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Good < $300 grinder - please help!

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  • #31
    Paid very little for a used Rocky with Doser. best thing for making multiple coffee's in a row
    So far a good little unit, much better grind than the, old EM0480, quieter and clean

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    • #32
      Can I suggest my Nuova Simonelli Grinta for anyone looking. its in the for sale section and happy to negotiate.
      Cheers,
      Aaron

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      • #33
        If a member had a grinder for sale in Perth I would have considered it but buying unseen is sometimes problematic.

        So I pulled the trigger on a Cunil Tranquilo for $202 delivered which arrived on Monday, leaving me $100 to spend on coffee. So.. noisy don't really see this, messy possibly could be cleaner but grinding to group handle is going to be kind of messy, ugly? Are you kiding me its a thing of functional beauty!

        After a bit of trial and error I seem to be honing in on a good setting and getting some good shots, the pour it completly different from my old grinder.

        The Tranquilo is definitely better than a modded BCG450, you would expect that of course, but I dont have much else to compare it with...

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        • #34
          You can clean up the dosing process a lot if you use a short "funnel". On the PF made from a section cut from a yogurt pot / plastic drink cup.
          it stops the grinds falling out as they heap up in the basket.
          are you using the timer dosing, or just single dosing by weighing beans ?

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          • #35
            Originally posted by blend52 View Post
            are you using the timer dosing, or just single dosing by weighing beans ?
            At the moment I'm using 3 x 6 gram grinds to fill a double shot single wall filter that came with a BES900.

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            • #36
              bcg 820 $199 myer????

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              • #37
                You might be able to pick up a Rancilio Rocky 2n'd hand for that type of money, I've had one for a few years and can't fault it.

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                • #38
                  I just ordered a BCG800 yesterday for $233 and now I see the BCG820 for $199 !!!! ARRRGHGHGH!

                  Is the only difference some additional adjustment?

                  EDIT: Was able to cancel the order no problems...wooo!

                  BCG820 $199 will go well with my EM7000 for $399 hah
                  Last edited by noise36; 27 June 2014, 12:17 AM.

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                  • #39
                    Originally posted by noise36 View Post
                    Is the only difference some additional adjustment?
                    I have a BCG800 and BCG820. There are some good changes apart from the shim-less adjustment;
                    - Finer increments to dosing (0.2 sec steps) and it counts down during grind - great for OCD types. Can save different pre-set time for 1 and 2 shots.
                    - Displayed grind size number (fine 1-60 course I think - as well as position on slider)
                    - Roter that drives the grinds to the outlet is now metal - 800 was plastic

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                    • #40
                      The tranquillo has caught my eye as well. Anyone know how prone to breaking down they are? I doubt the eBay sellers offer warranty with the machines

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                      • #41
                        So what did the OP go for in the end out of curiosity?

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                        • #42
                          Originally posted by Dimal View Post
                          Another one that I'd have no hesitation in recommending, is the Lelit PL043... I used to own one

                          Punches way above its weight in output quality but would be slower than a Compak K3, I'm not familiar with the Isomac but expect it would be similar. Definitely a better build quality than any of the appliance grinders out there...
                          Mal - out of interest, can I ask why you sold it? I've noticed a few threads where you said you had one and were happy with it.

                          I have a newly acquired one and I'm having a little reverse buyer's remorse, i.e. not spending enough rather than spending too much. So I didn't follow your advice in your sticky post about buying the best grinder that I could afford. I was sufficiently shocked at the size of the K3 and the Macaps that I went for something that wasn't going to look like the Colossus of Rhodes each time I walked into the kitchen, not to mention the domestic politics.

                          But I am wondering now whether this was wise. It's not the noise and a little mess and retention - I knew about that. I'm not finding the grind setting all that stable (I have the MMI model with stepless adjustment), and I have to continually make it finer and finer. When it's right the taste is fine, but then it needs adjustment again. This is with freshly roasted coffee (but not too fresh). I guess the machine needs bedding in, and a bit of adjustment is normal as beans age a little, but I'm surprised by the frequency and size of adjustments that I'm still having to make, burning through coffee each time. My impression is that the larger machines are more stable in their settings. But something like an M4D is a big jump in size and price.

                          p.s. This is a thread about grinders <$300. Perhaps this should be in a new thread. I would not object if mods moved it.
                          Last edited by gunda; 20 August 2014, 12:01 PM. Reason: Wondering if this was the right place for this question

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                          • #43
                            Hi Gunda,

                            We're currently using a Lelit PL44MMT in the workshop for staff coffee (for the last 6 weeks or so). Basically the same as yours except it has the timed feature. In all of that time we've had to change the grind 2 or 3 times, sometimes coarser, sometimes finer and usually as a result of a blend change. You shouldn't have to keep going finer unless the coffee you are using is staling.

                            charlie

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                            • #44
                              As above,
                              I've got an old Rocky, and only need to change my grind if the beans I'm using change due to the roaster/ blender.
                              but he tells me to expect it when he's done something different.
                              Otherwise, maybe 1 small adjustment finer right at the end of a 1kg bag if it's taken me longer than usual to use, or was a few days older when i received it.

                              SO I doubt that spending twice the money on your grinder will make any difference.

                              Although i did used to have to grind coarser with my old EM0480 as the machine started to clog up. (pain in the butt that thing was.)

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                              • #45
                                Perhaps then the error is on my part. Still with my L plates on.

                                I don't think the beans are going stale. I'm getting them freshly roasted and going through them at a reasonable pace and storing them carefully, so I don't think that there's that much more that I could do on that front.

                                Despite all the commentary on my experiences, I'd still like to hear from Mal about what he liked about the PL043 unit and why he moved on.

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