Re: Your first grinder
My first was a Breville CG12 for $20 from my friend, then a Breville BCG450 (a year or two later) for $150-ish, then a Rocky for $450-ish, with which I am very happy!
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Re: Your first grinder
My first grinder was a Braun unit with its own hopper and time, a noisy bugger. Not sure on the cost as it was an engagement present back in the early 90s. It still works and a friend has it for grinding the decaf beans i give him.
About 6 months after buying the Giotto I upgraded to a Macap M5 for about $700 or somehting around that mark.
Dont think i will be upgrading at all from here. The grinder is superb.
Mal
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Re: Your first grinder
My first grinder was a second hand La Cimbali Cadet grinder. It was free from a friends garage. I then purchsed a new Sunbeam EM0480 for plunger/drip [cost RRP].
My next purchase was a new Mazzer Mini manual [cost $550] for home espresso. I then bought a new Compak K10 WBC for barista competition [cost RRP]. I replaced my humble Sunbeam with a second hand doserless Rancilio Rocky [cost $300] and recently won an new Anfim Best grinder from a competition in Sydney [cost free of charge] - does any one want to buy it??
So currently own:
Compak K10 WBC
Anfim Best - dosered or doserless, I do not know. I havent opened the box.
Rancilio Rocky doserless
My grinder stable is in a constant state of flux.
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Re: Your first grinder
Mid 80s
Tre Spade. A wooden, hand-cranked coffee grinder which looks like one of those oversize pepper grinders. This was used, as well as pre-ground coffee. Cost: $30-ish
1992
Gaggia MDF. Cost: gift. Used 15½ years. Tre Spade was pulled out of storage for a week to cover when MDF died.
Currently:
Macap M4 Cost: $629
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Re: Your first grinder
Well, here goes.....
First grinder was a small Braun Flat Burr unit that I bought in the mid 70s which I still have stashed away somewhere... Cost about $85.00 back then.
Second was an Imat/Nemox Lux Small Conical Burr unit that I bought earlier this decade... About $240.00
Next was a Rocky Doserless in around 2004... $400.00, and then
Last but not least is our current La San Marco SM-90A 64mm Flat Burr Commercial unit bought "used" about a year ago and this one is a real beauty.... Very big and can be a bit noisy but the end product is excellent. Can not see myself wanting to replace this one in a hurry..... Cost roughly $450.00
Mal.
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Re: Your first grinder
Worth telling again. Yes, a logical course and you could almost write a story on this. I agree with the grinder advice. One thing - the MM shouldnt be called a grinder - more a pulveriser when comparing the output with the Mini Mazzer.Originally posted by fatboy link=1215722218/0#16 date=1215751557I think Ive told this story before a little while back, but here it is again (hope its not too offf topic).
<snip - read it yerself : ) >
So if you have the budget, get a great grinder to start with!
If you dont have the budget. Exist on whatever setup you can whilst saving for a great grinder!
Quickly testing the off-topic limits but what made you buy the Expobar?
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Re: Your first grinder
Originally 199? :-[ Yep Spice blade grinder thingy $30 must mostly used LaVazza pre ground :-[ :-[ with some breville espresso thingy.
Frequented cafes after that till about 15 months ago and decided to research and get back into attempting something at home: Silvia / Macap M4 lasted about 6 months then VBM Super then 6 months later Compac W10.
Must be satisfied now
..............well the new Dual boiler VBM looks......whats that Dear?
Just checking the weather on the internet ;D
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Re: Your first grinder
Steve,
I think Ive told this story before a little while back, but here it is again (hope its not too offf topic).
The first foray was a Braun thingy with the blade grinder.
The Braun died - got a Breville. The Breville died, got a Delonghi machine and grabbed the KG100 at the same time.
Discovered CS.
Wanted to try a better grinder.
Got a Gaggia MM.
Delonghi machine started to leak - great excuse for an upgrade to a Silvia/Rocky.
Kept the Silvia for a couple of years and then went to the Expobar (fortunately my wife loves coffee too and has been more than happy to support the upgrades along the way).
After a few months of Expobar/Rocky combo, was tempted to the Macap M5.
One of the (minor) reasons for the upgrade to the Expobar was that we were due to have a couple of decent sized gatherings at our place and I was keen to have a HX or Dual boiler machine to allow me to pump out a decent number of coffees quickly. The machine has passed its 2 major tests with flying colours. The nut driving it... coped.
