# Grinder for Cold Brew Concentrate



## teaeff (Nov 26, 2013)

Hi,

I have been making batches of cold brew concentrate a couple of times a week, which I then dilute with hot water as a convenient source of black coffee to drink at work. Not sure how popular a method this is, but I have found it to be a lot easier on my stomach than hot brew methods.

The process I have been using is: 100g coarsely ground medium roast + 400

I am trying to fine-tune the method at the moment, but am having a bit of trouble finding beans that work consistently...

At the moment I am using a Hario Slim with an electric screwdriver attachment, which works quite well, but is becoming quite tiresome for grinding batches of ~100g of beans at a time. Also, I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes but there is a definite layer of fine grounds setting in the jar.

I would be willing to budget £100-200 for something that will work well, but once the grinder is dialled in to a coarse grind I shouldn't think I will need to adjust it to any other grind sizes. Also, I don't have a lot of room in my kitchen, so something with a small footprint would be great. I have no issues with spending more on something that will last a long time, but I don't really want to pay for features that I don't need.

I am leaning towards getting a second hand Iberital MC2, or maybe a Baratza Encore; would these be a good choice for my needs? Also, would I be likely to notice any increased coarse grind consistency with these compared to the Hario Mini?

Ideally, I would like to be able to just add 100g of beans to the hopper each time I use the grinder, and then leave it to grind the whole lot in one go. Is this possible with either of these models or would I need to keep pressing the button? I would prefer to keep the beans in a valve pack since I have a very warm kitchen, especially in the summer(!)

Any help would be greatly appreciated, sorry is these questions are a little inane!


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

Hi teaeff , you might not know this (only because I didn't until a few weeks ago) but it's as difficult to get consistent grinds at the larger/rougher end of the Scale as it is to get great espresso grinds, I seen a u tube video by seattle coffee gear comparing some new grinders the Mazzer Mini e type a and the baratza forte ap, worth looking up might explain a bit more on the rougher side of the grind


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## teaeff (Nov 26, 2013)

Ah yes, I actually watched their videos for the encore and i-steel. I suppose I assumed it would be harder to find an espresso-capable grinder, since a lot of reviews focus on this end of the grind-scale.

I am leaning towards the MC2 since they seem to pop up on the forum quite frequently, but would it be possible to load in 100g to grind straight through? I was hoping I would be able to set it off and leave it to do its thing, as soothing as the sound of grinding beans can be.


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

I looked for a video on it there and it looks like there a button Hit by the portafilter to activate grinding, so it might not be suitable for your needs, a doser grinder would do that alot better for sure have you considered them?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Think the Baratza Encore uses the same steel burrs I fitted to a Vario. If correct, the Encore is a very decent grinder for brewed/pour over coffee.


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## radish (Nov 20, 2011)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Think the Baratza Encore uses the same steel burrs I fitted to a Vario. If correct, the Encore is a very decent grinder for brewed/pour over coffee.


Think the Encore has it's own ceramic burr set - still a decent grinder for brewed though.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Vario has ceramic burrs as standard. Encore has steel.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

If Encore is shipping with steel get that.

The Hario's aren't consistent at a coarser grind due to their design, the burrs wobble which is why you get the fines.


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## teaeff (Nov 26, 2013)

Ok great, thanks for all your help. I think I will just go for a new Encore. Wish I had made this decision a bit sooner, as it seems I have missed out on a couple of decent promotions.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

teaeff said:


> Ok great, thanks for all your help. I think I will just go for a new Encore. Wish I had made this decision a bit sooner, as it seems I have missed out on a couple of decent promotions.


Amazon UK doing the Encore for £114.50 delivered.


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## Geordie Boy (Nov 26, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Think the Baratza Encore uses the same steel burrs I fitted to a Vario. If correct, the Encore is a very decent grinder for brewed/pour over coffee.


I thought the Encore uses conical burrs and the Vario flats? The Virtuoso and Preciso are definitely conicals


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## radish (Nov 20, 2011)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Vario has ceramic burrs as standard. Encore has steel.


Ah yip, they are steel but concical and produce a grind similar to the Maestro (the model the Encore replaced). I think the flat steel (Ditting) Vario burrs are a step up.


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## teaeff (Nov 26, 2013)

Update: I have now ordered an Encore, thanks for the advice everyone!


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## VJC (Apr 23, 2014)

Well, this settles the question I asked in another thread if the encore would be any good as a budget option for making brewed only (Vario had been suggested). Looks like I'll be ordering one soon too.

How did people find out about things like this before the internet?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Vario isn't as good as the Encore for brewed coffee IMO as the Vario has ceramic burrs - less suited for coarser grind. I fitted steel burrs to my a Vario to use it as a pour over grinder - did a decent job.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Just to input on the actual beans that you are using. Try something like a dark roasted Colombian to brew with. Bigger bolder flavour that should transfer well into a concentrate.


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## teaeff (Nov 26, 2013)

Yes, I need to start a thread about brew ratios, timings and beans to use (I was considering starting a google spreadsheet!). The best result I have had so far was indeed with a Columbian single origin, but I have found that most roasters I had tried only ship medium or medium/dark roast. Would I be able to compensate for this by a finer grind or increased brew time?


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

You can definitely make a decent cold brew using a tasty light or light-medium roast coffee, you'll just have to play around a bit to get it to your liking. Increased dose would be a good way to start.


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## teaeff (Nov 26, 2013)

Just to give an update: I have got some pretty good results with the encore set to 36 to get a coarse grind. Seems like a good little machine for that purpose.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Vario isn't as good as the Encore for brewed coffee IMO as the Vario has ceramic burrs - less suited for coarser grind. I fitted steel burrs to my a Vario to use it as a pour over grinder - did a decent job.


When fitted with the steel burrs it is really good for brewed coffee

I fitted my Vario with steel burrs when I was heavily into brewed coffee and the results were really good. Noticeably better than ceramic which do not perform as well at larger grind sizes


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