Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
First, my apologies for taking so long to reply.
Now, an update: Ive been talking with Chris at Talk Coffee (who has provided exceptional service and information right from the first reply) and, after reading though the forums a bit more, Im looking at the Compak K-3 grinders. Hopefully I should be making a purchase this week!
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Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 101)
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Review coming shortly, I hope the photos work out OK!
dickwyn
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
On the Durability issue. Hazbean has had his MDF for fifteen years and it is still in very good condition, to me it looks like new. I cannot remember everything about it but I think the burrs are also in good condition from the last service it had.
You also have the choice of Black or white, if your minister of home affairs cares about that sort of thing.
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Hi BeanBrat- As far as I know, all current Aussie stock of Macap is and will continue to be stepless. CS member dickwyn purchased an MC4 from me a week ago....Stay tuned for his promised reviewOriginally posted by BeanBrat link=1169641778/15#26 date=1169851055Oh, I forgot to mention .. my Macap is stepped grind adjustment but the M5/M4 now come with the choice of stepped or stepless. Anybody happen to have picked up a stepless Macap ?
BeanBrat
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Oh, I forgot to mention .. my Macap is stepped grind adjustment but the M5/M4 now come with the choice of stepped or stepless. Anybody happen to have picked up a stepless Macap ?
BeanBrat
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
mmmm go Mazzer...work with them and now use it at home. I had a La Cimbali...adjustment wise the Cimbali was miles in front of the Mazzer (espresso grinding only - Cimbalis are v.slow to adjust via the worm gear...but this is why it excels at espresso only.....infinite adjustments!). I have also used Macaps at work before and I do not like the stepped adjustments, they are noisy buggers and the ones with metal collars will burn your damn finger...thats how hot they get. I have also had experience with brand spankin new Iberital grinders in a cafe....it was stepped...need I say more?
Okay...whilst these are all commercial machinery I am talking about....all of the qualities I look for are almost...but not quite...epitomised by the Mazzer...and the Mini is the perfect form for a home enthusiast or home grinder for the serious professional barista.
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Howdy,
As an owner of a both Rocky and a Macap M5 I can say this much.
The Rocky is an exceptional piece of equipment with a high level of component qulity. It produces a great grind and (to my ear) is not noisy or jarring in its sound level.
The Macap M5 is, as Thundergod alluded to, simply a stunner.
I chose it over the Mazzer Mini and I am very happy with it ;D The Macap looks sensational, the performance is oustanding and its NOT a Mazzer (hey, we are Australian, lets support the underdog !!
)
BeanBrat
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Id imagine that the big one would be durability. The challenge and its ilk also make quite a high-pitched noise. We actually uber geeked-out a year or two ago and one of the audio geeks brought in his sound meter. Turned out that the lux, which sounds similar, actually emits the same DB as the Rocky, but that the pitch is just more objectionable. In terms of adjustability, the Rocky is stepped, the Challenge is stepless.Originally posted by Halo link=1169641778/15#18 date=1169772591Ive just been looking at grinder prices and have noticed that theres a fairly big jump from challenge territory to, for example, rocky territory. Is there a significant reason that I should make the jump to the higher price bracket?
Cheers,
Luca
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
I have an MDF and i have left it bog standard - I am a perfectionist enough to want a good grinder, but not anal enough to keep doing mods on it.
I have had no issues with it at all I get great coffee from it with my classic.
My advice - For what is worth - is that the MDF is a great starting point as a grinder and will make the jump easily when you venture into getting a machine, regardless of the $$ you spend on it. It is not as bad as some people may have you believe when making adjustments, and with my different roasts and beans over the last month or so I very rarely have had to make any major adjustments on my grind.
By all means you can go and spend the $$$ on something very expensive like a rocky or a mazzer , but as somebody who is new to this coffee thing you are better off starting out with a basic set up which is easy to use and will give good results without too much hassle.
When you decide to move up to bigger and brighter things, you will be able to sell an MDF fairly easily.
Good Luck
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Guest repliedRe: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Reading the review by 2mcm the Compak (hopefully that is the correct brand) maybe worth a look as well. Seems to be in the price category you are now lookign at. 2mcm sells them and the Mazzer and Rocky and the Challenge so could give you pros and cons of each I am sure. Other site sponsors sell multiple brands so can give honest feedback on their equipment as well.
I have the challenge but if I had of had more cash I would have stepped up in the grinder department for sure. The challenge serves my purposes but would love something with a little more quality for sure. I was tempted with to buy one of the Mazzers from Veneziano but the money I got for Christmas burnt a hole in my pocket for too long and spent it on non-coffee products for a change
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
If you are talking Mazzer dont forget to consider a Macap.
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Hi Halo,
I think for a better grinder (like rocky or mazzer), they are able to produce more consistent grind (which is very important for espresso extraction) and more durable. Normally when you select a grinder consideration is based on your budget and your machine, Challenge territory is good for low budget which able to produce standard quality coffee with less consistency while rocky is able to produce more decent coffee most of the time. If you are not a modder and have more budget I suggest you can go for the mazzer mini which is higher level than rocky. Or if you owned an expensive machine (like silvia, 69100, giotto etc), it is better to get a good grinder to reveal the espresso machine true power.
By comparing mazzer mini to rocky, mazzer have more controls for you to play to produce a consistent brew. It is also more quiet and have infinite grind setting which have less interval between the grind size compare to rocky. As the owner of the rocky, I think rocky is a decent grinder that do a great job but it is still not choice for the "high end product". I will certainly upgrade my rocky to mazzer if I have money :-? but now I have spent all my money on the roasting setting and tamper.
Hope this may help ;D
Cheers,
Things
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Thanks for all the replies everyone!
Ive just been looking at grinder prices and have noticed that theres a fairly big jump from challenge territory to, for example, rocky territory. Is there a significant reason that I should make the jump to the higher price bracket?
Ive no real problem waiting a bit longer so I can get something better but I like knowing why something is better
Actually, thats a pretty good overview on why theyre better.The importance of the grinder cannot be under-stated! The better quality your grinder, the more surface area your coffee will be exposed to, thus extracing more of the desirable flavours and less of the those unpleasant ones - bitterness & caffeine, etc. It also means your machine will be less likely to over-extract some grinds, while under-extracting others...
And, for the record, I doubt Id be a modder unless it was something very simple
I can see no reason why I wont be just as picky with my coffee as I am with quite a few other thingsWhether it will suit your needs depends on how much of a perfectionist you intend to be with your espresso.
Ok, so the low end (excuse the term) machine of choice seems to be the Iberital Challenge.
What would the high end machine of choice be? Being realistic, Ill put the price bracket at between $500 to $700.
Excuse the quality of this post. Im kinda in a rush
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Re: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
LOL I use the curved end of a paint brush to scrape out excess coffee from the basket before tamping and/or the straight ends of a Heinekken bottle opener (stole it from the bar as it is useless at its intended purpose) to level the coffee...which it does beautifully at.
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Guest repliedRe: Newbie looking for a grinder (Grinder theory 1
Coffeesnobs are so resourceful using things for purposes they were not intended for but that they actually excel inOriginally posted by dickwyn link=1169641778/15#15 date=1169726804I use a tool commonly used my musicians to string their guitar.
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