# The Eternal Question: Best Grinder for c£300 (ish)



## jzbdski (Oct 20, 2012)

Hi There,

Ok, I know this is the question everyone asks but I'm looking for some advice on a new grinder.

I currently have an MC2 paired with a Silvia and I can get some really nice shots from it.

I drink mostly espresso but would like be able to use my grinder for French press and Aeropress.

The fine adjustment on the MC2 works well for espresso but it is a bit of a pain to dial in and when jumping between different beans, the 4-8 half turns one way and 6 the other -not always immediately repeatable as the scale is pretty arbitrary.

As I say, I drink mostly espresso but do jump between beans (I like the lighter delicate 'Hasbean-style' roasts, Mrs J prefers heady, smokey Neapolitan -style espresso) hence the ability to repeatedly and easily change settings of a stepped grinder really appeals to me.

I've been looking around for a bit, and there a few units which stand out but I don't know what best to do for flexibility. The obvious choices seem to include things like the Mignon or Mahlkonig Vario but is there anything else out there ?

Is the Mignon easy to adjust and to repeat settings ? Are the steps on the Vario fine enough or is the clever-sounding mechanism a bit gimmicky ?

What alternatives ought I to look at ?

As I say I'm pretty happy with my MC2 for consistency and did wonder about getting a porlex, hausgrind or something similar for brewed but don't know how much of a pain a hand-grinder would prove to be...

I know someone will suggest a second-hand Mazzer of some description but how are they in the adjustment department...

Answers on a postcard please...

all help / info gratefully received !


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Unfortunately the vast majority of grinders do not readily/easily change between French press and espresso, other than some very expensive grinders.

You would be better off keeping your M C 2 for French press /filter and buying a grinder for espresso.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Agree with El Carajillo, the majority of decent grinders in this price band do not switch between grinds easily. Once you move from espresso it will take a couple of shots to get it dialled back in again.

Have one for brewed and one for espresso. Mignon has a great grind consistency but can clump a bit. It would be worth looking at an used ex commercial grinder.


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## jzbdski (Oct 20, 2012)

Thanks guys...

Having looked into it in much more detail it looks like the Vario, which promises much, may fail to deliver.

I'm going to go down the route of a hand grinder (for work -aeropress/v60) for now and will think seriously at a mignon or something meaty in the pre-loved market.


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## Yes Row (Jan 23, 2013)

Get another MC2... His and Hers!

Your welcome!


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

one possible solution i'd have looked at if i'd kept it. would have been drilling a small viewing hole in the top cover of the MC2 above the geared wheel that rotates the burr set.

Then I'd have printed a numbered scale to stick on top of the geared wheel to be viewed through the small window. This would allow you to be repeatable with settings, and also to allow you to write down your prefered setting for different coffees / methods.

That combined with the other MC2 mods on this forum (like making the adjustment knob swivel so the collar can be unlocked, allowing fast large grind changes) and you could make the MC2 more friendly to use.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

In the meantime, you could use the espresso grind for French press and Aeropress inverted, water in first, then grinds & dunk to wet & steep. You'd really want to filter the French press, the Aeropress is handy here too - pour off the coffee from the FP, trying not to kick up the bed, into the inverted AP, flip & give it few seconds to settle, then plunge into the cup. Using 2 or 3 AP papers will help with the clarity.

Or you can filter through a filter cone, you'll lose a little coffee as some will remain trapped in the filter.

I'd predominantly be looking for a 2nd, 'brewed grinder', for pourover/Aeropress non-inverted.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Although the general advice that what is good for one is not good for the other may well be true (I couldn't say from experience). If you are just looking for something to change between grinds then the Mignon is perfectly easy to do so, it requires a few full rotations of the knob but so long as you count these you can go back and forth with relative accuracy.

Probably the better option is a grinder like the Mignon for espresso and a porlex or similar hand grinder for brewed, but if you want to go down this route you may as well start with the Mignon and see if it works for you.


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