recommendations for good coffee grinder?


 

Pinny

TVWBB Super Fan
I just bought a Gaggia Evolution espresso machine. To match the $225 machine I of course want to get a top notch grinder, however I don't want to spend over $300 on it (prefer under $200). Any coffee fans out there have a good recommendation for me?

Thanks,
Pinny
 
I'll have to consider getting one of these soon. I have a conical burr grinder I paid about $60 for. It is as loud as a jet engine taking off. I'm sure my neighbors love it, at 5:40 AM. Plus, even though it does claim to have several dozen different grind settings, I can hardly tell between the most opposing two.

I'm loving my Technivorm, thats for sure. Funny, a month after getting it, it's listed in Cook's Illustrated as the best drip coffee maker. The others didn't even come close.
 
For use with an espresso machine I would recommend the Cunill Tranquillo. It is a decent low end espresso grinder. The Baratza is a nice grinder but I am not sure if has the adjustability needed to dial in the proper shot timing. Another option would be a used or refurbished Rancilio Rocky.
 
Don't know much about Espresso machines - however:

Capresso seems to make a nice burr grinder. The one that's built into our coffee machine is quite variable, but also loud as heck (Tom Chips's unit may be one). It gives a good consistent grind, and we have been using it every morning for about 6 years.

Last time I saw one of their separate stand-alone grinder units, they were in the mid-one-hundred-buck range.

Cheers
 
I recently obtained a very gently used Gaggia MDF off of Ebay for ~$200 (they are now $299 new). Check out this site for tons of reviews, etc. Also check out the user forums there for B/S/T, you can get a good deal there as well. Having recently got the espresso bug (Rancilio Silvia with PID mod), I've spent a lot of time at www.coffeegeek.com learning a lot from the posters there, good group, similar to here in attitudes and helpfullness. They really stress the importance of a good grinder for good espresso.
 
I was cruising eBay yesterday looking at grinders. I want to understand the small details as to why a cheap grinder wont work as well. I don't have a lot of counter space left, so having a big grinder, and eventually a espresso maker, might be asking a bit much. It would be fun though.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom Chips:
I want to understand the small details as to why a cheap grinder wont work as well. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

There are a few factors... The cheapest grinders use a blade to chop up the beans. This can create particles of many different sizes in the grind. These particles will extract at different rates. The smaller pieces (including dust) will extract faster and will over extract, adding bitter notes to the coffee, and the larger particles can under extract and add a sour note to the coffee. Also, the degree of grind is controlled by how long you grind and reproducibility is difficult.

The next step up is a bur grinder which uses toothed burrs to grind the coffee. These can be set for a specific grind level so you can reproduce the same grind every time. The difference between burr grinders of different price levels is based on on the size and type of the burrs (flat vs. conical), the strength of the motor, and the mechanism that holds the burrs. Better grinders will have larger conical burrs with bigger motors and mechanisms that allow very minute adjustments (sometimes even "stepless" adjustments) and do not drift from a setting. Less expensive burr grinders will have coarser adjustment, smaller burrs and smaller motors.

For drip coffee most people can use a blade grinder without noticing the difference. If you are concerned about being able get the same results every time then go to a burr grinder. Again, for drip, the less expensive burr grinders will work very well.you For espresso, in order to dial in the proper shot timing (approx 2 oz of espresso in approx 25 seconds) you need the ability to adjust the grind in fine steps. This is why I recommended the Cunnill Tranquilo earlier in the thread. For an espresso grinder it produces a consistent grind with very little dust and has enough adjustability that it will allow you to dial in the grind properly.

Don't over look used or regurb commercial grinders for espresso. I bought a $900 commercial grinder for $75 on eBay a couple of years ago, spent $45 on new burrs and I have a fantastic grinder!
 
Thank you Ron, that puts it in a clear light. I was a bit curious as to why the $60 burr grinder I have wouldn't work. But, honestly, I wouldn't mind getting a unit that operates a bit quieter. The 16 supposed different settings of coarseness on mine, seems like quite a stretch.

If you don't mind, I think I will be picking your brain about coffee/espresso stuff again in the future.

I'm watching a used grinder on eBay right now that is sitting at $230, and from what I've gathered, it's one of the best out there that goes for $900 new.

God help me if I get another expensive hobby. I have spent over $1000 on dress shoes in the past 2 months.

Thanks again.
 
Ron, one more question for you. If I want to buy the best espresso maker for under $600, what would get me the most bang for the buck? I don't mind buying a higher grade used model on eBay, but I don't know what to choose. I don't spending time on learning the more complex functions or techniques, all I have to please is myself.

Thanks for any info.


Tom
 
Tom,
For reviews on machines go to www.coffeegeek.com. Prices on machines from Europe have really gone up due to the falling exchange rate, increased cost of stainless steel, etc. I got my Rancilio Silvia back in the summer for $545 and they are now $699. I am very happy with this machine (I added the PID modification for increased temp. stability, rather like the BBQ guru or Stoker mod for the WSM) and it appears to be one that gets great reviews. There are many, many choices out there so do your research and you can find a really fine machine for a good price. Check out the used ones as well. It is yet another expensive hobby, but I think that mine has nearly paid for itself vs. $tarbuck$ ("the lines are long but it's expensive") and frankly my drinks are better (rather like the fact that BBQ from the WSM is far better than any commercial outfit IMHO). I'd love to have a HX machine plumbed in but that will have to wait.
 

 

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