# uses for an MC2



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Ok having played with the two Mc2s I have purchased for the grind off I have decided to try and come up with any other interesting uses for these? So to start things off (and apologies to the mc2 owners out there but this is just a it of fun) I ran both grinders together and the noise was deafening so I think they would make an excellent nuclear early waring alarm !!!!


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

lol

You not a fan of the MC2?


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

they make excellent bookends as well, lots of weight to keep those books upright


----------



## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Impersonating concords final flight? Seriously Dave, playing that down the phone to me set our chickens off!


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

What makes a grinder quietier than others? ie the rossi rr55 is only 69db


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

If you live in a bungalow and have children, you cannot make them sit on the naughty step on the staircase, but, if you had an MC2, then you could make them switch them on and off for 5 minutes


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

In the event of an air raid, you could with the help of an extension lead, take them in the garden and warn your neighbors of the impending bombs.


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

If you are deaf, you could visit hospital where they could array a range of coffee grinders, from the very quiet like the k30 moving upwards until you reaach the grinder f last resort, which would of course confirm deafness


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

You could visit boot sales looking for empty grinder boxes, in the hope of finding a really good model, purchasing the box and proudly displaying it in your coffee shine, in the hope that any visitors are a little blind so that when you open the box and pull out something different, they do not know the difference


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

You could just lie when guests comment about the noise levels and retort that all grinders are like this


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

You could drop it out of the bedroom window and claim on your house insurance


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Shall I stop now?


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

I think we have to remember that some people can afford 2k grinders, some £800 grinders and some £150 grinders....so i cant really knock the mc2.....im sure its worth its price range


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

i just could not believe how loud they are thats all, not going to pre-empt the grindoff, but 5 of the others grinder cost less than the MC2 does, so to be honest based on what else is available out there I actually dont think it is worth its new price at all....


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

It is only a bit of humour, a la 101 uses of a dead cat........I do not expect anyone to be offended etc etc!


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

What makes it so loud....the motor?


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Nope, it's the mini donkeys inside being made to run round and round. Sometimes you can hear the whip lashes as well.......


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

i think a combination of the motor and the fact that the burrs seem positively engaged at all times, i genuinely thought the one i purchased was faulty unitil i turned the second one on!


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

God. I think i need a new rib cage


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

nope it would be no good as a replacement rib cage


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Doorstops, although they are probably not heavy enough


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

coffeechap said:


> i just could not believe how loud they are thats all, not going to pre-empt the grindoff, but 5 of the others grinder cost less than the MC2 does, so to be honest based on what else is available out there I actually dont think it is worth its new price at all....


Which 5? Only ones I seen that are cheaper are Krupps and stuff like that. Talking new prices here not second hand.


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I think Dave means second hand prices


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

dfk41 said:


> I think Dave means second hand prices


Oh ok.

well yeah you can get mazzer second hand for £100+. I not seen many for sale for under £200 though.


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Perhaps you are not turning the right stones over?


----------



## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

nekromantik said:


> Which 5? Only ones I seen that are cheaper are Krupps and stuff like that. Talking new prices here not second hand.


I compiled a spreadsheet and there are 2 conical burr grinders available for less than the £136.80 for a new MC2. I didn't include the Gaggia MM, delonghi or Dualit in this table. The Greaf CM80 and Ascaso i-mini i2 are cheaper brand new. Dualit and Delonghi do a burr grinders under £100 new so similar price to the MM


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Well it all depends where you look and how much digging you are prepared to do, it might surprise you but the k10 cost less than the mc2! And I am talking the used price now!


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

So you guys are saying for £100 I could have gone a much better used grinder?

Bearing in mind I only use it for espresso and make 1 cup a day.


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

The conundrum is used versus new. A we have seen with the mignon's bought of eBay , a bargain isn't always a bargain. The beauty of this forum is that there are some real good honest value purchases to be had from people on here. The likes of coffee chap and others care about what they sell and genuinely don't want to see people get duff products. They are here if you need advice re something you have bought . This means that yes you could get something reliable and better than the price of a new mc2 from the forum. Some people like to buy new , without dents and scratches that 2nd hand can have. To each their own ....


