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G'day EdwardCOriginally posted by EdwardC View PostSunbeam EM6910 (yes, I am aware). Yes, it will be upgraded too, one day, and I won't want to upgrade the grinder again at that point.
I come from a long term (1970... getting old...am old...) background in commercial espresso machines and grinders. Most of them are not very suitable for home use and almost every espresso machine I used before 2000 is now technically inferior "in the cuppa" to any reasonable machine (like your 6910) these days. Reliability is directly related to maintenance, and almost every espresso machine (and grinder for that matter) needs lots of TLC to go the distance. Yesterday I finally bit the bullet about some of that as a number of more expensive newer machines are also inferior today - some by a huge margin. See https://coffeesnobs.com.au/brewing-e...tml#post646493.
Over to grinders.
I am at 2 locations, so everything is in pairs. FWIW, my new 480s were calibrated and had the eccentricity and dynamic play set to a minimum at a mate's "medical stainless" engineering workshop - one needed a fair tweak, the other one almost nothing, which shows how 480s can vary from one to another "out of the box". I reckon my 2 were about as good as any 480 can get - and they served me well for quite a few years. I upgraded from 2 EM480s to a new, Swiss made, Mahlkoenig Vario gen2 in Nov 2013, then a second new Vario a few weeks later as it was so impressive.
The Vario is a lot quieter (NOT silent by any stretch) however it was the superb Turkish to espresso performance in terms of particle spread that was a large step up. The Vario being compact, having very low grind retention (important for a mere 2 coffee sessions per day of 1 to 4 coffees each), no clumping, static or any of the other multiple PITA aberrations that plague a number of commercial grinders were a bonus. No mess on the bench / floor by throwing grinds everywhere was nothing short of a godsend at one location where the grinder is right at the front of the bench (domestic harmony rules).
My own two Varios were joined by a "too good a bargain to avoid" new gen3 in January 2016. I was swayed due to constant posts on HB and CS about the unreliability of Baratza Varios so I bought a "spare in advance". Ironically, about a fortnight later one of my friends cafes had (yet another dead burr) issue with his commercial SJ grinder and I took my oldest Vario there as a stopgap "for two or three days". Just over 6 weeks later his new burrs arrived, and the little "domestic appliance" (according to some traditional coffee aficionados) Vario had managed over 40Kgs a week for all that time without breaking a sweat. Apart from need to clean the chamber out every three or four hours my mate was sorry to see it go - it massively outperformed his big beastie "in the cuppa" as well as giving him more bench space and less noise. When it finally returned home I checked the Vario's reputed "long life ceramic burrs" against the other two Varios with a microscope - no noticeable wear. The same grinder has now done two more shorter stints at that site until my friend finally cracked and bought an EK43 for his cafe. So after well over 250Kgs my first Vario is still as good as the two newer ones, which has put the reliability question to bed AFAIAC. Since then I have "repaired without parts" a few other Varios from friends, rellies and a couple of like minded CS'r's - none of them would have "failed" without poor cleanliness or lack of maintenance and only one of them took more than 15 minutes to sort - it had a butchered repair done under warranty (just like my first 6910 - another sad story).
So my take - if you only do espressos, consider the Mahlkoenig (not Baratza - it is a grey import) Vario gen3. Not perfect, however if you have a good 480 - as seems likely because you have been happy with it for a while - there is little point in moving sideways rather than upwards.
TampIt
PS I "upgraded" one 6910 to a 7000. Although a lot quieter (domestic harmony still rules there) it is not as good "in the cuppa" or at frothing milk as its predecessor. Not an upgrade in my view. I have now bitten the bullet and have a Decent DE1Pro - it is a big step up in terms of flexibility (and cost...), however I have not had it for long enough to comment beyond first (very favourable) impressions.
