Coffee Grinders

[drsmurto]

Re Coffee Grinders for Coffee Grinding (commercial grind for a commercial basket)

Delonghi Grinders used to be good. Then they added a plastic nubbin to stop you dialing them fine enough.

The Breville BCG450 seemed pretty good, not sure if it actually did commercial grind, but it crapped out with light domestic usage after about 15 months (just outside of warranty)

Replaced with another Delonghi, again, had to force the nubbin to break off to get commercial grind. Crapped out after 14 months... of light domestic use (2-3 coffees per week!). Damnit.

Replaced with a Sunbeam EMO480 Cafe Grinder. This grinder has a 5 year motor warranty, is all diecast, is very pretty... BUT CAN'T GRIND COMMERCIAL!!!! Rubbish.

Damnit... Luckily my first Delonghi is still going strong after 5 years.

These grinder are all 175-200$ jobbies, which don't seem to last more than 18 months with very light use.

Anyone got a recommendation for a conical burr grinder, which can actually accomplish a commercial grind?

PS: I don't think 29$ burr grinder is going to last very long grinding grain.

I use a Sunbeam EM0450 (conical burr grinder).

Can easily grind (fresh, home-roasted) beans fine enough to block my coffee machine.

 

[pmastello]

Re Coffee Grinders for Coffee Grinding (commercial grind for a commercial basket)

Delonghi Grinders used to be good. Then they added a plastic nubbin to stop you dialing them fine enough.

The Breville BCG450 seemed pretty good, not sure if it actually did commercial grind, but it crapped out with light domestic usage after about 15 months (just outside of warranty)

Replaced with another Delonghi, again, had to force the nubbin to break off to get commercial grind. Crapped out after 14 months... of light domestic use (2-3 coffees per week!). Damnit.

Replaced with a Sunbeam EMO480 Cafe Grinder. This grinder has a 5 year motor warranty, is all diecast, is very pretty... BUT CAN'T GRIND COMMERCIAL!!!! Rubbish.

Damnit... Luckily my first Delonghi is still going strong after 5 years.

These grinder are all 175-200$ jobbies, which don't seem to last more than 18 months with very light use.

Anyone got a recommendation for a conical burr grinder, which can actually accomplish a commercial grind?

PS: I don't think 29$ burr grinder is going to last very long grinding grain.

I've got a Rancillio Rocky. Bit more exxy, but totally worth it. I had a sunbeam or breville burr grinder before and could never get fine enough for a proper pull, even when I modded it to remove the limiter. With the rocky, my Espresso shots are much better and I can actually drink my short blacks.
Plus it has a commericial motor and commerical burrs, hopefully it won't burn out after a few months (you would hope not for $450)

 

[stux]

I use a Sunbeam EM0450 (conical burr grinder).

Can easily grind (fresh, home-roasted) beans fine enough to block my coffee machine.

Looks like a very similar grinder to the 480, but with the 480, on setting 0 I can't even get enough pressure in the basket to get the extract needle into the middle :-\

I got the 480 for $176 on special...

Are you using a dual-walled basket or single walled basket?

I compared the finest grind it can do to the older model Delonghi on "4th spot", and the delonghi is a powdery grind which works perfectly, where as the sunbeam grind is noticably granular

Of course, the manual says the grinder can grind right up to Turkish... which is rubbish.

Rocky looks like a good option for when the Delonghi dies... would have to get the 5 yr warranty

edit:

single wall

vs dual wall

 

[HoppingMad]

h34r: No gnurling, burring, or whirring drill bits required on this. They're actually built for crushing grains and this one's just $45:

Corona Mill

If you miss out on this one just keep watching out for 'Corona Mill' or 'Victoria Mill' - sometimes called 'Corn Mill'.
They keep popping up on extortion bay, are cheap and you can adjust the plates for a light or heavy crush. Which is a handy thing.

Have had my Corona Mill for 12 years and it's still going.

Hopper.

 

[Mikedub]

seems a sensible option Hopping Mad, ta, think I'll go with one of these,
plus has the advantage of strengthening my arms for wanking lifting fermentors

 

[drsmurto]

Looks like a very similar grinder to the 480, but with the 480, on setting 0 I can't even get enough pressure in the basket to get the extract needle into the middle :-\

I got the 480 for $176 on special...

Are you using a dual-walled basket or single walled basket?

I compared the finest grind it can do to the older model Delonghi on "4th spot", and the delonghi is a powdery grind which works perfectly, where as the sunbeam grind is noticably granular

Of course, the manual says the grinder can grind right up to Turkish... which is rubbish.

