# Begginer



## conanthelib (Sep 14, 2008)

Just bought gaggi classic but need grinder. Could some some kind person show me in direction of cheepest QUALITY grinder out there. Hope thid question as not been asked millions of times, but fear it has. Thanks. Any other good starter tips also much appriecited. I mean realy basic, not a clue other than i want to make good coffee, esp latte. I know my spelling sucks, sorry.


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

Oooh loving the question mate, its nice to you know that you can see the important the grinder, and the gaggia classic is a cracking machine, I have one sat next to me.

You're going to hear two definite views, which are very different. You can go out and get one of the home grinders, which I'm not an expert about. Or you can go out and look for a second hand commercial one on ebay, if you're lucky you're looking between £100 and £200, but I feel its much better value, as they will last more a long long time.

Macap MXP, MXK etc... Mazzer Super Jolly, plus others are good ones to look out for!

Chris


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## conanthelib (Sep 14, 2008)

Thanks ever so much for reply. Very nervous getting into this as worried about loosing loads of money. Got Classic for £100 & trying to get jolly for £150, are these good prices? As there 2 hand can they be mended easy if needed? Can i buy coffee ground or is that impractical. Hope im not been complete pain


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## Neo (Jun 24, 2008)

Buying coffee ground will just give you quick pours, eventually you will buy a grinder









If you can get a jolly for 150 pounds , that'd be nice. However, see if you can check the machine so you can save some troubles afterwards.

If you want to have a second-handed gaggia classic, again, see if you can check the interior of that machine. Check if there are leakages or broken wires etc.

Hope that will help.


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## conanthelib (Sep 14, 2008)

Neo said:


> Buying coffee ground will just give you quick pours, eventually you will buy a grinder
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for advice, bought of ebay so taking a risk as you do, hope ot pays of. We gave a proffisional coffe shop in my area, ie one that sell coffee beans etc. Will go tommorow. Can u suggest some beans to start with, i want to do lattes & what other eqipment will i need? I think on your posts u state the basics at the end. Thanks


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Hi Conan

For a good quality cheap grinder I would recommend the Iberital MC2

Easy to use, functional and within the budget you have indicated (approx £100)

Parts for Gaggia Classics are fairly easy to come by and the same goes for most grinders.

Let us know if you need any supplier recommendations.


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

right mate I'll have a pop at a concise reply for this.

Firstly the machine... Gaggia Classic is a great machine, and £100 is a great price, am I right in thinking you already own this. With that machine, if it looks like its working, you're on the right step. I actually have this machine myself, so if you need any help, give me a shout.

Secondly the grinder. If you're buying of ebay, and they say its working, that bodes well, as there isn't that much to wrong in a Mazzer SJ. Its a grinder I know very well, as I bought one, stripped and fixed it, and sold it, and have two more now sat on my counter, in various states of disrepair. The one thing you will have to look it is new burrs, the metal disks that grind the coffee, as they will probably not be sharp anymore.

The most important thing with a second hand grinder, is to clean, clean and clean it. Be methodical, and get rid of that stale coffee smell.

For the beans, online retailers I reckon are best, look around here for various mentions, and roasters who contribute to this site. You're looking for freshness, and whole bean, don't buy ground, you'll be dissappointed.

Finally, for lattes and stuff, there isn't a lot of equipment you need aside from the machine and grinder. A good quality milk jug will help, once again purchasable from various online retailers, look for a simple straight walled one, as they are cheap and cheerful, but still great jugs.

Other equipment that makes life easier, is a new tamper, the plastic ones just won't cut it. a tamp mat (to save your surfaces) and a knock-out box, somehwere to bang the used grinds out of the coffee machine portafilter.

Sorry if this is overwhelming, give me a shout for help mate









Chris


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## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

The Baratza Maestro is a good grinder, and cheap as well (comes in at around $100). Mark Prince swears by them. But all the suggestions above are great options.


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## conanthelib (Sep 14, 2008)

To all you guys who took the time to help, I am amazed at your generosity. A huge thank you to all of you and i now know for sure this coffeee thing was a good move by me. Classic on way, Grinder, guy selling it sold me out for an extra £1.50, not to worry. Trying to take in info u great guys are sending and any advice is greatly appreicated. Once again a BIG THANK YOU


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## sammyse (Sep 12, 2008)

Hi,

I'm a recent beginner as well.

With regards to coffee, I have bought coffee directly from a couple of roasters:

http://www.squaremilecoffee.com

and http://www.coffeebeanshop.co.uk

Both of these suppliers gave me good recommendations as a beginner, and their coffee is really nice. The service was great, and very friendly.

My first bag of fresh roast a couple of weeks ago was Square Mile's espresso blend (that was my first one!), and see if you like it, then you can try different coffees...









Kind Regards,

Sammy


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## conanthelib (Sep 14, 2008)

Thanks Sammy will do. Very lucky in Lancaster to have a coffee selling shop, been in it today, totaly awsome, never seen anything like it. Was like going back in time.Will check your web sites out. You dont have any sites that sell coffee accessosories do you, ie tampers, cups exctra. Great way to spend my money.


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

fella, if you havent got a grinder yet, I'll selling one of mine at a bargain price!! pm me for some more information. It's in great condition, and gets very much looked after.

Also another great place for beans is http://www.hasbean.co.uk good range, and a cracking guy!!

Keep an eye out for the new Common Grind podcast at http://www.commongrind.co.uk for a cupping of some of his coffees!


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