Unboxing and Build

The box contains the grinder, a manual, a charging cable and a cleaning brush.

The body is plastic, which keeps the A2 at 660 g. Jack pointed out that some of his hand grinders weigh more. The grinder comes in two colors, a light off-white and black.

The lid on top lifts off to load beans and is held in place by magnets, closing with a satisfying click. The catch cup at the bottom also attaches magnetically rather than by thread, so it comes straight off after grinding with no unscrewing.

The power switch is a touch control. Pressing and holding it once turns the grinder on, and a second tap starts the motor.

Battery and Charging

The A2 runs on two 2,000 mAh batteries. They are easy to access and can be replaced when needed.

Femobook rates a single charge at up to 80 pour-overs. Jack did not count his brews, but after two weeks of use straight out of the box, he had not yet recharged it and the battery was roughly half full.

Grind Adjustment and Brew Range

Grind size is set with a metal click adjuster underneath the catch cup. Each click moves the setting by about 18 microns, with 40 clicks per full turn and up to three full turns in total.

For his pour-overs, Jack used one full turn plus four or five clicks, around 45 clicks in total. The A2 covers brew methods from moka pot through French press and cold brew. Jack’s testing focused on pour-over.

Daily Workflow

Jack weighs 15 g of coffee, drops it in and taps the touch button to start the motor. At 45 clicks, a pour-over dose takes around 50 seconds to grind.

Jack noted that the motor runs at around 60 rpm, with the slower speed intended to improve grind consistency. He found the noise level acceptable.

The A2 also has an auto-reverse function that engages if the motor stalls. Jack never needed it. Even the densest beans he tried went through without trouble at pour-over settings.

Jack’s grind setting and grind time are a reference from his own testing. They can vary depending on the coffee and brewing conditions.

Burrs and Cleaning

The A2 uses 38 mm conical steel burrs. The burrs are easy to access for cleaning, and Jack noted that the grinder does not need calibration.

Cup Quality

Jack took the A2 on a recent holiday alongside his premium hand grinder. He expected to use the hand grinder whenever he wanted to properly enjoy his coffee, but in practice he reached for the A2 much more often. In his words, this was not necessarily because it was better, but because it was good enough. He added that he felt he owed the grinder an apology.

With one very dense coffee, even his premium hand grinder took real force to get through a pour-over dose, while the A2 handled it without struggling. With the A2, he could drop the beans in and get on with something else, which he appreciated most in the mornings.

After a few days of use, once the burrs had seasoned, the A2 gave him a clean, bright cup with a level of clarity he had not expected. He compared the spent coffee beds from brews made with both grinders the day before, and both looked clean to him. From the premium hand grinder that was expected. From the A2, it wasn’t.

Even before taking price into account, Jack was happy with the A2. His premium hand grinder costs roughly twice as much, and while he considers it better, he does not consider it twice as good.

Jack’s Verdict

For anyone looking for a compact travel grinder that produces clean, clear cups of pour-over, Jack recommends the Femobook A2. He said he does not know how Femobook made it so affordable and so good at the same time.