Rocky looks like a good option for when the Delonghi dies... would have to get the 5 yr warranty

edit:

single wall

vs dual wall

I had the dual wall baskets but have since have them modified such that they are now unpressurised so the grind and the tamp are essential to building up the required pressure. If i grind too coarse (10 or more) the liquid pours out filling an espresso in a matter of seconds.

If i grind below setting 5 on the 480 i block the machine and no liquid flows.

On 6-8 (depending on how long since the beans were roasted) i get a 30 second shot. I drink espresso/ristrettos.

If i wind it back to <5 the coffee is ground so fine it's like flour and clogs the grinder quickly. Easily equivalent to 'turkish'.

Maybe i just scored a well built one.....

Perhaps you should take it back and get a replacement/refund? If it doesn't do what it is supposed to do you are well within your rights.

A rocky or a compak would be nice but at this stage i am focussed on spending time and money on the beans and upgrading roasting equipment.

 

[alfadog]

I had the dual wall baskets but have since have them modified such that they are now unpressurised so the grind and the tamp are essential to building up the required pressure. If i grind too coarse (10 or more) the liquid pours out filling an espresso in a matter of seconds.

If i grind below setting 5 on the 480 i block the machine and no liquid flows.

On 6-8 (depending on how long since the beans were roasted) i get a 30 second shot. I drink espresso/ristrettos.

If i wind it back to <5 the coffee is ground so fine it's like flour and clogs the grinder quickly. Easily equivalent to 'turkish'.

Maybe i just scored a well built one.....

Perhaps you should take it back and get a replacement/refund? If it doesn't do what it is supposed to do you are well within your rights.

A rocky or a compak would be nice but at this stage i am focussed on spending time and money on the beans and upgrading roasting equipment.

Would this be better suited to a coffee forum?

 

[pmastello]

Would this be better suited to a coffee forum?

The manufacture of coffee requires fermentation, so no. But I will admit its off topic though.

 

[stux]

I had the dual wall baskets but have since have them modified such that they are now unpressurised so the grind and the tamp are essential to building up the required pressure. If i grind too coarse (10 or more) the liquid pours out filling an espresso in a matter of seconds.

If i grind below setting 5 on the 480 i block the machine and no liquid flows.

On 6-8 (depending on how long since the beans were roasted) i get a 30 second shot. I drink espresso/ristrettos.

If i wind it back to <5 the coffee is ground so fine it's like flour and clogs the grinder quickly. Easily equivalent to 'turkish'.

Maybe i just scored a well built one.....

Perhaps you should take it back and get a replacement/refund? If it doesn't do what it is supposed to do you are well within your rights.

A rocky or a compak would be nice but at this stage i am focussed on spending time and money on the beans and upgrading roasting equipment.

Hmmmm, I think I'm going to give Sunbeam a call... *if* I can get a 480 which behaves like yours, then I will be happy , that is definately how I would've expected the grind to be based on the manual

Re: Off topic... well... the subject is certainly accurate

 

[benno1973]

We initially bought a Cuisinart conical burr grinder, for around $100, but as with many others, it didn't grind fine enough to allow me to move away from the double walled heads. When it dies, we bought a Breville BCG800 and it's awesome. Grinds fine enough to clog the machine, and a good strong espresso through a single walled head is at around grind 5, so there's plenty of room to go finer.

I've tried a Rocky Rancillio as well, and they are nice but quite expensive.

But yes, complain to Sunbeam if it's not doing its job.

 

[drsmurto]

Hmmmm, I think I'm going to give Sunbeam a call... *if* I can get a 480 which behaves like yours, then I will be happy , that is definately how I would've expected the grind to be based on the manual

Re: Off topic... well... the subject is certainly accurate

Paid less for my machine and grinder (ebay - $165 total) than you did for the grinder h34r:

Off topic to some degree but anyone using a coffee grinder to mill grain is already out there.

 

[white.grant]

Paid less for my machine and grinder (ebay - $165 total) than you did for the grinder h34r:

Off topic to some degree but anyone using a coffee grinder to mill grain is already out there.

There's a shim kit for the 480 that really improves its grind. I've got mine sitting on 11 which gives me a nice slow pour through a 35gm basket on my Silvia. I'm guessing Drsmurtos got the shims and Stux hasn't.

I'm saving up for compak k3, but the sunbeam is a pretty serviceable little grinder for the money.

Cheers

Grant

 

[drsmurto]

No shims on mine.

 

[goomboogo]

Would this be better suited to a coffee forum?

Yes. Keep the coffee grinder talk out of the beer forum.

 

[white.grant]

No shims on mine.

They all have shims DrS, only the width of the shim changes with the kit.

If your grinder doesn't have any, you may want to replace it soon.

 

[freezkat]

burr grinder's are better..but a mill is the best

not for rye and raw rye. but how often are you going to run into that?