# Half step up from MC2?



## oldelpaso (May 19, 2014)

Hi all,

I'm afraid it's another one of those 'which grinder' questions!

I'm looking to take the first steps into making espressos at home and have settled for the Gaggia Classic which seems like a rite of passage for most on here! Along with the Classic the Iberital MC2 gets mentioned a lot with it being affordable and pretty much the bare minimum if you're looking to get decent shots from your Classic.

I'm a little cautious to get one however with how fiddly they are for adjusting, the need for ear plugs when using it, and I guess I'd rather use the funds to purchase a machine I'll be happy with for a few years rather than a few months before inevitably wanting to upgrade which does seem to happen with the MC2.

Now the Eureka Mignon seems ideal... Except for the price. I get the impression it's the next step up from the MC2 however it does cost more then twice as much. I'm keeping an eye on various classifieds for a used Mignon with not much luck, but are there any realistic alternative models priced between the MC2 and Mignon?

I've read a couple of threads on the Sage Smart Grinder here which seems to fall in that category and there are positives as well as negatives. A comment that comes up a lot is that you may as well pay £60-£80 more and get a Mignon, but I think my budget right now is going to be around the cost of a new Sage, a used Mignon, OR some other brand/model that I'm unaware of!

Any help or suggestions it would be much appreciated!


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

There is indeed little between the two, unless you go second hand.

My super jolly costs me somewhere between a new mc2 and a new mignon and is better than either. But then I like big commercial grinders, so it's about what works for you in your home. If you want small and compact, it'll be hard to do better than a mignon.

If you don't mind big, then look for a used commercial, it'll grind better and cost less.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Used mignions still retain value on here ( £200-220 ) and sell very quickly when posted .

My advice ,same a bit longer , go for a used grinder of a sales thread when you can something in the 64 mm burr range ( mazzers and other brands ) , better grind , better adjustment mechs , less noisy , better taste in the cup .

if you don't have the space to accomodate one , save up and get a mignion .

Buy cheap buy twice , or in this case potentially thrice ....


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Another grinder to keep an eye out for second hand is the Baratza Vario, at new prices the Mignon is the better buy, but if you cant wait for one to show up s/h then you might spot a Vario in the mean time.

The sage, whilst better than the MC2, is generally considered not worth the money at new prices. It was released to the market unable to grind for espresso and Sage had to begin adding a shim to correct this, a bad sign from the start really.

Are you buying you classic s/h? if not it may be worth stretching your grinder budget by doing so.

Also if you do end up int he £250-280 range the Mazzer Mini is another consideration, and is a step up from the Mignon.


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## oldelpaso (May 19, 2014)

Great feedback folks, thanks

The Classic is indeed a s/h machine. I originally thought that the espresso machine would be the most important piece of kit but quickly found out the grinder is the key. So yes I'm putting more funds to a decent grinder that will last, that saying of 'buy cheap, buy twice' is something I most definitely believe in!

Coming into this new I was unaware of all these different brands on the market. I hadn't even heard of Iberital, Mignon or Super Jolly until a couple of weeks ago so looks like a bit more research is needed and I'll look up the Baratza Vario. There do seem to be a lot of commercial models on eBay, but again I've never heard of the make or model names so I'm usually onto Google after seeing each new listing, so much to learn!

Nice tip on the Sage too D_Evans, looks like one to avoid then in view of what else is available out there.

I'm currently waiting to exchange and hopefully move within the next month so will keep my eye out for the models you guys have recommended in the coming weeks, again thanks for the input!


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

If you see yourself sticking with espresso for a long time, and have the space to accomodate it, then try to get yourself a used commercial rather than something like a Vario / Mignon. In the long term it'll last better, and produce higher quality results.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Having had my hands on a Sage, I can say that they offer an equivalent grind quality or slightly better than an MC2 and the electronic dosing capabilities are far better than anything else within £100 or more at new prices. It's also easier to clean than an MC2, is quieter than one and a damn sight prettier too.

Regarding the shimming of the grinder, this grinder was originally conceived as an entry level grinder in Australia to be used alongside one of the entry level machines you will fins being sold in any electrical goods retailer over there, the shims are provided in the box by Breville and it's up to you whether or not you install them, this is quite a common practice over there. There is a large number of domestic appliance type espresso machines there, that we don;t ever see on the market here, although most of them will beat seven shades out the equivalent DeLonghis and Dualits etc and don't resort to pressurised portafilters in the main, an espresso machine isn't really considered a luxury item there and as well as the machines there are also quite a few grinders marketed for use at this level, most of which come supplied with shims.


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## CFo (Aug 25, 2013)

always worth a look at this review if buying i this price range: http://goo.gl/bskSMq


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## oldelpaso (May 19, 2014)

Is part of the problem with the Sage that it's a rebranded Breville, widely available at large retailers and high street stores like Amazon, John Lewis etc? I'm thinking it may get looked down on a bit because of this..?

I've managed to find the Coffee Forums Grind Off 2013 thread and accompanying videos on YouTube which will keep me busy for a while, oh and I'd advise against searching 'grind off' on YouTube btw if you're at work!

Thanks also to CFo for linking that article


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

There was a bit of snobbery about Sage entering the coffee market at first but after road testing the actual coffee machines won a couple of the experienced heads over and they switched to Sage. Less said about the grinder the better though.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Yea, as Jeebsy says, the machine overcame a lot of the skepticism, the grinder did not.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

To be fair none of the few of us that tested the grinder had anything that was a fair contest to put it up against, in the entry level grinder market it's not that bad, and should never have been marketed as a pairing with the Sage Dual Boiler.


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