Some context: https://embracing.space/@IngaLovinde/110570583214960832

I mean, “budget” is always relative. Kingrinder has cheaper models, but OP mentioned $100 as a target.

Good hand grinders range in price up to around $500 (or more if you get into territory like the Helor 106 or the Lyn or Weber HG1s), with the big names clustering mainly in the $200-300 area.

Below a certain price point, grind consistency may drop noticeably, and the build quality may be less robust and parts may be less available to repair and keep the grinder in service. (Relevant since this is being asked on /BuyItForLIfe)

Budget grinder enthusiast go-to recently seems to be Kingrinder, which has had a lot of coupons recently on Amazon. I think you can get the K6 for $100 with coupon for example. Not sure about parts availability for long term repairability.

For in-stock keycaps that aren’t too expensive, try Cannonkeys, or Novelkeys when they have a sale. You can also check thocstock. Drop is also an option, although nobody likes Drop.

The coolest keycaps are generally sold as group buys run by dozens of different vendors around the globe. You can check mechgroupbuys or keycaplendar for info on those. (Or browse geekhack)

Most manual coffee grinders should have quite long lifespans in home use. You have to grind a lot of coffee (or, I guess, one rock) to wear out burrs.

1zpresso currently has probably the best rep at the moment among enthusiasts, but Kinu, Comandante are also well-regarded. All of those brands have some ability to get parts replacements if needed down the line, but which specific parts are available may vary.

A major differentiating factor is whether you need to be able to grind for espresso. Some grinders are optimized for espresso, some for pourover, and some are intended to both. Espresso requires more minute adjustments and the ability to grind finer. Traditional espresso benefits from a higher proportion of fines, contributing to the body of the shot, while pourover, especially more modern/third wave style, may benefit from less fines and higher clarity.

Some popular grinders:

• All purpose: 1zpresso K series, Comandante (may need “red clix” upgrade for dialing in espresso)
• Filter only, high clarity: 1zpresso ZP6 (currently back in stock at Rogue Wave in Canada, not sure for how long)
• Espresso: 1zpresso J-Max, Kinu

The Orphan Espresso Lido OG also seems like a good choice for a BIFL all-rounder do to its robust build, BUT it seems like there’s an issue with some of the parts in their adjustment mechanism on the current iteration that they’re working on addressing.

A couple of comprehensive roundup videos:

https://youtu.be/JySL64iigT4

https://youtu.be/MV6awoNQXHU

Note: this is just me synthesizing reviews basically, I’m not a grinder expert. (But I have a ZP6 and a J-Max and could answer questions about those.)

See keycodes here for toggling between bluetooth output and usb output:

https://zmk.dev/docs/behaviors/outputs

The Ploopy is neat, and I find the shape very comfortable for my hand. Programmability is nice, but definitely requires building in QMK in my opinion, firmware setup out of the box doesn’t really take advantage of drag-scrolling well, which is the best part of it from a UI standpoint.

Ergonomically, I find that I have to basically give it high heels with very tall stick-on feet, raising the back of the ploopy way up in order to keep my wrist angle neutral when resting my hand on the device.

The bearings are okay, but some folks use a modified shell with “ball transfer units” which will be much nicer to roll on.

I think it’s very funny that it uses a USB-B connector. (Certainly better than micro!)

https://boardsource.xyz/store/635562a82ee14e570df23798

Hey! 👋 I was getting stressed out on discord by being in too many discords, so I declared temporary discord bankruptcy on everything but like one group chat. Once my brain has cooled down I will get back into it.

Most ergo split boards are DIY builds. They’re cheap, but they require you to do a fair bit of soldering. (Usually including diodes and controllers.)

Many ergo boards are built around the pro micro pinout, and this means that they can generally be made into wireless builds using nice!nano controllers, batteries, and ZMK firmware.

Theoretically any pro micro based board can be made wireless like this, but the experience will be a bit better if the PCB supports battery on/off switches. This is especially true if you ever need to transport the board, because ZMK has no way to turn the board off electronically or put it into a soft lockout mode.

I really like the Kyria, personally, but ergo board layout preferences are very personal. You can compare layouts here: https://compare.splitkb.com/