Good coffee grinders?

StuntDouble

StuntDouble

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I'm looking for a good quality coffee grinder for home use. Preferably something that will last a few years after being used a couple times a day, and is somewhat portable in case we want to take it on vacation with us. Any suggestions?
 
StuntDouble said:
I'm looking for a good quality coffee grinder for home use. Preferably something that will last a few years after being used a couple times a day, and is somewhat portable in case we want to take it on vacation with us. Any suggestions?
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You'll be looking for a burr grinder of course. Krups as noted. Braun. DeLonghi make a good one at reasonable price, I've had one for three years and works well. I think it is sold under the Dualit brand in the US and probably more expensive as a consequence. Prices go up and portability goes down as you get closer to the cafe style grinders.
 
Solis Meastro, Bodum Antiqua not my choices but I consider them minimum quality but what I consider a good grinder may make you yell out are you crazy I will never pay that.

Krups and Delonghi types are cheapos they will work alright for a little while until the burrs wear out (unsharp soft type cheap steel burrs like cheap dull pakistani knives) and your grind quality will err not be quite as good.

Forget the weedwackers (the little lawnmower type blades) they plain suck they are only good for turkish.

Investigate this more on the web or disregard whatever you want.
 
If you want I can tell you from my own personal experience stemming from Many different grinders I have used in the past what sucks and what is good.
 
I have used an old Zassenhous Model 169 DG for the last 5 + years. At my age, it's the only exercise I get. ;)

I have read reviews of just about all the electric burr mills. It seems that the biggest complaint about the cheaper ones is the mess they make. I have not tried one, so I don't know if it's a valid complaint.
 
I have the Zass 169 newer version if yours is the older it may actually be better. They are good grinders but some people just don't like hand cranking. I myself love these type of grinders.

Cheaper mills use soft dull burrs that tend to crush and crumble more than cut (more powder in the mix) Sharp quality blades create a much more uniform powder free grind which makes a drastic difference in your brew's flavour.

As long as you have a good grinder you can brew a great cup out of an old sock if you want. If you have a great fantastic machine without that good grinder you will make muck.

Kyocera (japan) makes good hand crank mill with ceramic burrs for about $75 I can only find it at orphanespresso.com
 
I would get a new one (not a krups either) That's my opinion. Loss of flavor can be subtle as the burrs wear out or even no change at all if the burrs were never sharp to begin with.

I am almost positive (dulled taste buds being the exception) you would immediately know the difference if you used a high quality burr grinder such as a Mazzer or even a Solis with unworn burrs.
 
Actually loss of flavor is not the right term rather the addition of flavor being a mixture of bitter and sours that come for overextracted power and underextracted large chunks during brewing. Sharp quality burrs mounted on rigid strong precision mounts make a big difference in producing good cup quality.
 
I guess I should have given you guys a bit more info. As much as I would like the top of the line, I'm afraid I can't afford a $600 grinder;). My realistic price limit is around $100 or so. We tend to brew right around 6 to 8 cups at a time, and occasionally make some espresso. We currently use a cheap GE blade grinder, that causes quite a bit of dust. Like you said, the coffee is often bitter, no matter what is done to flavor it.

greater, I'd be interested in hearing more information.
 
errr, buy the cheapest one you can find at WalMart? :) That's what I did, no complaints here!
 
I've had a number of coffee grinders over the years.
My current coffee grinder is a Hamilton Beach like this one:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...s (Beta - 9)&LNM=Primary&ref=tgt_adv_XASD0001

Works good. The price is right.
Got it at Target for about $25.
The cord wraps up into the base.
The grind bowl is stainless steel and is removable. (makes it easier to dump and keep clean.)
I gots no complaints.

I am told that over-grinding coffee can cause bitterness. (haven't experienced it myself, but I guess it could be.) This grinder has a timer so you can set it to grind the way you want and get the same result each time.
 
Off hand I can only think of the Solis Meastro about $99 to $120.00 This grinder has excellent quality conical burrs to make a great cup of coffee however the problem with this grinder is not the burrs but the burr mounting system. I have to say it's weak and has a little play (the beans wedging between the burrs during grinding keeps the alignment even. It actually works well until..... )

The grinder will do good on the fine side of regular but using it for espresso grinding (pump driven espresso machine not steam, steam doesn't require as fine a grind) will decrease it's life span to about a year or maybe less. This is due to the burrs nicking each other after all the coffee is gone from between them. It will make a great espresso grind at first but then the burrs will gradually get dull from the nicking.

Don't ever use rice to clean it out because the burr mounts can't handle any thing harder than coffee beans.

There is also a meastro plus but don't bother paying the extra it's basically the same as the meastro but with a weighted base (heavier.) The virtuoso (~$200) has slight burr mount improvement but in my opinion not enough. I would buy the Meastro. The latest Solis the ceramic burr Vario has good reviews and seems to be well made but is out of your price range (~ $430)

The above problems really manifest themselves (this applies to most other low price grinders as well) when you choose to go the espresso route. You'll get far more leeway if you choose another type of coffee brewing method that uses a coarser grind.

The bodum antiqua (~$90) is another good lightweight cheapie but this one does not do espresso too well. I can be modded but I would get the meastro.

