# Looking for first grinder



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

What should I be looking for in a grinder? Must admit, I am a bit confused reading the specs. I haven't used one before. I have a Sage Duo Temp Pro which I am just getting familiar with but would also be handy to grind coffee for a cafetière and moka pot which I also use. I have about £130 to spend. What features should I be looking for in the spec? TIA

Emily


----------



## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Budget of £130 won't go far, grinder-wise, sadly. What are you using with the Duo Temp? A lot of grinders don't work too well being shifted from fine to coarse, i.e. being able to reset for espresso without much hassle.

Have a look at this thread

https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/42210-grinder-for-both-espresso-and-pour-overdrip-coffee/?do=embed


----------



## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

If you can live with it, a hand grinder might be worth considering - something from the Made By Knock range. Keep an eye out in our for sale area - kit is listed on a regular basis and is a good way of making your budget go further.

You will need a minimum of five posts in last 29 days before you can access that area of the forum.


----------



## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Theres a made by knock on ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aergrind-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-for-Aeropress-MBK-madebyknock-Used-/254830815095?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292


----------



## Mulligrub (Jun 24, 2020)

The Made by Knock range of grinders are first class, highly recommend. The one on eBay should suit your needs.


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Budget of £130 won't go far, grinder-wise, sadly. What are you using with the Duo Temp?


 Hi, thanks for replying. Am just using pre-ground at the moment.


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

Will have a look at the eBay one now 😊


----------



## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174587740328

Another, more expensive though


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

Is it suitable for grinding espresso? My difficulties with using pre-ground is not being able to grind fine enough I

think. Would this hand grinder be better than a Sage electric one for instance? It looks pretty basic for the price (not a criticism, just trying to understand what makes a grinder good or rubbish).


----------



## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Tbh id buy this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Eureka-Mignon-Silenzio-Espresso-Grinder-/143914369966?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

Hes just best offered it me for £200

And its a £300 grinder


----------



## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@Emily - I had an Aergrind previously, lovely little grinder but not fast at all. Doing 18g espresso fine easily took 5-6 minutes per shot.

I would save up a bit more cash and get one with bigger burrs like a MBK feld travel or jx-pro.

Unless it's just you and 1 shot a day, then it is a bit masochistic for loads of drinks. Good workout though! 💪


----------



## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

I picked up a brand new Aergrind direct from Made By Knock in December for £120 - it was in stock at the time and was received within 5 days of placing the order. It was a present for my brother and sister in law who love it.

I have the Sage SGP myself and it is fine for my needs. I'm sure there are plenty of other better grinders out there but I think it's actually quite good value for the money. It's paired with a Bambino Plus and I use it for cappuccinos.

I've had it since June and this is my first set up. No doubt I'll get something better in the future, but I'm really happy with it for my needs. I make 2/3 drinks a day and bought it new from Lakeland with a 3 year warrantee


----------



## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

Cuprajake said:


> Tbh id buy this
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Eureka-Mignon-Silenzio-Espresso-Grinder-/143914369966?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
> 
> ...


 This is the best option


----------



## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

If you are switching across espresso, cafetière and Moka pot on a regular basis then it can be a pain to adjust the grind and purge it without using a bunch of coffee in the process.

You will struggle to find an entry level grinder that does it all. Quite a few people settle for a hopper fed espresso grinder and separate hand grinder for brew/cafetière/Moka pots.

Really like the MBK Aerspeed for non espresso, it's not too pricey and super fast to grind.


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

Thanks for all the replies. Really struggling with the thought of £200 for grinder (my budget is a bit tight). Probably, the grinding for espresso is priority, I really want to make the most of my Sage DTP. I like the look of the Aergrind, will do a bit more research. It seems to be out of stock new.

The more I read about them, the more I think I would like a manual grinder. Not least because I have limited room on my worktop for another appliance. I assumed the electric would be better.


----------



## Gav86 (Dec 10, 2020)

Cuprajake said:


> Tbh id buy this
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Eureka-Mignon-Silenzio-Espresso-Grinder-/143914369966?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
> 
> ...


 This one if you can stretch to £200


----------



## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Spend the extra, habd grinding is a pita


----------



## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Emily said:


> Thanks for all the replies. Really struggling with the thought of £200 for grinder (my budget is a bit tight). Probably, the grinding for espresso is priority, I really want to make the most of my Sage DTP. I like the look of the Aergrind, will do a bit more research. It seems to be out of stock new.


 If your priority is for espresso grinding - as said, a hand grinder can become a PITA. Best save up and get an electric.