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

nekromantik said:


> So you guys are saying for £100 I could have gone a much better used grinder?
> 
> Bearing in mind I only use it for espresso and make 1 cup a day.


It is nothing personal, I believed all of the recommendations on this forum with regard to the mc2 and if you are buying new then it is still a good little purchase, I never realised quite how noisy they are, it would certainly put me off buying one when you consider that the gaggia MDF is so much more quiet and is an often overlooked entry level grinder. Of course there are deals to be had and much much better grinders than the mc2 can be found, but and here's the but, as has just been said there are also some dogs out there, but that is the chance you take if you buy used. Your mc2 will serve you well and you will still get a good return on it when you come to sell it on in the future, as was mentioned earlier this is just a bit of fun and not meant to cause mc2 owner any alarm as they will all tell you they are happy with their own purchase.


----------



## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

If you look at sub £100 grinders you can get a dualit/delonhi/gaggia MM new or a used Francinio Piccino Asacso i2 or MC2. Look at £150 used approx the cost of a new MC2 you can get a Vario/Mignon or commercial unit


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I prefer the mc5 anyway ( the band not the grinder .... ) kick out the jamms motherf***er!

Wonder if anyone else is old or eclectic enough to get that reference.


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

HDAV said:


> If you look at sub £100 grinders you can get a dualit/delonhi/gaggia MM new or a used Francinio Piccino Asacso i2 or MC2. Look at £150 used approx the cost of a new MC2 you can get a Vario/Mignon or commercial unit


Never seen a Mignon or Vario that works for sub £150 yet.


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

Yeah ebay is hit or miss.

Rather not have to go through pay pal dispute etc

I would not have paid full pride for mc2.

Don't mind the noise as your only grinding for seconds not hours.

Only problem I have with it is grinds get caught up in the shoot like big lumps.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2


----------



## haz_pro (Apr 4, 2013)

dfk41 said:


> Never seen a Mignon or Vario that works for sub £150 yet.


Mine works... at the moment atleast!


----------



## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> Never seen a Mignon or Vario that works for sub £150 yet.


http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?7776-Mahlkonig-Vario&highlight=Vario

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?10495-Mahlkonig-Vario-%A3150-Collection-from-Sheffield-or-Hertfordshire-London&highlight=vario

Thats 2 Varios for £150 both working

Sure i saws a non ebay mignon for £150 ish too


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

haz_pro said:


> Mine works... at the moment atleast!


Maybe, but every time you turn it on, you are wondering.......!

You do take a chance on ebay, and that is the very point. Unless you are handy with spnners, then do not look for the bargain. I am crap with spanners so would rather pay that little bit more and know the source etc etc than end up with a problem. I am not advocating buying new, just buying smartly.


----------



## rmcgandara (Feb 12, 2013)

coffeechap said:


> Well it all depends where you look and how much digging you are prepared to do, it might surprise you but the k10 cost less than the mc2! And I am talking the used price now!


I guess most people are looking for ebay/gumtree/preloved? is there somewhere else? a K10 for less than an MC2 is a pretty good find (obviously they do not come by everyday or week).


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

To get those deals, you either have to be very sharp, or think outside the box, or both.......


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

well someone on here managed to get two mahlkonig k30s for £250 each on gumtree a couple of weeks ago, the deals are in the places everyone looks.


----------



## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> Never seen a Mignon or Vario that works for sub £150 yet.


Well 2 varios have sold here for £150 in the last 6-9 months and Mignons for less on ebay


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

HDAV said:


> Well 2 varios have sold here for £150 in the last 6-9 months and Mignons for less on ebay


Gotta be patient and quick, 2 in 9 months is not a lot.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

tried out the mc2 in a farmers field not a crow for miles.......


----------



## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

nekromantik said:


> Gotta be patient and quick, 2 in 9 months is not a lot.


