Following some advice on how to replace the burr set (if necessary) from deegee, (thanks mate), and in the knowledge that at the moment I only want a grinder good enough to grind for an Atomic (in the process of restoring the same) I bought the ROK grinder. I am a novice as far as grinding goes and have only ever made coffee using a French Press or a Cona Vacuum system (except for my occasional dive into Turkish/Greek coffee obtained ready ground) so all the following has to be taked with a modicum of salt, my comparrison method was to look at the results with a magnifying glass and feel a sample between my thumb and index finger.
Upon unpacking I removed the infinite adjustment washers and the burr set. I re-seated the burrs as shown on various UTube videos.
After re-seating the burr set locks up at a reading of 11.
I then ground some very old coffee beans at various settings and these are my visual and tactile impressions.
Setting 12 (1 step open from lockup) extremely fine consistant powder. From memory similar to the last lot of ready ground turkish coffee I bought.
Setting 4 (5 steps open from lockup) fine consistant powder slightly more coarse than the above.
Setting 7 (8 steps open from lockup) again fine consistant powder slightly more coarse than those obtained from setting 4
Setting 11 (12 steps open from lockup) again consistant grounds approximately the same size as Kirklands "fine ground" coffee.
Setting 4 (17 steps open from lockup) again consistant grounds more course than Kirklands.
Setting 9 (21 steps open from lockup) relatively consistant grain size, a few grains slightly more course than the majority, approximately the same size as my granulated sugar and according to the information I have read this is the size I require for the Atomic.
Setting 2 (26 steps back from lockup) this setting produced grains that were larger than the above but also produced a noticiblly more inconsistant mix.
It has to be remembered that these are the first grinds from the machine and it has not had time to bed in. It is probable that when the burrs have bedded in better results can be obtained.
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I too would be interested to hear from anyone who has one of these grinders here in OZ, especially if it was purchased recently.Originally posted by matth3wh View PostWondering whether someone out there with the ROK grinder. Looks like pretty solid build quality and good value if just under $200. Any users out that have one and can chime in or update from the last comment. https://youtu.be/VEFdcdUyosQ
A friend and I were early adopters via kickstarter. Between us we tried four sets of ROK steel burrs but none of them would grind fine enough for espresso.
Only when we replaced them with modified Baratza burrs were we able to use either grinder with espresso machines.
At that time there were ROK grinder threads on HB and other forums. There were some happy users, but numerous others with issues, the most common being unable to grind fine enough.
One theory was poor tolerance control of the burrs, meaning that some buyers got well matched pairs, some got badly matched pairs, others got something in between.
There are several videos on line, including some by whole latte love, which seem to show that these grinders can do espresso. They show good looking grinds and espresso shots. So did ROK or their burr maker upgrade the stock burrs at some point in time ??.
Or were the videos made with grinders that just happened to get a very well matched pair ??.
I would like to know, but at present I don't have the answers.
As for an update - here is where my friend and I are at now :-
Both grinders have been used regularly for 1 to 3 shots per day for well over a year now, and are working well.
The speed and ergonomics are much better than hand grinders with the horizontal handle on top.
The " plastic" (Acetal) gears have not failed, and show no visible sign of wear.
There is zero retention - so no stale grinds to scrape out - no need to purge.
So my opinion of the grinder has not changed much over the last year.
Except for the burrs, the build quality and materials are good for < $200
It's a crying shame that this grinder was not fitted with good burrs from day one.
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Zombie thread rises again... beeeeans... give me beeeeeeeans!
Wondering whether someone out there with the ROK grinder. Looks like pretty solid build quality and good value if just under $200.
Any users out that have one and can chime in or update from the last comment.
https://youtu.be/VEFdcdUyosQ
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It is indeed much easier and more comfortable to use than hand grinders with the handles on top.Originally posted by lilmeh View PostI actually think it's a better design than the Lido2 if it at least produces the same or similar results. The one annoying thing about most hand grinders is that the handle is on top, and maybe my arm muscles are dismal at best but having the handle on the side would really make a difference ergonomically.
Unfortunately the burrs in the production units seem to vary from just OK to totally useless. The steel burrs I got would not grind fine enough for espresso, and the ceramic ones would not grind at all !!. ROK said they will replace them, but that was months ago and they have not yet done so.
Fortunately for me I had a set of burrs from a Baratza Preciso (Crap grinder but good burrs) which I was able to adapt and the result is a hand grinder that has great ergonomics and performance at a fraction of the price of the other large hand grinders.
ROK have admitted that the ceramic burrs are useless, but seem to be adopting a "head in the sand" attitude about the steel ones. They won't admit that there are problems with them. If they ever fit this grinder with the good quality burrs it deserves, they will have a winner, but until then it is a good design that is let down by a set of cheap burrs.
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Picking up an older thread because I just came across this in the Xmas sales..Originally posted by Talk_Coffee View PostFWIW, I really can't see that it will do anything that the Lido 2 doesn't already do.
I actually think it's a better design than the Lido2 if it at least produces the same or similar results. The one annoying thing about most hand grinders is that the handle is on top, and maybe my arm muscles are dismal at best but having the handle on the side would really make a difference ergonomically.
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UPDATE :- The prototypes had steps/clicks, but the production units will have step-less adjustment so they can be fine tuned to whatever setting you want on or between the numbers on the dial.
Also, I believe the adjustment wheel turns through more than 360°, so the full range is not limited to one turn of the wheel, and the numbers are there to provide reference points for the final tweaking, or to return to a previous setting if you switch between beans or brewing methods.
