# help newbie pick a grinder



## robti (Mar 27, 2013)

Hi just waiting fon my gaggia classic to be delivered next week and i am loking for a grinder to go with it, it seems to be that there is no set grinder that gets recommended across all the forums\sites as each forum\site has its own favourite they recommend.

So could you give me a couple of recommendations as to which ones i should be looking at to partner the classic and why ?

Thanks

Robert


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## Jason1wood (Jun 1, 2012)

If you give us a budget that would help, otherwise you'll be getting suggestions for grinders that cost £££s









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## redricks (Jul 8, 2012)

Having and currently running a Rancilio Rocky i would highly recommend one of these there are lots of reasons why i.e grind quality it can grind fine enough to '' choke'' the best of machines.Build quality you can tell by the weight its built like a tank.Direct drive motor no belts or pulleys to wear or break. 53mm burr set same as used in their commercial MD40 grinder as is the motor which is step geared to reduce heat during grinding.Minimal grind retention on the doserless model all in all a reliable bit of kit easy to use and clean Coffeegeek give it an outstanding 8.4 out of 10 putting it up there with the best.And last but by no means least the price @ £254 shes not expensive and due to reliabilty and quality they hold their price very well when you get upgradeitus which you will do, i said i wouldnt but have.Hence i will have one in as new condition to move on shortly.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

robti said:


> So could you give me a couple of recommendations as to which ones i should be looking at to partner the classic and why? Thanks Robert


The why is the easy bit, Robert. With a grinder you want to be able to adjust your grind accurately - crucial for espresso. Also, you want your grinder to give an even grind. You don't want a ground dose with a lot of variation in fines' size. This can lead to all sorts of problems during extraction, e.g. channelling.

The general consensus is Euerka Mignon or Iberital MC2 - not cheap but give good results and are reasonably future proof if you decide to upgrade from the Classic. Second hand is an attractive way to get hold of a grinder such as the two mentioned above but you will need to be patient and take your time. Expect to pay around £150ish.


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## robti (Mar 27, 2013)

THanks for the helpfull replies i was wondering about the budget and would of said £0-£100 range and £100-£200 range would have been my limit for different budgets.

I also was looking at the MC2 and couldn't make up my mind between that and the MC5 for the better build and looks and wondered if that was OTT for me as a starter

Thanks

Robert


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

In that price range I would recommend an MC2 doserless - no question

Classic and MC2 are like peas and carrots


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

The MC2 is well recommended with the classic and is the cheapest electric grinder fit for purpose.

I dont know much about the MC5, but it looks like it's doser only which would put me off.

you are probably fed up of reading by now, but doser vs doserless is another contested debate in the home coffee world









for me doserless every time - no coffee left over in the doser to go stale (or require removing prior to next shot).


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## bcoles79 (Mar 22, 2013)

Would the Mignon be a noticeable upgrade from the MC2?


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## Big Tony (Dec 18, 2012)

The mignon is awesome in my opinion... Thoroughly recommend it. Consider a second hand one on ebay though. As an example, when I looked on ebay I was watching a rancilio md50 (RRP £500 ish). In great condition and looked like new. Ended up going for £110.... Just a thought


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

bcoles79 said:


> Would the Mignon be a noticeable upgrade from the MC2?


Yep, should provide a better grind (although I haven't owned either to do a side by side test).


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## Godders (Dec 29, 2012)

I had the Mignon or MC2 dilemma myself very recently. I felt if I got the MC2 I'd be hankering after an upgrade before too long whereas the Mignon would be a longer term investment. Aesthetics was also a factor with the Mignon winning hands down here in my (and more importantly my better half's) opinion.

So I went with the Mignon and I haven't regretted it for a second.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

There is a grind off event taking place in May with Coffeechap. I suspect there will be several good grinders between 150 and 250 available afterwards.

Don't forget. On a forum everyone tells you what they have got or done.. That does not make it right!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

There is a grind off event taking place in May with Coffeechap. I suspect there will be several good grinders between 150 and 250 available afterwards.

Don't forget. On a forum everyone tells you what they have got or done.. That does not make it right!


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## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

Out of interest, has the Mazzer Mini Doser disappeared off the radar now as a home machine? A brief google didn't show any outlets marketing it to the domestic side. Since it was over £100 cheaper than the mini-e, it was pretty good value in comparison with the likes of Rocky, though it would probably have a hard time competing with the Mignon at its price.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Just to put a perspective on this. I have a top end espresso machine and an even more top end grinder. I put the espresso machine away nearly 2 weeks ago, and am still using my Gaggia Classic. That is not because it is better, but I am giving it a chance to learn the machine properly. I am using my Eireka Mythos grinder with it which is cheating, because, IMHO, the Mythos is in the best 5 grinders available.

So, how does the Classic do? Well, after tinkering and playing around, very well. I am consistently pouring an acceptable shot of coffee. Nowhere near as good as My L1 but I would not expect it to.

So, what am I going on about? My advice, would be to buy the best grinder that you can, at this point in time. Set a budget, think about how you intend to use the machine. think about resale value if you decide not to stick with it. buying second hand, i you are careful is an option. A lot of people buy a Mazzer Super Jolly, in the belief that one day they will upgrade their coffee machine to something that is capable of getting more out of the grind.