True but it does happen!


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

HDAV said:


> True but it does happen!


It looks like there may be a Mignon coming up in the near future for arround the £150!.

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?10745-Eureka-Mignon&highlight=mignon


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

HDAV said:


> True but it does happen!


Just to give you the heads up Glevum is looking to sell his Mignon for around the £150 in the next few weeks. Posted earlier today.


----------



## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I was looking for Mazzer for around the ~£220 mark. Gave up after three weeks and about five auctions and just bought a new Mignon. Patience isn't a virtue of mine.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

what a shame i could have done a mazzer for around the price you paid for the mignon!


----------



## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

You told me yours would be a lot more expensive than £220 and I should have bid higher!


----------



## rmcgandara (Feb 12, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> You told me yours would be a lot more expensive than £220 and I should have bid higher!


well a new mignon costs around 280 (bella barista)


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

How about putting your MC2 on a shelf and telling people it is a coffee grinder?


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

The MC 2 shares half of its name with that well known baggy trousered singer from the 1980's, MC Hammer. He had a hit with, 'don't stop it', or in the case of the MC2, 'Do stop it'. (quickly, my ears hurt)


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> You told me yours would be a lot more expensive than £220 and I should have bid higher!


The last Mazzer I sold on eBay went for less than £200 and I was gutted, the one before that £300 and neither were anywhere near mint!


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Here is a prime example of what you can buy for £100 so please stop saying bargains cannot be found folks, if i manged to get this mazzer including a knock draw almost an hour after the start of the listing what is everyone else doing? MADNESS if you see the bargain stop procratinating and buy it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130929664347?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Nice one Dave, good condition as well.


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Was it a BIN or negotiation?


----------



## haz_pro (Apr 4, 2013)

Wow what a bargain.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Glenn said:


> Was it a BIN or negotiation?


I know that usually i have to negotiate to get this kind of price but this was a straight buy it now!


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

all the commercial units I seen are collection only.

I dont drive so issue for me.

also kitchen space.

so I think those who are inpatient and only use it once a day to make 1 cup a day then £80ish used and £100ish new for MC2 is good.

I never heard anything bad said about the MC2. This is the first thread I seen in a year about how noisy it is. Noise dont equal performance.

Yes for those who have families with kids sleeping it may be a issue but otherwise its all good.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

lets just see the results of the grind off, as i said there were 5 grinders cheaper than the MC2 on that line up, the royal is one and the k10 is another!


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Ps the mc2 will be up against other "small" as well to put it into perspective


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

coffeechap said:


> lets just see the results of the grind off, as i said there were 5 grinders cheaper than the MC2 on that line up, the royal is one and the k10 is another!


Of course the K10 will perform better then the MC2.

But then again you have to keep eye out in order to get it for less then £100 while you can pick up MC2 quite easy for £100.

Im talking about ease of availability. Plus if your someone who dont like hassle of second hand then you dont have much choice apart from MC2 or Imini.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

ok to put this into perspective, I bought that k10 for less than the price of the second hand MC2 i bought!! there will always be the debate about new versus used, home vs commercial, so let the grindoff decide which is the best at under £250, the only reason the mc2 is in the grindoff is because it is so highly recommended on here, as otherwise I could name 10 other small grinders I would rather see there that can be had for MC2 money, but to be honest that is just my opinion, the MC2 owner on here are on the whole happy with their grinders, for that I am pleased as the advice from here as paid off.

I guess I just want people to be a bit more clued up to the vitues of a bigger grinder.


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

Thats very true but like always its about the use to the person thats buying it.

For someone that needs a grinder that can easily dial in shots quickly and make 2+ shots at a time then MC2 is not for you.

Also I been looking for a grinder for a year now and always miss out on ebay bargains. So when I saw mc2 brand new for £110 I snapped it up.

Now it cost me £100 shipped in the end so in perspective its a good deal.

I will be looking forward to the grind off.

If MC2 comes last then so be it.


