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Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberital?

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  • Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberital?

    I know theres another thread on Rocky vs. Iberital Challenge, but I didnt want to hijack it with this question, so I thought Id start this very specific cost-benefit analysis thread.

    So head to head, given the approx $100 difference, what are the arguments for and against each taking into account the price difference and the benefits (or otherwise) of the two grinders?

    Thanks for your thoughts!

  • #2
    Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

    I think a rocky would hold a better resale and most likley will last longer. Its a bit better built. the iberital is a pig if you want to use it for anything other then espresso. not only is it alot of turning, but the refernce point is not fixed, so you might have to dial it back in for espresso once your done. (waste of coffee) That said for espresso only use the steples adjustment is valuable. There seems to be a bit of debate lately about just how big the steps on rocky are. Ill let someone who has used both compare grind quality.

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    • #3
      Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

      All I can say is that I never have a problem adjusting Rocky to achieve a 25-35 second pour changing from bean to bean - ie from light such as the Peaberry Monsooned to heavier such as the Brazilian Carmello and back again. And because of the steps, its easy to remember where the best setting was for what bean and humidity etc (and you can write it down if you really want to )

      Cheers

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      • #4
        Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

        I would have thought there was more then $100 difference between the two grinders.

        I would get the Iberital or if I want something better I would go beyond the Rocky and get something real nice for close to $1,000.
        I, personally, wouldnt spend the extra for the Rocky. It looks cheap for how much it costs. If I spend that much I would like it to look good too. It is subjective, of course.

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        • #5
          Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

          Originally posted by Monti link=1182252486/0#3 date=1182272540
          I would have thought there was more then $100 difference between the two grinders.

          I would get the Iberital or if I want something better I would go beyond the Rocky and get something real nice for close to $1,000.
          I, personally, wouldnt spend the extra for the Rocky.  It looks cheap for how much it costs.  If I spend that much I would like it to look good too.  It is subjective, of course.
          I disagree.

          In construction its a whole heap better than the Iberital and the thing with this grinder is that it will still be around in 10 years- and I doubt that for the Iberital- which is lux based. Im not so sure on the construction of the doser version of the rocky but a rocky doserless offers great bang for buck....

          Id say grab one and then if upgraditis hits, you can retire it to cupping, origin of the week or decaf duties....

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

            Stainless and more stainless - cant see the Rocky doserless looking cheap.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

              Originally posted by ozscott link=1182252486/0#5 date=1182291075
              Stainless and more stainless - cant see the Rocky doserless looking cheap.
              Yes mate,

              And its damn fine quality stainless too.... The outer cladding is at least 1.2-1.5mm thick and so tough that I used three Sutton Titanium Coated drill bits to drill four holes (they went blunt, didnt break em) and two sets of hand taps to cut threads for new screw-on feet to replace the original stick-on rubber ones.

              If thats not enough, the Rocky is actually a commercial Rancilio MD-40 (info here) enclosed within a handsome (yeah I know, subjective but I like it) exterior so theres lots of pedigree and capability tied up in that very compact little package.

              Mal.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita


                Hi Benandfaith,

                I was also struggling with that question for a while, once I worked out that the bigger grinders like a Mazzer Mini or Macap were simply too big for the kitchen.

                For me, the Rocky was shorter (slightly) than the Iberital, and that was a key reason - the grinder had to be small.

                When I looked closely at the grinding burrs on both the Iberital Challenge and the Rancilio Rocky, the former uses the conical burrs and the latter the flat burrs.

                Since the flat burrs seem to be prevalent in the commercial grinders like Mazzer, this was the 2nd reason why I picked the Rocky.

                Was it worth the extra $100 or so? Probably not if you are not a serious coffee drinker. As far as I can tell, the grind quality from both are comparable.

                In terms of durability, I believe that the Rocky is going to outlast the Iberital. Just lift both grinders up and you can feel the weight difference.

                But for the average home user who is not grinding heaps and heaps and heaps of coffee every day, I think the claim to longevity is not as relevant, as both grinders will last a long time for the Average Joe home owner like myself.

                The last point that sold me is that whilst the Iberital had micro adjustment of the grind, the Rocky can quickly switch from one grind level to another so its more versatile.

                Lawrance

                p.s. I believe that the doser of the Iberital Challenge may sweep more cleanly than the doser of the Rancilio Rocky, so if you want a doser unit and you drink only espresso, perhaps Iberital is the answer.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

                  I have not owned either, but have had a Sunbeam [same burr as Lux/iberital] and have briefly borrowed an iberital and a Rocky [but not at the same time].

                  The Sunbeam and Iberital are very noisy....probably to do with their cheaper construction and possibly their conical burr set.

                  Depending on how acoustically bright you room is [I would call ours soft to medium] they will kill any conversation with and between guests and are guaranteed to walk up young children.......not good for that Sat arvo cuppa.

