eraser-end of pencils. I listened to six at a Seattle, web based seller of coffee grinders. I even had one in my cart, but its review did not feature it turned on. I went looking for another review with audio and found one, but that reviewer mentioned two manual grinders with $500 price tags.I wanted a reasonably priced, manual, quick yet small grinder with negligible audio pressure. I found one, bought it, and it was delivered at 5:30 A the next morning by this crazy company. Two hours before it arrived, I ordered the VSSL. I liked its "wilderness ready 'cuz it's a carabiner" vibe.The first grinder, oxygen tank sturdy, was smooth and fast: 27 turns for 15g of beans! I liked it, and regretted my impulsive use of another $160. But the crank, and knob, didn't fit in my AeroPress tote. Vexing. I sent a video to my son and to the former student. Well, two videos. The first was 5 turns long because I left the collector off. The sequel was 22 turns long. Amazing. My son gets that grinder today: he likes coffee, and has been crushing it with the same thing I was using.The VSSL arrived that evening. I made a late cup of coffee with 20g of beans. It took 140 turns to silently grind the beans. The 7 oz coffee tasted as good as that from the crusher, and from the first grinder. The VSSL took half as many turns as the crusher, but almost 4 times as many as the large handle/knob model. It fits in my AeroPress tote and almost inside the AeroPress plunger. That strikes me as its only design flaw.Now, about my pics. One shows the VSSL adjustment nut flush with the grinding bolt, the "default" position it's shipped in. The AeroPress setting is 20 clockwise clicks away. I didn't catch the "default" definition at first, but just applied 20 CW clicks. I re-read the enclosed pamphlet, backed my adjustment nut out until flush with the bolt, then advanced it 20 CW clicks. This morning, newly adjusted, it took 81 turns to grind 15g of coffee (Frinj, from CA). That's less than 3 times my son's soon to be grinder, and 1/4 as many as the crusher, but melodious. And it's a carabiner.I have a wilderness coffee kit: VSSL grinder, a Ziploc w beans, an AeroPress, a Trail Designs conical stove, .75 L pot, Sawyer water filter and matches. There's a pine tree near a flat rock by the gin clear tailwater I call home water. Next time, between the morning and afternoon midge hatches, I'll brew a few cups of Frinj. A thermos of Che McDoh coffee would do, but where's the adventure in that?I like this grinder: It's enabling. I'm not a billionaire.
D**A
Very good... for a specifically person
Dissecting:5 out of 5 Material;5 out of 5 Portability;4 out of 5 Grind quality;4 out of 5 Grinding comfort;4 out of 5 Overall built.The item is very interesting built... but both the handle lock and extension does not have a very smooth movement, which affects a lot in grinding comfort and overall function of the grinder, which honestly, I was expecting more for the price.If you see yourself in need of making coffee out of "normal" situations such as office, outdoors or traveling, its a great product, go for it.But for a daily or professional routine, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, there are better options for the price.
S**H
Broke on first use but the company quickly replaced the top for me for free
This grinder is beautiful and so cool. But it broke literally the first time I used it. The gold button on the top got stuck in the down position. I popped it back up by pushing up from the inside and then three ball bearings popped out and now the gold button just moves loosely so the lid cannot be clipped into place.I’ve contacted the company for support. Would be great if I can fix it myself but I can’t figure out how. Maybe they can send me a replacement top. Total bummer though for a product that appears to be designed so well and claims to be durable. This thing never left my kitchen countertop and it broke on first use.UPDATE: The company responded to my support ticket request on their website in one business day and promptly shipped me a replacement top piece that arrived three days later. The replacement works great and I’m back up and running again. Didn’t charge me for the replacement piece or any shipping. Really great customer service.
Ν**Ν
Good for moka pot or press, not good for espresso
Great all-metal construction, fairly durable, great for moka pot or a press, but not anywhere near fine enough grind for true espresso, see attached video: max 4 bar pressure, channelizing spurts all over side of the cup, finest grind setting and a very hard tamp. One star removed simply because VSSL has not sufficiently addressed the unrealistic expectation of an espresso grind with this product. For less demanding coffee, this grinder is wonderful.Unlike another viewer here who seems to think this specific product is priced according to some socioeconomic formula of racial inequality, I find this VSSL grinder is priced comparably to other quality burr hand grinders. By quality I mean specifically sturdy enough to last years and to be disassembled and repaired if need be, as opposed to much cheaper products that will ultimately just find their way into a landfill. For a typical isolated American, expensive grinders and products in pursuit of truly good coffee is inexplicable. For the rest of us, good coffee is a life-long pursuit to be shared anywhere we find ourselves in good company, one cup at a time.
A**Y
Need follow up
It is nice product. Very compact. Looks nice and easy to use. However when I try to clean today, I found out it was missing one of small parts. That would be great if The seller can send me the parts. Thanks.Update: after they saw my comments. They contacted me and sent me the missing parts. Thank you so much!I definitely will recommend this coffee grinder to anyone who want to make their own coffee when they are traveling.
Trustpilot
1 month ago
1 month ago