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New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

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  • ajp001
    replied
    I was using a spice grinder before I bought one of these. I don't know that it made much difference, but the spice grinder blew up when it get wet. I do know that the freshly ground, freshly roasted coffee is MUCH MUCH better than anything that I used to have when I purchased ground coffee from the supermarket.

    From reading these posts ... Is the thing about the more expensive grinders mainly that they give you a consistency in the evenness of the grind? Is there an in between step from $30 Aldi to $300 smart grinder.

    I have just purchased a single wall filter for my humble EM3600.

    The biggest problem that I am having since starting to read this forum is that I never seem to like going out for coffee any more. I'd much rather have friends over for coffee at my place, using my home-roasted coffee made as I like it

    A tweak here and an upgrade there, I am slowly but surely becoming a bit of a coffee snob!

    Leave a comment:


  • twitch1979
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    Hi All

    This is the first grinder I have purchased and I would agree although not great I am seeing an improvement over purchasing pre ground coffee.

    I have been using with a stove top also from Aldi and also with a French press.

    For $30 is has given me a taste of what fresh ground coffee can do and I am sure over time and as I upgrade my set up I will purchase something 10 times of more this cost.

    Thanks to everyone for their feedback and suggestions.

    Leave a comment:


  • brad74
    Guest replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    I bought one of these and in my opinion they are not that great.  I bought it to use with a Stovetop while holidaying.
    Even at the finest setting the unit i have will not grind fine enough for my EM6910....not even close.  I would even prefer finer for my stovetop, but it was drinkable with the Aldi Stovetop.  On a positive note it did seem to be a consistent grind.
    It spins way to fast, the beans resemble popcorn when putting in just enough for a double filter basket and the grinds also come out at a million miles per hour...thank god its into a canister   
    When I have time I am hoping to be able to add a spacer as the top burr is held on by 3 screws,  if I could do that I would think it would be ok for a cheap grinder.
    As an off the shelf product unless you have a stovetop or pressurised baskets dont even look at it.

    Leave a comment:


  • Mischa
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    The thing this grinder is probably best at is giving people a taste of how much better freshly ground coffee is... and urging them to go out and buy a better grinder

    Leave a comment:


  • wolski
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    It is still more consistent than a blade grinder. And for the same price Id buy one of these every time.

    Its definitely not a grinder for a decent/good home machine (silvia etc) but I reckon for what Ive got at home its an improvement. Id love a better grinder but until Im closer to affording a much better machine I cant justify it.

    With the return policy that aldi has I would encourage people to see for themselves, and if its not good for you it appears aldi will refund your money!

    Dan

    Leave a comment:


  • don_nairn
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    at that price is it better or worse than a blade grinder?

    I would think for a stove top it will work.

    once you realize how quickly ground coffee goes stale and you can taste the difference you buy a grinder.

    where you want to be in 6 to 18 months time with coffee is a personal thing.

    how much money you can spend is also a personal thing.

    if you can stretch to something like a secondhand EM0480 you will probably have a better machine.

    Leave a comment:


  • wolski
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    Alright,

    after one night of using the grinder, to sum it up in one word: Crap.

    Sum-up in 10 words: Better than stale pre-ground coffee for pressurized portafilters and stovetops.

    Please keep in mind that this is a $30 grinder, and I have only used it for making coffee with a Sunbeam Cafe Espresso (EM3600) with a pressurized portafilter - Right near the bottom end of the espresso machine market. All up you could get this "set-up" for less than $200. Also, though I dream of being a super-barista and I have been learning lots from this site over the last 6 months, I still have a very limited knowledge on coffee things, particularly grinders.

    The coffee had been roasted in the last week at the local roaster (So lucky to have one of them!). Its Ethiopian/Bolivian Fairtrade and smells fantastic!

    Photos!



    this second one shows the grinder without the collector box. You can see the spout coming out horizontally.


    The first thing I did was grind a small amount of beans on the coarsest and finest setting. Coarsest setting was very inconsistent with large chunks and fine particles mixed through - quite inconsistent. The finest setting removes a lot of the larger chunks but you still get an inconsistent grind, and its nowhere near fine enough for a good espresso machine.

