Goat Story Arco Coffee Grinder Review: Creativity Pays Off!

Goat Story continues to impress with their innovative product design.

Have you seen those DIY videos where someone attaches a power drill to a hand coffee grinder to create a jerry-rigged electric grinder? It’s pretty clever, so it was probably only a matter before a brand took that concept and made a product.

As it turns out, the time is now, the brand is Goat Story, and the product is the Arco 2-in-1 Coffee Grinder. It’s a manual grinder that can be attached to a base, turning it into an electric grinder. Is it a revolutionary coffee grinder design or a short-lived gimmick? How does it stack up against the drill hack? I’ll let you know in this detailed review.

The Full Arco Coffee Grinder Review

Goat Story is known for outside-the-box products with a unique blend of form and function. Remember their original claim to fame, the goat horn coffee mug? So they’re the perfect brand to tackle this new frontier in coffee grinders.

I was initially concerned that the Arco might be more hype than substance, but its recent Best New Product win at the 2022 World of Coffee Milan expo laid those fears to rest (1). Let’s dig into what makes it award-worthy.

How We Rated It

• Design
• Durability
• Ease of Use
• Grinding Capability
• Value for Money

4.2

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What Makes The Arco So Special?

The Arco’s claim to fame is certainly its two-in-one status. It consists of a manual grinder and a separate plug-in base with a motor. The grinder can be operated by hand or attached to the base, turning it into an electric grinder. 

It is a single-dosing grinder, a style that has become increasingly popular in recent years among quality burr coffee grinders for home use. The hopper holds up to 50 grams of coffee beans, enough for about 5 cups of coffee or two double shots of espresso. 

It claims to be very low retention, meaning very few grounds get stuck in the machine after grinding. I found this was true, but only if you give it a good whack to knock them out. Unlike other single-dose grinders, it isn’t equipped with a built-in knocker or bellows.

The Arco uses a 47 mm steel conical burr set, which spins at 360 rpm when connected to the base. It delivered exceptional grind quality in my testing, particularly in the fine to medium range of the grind spectrum. 

I anticipated that the Arco would be best suited to drip brewing – and it was – but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it performed for espresso. Even at the finest settings, the grinds were nicely uniform. While I generally prefer a stepless grinder for espresso, the Arco is perfectly suitable for the average espresso fan.

Flat vs. Conical Burrs

A quick aside about flat burrs, conical burrs, and rpm. Conical burrs are known for creating more fines than flat burrs, which yields coffee with more texture and a richer mouthfeel but less clarity. This is why conical burrs are often preferred for espresso, while flat burrs are preferred for filter coffee. But, of course, this is a matter of personal taste (2).

Burr speed also plays a role. With the same conical burrs, a lower rpm yields fewer fines and a grind more akin to flat burrs. This is one reason why so many hand grinders use conical burrs. Grinding by hand is about as low rpm as you can go! 

All that is to say, if you want a clean cup and are worried about the Arco’s conical burr set, consider grinding manually for your pour-over brews and swapping to electric when preparing espresso shots.

Using The Goat Story Arco

Using this grinder is a piece of cake. The manual portion comes on and off the base via a twist-lock system, and the grounds catch bin is affixed with magnets. Grind size is adjusted by rotating an external collar. 

Each rotation has 60 clicks, and it can rotate 4 times, providing 240 different grind settings – “from ibrik to cold brew,” according to Goat Story. In my experience, it’s more like espresso to French press if you want optimal grind quality, but it’s an impressive range nonetheless.

The external collar system is standard on electric grinders but unusual for a hand grinder. Goat Story totes this as “revolutionary,” which is a fun pun! 

I loved this feature. It’s much more straightforward than the system of counting clicks used for many hand grinders and makes it easy to switch settings and brew methods quickly. However, my colleagues with larger hands found they had to be careful when using the grinder manually because they accidentally changed the grind setting when their big mitts strayed onto the collar.

The bottom of the catch cup has a guide to choosing grind settings for different brewing methods. It was surprisingly accurate compared to others I’ve tested, though it skewed just a tad coarse for my taste.