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This is a completely meaningless statement. Each step would be 8-9% OF THE RANGE - not of the grind size.Originally posted by nikko.the.scorpio View Post
That said my primary concern was that it appears to have 11 or 12 stepped grind adjustments ONLY - so essentially all things being equal you might expect to get a 8-9% difference in grind size between each step - which is a big jump and would seem to complicate folks wanting to really dial in/adjust their grind settings for espresso machine usage.
This strikes me as a tad ususual as a grinder with it's aspirations (they are actively promoting it as a $USD600+ grinder at less than 1/3 the price) would always be stepless/infinitely adjustable. Even the Sunbeam EM0480 had 25 or so stepped settings so 11-12 is a very imprecise level of adjustability.
If the range of grind sizes was 1/2 that of the sunbeam, then you'd have essentially the same precision (or shall I say, granularity
), just over a smaller range.
I typically adjust my grinder within only maybe 5% of the available range...
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Agree with the above, can't tell from the video whether you are able to dial in between the steps, which are awfully large as nikko.the.scorpio says. If you can only dial in on each stepped adjustment only, then the thing is useless for a fussy machine like the Silvia.
It has a double bearing which puts it in league with the Lido series, if they pull this off. The gears are plastic which makes me wonder whether you can purchase more if they break because you left it out in the sunny part of the kitchen for a year and they cracked. I don't care what strength rating you give the plastic components, I will manage to break them if they are breakable! The strength of the Lido grinders is you can purchase replacement parts if they break.
I think what this grinder has over the OE Lido grinders is that it is a break away from a pretty cumbersome design....
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I saw this a few weeks ago - if you take their grind particle consistency reports at face value it looks pretty compelling value for those who might aspire to HG One-esque performance but only have 1/5th of the budget needed!
That said my primary concern was that it appears to have 11 or 12 stepped grind adjustments ONLY - so essentially all things being equal you might expect to get a 8-9% difference in grind size between each step - which is a big jump and would seem to complicate folks wanting to really dial in/adjust their grind settings for espresso machine usage.
This strikes me as a tad ususual as a grinder with it's aspirations (they are actively promoting it as a $USD600+ grinder at less than 1/3 the price) would always be stepless/infinitely adjustable. Even the Sunbeam EM0480 had 25 or so stepped settings so 11-12 is a very imprecise level of adjustability.
Otherwise I thought it all looked reasonable - the slight caution I'd have is when these guys brought out their Presso (later rebanded as ROK Espresso maker) they seem to have not quality control tested it very extensively - as a lot of users had bit breaking etc and they had to completely redesign it using stronger components. So there is a precedent there to say let it hit the market first as they might have to tweak it before its working really well. :-)
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Pros :
-If you like new things and not in a budget, buying this will not hurt but satisfy the curiosity
-This thing will shine as your coffee shop or home decor neatly
-Pairing this with the ROK Presso, you can get the manliest espresso while travelling
-I don't own this, but as far as I read, this grinder keeps the gas after grinding? Might be neat for travelers
Cons :
-Not as good as commercial electric grinder with less effort and more quality
-A revolutionary idea but still..hands!
-I prefer other compact grinder if travelling or commercial grinder in the coffee shop / house
-Might as well invest in a way better grinder, long-term wise
I use Sunbeam EM500 myself and retire the good ol' Tiamo hand grinder. Til today, I still think its a good decision.
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ROK grinder - thoughts?
Hey all - has anyone heard about the ROK grinder? It's a new manual grinder that looks pretty interesting. I was thinking about buying one but not sure if I'm just falling for a flashy video and a new gadget. Are any CS sponsors stocking this or planning to?
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I'm sorry but I have no need or intentions of using a cordless drill with the HG 1 I have and am very happy with it and as a result my compak k3t has not been used since,I would however like a little hopper attachment for easier bean dump into the grinder.Originally posted by Andy View Post"Revolutionary" made me cringe a little, just the marketing team adding fluff I expect.
I think it looks good and should be easier to use without chasing it all over the bench like so many hand grinders. It will be interesting to see what the real "street price" will be when they are in production... I'm guessing with wide distribution they will drop 10-20% under the US$200 and should make it another good option for those looking for a manual grinder.
...although I'm yet to use any manual grinder that I don't think a cordless drill could improve!
I have a sneaky suspicion that your wish will come true and you will see a revolutionary grinder in 2015.
But as you say its revolutionary marketing hype.
The reason I bought this to peoples attention was there are few manual bench grinders like the HG 1 on the market at an attainable price if any ,and not to be confused with hand grinders like the Lido and Pharos. and just wanted to see what people thought ,but until we can get hands on time with this grinder its still an unknown entity.
+1 for the sneaky suspicion, but for me its going to have to out do the HG 1.
Can you tell I like My HG 1.
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Its all about RevolutionsOriginally posted by noonar View PostRevolutionary dictionary definition | Revolutionary defined
I'm a victim of cryptic crosswords chokkidog. so I still say it is a (not so) clever play on words. As for the grinder, looks OK, although IMO its more circumgyratory rather than revolutionary
I ordered mine by the first 100 subscribers, I do own two ROK / PRESSO coffee-makers, makes a good coffee on the road during a pitstop ;-)
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Just for you then, call it 'Che, for example, hears mythical legendary bird of prey grinding'.Originally posted by noonar View PostRevolutionary dictionary definition | Revolutionary defined
I'm a victim of cryptic crosswords chokkidog. so I still say it is a (not so) clever play on words. As for the grinder, looks OK, although IMO its more circumgyratory rather than revolutionary
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