----------



## Gav86 (Dec 10, 2020)

Don't know if this would suit your needs.... Has been in the for sale section for a little while

https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/56131-new-lelit-fred-pl43mmi-stepless-grinder/?do=embed


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

Thanks all, just read new replies. Ok, so I will go back to the electric grinder plan ☺


----------



## RobDGio (Jun 17, 2020)

For the budget the above lelit could leave just about enough for a hand grinder too so then you can cover all bases for different brew methods


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

Gav86 said:


> Don't know if this would suit your needs.... Has been in the for sale section for a little while


 Maybe it has gone, there was no reply to recent enquiry I think. I will keep an eye out...


----------



## Gav86 (Dec 10, 2020)

Emily said:


> Maybe it has gone, there was no reply to recent enquiry I think. I will keep an eye out...


 It's probably worth asking the seller a question or offering might prompt them to reply


----------



## Fraser (Nov 23, 2020)

I know everyone has put you back onto the electric grinder hunt but let me put my two pence in.

I have a feld2 hand grinder and it does a fantastic job at grinding for espresso. Does it require effort? Not a huge amount, it does take maybe 1 minute to grind 17g. How many shots would you be making per day? I make between 3-4 and don't find it that much of a PITA.

Sorry if I have made it harder for you again but I didn't want you to completely throw away the idea of hand grinding when you can get a much better grind for the money.


----------



## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

+1 ☝ .....if....and only if you did decide to stick with a hand-grinder then have you considered the Rok GC ? ....it's got a bigger handle/leverage arrangement so "may" be easier to use. It's British (iirc) and they're a "green" (read tree-hugger) company (which is a "plus" in my eyes). It's built to last etc. etc.

click me to see


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

Rumpelstiltskin said:


> +1 ☝ .....if....and only if you did decide to stick with a hand-grinder then have you considered the Rok GC ? ....it's got a bigger handle/leverage arrangement so "may" be easier to use. It's British (iirc) and they're a "green" (read tree-hugger) company (which is a "plus" in my eyes). It's built to last etc. etc.


 Thanks, I really like the look of that.

I only make 1 double shot each day. I'm sensitive to caffeine so have to limit myself. First coffee of the day I use instant/cafetière/leftover stovetop as I can't cope with making espresso at 5.30am lol.


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

I have also noticed a 1zpresso JX which is in stock at Bellabarista. Just a bit over my budget but roughly the same price as the others. Reviews seem good. Can anyone confirm this is a good grinder for espresso?


----------



## Fraser (Nov 23, 2020)

Emily said:


> I have also noticed a 1zpresso JX which is in stock at Bellabarista. Just a bit over my budget but roughly the same price as the others. Reviews seem good. Can anyone confirm this is a good grinder for espresso?


 That was the one I would have gone for if I hadn't picked up the feld2.


----------



## gilbodavid (Oct 25, 2019)

It has to be the JX pro for espresso, not the JX. This is because the JX doesn't have done enough grind settings. The pro is a lot more expensive.

I have the feld, and it grinds for espresso surprisingly quickly. Love it


----------



## itguy (Jun 26, 2015)

To throw in a fairly obvious wildcard - the Sage Smart Grinder Pro..

One on eBay here at £150 or best offer (I'd presume £130 would take it) - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sage-Smart-Grinder-Pro-/353354777811?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

I personally think for the money these are a great first grinder. There is lots about them on YouTube, many of us on here have had one at some point and it matches the DTP nicely. It's also small on the kitchen worktop.

This is basically the same grinder that is inside the Sage Barista Express coffee machine, and many people on here like that too (me included, I had one).

When I had my Sage Smart Grinder Pro it was a great training aid. It taught me a lot and then I ultimately moved on and bought something better, but I also sold it for £10 less than I paid for it. Bought second hand off here, sold on here.


----------



## Emily (Dec 27, 2020)

itguy said:


> One on eBay here at £150 or best offer (I'd presume £130 would take it) - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sage-Smart-Grinder-Pro-/353354777811?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292


 Missed this dammit.



gilbodavid said:


> It has to be the JX pro for espresso, not the JX. This is because the JX doesn't have done enough grind settings. The pro is a lot more expensive.


 I just added this grinder to my basket then remembered I hadn't checked back here for a while. Gonna think about it some more before I choose something.


----------



## itguy (Jun 26, 2015)

Do you have enough posts now to be able to put a wanted ad in the forum here in the right section?

If you state what you're after (ie small grinder, have £1xx to spend, what have you got...) you might be surprised to see what people will part with.

If you hadn't noticed already a lot of people on here get serious upgradeitis and move their stuff on quite quickly so they can go on to something else!

I have bought and sold lots on here over the years, always good value compared to new.


----------