Once your grind size is chosen, it’s as simple as adding your coffee beans to the hopper and grinding – either manually or by flicking the power switch. Grinding with the motor was impressively quiet. I measured it at no higher than 70 dB, even when I tossed in some denser light roast beans.

Note that when you switch between hand grinding and electric grinding, you will get a different grind size and distribution at the same setting. So you need to dial the grinder into particular brewing methods in both cases. This might come as a surprise at first use, but it makes sense as the grinding speed significantly impacts the result. 

Gorgeous And Functional Design

The design of the Arco grinder is the first thing you’ll notice. Its distinct inverted U shape stands out from the crowd. Indeed, the name Arco is about the architectural form of the arch.

While aesthetics can be a divisive topic, the Arco’s minimalist, industrial look and matte black finish are in keeping with current trends. This is no surprise as Goat Story is known for appealing designs, though the head of product design Luka Pirna assures me that form still comes second to function.

The Red Dot Design jury agreed, awarding Arco a 2022 Red Dot Design Award and stating that it has a “striking design and cleverly unites the advantages of two types of grinders (3).”

It’s a very compact grinder with one of the smallest footprints in its class. It measures just 11” tall by 3.6” wide by 7.5” deep and weighs only 6.2 pounds (the hand grinder alone weighs 1.76 pounds). It’s perfect if you’re short on space, especially given that it is essentially two grinders in one.

A clever part of the design that I haven’t seen in other top manual coffee grinders is that the grounds catch cup is perfectly sized to dose into a standard 58 mm espresso machine portafilter. Espresso lovers will appreciate how nicely this fits into their workflow.

Notes On Build Quality

As a relatively new product, the durability of the Arco 2-in-1 Grinder remains up in the air. However, Goat Story is a well-established brand with a good reputation for building quality products. Their last big release, the Gina Smart Brewer, hasn’t resulted in any longevity complaints.

The Arco has some plastic in the casing around the motor section, but everything important is made of metal. That includes the steel drive shaft, aluminum body, and nitrided steel conical burrs.

Is The Arco Grinder Worth Your Money?

The Arco Coffee Grinder is around $500, which I believe is excellent value given the quality, functionality, and burr set. It would be easy to say that you’re paying for the brand, the hype, and the aesthetics, but I don’t think that’s the case here. 

The price is fantastic when you consider you’re getting two grinders in one. I find there are plenty of contexts in which I prefer a manual grinder – camping, traveling, early mornings when I’m trying to be quiet, and so on. 

The Arco also has a pretty impressive grind range compared to others I’ve tested. It could easily be your filter grinder, espresso grinder, and travel grinder rolled into one.

I should mention that you can buy only the manual grinder without the base for about $230. If that’s your intention, I’d suggest shopping around a bit first. The market for manual grinders is more competitive, and depending on your needs, there may be better value options.

Don’t Buy the Goat Story Arco If…

• You only want a hand grinder: Buying a manual grinder is more affordable if you don’t mind the morning arm workout. A few of my favorites are the 1Zpresso K-Ultra, Kinu M47, and Comandante coffee grinder.

• You only want an electric grinder: No plans to travel? Take a look at my Baratza Sette 270 review for a similar-priced electric grinder. Or upgrade slightly to the Niche Zero coffee grinder, which has a better burr set than the Arco.

• You prefer a flat burr grinder: If you’re only planning to brew filter coffee, consider the Fellow Ode 2 grinder, which shares the Arco’s matte black aesthetic. If you also want to pull espresso, the Eureka Mignon series of grinders is beautiful and versatile, albeit a bit pricier. It includes both single-dosing and bulk-grinding options.

The Verdict

I am pleased to report that the Arco 2-in-1 coffee grinder is not only more than a gimmick but is also a big step from connecting a power drill to your current hand grinder. It’s well built, easy to use, has a quality burr set, and comes at a very reasonable price given everything on offer. Even if you never take it apart, it’s still an excellent electric grinder with a small footprint and attractive design.

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