A good, budget grinder

token101

I've been looking for a grinder for a while and I can't seem to make up my mind on which one to go for. Looking for one that will switch between grinds (espresso, V60, cafetiere) fairly easily without too much fiddling around, but can't really find anything that isn't crazy expensive. Been looking at the Baratza Virtuoso longingly for a while, but €300 seems quite high (and I can't find anyone in Ireland that stocks them!). Any recommendations?

upsideireland

I've used a Dualit 75015 (~€95) at home for a few years, it's fine for the price but obviously not perfect! Out of the box it can give you a pretty passable V60 or cafetiere, and maybe *just about* a basic domestic espresso grind.

The Baratza Encore (~€175) is decent for the price, too.

All My Stars Aligned

upsideireland wrote: »

I've used a Dualit 75015 (~€95) at home for a few years, it's fine for the price but obviously not perfect! Out of the box it can give you a pretty passable V60 or cafetiere, and maybe *just about* a basic domestic espresso grind.

The Baratza Encore (~€175) is decent for the price, too.

The Encore is a fantastic grinder for filter but it's not really suited for espresso.

TBH, to get a grinder that will handle espresso your really looking at €200+.

I've read good reviews of the Sage Smart grinder but have never used it myself.

I think it's in & around €250.

upsideireland

Agree with you 100%! But by basic domestic espresso I mean something cheap with a pressurized portafilter, set at high group pressure from the factory that can take a relatively coarse grind.

You're absolutely right that the Sage Smart is a safe bet for espresso, have used it with the Sage dual boiler and can knock out a decent shot with it. Haven't used it for filter though..

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

The Encore is a fantastic grinder for filter but it's not really suited for espresso.

TBH, to get a grinder that will handle espresso your really looking at €200+.

I've read good reviews of the Sage Smart grinder but have never used it myself.

I think it's in & around €250.

0lddog

Would you consider slumming it with a `De'Longhi KG79 ( E45 - E60 ) ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7AwZ11TrWA

Bawnmore

0lddog wrote: »

Would you consider slumming it with a `De'Longhi KG79 ( E45 - E60 ) ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7AwZ11TrWA

I've used one of these for awhile for espresso with some ghetto modification to allow it to grind that fine. Tbh it works great for what it is. I'm starting to wonder recently about what I'm missing out on with a better grinder and thinking of upgrading, but I've been using for 2 years daily for espresso.

alec76

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

I've read good reviews of the Sage Smart grinder but have never used it myself.

I think it's in & around 250.

I have one, whouldn't recommend it for espresso really .Than again, it just not good for my Rancilio Silvia, might be alright for others.
I had to instal shim kit ( Sage posted it to me free of charge )in order to get fine grinds, it is improved my espresso a lot, but not for all beans , some beans ( to be honest, only cheap stuff from local stores ( M&S Columbian etc) or Decaf beans still too coarse even at the finest settings .

Krusty_Clown

alec76 wrote: »

I have one, whouldn't recommend it for espresso really .Than again, it just not good for my Rancilio Silvia, might be alright for others.
I had to instal shim kit ( Sage posted it to me free of charge )in order to get fine grinds, it is improved my espresso a lot, but not for all beans , some beans ( to be honest, only cheap stuff from local stores ( M&S Columbian etc) or Decaf beans still too coarse even at the finest settings .

Yeah, it is a stepped grinder, with realistically only around 10 steps in the espresso range, so if espresso is the only coffee drink of choice, then I'd imagine the Baratza Encore might be a better buy. But if like me, you're regularly switching between coffee machinery (aeropress, etc.) and willing to compromise on the espresso a little, it's very well suited. I've gone back to using the pressurised basket in the Gaggia classic, so it's easy enough to get pretty good results (never did manage to get great results with the bottomless portafilter).

Muahahaha

I've used the Graef CM800 for 18 months now without complaint. Its a stepped grinder with 20 steps and I use it only for espresso and am happy enough. For €130 you can't go wrong, gets excellent reviews on Amazon for the price.
http://www.amazon.de/Graef-CM800-Kaffeem%C3%BChle-CM-800/dp/B00CS2DAEG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462913570&sr=8-1&keywords=graef+cm+800

ArcticFox

My Rancilio Rocky review is here. Still going strong to this day.....used multiple times a day

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=95516118

jive

There's one for sale on Adverts if anyone is interested: http://www.adverts.ie/small-kitchen-appliances/rancilio-sylvia-and-rocky-doserless-grinder/10658073

Not sure if seller would sell grinder separately but worth a look for anyone in the market for that grinder. Rancilio Sylvia's are often listed for €350 when I spot them on Adverts/DoneDeal so list price of €200 can probably be assumed for the grinder.

dillonmr

I'd go for a good hand grinder over electric. Hand grinders offer better grind quality for lower costs and generally allow for stepless settings quickly without a lot of retention. I have a Compak e10 Conic myself that I use everyday for espresso which is a high end commercial machine. I also have a Feldgrind hand grinder from 'made by knock' (£90.00 - £100.00) that I use in work and also travelling for Aeropress and pourovers. I've also used the Feldgrind when trying new beans for espresso as it saves on lost grind through retention (even though the e10 doesn't retain much). Both are Conical burr grinders and the fact is they are both able to achieve excellent results on par with each other. You might think £100 is a lot for a hand grinder but it will give you the results of a high end commercial grinder at a fraction of the cost. To give you a idea I grind a 18g dose for Aeropress in about 30secs, its very easy and couldn't be considered hard work. Also great to have a grinder you can travel with.

Enrico Palazzo

dillonmr wrote: »

Both are Conical burr grinders and the fact is they are both able to achieve excellent results on par with each other.

I was on a lookout for an electric grinder for espresso, leaning towards the Mignon (love its small size), but still not fully convinced, mostly due to retention (There are days I drink no coffee at all). A quality hand grinder is really all I need, but I didn't know there were any on par with decent electrical counterparts. Having never heard of Feldgrind before reading your comment, I did some research, found more positive reviews and so I took the plunge.

G rock

Did you order directly from made by knock?

I did some reading of my own based on your post and might go down that route now too!

Not sure my little De longhi is up to much

Enrico Palazzo

No, from dear green coffee, hoping for a more reliable customer service.

G rock

And a bag of coffee to boot!

donnacha

I have a Hausgrind as my travel companion and it comes everywhere with me along with a clever coffee dripper. Serious bit of kit, ordered direct from Peter in Knock. Also use one of his knock boxes for the espresso machine.

CantGetNoSleep

Sage by Heston Blumenthal (Smart Grinder Pro) dropped to 99 GBP on Amazon a couple of days ago, might be worth checking if it drops to that price again

BaronVon

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Sage by Heston Blumenthal (Smart Grinder Pro) dropped to 99 GBP on Amazon a couple of days ago, might be worth checking if it drops to that price again

Yeah, I picked it up, with free Irish delivery too:D

CantGetNoSleep

infacteh wrote: »

Yeah, I picked it up, with free Irish delivery too:D

Gutted that I missed that

Zagato

I have the Sage smart grinder Pro for about 2 years (has twice as many grind settings as non Pro version). I usually use it for Aeropress/Chemex, but grinds plenty fine enough for espresso for me.