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I've had sensational coffee made on an EM6910 so I agree with aiming for a good grinder as a priority. It sounds like your grinder needs are a bit more than just 'quiet'. Lots of variables to consider:
Price
Grind quality
Space (eg how tall)
Burr type (flat or conical)
Doser or doserless (overwhelming preference is for doserless these days)
Stepped or stepless adjustment
Ease of use (eg programmable or manual control)
Grind retention
Speed
Parts availabilty (eg replacement burrs)
Make a short list based on your own research and check out grinder buying guides. I recommend visiting a site sponsor or other vendor who sells a wide range of grinders.
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Aware that it's significantly cheaper and noisier than the grinders I'm considering. Indicator is a line. Not really up for single dosing.Originally posted by level3ninja View PostAware of what?
Is the drip tray full indicator a circle or a line? You might be surprised how good a shot you can get from it with a good grinder and VST basket with matched tamper. If you're willing to single dose of suggest the Niche Zero as a quiet grinder.
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Aware of what?Originally posted by EdwardC View PostSunbeam EM6910 (yes, I am aware). Yes, it will be upgraded too, one day, and I won't want to upgrade the grinder again at that point.
Is the drip tray full indicator a circle or a line? You might be surprised how good a shot you can get from it with a good grinder and VST basket with matched tamper. If you're willing to single dose of suggest the Niche Zero as a quiet grinder.
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Sunbeam EM6910 (yes, I am aware). Yes, it will be upgraded too, one day, and I won't want to upgrade the grinder again at that point.Originally posted by level3ninja View PostWhat machine do you have? Do you have any plans to upgrade it (and I assume you won't want to upgrade the grinder again too)?
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Pull the big chunk of concrete out of the washer and what's left would weigh the same as the grinder!Originally posted by Valvster View Post...how can a small electric motor with a simple digital timer in a small box with a shaft with burrs attached to it cost as much as my complex Miele washing machine?

Java "Balance what?" phile
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What machine do you have? Do you have any plans to upgrade it (and I assume you won't want to upgrade the grinder again too)?Originally posted by EdwardC View PostI'm after a quiet grinder, but also an upgrade from my current Sunbeam EM0480. Budget-wise, I'm flexible - ideally I don't want to upgrade again after this, and I don't want to look back and think "I could've spent 10% more and got something way less compromised than this".
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Economies of scale, I expect. Pretty much every household has a washing machine, very few have coffee grinders, and fewer still bother with something that approaches the results of commercial grinders.Originally posted by Valvster View Posthow can a small electric motor with a simple digital timer in a small box with a shaft with burrs attached to it cost as much as my complex Miele washing machine?
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I'm in the same boat, so am watching this thread with interest.... looking to upgrade from an old Breville Smart Grinder (old enough to be a collectors item).Originally posted by EdwardC View PostI'm after a quiet grinder, but also an upgrade from my current Sunbeam EM0480. Budget-wise, I'm flexible - ideally I don't want to upgrade again after this, and I don't want to look back and think "I could've spent 10% more and got something way less compromised than this".
What I am really struggling with is the price.... how can a small electric motor with a simple digital timer in a small box with a shaft with burrs attached to it cost as much as my complex Miele washing machine?
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I'm after a quiet grinder, but also an upgrade from my current Sunbeam EM0480. Budget-wise, I'm flexible - ideally I don't want to upgrade again after this, and I don't want to look back and think "I could've spent 10% more and got something way less compromised than this".Originally posted by flynnaus View PostDo you want a quiet grinder or a quieter grinder? There are probably several quieter and cheaper grinders than the Eureka Silenzio.
Perhaps you ought to tell us what your current grinder is so we have a benchmark. What's your budget?
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Do you want a quiet grinder or a quieter grinder? There are probably several quieter and cheaper grinders than the Eureka Silenzio.Originally posted by EdwardC View PostTired of killing conversation in my entire open-plan kitchen/living/dining area - is there anything I should consider that's more affordable than the Silenzio?
Perhaps you ought to tell us what your current grinder is so we have a benchmark. What's your budget?
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I can't say I disagree, however motor in this context at least in my meaning refers to the motorised unit itself which includes the burrs.
A units damping will also be key.
TBH surprised no one has chimed in about a niche yet.
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