# Has anyone tried the Sboly conical grinder?



## HeliosFA (Nov 15, 2020)

I am relatively new to the world of decent coffee and ended up buying a Sboly conical grinder from Amazon in the midst of the first lockdown for about £50 after discount as I was getting the urge for coffee, did not have a grinder at home and was resorting to using a rolling pin to pulverise some beans for filter...

I have been using it for filter coffee with now issue but now that I am considering getting a proper espresso machine, I find myself wondering how much of a lemon I have bought. Unlike a lot of the other grinders I looked at at the time it has a proper conical steel burr and produces coffee that tastes significantly better than the grinders I am used (a Melita Melino in work and a Krups at my parents, both block burrs).

My issue is I have never used a really decent grinder and I still don't have a feel for how fine I will need to grind for espresso.

So my question is, has anyone tried the grinder and how bad is it compared to some of the "go to" options?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

The grinder you have purchased won't be suitable for Espresso...not at all. You won't really lose much on it if you sell it on ebay. You can probably find an espresso grade grinder (ex commercial) for 100-150+ on here or new non commercial espresso grinder for £290 ish.


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## HeliosFA (Nov 15, 2020)

Thanks for the reply. Is grind size going to be the issue on it? It looks like shimming the static burr to go finer is a possibility.

As for alternatives, how does something like the Iberital MC2 fair? can it do filter as well as Espresso? Space really is an issue so ideally I need one grinder that can do everything and it can't be too large...


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

There are one or two very expensive grinders that can easily /readily change from espresso to filter.

The majority of grinders do NOT change readily between espresso and filter. The fine tuning for each method (particularly espresso) is time consuming and wasteful on beans.

The MC2 will do both BUT it will take an age to adjust between grinds, it is even slow adjusting for espresso when changing beans.

It is ESSENTIAL to have a good grinder for espresso.

I would suggest you do a lot more reading on the forum and gather lots more information on grinders and coffee machines BEFORE you buy anything.

Also ask questions on the forum for more information or anything you do not understand


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

A Jxpro hand grinder would do both and easily adjust too. The MC2 as said is not easy to adjust and it doesn't do anything well.


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## HeliosFA (Nov 15, 2020)

El carajillo said:


> The majority of grinders do NOT change readily between espresso and filter. The fine tuning for each method (particularly espresso) is time consuming and wasteful on beans.
> 
> The MC2 will do both BUT it will take an age to adjust between grinds, it is even slow adjusting for espresso when changing beans.


 Thanks for the input on the MC2 - I have seen it recommended a few times here and elsewhere so it is good to know that adjustments can be awkward. Unfortunately two electric grinders will not fit in our kitchen along with an espresso machine and a filter machine.

is adjusting for each type of bean really that necessary or does some of this come down to how far I want to take my coffee habit?

I see myself more as someone who is looking to step up my coffee game to get more enjoyment from drinking it, rather than finding a new hobby in constantly finessing the process of making amazing coffee.

Also, I would be looking more to making espresso for latte or cortado rather than being drunk neat - does that make any difference?



El carajillo said:


> I would suggest you do a lot more reading on the forum and gather lots more information on grinders and coffee machines BEFORE you buy anything.
> 
> Also ask questions on the forum for more information or anything you do not understand


 That is part of the reason I have registered - there is a lot of mixed information out there and I would rather buy a decent setup that will suit my needs once rather than constantly iterating through options.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

HeliosFA said:


> Thanks for the input on the MC2 - I have seen it recommended a few times here and elsewhere so it is good to know that adjustments can be awkward. Unfortunately two electric grinders will not fit in our kitchen along with an espresso machine and a filter machine.
> 
> is adjusting for each type of bean really that necessary or does some of this come down to how far I want to take my coffee habit?
> 
> ...


 Adjusting the grind for different is absolutely essential. The type of bean,roast level, size and age can make the difference between drink or throw down the sink.

Even the temperature / humidity can change the grind of a bean. Whether you are making espresso, cortado or latte the coffee needs to be consistent, adding milk latte / flat white can ameliorate slightly off coffee.

Coffee machines and grinders are not just use/ leave / forget. They need cleaning and maintenance and to be fed with good ingredients Ie fresh beans and good quality water ( if you are in a hard water area you will need a GOOD filter or use suitable bottled water)

From what you have said you may be better suited using a bean to cup machine (all in one) It will still need adjusting for beans, require GOOD water and still need cleaning / maintenance.


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## HeliosFA (Nov 15, 2020)

El carajillo said:


> Adjusting the grind for different is absolutely essential. The type of bean,roast level, size and age can make the difference between drink or throw down the sink.


 Thanks for that info, I was expecting some ongoing adjustments being needed but that sounds like it is more than I was expecting.



El carajillo said:


> Coffee machines and grinders are not just use/ leave / forget. They need cleaning and maintenance and to be fed with good ingredients Ie fresh beans and good quality water ( if you are in a hard water area you will need a GOOD filter or use suitable bottled water)


 Indeed, and I am not expecting it to be leave and forget. I am expecting cleaning and maintenance.

Beans wise, for the filter/v60 I am currently mixing it up with freshly roasted single origin beans when I fancy something "special" and Costco's "limited edition" single-origin packs (currently Mexican) for every-day.

Water wise, I am in a hard water area and I am expecting to buy bottled water - Volvic seems to be the water of choice from my reading.



El carajillo said:


> From what you have said you may be better suited using a bean to cup machine (all in one) It will still need adjusting for beans, require GOOD water and still need cleaning / maintenance.


 They don't really appeal to me for quite a few reasons. There is something quite appealing about an old-school, simple espresso machine where there is not a huge amount to go wrong.


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