Along the way I gave away the spice grinder.
Sold the KG100 for $25. I wanted nothing for it but the guy taking it from me would not hear of it. He still uses it today and still reckons its great for his needs.
I gave the MM to brother-in-law as a stopgap until he got a better grinder. Hes just grabbed a Sunbeam EM??? so its hopefully a step in the right direction.
Sold the Silvia and Rocky seperately to fellow CS members and as far as I know, they are both still going strong. the Silvia has now had a PID fitted too.
So if you have the budget, get a great grinder to start with!
If you dont have the budget. Exist on whatever setup you can whilst saving for a great grinder!
Yeeza - Yeah the dial is a bit confusing. I just remember it with:
Clockwise = Coarser
Brett.
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Re: Your first grinder
First grinder: Ibertial Challange with doser - $265
Have dad it about 3 months - went from store bought coffee and huge step change in quality. Not sure that I even want to try out any other grinders. Started to roast to satisfy coffee interest.
Maybe would upgrade if I could find an old machine that needs some work ... i.e. cheap to buy
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Re: Your first grinder
I used this combo (Minore/M4) all day at the Aroma festival. It didnt miss a beat. Except it took me a while to get used to that dial.... and figuring out which way according to the pic was finer/coarser. Great grinder though, and dont see a need to upgrade Brett.... although :Originally posted by fatboy link=1215722218/0#12 date=1215747685Spice grinder - the blade thing. probably paid around $15 :P
Then a Delonghi KG100
Then a Gaggia MM
Then a Rancilio Rocky
And now a Macap M5
Slow journey, but I got there in the end. If CoffeeSnobs had been around a few years earlier, I might have only had 2 steps in there (budget concerns not withstanding)- Rocky -> Macap
With my current grinder, I see no NEED to upgrade, but that is not to say it wont happen. Very happy with the job it does paired with the Expobar.
Brett.
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Re: Your first grinder
Almost an evolution than a journey Brett. Im curious whether you choice of coffee maker matched your choice in grindersOriginally posted by fatboy link=1215722218/0#12 date=1215747685Spice grinder - the blade thing. probably paid around $15 :P
Then a Delonghi KG100
Then a Gaggia MM
Then a Rancilio Rocky
And now a Macap M5
Slow journey, but I got there in the end. ...
Steve
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Re: Your first grinder
Spice grinder - the blade thing. probably paid around $15 :P
Then a Delonghi KG100
Then a Gaggia MM
Then a Rancilio Rocky
And now a Macap M5
Slow journey, but I got there in the end. If CoffeeSnobs had been around a few years earlier, I might have only had 2 steps in there (budget concerns not withstanding)- Rocky -> Macap
With my current grinder, I see no NEED to upgrade, but that is not to say it wont happen. Very happy with the job it does paired with the Expobar.
Brett.
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Re: Your first grinder
I started with a coffee chopper (bladed) which I picked up for $12.95 from Coles. Yeah, Coles; isnt that where YOU buy all your quality coffee gear? I mean, I know theyre not a site sponsor, but...
I recently upgraded to an Ascaso i1/i-home. Retails for just a bit less than the Compak K3T (~$500), which most people rate as being much better. But I got a bargain from Chris @ Talk Coffee - while simultaneously stretching my budget to near divorce proportions! - I couldnt be happier! Amazing grind. Great results with current gear, cant wait until I get a better machine to pair it with.
Cheers
Stuart.
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Re: Your first grinder
My first grinder was my Macap M5.Originally posted by afton link=1215722218/0#0 date=1215722218What was your first grinder and how much did you pay for it?
How long did you keep it before upgrading?
$700+
Its been going perfectly for almost 2 years now.
I dont ever see the need to upgrade.
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Re: Your first grinder
ENORMOUS difference - in every respect. The little spice grinder damn near fit in your pocket. The M4 requires a limber up to move
Whilst the purists (of which Ive now become) would rightly howl at a heating blade grinder providing grind sizes ranging from 1/4 of a whole bean down to dust, in the plunger with fresh coffee it still made a pretty good cuppa.
Since shelling out for the VBM and the grinder the plunger has been respectfully retired (along with the kettle) to the bottom cupboard. I can neither be bothered changing the grind settings for plunger, OR take the extra necessary time to use plunger when I can have wonderful "ssspressso" fast.
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