A good hand crank grinder with conical burrs can handle quite a wide range if you don't mind hand cranking and they are quite portable. Orphanespresso.com is very frank in describing the capabilities of their new and used hand crank grinders. I personally like Zassenhaus and the new Kyocera Japan. Some of antique hand cranks actually have better precision than the newer ones for a good price. A good hand crank will set you back about about $60 to $90.

A coffee fanatic like me would get a used Commercial espresso grinder on ebay preferably a mazzer (~ $175 to $250 + ~ 60.00 for new burrs) and clean the ton of gunk out of it (requires some know how and elbow grease) for traveling I would choose a hand crank grinder like the Kyocera (~ $75) . You obviously don't want to travel with a 25 pound commercial grinder but it will grind all the espresso you want as well as any other grinds and provided the machine is in good condition will do it great. These machines outlast you when used in a home (non commercial environment.)
 
I am sorry guys but the cheap stuff that has been mentioned hamilton beach, krup, cusineart, the lawnmower type blades are bottom barrel, below cheap. You may think they are fine for your needs but that is because you have not experienced great tasting coffee made using a quality grinder.

As I said before you can make great coffee even fabulous coffee using the most crude brewing methods if done right. Unfortunately a quality grinder is a must and although I wish they were less costly they are not. Quality sharp steel burrs that are precisely mounted over a motor cost money to manufacture.

The quality of the grind makes a huge difference in cup flavor.
 
greater said:
The quality of the grind makes a huge difference in cup flavor.
Click to expand...

Right with you there.

Thanks for the heads up on the Kyocera - nice piece of kit. I may not need one but now I want one.:D

I suspect that many of the different brands have the same internals (Dualit, De Longhi, Bodum Antiqua, Solis 166 seem to be identical).

I only grind for plunger and the burrs in my DeLonghi are still sharp at 3 years. YMMV. Cheers.
 
greater can you recommend some of the grinders you speak of? any around 100 bucks or less?
 
I don't drink coffee but would be curious to try a cup of what you connoisseurs (junkies? :p) make. I have heard all kinds of discussion on the beans, the roast, and now the grinder. I guess everyone needs a hobby though :thumbup:
 
The cheapest I find is the Gaggia MDF for $169 on evilbay see below.

For espresso finding a quality used commercial espresso grinder for $100.00 is going to be difficult. I see a lot of Mazzer super jolly grinders from coffee shop closeouts on ebay for good prices about ~$200 to $300. Forget the nice home sized Mazzer mini nobody wants to let them go for cheap even though the much larger (some may consider huge) jolly is better.

There are also a lot of Rossi RR45 used comercial grinders on ebay for cheap though not as good as a Mazzer they are more than good enough for any home environment I have seen these go for dirt cheap sometimes (about $150). The huge rancilio MD50 is also good and can sometimes is sold for cheap used on ebay. These deals come and go quickly. I have also seen deals on mazzer Majors they are bigger than the super jolly which some consider more than big enough or too big. Keep in mind they often require new burrs ($50 to $90 depending on brand and size) These are all flat burr grinders. Forget commercial conicals
no seems to let those go for cheap. Regardless of flat burr or conical commercial espresso grinders will do a great job and are considered overkill for home (but not my home.) These are generally good and working but often need extensive cleaning and new burrs also despite the fact that they often are good does not mean it is risk free for that you have to buy new with a warranty these are not under guarantee.

A good hand crank grinder calibrated for espresso would work but I still find the commercial grinders make better espresso grinds from my personal experience. This may not always be the case however as other have different opinions on this.

The Solis Meastro ($99) would make excellent espresso grinds but only for a while before the burrs go beat on you.

A Gaggia MDF (MDF MDF MDF MDF not MM) is also good and what some espresso enthusiasts consider the bare minimum (me included.) I would purchase this used only since I don't think the going price new is any bargain. There is one on E#ay for $169.00 using buy it now option. I would consider that a great buy as this one uses good quality commercial type burrs and is small.

These are known as prosumer models (Gaggia MDF and Rancilio Rocky) since they are somewhere between commercial (commercial burrs and mounts) and home use (non- commercial housing and chinsey dosers) but they can handle loads of any kind of grinding and thats what matters most. The Rancilio Rocky is another prosumer goody but the price on those have skyrocketed and nobody wants to let them go for cheap.

People often confuse the Gaggia MDF (MDF is the good one) with the Gaggia MM. Don't waste money on the MM.

If you don't grind as fine as espresso I suppose the above mentioned Solis Meastro made by Baratza will be fine as well as a quality hand crank grinder (not a cheap hand crank they suck) made by Zassenhaus, Kyocera Japan, Perlox Japan, or Puegot (be aware the Puegot is said to not be too great for very fine grinds.) There are also various antique out of production German hand cranks that are good if you find one in good condition and unworn.

Other grinders that I find alright are the kitchen aid A9 (antique replica) electric grinder this one has small stainless flat burrs that actually cut though it's not very good for espresso grinding. If you can find this one for cheap it might be worth it but for $129.00 I would go for the connical burr non-commercial Solis Meastro or bodum antiqua as they are both cheaper and better.

Keep away from the more expensive kitchen aid proline KPCG100NP (huge cheap dull flat burrs that crush more than they cut) trust me this one sucks.
 
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