    Made a couple of lattes and they tasted much better than coffee that was ground a week ago when I bought it. Its not as good as finely ground, fresh coffee, but its better than finely ground, stale coffee. It would probably be good for stovetop and plunger (french press) brewing methods.


    So here are a list of pros & Cons.

    Pros:
    - $30 conical flat burr grinder
    - 60 money back guarantee - if you hate it just take it back
    - 2 year warranty.

    Cons:
    - All plastic construction, except for burrs and screws (and motor)
    - Burrs are tiny and not sharp at all.
    - Timer is a gimmick. You have to have it on to use the grinder - can be annoying.
    - STATIC galore. I have never seen so much coffee in an upside-down container. Also, to get it into your portafilter you need one big bang into a funnel or lots (and lots) of little taps to encourage to come out of the plastic collector box. Can be very messy if they decide to go all at once.
    - The spout into the collector is horizontal and a soft rubber. One use and it was covered in grinds that you cant remove. It also flings the ground coffee straight into the wall of the collector box, so no chance of dosing directly into your portafilter.
    - If you dont have the hopper lid on rogue beans shoot (at a decent speed!) out of the hopper to about eye level. I didnt cop one to the eye but I can see it happening!



    FINAL THOUGHTS
    I reckon that for $30 it is better than pre ground coffee for anyone who has a lower end machine like mine, or a stovetop or plunger (french press). It gives you fresher coffee, and for these types of brewing methods this grinder can give a suitable grind. No go for any espresso machines with un-pressurized baskets, as the grind is no where near fine enough.

    I havent tried it with a stovetop (or aeropress or anything other than the above machine) but if I get the chance I will post up my thoughts.

    Oh and a pic of my tulip/heart to finish  ;D


    Cheers,

    Dan

    Leave a comment:


  • Firepower
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    Originally posted by 667E7D627A78110 link=1308529841/18#18 date=1308612482
    Reply #18 - Yesterday at 09:28:02 Mark & Quote Quote
    Picture of the upper burr. Very tiny and blunt teeth.

    this is exactly what is in the low end grinders, and those burs are new. my Gaggia was a lot blunter than that, even when blunt will still grind coffee, it works by crushing the beans.

    not the best grinders, but better than no grinder.

    Leave a comment:


  • beabeabeaner
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    Burr housing is all plastic, lugs and lock mechanism look dodgy, burrs are tiny and look soft. The timer is twee.
    You get what you pay for, but any grinder is better than none which makes it great value!

    The stove pot was flimsy and looks a nightmare to clean. Here you will get better value by spending just a bit more.

    Leave a comment:


  • Mischa
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    i was very close yesterday! maybe ill grab one next time im on my aldi meat run if there are any left.

    Leave a comment:


  • damienh7
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    Any more experienced snobs considering spending $30 to have a look, perhaps for a bit of a laugh, or out of genuine interest? Id noticed these and was considering whether it would be OK for less fussy brew methods (I was thinking to pair with an Aeropress at work, for example).

    I figured for the small outlay, someone may be planning to do a review, to satisfy their curiousity.

    Leave a comment:


  • emckissock
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    It seems several people have been encouraged by this grinder to move from preground to whole beans

    Please post your experiences. They will help others. This forum is not just for the users of high end equipment.

    Leave a comment:


  • wolski
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    Picture of the upper burr. Very tiny and blunt teeth.


    Leave a comment:


  • wolski
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    I just bought one of these yesterday and some fresh beans from the local roaster this morning. I dont have high hopes but Im hoping having freshly ground coffee, even if its a coarser or less consistent grind, will be better than having coffee thats been ground for a week!

    Cheers

    Dan

    Leave a comment:


  • Ogdog
    replied
    Re: New to the grinder world, is Aldi a dirty word ?

    It was 4.5. Just made one the wife at 7.5. Its a bit finer. She loved it. Mine came with no instruction booklet so Im going by feel by its easy to use. Had a look at the cutters and as stated, seem rounded. I have no idea if what they should be as this is my first grinder. But I can say, it easily to use and the coffee it grinds (brought a pack of Vittoria Oro) tastes great.

    Leave a comment:

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