Personally, I would not buy an MC2 as after a short period of time, you may well wish you had bitten the bullet and bought something else. Or, you may be glad that you had bought one! I would ask if there are any forum members who live near you, who would be prepared to let you come round with some beans, and see and try theirs out.

In fact, there's a suggestion for Glenn........why not start a thread or forum stating the rough area people live in, who would be prepared to help a newbie by letting them visit and see their kit.


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## robti (Mar 27, 2013)

Thanks for all the helpfull replies, i have opened a can of worms with that question, i thought it would be black & white which grinder you would all recommend but it looks like i will be reading up over the next week to find more info on them.

Thanks again

Robert


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## RoloD (Oct 13, 2010)

The Iberital MC2, ugly though it is, is a very good grinder for the money and does the job. You won't anything else get to match it, new, at that price. Only real drawback is that it's not feasible to use if for espresso AND filter/cafetiere, as it takes forever to readjust the grind. If you use it just for espresso I don't think you will be disappointed.

If you do want to upgrade, the MC2 is always easy to sell.


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## Pdalowsky (Dec 31, 2012)

bellabarista has a useful grinder review on the site, the mignon came out very well and that tipped me over the edge and led me to go for that one.

have been very happy with it since. Its quiet, compact, solidly built, attractive and grinds very well indeed.

I have nothing to compare against however and would echo what is said above, personal reviews based on what people own are never objective enough - and this doesnt only apply to the coffee world


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## osrix (Feb 15, 2013)

I am in the same boat as the op, but have done masses of "research" - trawling the net reading reviews and feeling like i'm going round and round!

From what ive read and please correct me if i'm wrong.

The domestic grinders available to us in the UK seem fairly limited, but kinda goes like this...again please correct me if I am wrong.

To reflect the above posts the* Iberital MC2 -* is the cheapest and reasonable for espresso, but still has some issues; build quality, noise and loose'ish hopper.



*
Ascaso i2 - *is similar to the mc2, but better looking and about £50 more expensive



*
Ascaso mini / isteel -* I think are the same as the i1 cant work that out at all!??



*
Fracino Piccino - *same as the Ascaso i2



*
Ascaso i1* - is a better version with flat burrs like the Rancilio rocky but is a bit more money than the i2 and nearly as much as the Rocky



*
Rancilio rocky - *seems to be a good grinder and much more highly regarded than the Ascaso models - but nearly £250 which puts it in the range of the cheapest Eureka Mignon, which appears to be the best of the domestics

*
Gaggia Mdf - *seems over priced at £150 - consistent grind, but has a doser which is not so great for a couple of shots a day.

*MAHLKÖNIG Vario - *great reviews and very popular*, *seems to be a good choice for some but £360 and for that price you getting into commercial territory





*
greaf cm 70 - **Wild card**- * very mixed reviews but for £90 might be worth a punt? they seem to like it as a budget option on an Australian site

Ive not included and baratzas as they seem hard to find. in the UK - please correct me if I'm wrong

Good review some of the above grinders as metioned in the above post

http://www.bellabarista.co.uk/pdf/compactgrinder1closerlookv3.pdf

The Eureka Mignon comes out top, but the price gap between this and the mc2 is around £150, to be honest though i think its probably worth it if you have the money.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Well put in the end either functionality or aesthetics, or even the compromise will come into play, never forget though that for the £250 price point, sooooooooooo many fantastic commercial second hand or refurb grinders are available ( space dependent)


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## bignorry (Mar 19, 2013)

Thanks s\h it is then time to start saving the pennies then,

sorry logged in on the brothers account rather than mine


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## Franks (Mar 27, 2013)

An MC2 went on ebay the other day for £27. Pick up from Rotherham only. Bargain.


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## Pdalowsky (Dec 31, 2012)

wow, I would have collected that and shipped it to anyone who wanted it too.

something to bear in mind going forward. anything in or around rotherham doncaster and sheffield i would be more than happy to assist with


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I'm currently going through this dilemma myself. Don't think much (anything) apart from french press though and reckon upgrading from my Hario hand mill just now is wanton in the extreme.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I probably should not say this, as we all have to start our coffee journey somewhere, but, we have an expression which sums up my feelings anyway......

You cannot polish a turd!


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## Savo (Apr 9, 2013)

I'm using a commercial grinder & now I've finally figured out how to use it properly it's brilliant. Not sure how it compares against other s. But good enough for me and didn't cost a lot.


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## RisingPower (Dec 27, 2009)

dfk41 said:


> I probably should not say this, as we all have to start our coffee journey somewhere, but, we have an expression which sums up my feelings anyway......
> 
> You cannot polish a turd!


Actually you're wrong, you can polish a turd, mythbusters proved it.


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## rodabod (Dec 4, 2011)

Guys, it's tamp and polish, not turd and polish. So much misinformation here.


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## Savo (Apr 9, 2013)

I'd buy the mazzer major in the for sale section 

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?10024-For-Sale-Old-Mazzer-Major


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