                  I was surprised how much quieter Rocky was against the Sunbeam.

                  Given they only run for a short time, noise is a relatively minor issue, but If it was a factor, go the Rocky.


                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

                    Basically, it all comes down to what you value.

                    If you value durability, and adjustability between blends, go for the rocky. If you value grind quality and adjustability for espresso, and can stand the higher pitched noise, go for the iberital.

                    If thats not enough, the Rocky is actually a commercial Rancilio MD-40 (info here) enclosed within a handsome (yeah I know, subjective but I like it) exterior so theres lots of pedigree and capability tied up in that very compact little package.
                    Id just like to address the whole "commercial" construction thing for a second. "Commercial" quality components refers to durability. It does not refer to quality of the result. I have used many commercial machines that have performed much worse than good prosumer machines. *braces for impact*

                    Its pretty funny, actually; La Marzocco are famous for going to the extreme lenghts of rerouting the plumbing in their machines and installing PIDs, adding many hundreds of dollars to the bottom line to control brew temeprature to their satisfaction. But when you open up an FB80, the steam boiler is controlled by a CEME pressurestat, just like in many prosumer machines!

                    I believe that the doser of the Iberital Challenge may sweep more cleanly than the doser of the Rancilio Rocky, so if you want a doser unit and you drink only espresso, perhaps Iberital is the answer.
                    Actually, I wouldnt go for the dosered Iberital. The doser does seem to do a good job of sweeping pretty clean, but I worry that the return spring on the dosing lever doesnt feel very strong. I guess if you dont dose at a million miles an hour it wont be a problem ;P

                    Since the flat burrs seem to be prevalent in the commercial grinders like Mazzer, this was the 2nd reason why I picked the Rocky.
                    Yes, and its interesting that Mazzer seems to manufacture some burrs for Rancilio, although their webpage doesnt list the rocky sized burrs.

                    However, the top of the line commercial grinders use conical burrs.

                    Each grinder certainly has its good points and its bad points. I guess it just means that you have to work out what is important to you. Were espresso nutcases - Dave bought a $2500 commercial conical grinder for the barista comp because it doses slightly more cleanly than a mazzer. He bought it on the advice that the stepped adjustment was so small that it wasnt a problem. Within two weeks, we were all so frustrated with it that it just sat in the corner. Dave ended up ripping the adjustment mechanism off and building his own stepless adjustment mechanism for it!

                    When stocks of the Iberital dried up, I sought out the Ascaso i2 as a replacement, based on recommendations from Jim Schulman of coffeecuppers.com that it grinds as well as his mazzer mini. I set up the i2 next to a mazzer super jolly and was hard pressed to tell the difference between the two in the cup. I owned a Rocky for two years, and argued for the i2 instead. That is why we decided to go with the less well known grinder rather than the Rocky, even though we could probably sell Rockys by the wheelbarrow full with all of the great press that they get on the internet. I havent done a head-to-head of the Iberital and a Mazzer yet, but Im looking forward to it ... once we get some stock.

                    So, like I said in the beginning, its horses for courses. Get the rocky if you value durability and adjustability between espresso and french press. Get one of the stepless conicals if you value espresso quality.

                    Cheers,

                    Luca *brace for impact* C

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

                      your a determined man Mal...

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

                        Originally posted by Veneziano Caffe link=1182252486/0#9 date=1182311460
                        If thats not enough, the Rocky is actually a commercial Rancilio MD-40 (info here) enclosed within a handsome (yeah I know, subjective but I like it) exterior so theres lots of pedigree and capability tied up in that very compact little package.
                        Id just like to address the whole "commercial" construction thing for a second. "Commercial" quality components refers to durability. It does not refer to quality of the result. I have used many commercial machines that have performed much worse than good prosumer machines. *braces for impact*
                        That is all I was trying to convey here Luca.... Just because something is rated as of "commercial" quality doesnt mean it will automatically grind coffee any better than a decent prosumer machine. By the same token, Rancilio MD-40s have a pretty good record for not only reliability but also for quality and consistency of grind and when it comes right down to it, thats all you can ask for.

                        The fact that it will also live long enough to hand down to ones grandchildren is also a definite positive in my book,

                        Mal.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

                          I have had people try to lift it at home and have been very surprised by the weight in such a small package

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

                            Originally posted by ozscott link=1182252486/0#12 date=1182337857
                            I have had people try to lift it at home and have been very surprised by the weight in such a small package
                            ...LOL ;D

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Is Rocky worth the extra $100 over the Iberita

                              Is anyone able to quantify to some degree how long each of these machines will last? Even a semi-wild guess will be fine.

                              From what Ive heard: "it will also live long enough to hand down to ones grandchildren is also a definite positive in my book" - means weve got one vote for at least a 30+ years lifespan for the Rocky.

                              Anyone want to put forward a rough figure for the Challenge or modify the Rockys numbers? (assume daily use of 2-3 grinds)

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