Porlex tall vs mini grinder: what are the differences

A popular question among Porlex coffee customers is the difference between Porlex tall vs mini.  I did a comparison before when I wrote about Porlex tall vs Hario hand grinder.  I will adopt the same approach in comparing between Porlex tall and the mini grinder.

Porlex tall vs mini

 

Porlex tall vs mini comparison chart

The easiest way to compare their differences is to do it via a table. More details will added after the comparison chart for detailed explanation. To be honest though, there isn’t much difference between the two beyond the sizing.

 

Comparison Porlex Tall Porlex Mini
Capacity 30g 20g
Portability No Yes
Rubber strap No Yes

 

Details on Porlex tall vs mini grinder

  • Capacity: Being a taller grinder, it is obvious that Porlex tall will have a bigger capacity. However, absolute capacity is not as important as relative capacity, i.e. how much you really need. If you are only drinking espressos, then having a 30g capacity is not going to be useful to you as you will be using only half of that. So, determine what is your coffee drinking pattern and then decide how much capacity you need. On a side note, although the official capacity for the Porlex mini is 25g, a more realistic capacity is around 20 to 22g from my own experience.

 

  • Portability: If you want to make coffee during your camping trips and such, buying a Porlex mini makes more sense. It is easier to carry around and also lighter in weight. The mini also fits well into a portable aeropress coffee machine so taking them on the road becomes much easier. For camping fans who want coffee, I will recommend the Porlex mini.

 

  • Rubber Strap: The Porlex mini comes with a rubber strap that makes it easier for you to grip the grinder. It is a minor difference as you can easily buy elastic bands and put them on the Porlex tall as well.

 

Conclusion

At the end of the year, there really isn’t much difference when you compare Porlex tall vs mini grinder. It is just capacity difference which in turn affects portability.  The more important thing in how you intend to use the coffee grinder. For example, for what type of brews, number of cups, in what situations etc. All these conditions on how you intend to use the grinder will be more important in deciding which Porlex grinder is correct for you.