Grinders

[darkmother]

Darkone - For on the road french press I got a : Cuisinart Supreme Grind Burr Mill Coffee Grinder DBM-8 from fleabay ( 2208061979 ) for bubkes. I looked and there is a nice used one for $19. Really, it does not suck.

Thanks for the reply.

I had a Cuisinart flat burr grinder similar to that a number of years ago. It my not have been the same model, but the one I had was a bit of a POS. It had no gear reduction on the burrs, and was almost as loud as a table saw, and made tons of static and a general mess. What I have now is much better, especially on the finer end of the grind spectrum. It works pretty well for vacuum pot brewing, but seems to suffer for french press due to inconsistent grind.

The Baratza grinders look pretty nice. I'll probably go that way.

[Paul Jacobs]

Paul,

What is the grind quality like?

It is a bit uneven but I don't mind that. I tend to use the Spong mill when I am going to make coffee using a simple jug/coffee pot and metal strainer. I just ground a few beans to demonstrate in the picture. These are Costa Rica beans from the same supplier I used when I was at university 47 years ago. Cardews of Oxford, Coffee & Tea Merchants and Retailers

[pritchet74]

wife got $7k in dental work, so....the grinder is on hold for a bit. we knew the dental work was coming, did not, however, expect it to be this intense.

Ouch. Well, teeth are more important that coffee.

[Paul Jacobs]

I've been fiddling with my Porlex hoping I can get a decent espresso grind. The grind is ok not great. What does the hive say wrt hand grinders for espresso?

FWIIW I just found this >> https://www.precisionbean.com/coffee-grinder/ The reviews and comments are promising.

I bought one based on your post and it arrived today from the USA. I am very pleased with it so far. It is very even and capable of a much finer grind than my old Spong. Because of its size it is really a one or two cup machine but that is what I bought it for.

[Shoogs]

was able to find one of these gently used, it was immediate upgrade but man lots of settings means it'll take a good while to really dial it in.

Baratza Forte BG Coffee Grinder

[Too Tall]

Thanks for the feedback Paul. I"ve been on the road using the Porlex for a couple weeks making pour over and espresso. It is a PITA to re-adjust for the two needs however it is adequate and my left bicep is the size of my leg now.

[fortyfour]

Someone asked about an affordable grinder? I don't know if they meant one that you plug in or is manual, but I have to say I absolutely love my Krups "Fast Touch" grinder. My parents got one for themselves when I was a little kid so theirs is easily 20+ years old and it still is going strong. I got mine about 15 years ago. It's fairly simple allowing you to regulate the type of grind from coarse to fine by the time span you hold down the lid to grind the beans.

[false_aesthetic]

Can anyone explain why I have to re-adjust my grinder if I try a different type/brand of beans?

I'm sure this is a basic question but I'm a bit confused.

Danke

[abbeyQ]

wife got $7k in dental work, so....the grinder is on hold for a bit. we knew the dental work was coming, did not, however, expect it to be this intense.

The dentist will clean you out faster than your local Snap On truck!

Word to the wise, question your dentist often! It's easy for them to suck you in for discretionary work.

[Octave]

Can anyone explain why I have to re-adjust my grinder if I try a different type/brand of beans?

I'm sure this is a basic question but I'm a bit confused.

Danke

Mostly it's a factor of bean density, just as you should adjust your grind based on ambient temperature and humidity. Grinding is all about exposing oily surfaces to the incoming hot water, since what we're really doing when we make coffee is making an emulsion of tasty oils from coffee beans with the water. When it's warm, or when you have a bean that is very thoroughly degassed it will be more expanded, while when it is colder you may have a more compressed bean (or this may vary by bean type itself - see peaberry variants for a good example) which will in turn require a slightly different grind. I also find that the drier a bean is the more it naturally shatters, as opposed to resisting the force of the burrs due to being supple, so this may force one to change the grind too. Personally, when I was pulling a lot of shots I would adjust my grind pretty much every day and most certainly with every bean.

[Too Tall]

Mostly it's a factor of bean density, just as you should adjust your grind based on ambient temperature and humidity. Grinding is all about exposing oily surfaces to the incoming hot water, since what we're really doing when we make coffee is making an emulsion of tasty oils from coffee beans with the water. When it's warm, or when you have a bean that is very thoroughly degassed it will be more expanded, while when it is colder you may have a more compressed bean (or this may vary by bean type itself - see peaberry variants for a good example) which will in turn require a slightly different grind. I also find that the drier a bean is the more it naturally shatters, as opposed to resisting the force of the burrs due to being supple, so this may force one to change the grind too. Personally, when I was pulling a lot of shots I would adjust my grind pretty much every day and most certainly with every bean.

Only adding to what Octave said. My homeroasted beans lose moisture as they age. This means I need to adjust the grind for espresso several times during a week. Also, if I roast to a REALLY dark FC+++ almost vienna the beans expand quite alot. For the tabletop grinder not a problem but for the hand grinder that is a challenge.

[thollandpe]

Holy cow, just spent way too long figuring out how to clear a coffee powder jam at the exit chute of our Baratza Encore. That could have been easier!

Thanks be to youtube how-to videos.

I guess the regular cleaning with Urnex Grindz is a good thing, eh?

[ericpmoss]

I guess the regular cleaning with Urnex Grindz is a good thing, eh?

If you run out of Grindz, you can also use Minute Rice, or any rice whose kernel you can dent with your fingernail. I end up making rice pudding from all the rice after the first tablespoon or so has removed the worst of the coffee gunk.

[Too Tall]

Wait, I'm supposed to clean my grinder?

[nick k]

You all are the best bad influences:

Photo Jun 01, 6 58 25 PM.jpg

[tanghy]

Can anyone explain why I have to re-adjust my grinder if I try a different type/brand of beans?

I'm sure this is a basic question but I'm a bit confused.

Danke

you have to adjust if you are making espresso, not if you are brewing for filter coffee

[gt6267a]

Rancilio Rocky Doserless Coffee Grinder - Whole Latte Love

Back in the day, the Rocky was the grinder of choice for those who wanted burrs but didn't want to pay for a mazzer. Its what I have and it works well. Think the macap started getting popular a little after my purchase timing.

[dashDustin]

so....the whole swapping between espresso, v60, and now cold brew is really jacking with my main squeeze - espresso. i'm back to considering a grinder.

Eureka Atom Espresso Grinder



– Clive Coffee

This one really caught my eye. Mainly because of how quiet reviews say it is.

[Ras72]

Dustin - if you're in the market for a grinder, I'd recommend The ECM S-Automatik 64 Burr Grinder - Whole Latte Love
It's step-less, powerful, well built, simple to use and super quiet. The low DBs was the main reason I purchased one.

[kytyree]

Nice! I've been very happy with mine. Next on the list is an espresso machine, but it will have to wait a bit.

Edited to add: I was referring to the post with the photo of the Baratza :-)