----------



## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

It's an interesting read this thread. For me the mc2 was too noisy, too slow, too fiddly to adjust, and grind variation was a bit wide in the same dose.

When I was looking to replace it, I knew I wanted to stay doserless, but also wanted something powerful enough to be quick and consistent, but not the size of a full commercial grinder. Mazzer minis seemed to be too slow and clumpy on the electronic version, and the super jolly is too rare in electronic form.

If I'd had more space, I think I'd have gone for a used doserless beast like a k10, major, or super caimano.

But it just seemed easier to buy new... So the quamar m80e was my choice. I still think it was the right one, its so far ahead of an mc2 it's unreal.


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

shrink said:


> It's an interesting read this thread. For me the mc2 was too noisy, too slow, too fiddly to adjust, and grind variation was a bit wide in the same dose.
> 
> When I was looking to replace it, I knew I wanted to stay doserless, but also wanted something powerful enough to be quick and consistent, but not the size of a full commercial grinder. Mazzer minis seemed to be too slow and clumpy on the electronic version, and the super jolly is too rare in electronic form.
> 
> ...


How many seconds does your M80E take for a 18g grind?


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Mythos takes 4.10 seconds with a dark bean


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

Thats quick!

I will probably upgrade my MC2 in 2 years time, maybe a year. Depends on when I can improve my espresso making skills lol

Hopefully my Classic will last me at least 4 years.


----------



## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

M80e is about 7.5 seconds for an 18g dose of fairly dark coffee.

Today I had some artisan roast janzoon blend, which is on slightly dark side of medium. 19.2g came out in 8 seconds. I had to back the timer off.

The m80e is a very quick grinder. Quite quiet too.


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Thats pretty impressive...im getting to like the m80e


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

shrink said:


> M80e is about 7.5 seconds for an 18g dose of fairly dark coffee.
> 
> Today I had some artisan roast janzoon blend, which is on slightly dark side of medium. 19.2g came out in 8 seconds. I had to back the timer off.
> 
> The m80e is a very quick grinder. Quite quiet too.


When new over twice the cost of the MC2 so it had better be much better lol

My next grinder will probably be in the region of £250+ I think thats a good price point to buy something that will be a worthy upgrade for a MC2.

I really wanted a Rocky however. Main grinder I want is a Mazzer Mini.


----------



## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

If you don't mind a doser, then a mini is ok... It's the electronic version that's not ideal.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

£250 will get you a great mini with a doser, which to be honest is the best way to use a mazzer mini.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

oh the hopper on the mc2 fits 50 pens no problem! just dont swith on the grinder when they are in it


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

Yeah by that time I will not mind waiting and searching for bargins.

Is a Rocky lower end then a Mazzer Mini?


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

the rocky is not a bad grinder but is stepped, it is not as well built as the mini and the grind is not as good, the mini doser version is a great option for someone who has really limited space.


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Rocky's are quite clumpy too. In all the years I have used them at other peoples places I have never seen a non-clumpy one!


----------



## nekromantik (Nov 13, 2011)

Yeah so I think my next one will be a mini or if I find very good deal on a SJ.


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Glenn said:


> Rocky's are quite clumpy too. In all the years I have used them at other peoples places I have never seen a non-clumpy one!


yeah, its far far more clumpy than a mignon. needs a re-design on the doserless to change that plastic chute.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

mark that rr55 grinds 18g in less 6 seconds centre of the portafilter


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

I know....its s fantastic grinder....looks good as well for a commercial


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Especially chrome


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

I think if you filled the Hopper with soil it might make a nice planter!!!


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

polished aluminium i believe


----------



## bignorry (Mar 19, 2013)

"MINI DONKKEYS" still laughing!!!!!!


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

the smoked effect on the hopper means you could use it as a lamp shade


----------



## bubbajvegas (Jan 26, 2013)

coffeechap said:


> mark that rr55 grinds 18g in less 6 seconds centre of the portafilter


With the hasbean yoyo blend I've just finished I was dialled in at 19.8g in 5 secs


----------

