# Starting Out



## RealCoffeeNewbie (Sep 3, 2013)

Hi folks,

Please forgive me as I am sort of asking a previously asked question but my circumstances are slightly different from a few mentioned.

As in my username I am new to "real" coffee very recently. Due to a medical condition I had to avoid coffee for quite a few years. It was sorted and now I can drink as much as I like!!!

On reading forums I think I would like to go down the route of separate grinder and coffee maker.

We recently moved house and I got an integral coffee machine fitted. It is a heap of *^^##%

All it does is make is make coffee it doesn't have a integral grinder. It does have steam.

My plan is to get a good grinder (I've tried already ground and don't really like it ) and use beans. I would use the integral machine for making the coffee whilst I saved up to buy a decent maker.

I am looking for recommendations for a good electric grinder. My budget is probably £200 - £300. I could go slightly higher if required. I would like it to be able to grind for espresso but be variable for other coffee uses. I would like to buy one that I wouldn't have to replace when I buy a better coffee maker. It may be good to offer your opinions on good coffee makers so that a grinder that will compliment them can be bought.

Thanks for you patience and help.

Steve


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

What space do you have available for a grinder, as personally I always recommend a good quality commercial grinder with perhaps a micro hopper on it to bring the size down, it will give you what you need now and be future proof


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## RealCoffeeNewbie (Sep 3, 2013)

Hi coffechap,

Space not a problem as we designed the new kitchen with plenty of space.



coffeechap said:


> personally I always recommend a good quality commercial grinder with perhaps a micro hopper on it to bring the size down,


Sounds good what would be your recommendation in this class of grinder?

Steve


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## RealCoffeeNewbie (Sep 3, 2013)

Would a grinder like http://www.caterkwik.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_MODELB&gclid=CKWX3cPYsbkCFVDItAodXDcAXg be any good?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

RealCoffeeNewbie said:


> Would a grinder like http://www.caterkwik.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_MODELB&gclid=CKWX3cPYsbkCFVDItAodXDcAXg be any good?


There is better value to be had in the seconds hand market , with just a touch more more you could pick up something like a mazzer SJ ,or a cimbali magnum, or any other number of good value ex commercial grade grinders. Drop coffee chap a pm , he may have something along those lines. All his stuff is stripped down,checked and quality 2 nd hand. A number of us on here have bought grinders from him. I'd wouldn't but the grinder you suggested for that price .

Have you had a think about wether something with a doser or no doser would suit you, or perhaps a timer mech?


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## RealCoffeeNewbie (Sep 3, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> There is better value to be had in the seconds hand market , with just a touch more more you could pick up something like a mazzer SJ ,or a cimbali magnum, or any other number of good value ex commercial grade grinders. Drop coffee chap a pm , he may have something along those lines. All his stuff is stripped down,checked and quality 2 nd hand. A number of us on here have bought grinders from him. I'd wouldn't but the grinder you suggested for that price .


Thanks for that. I'll drop him a line.



Mrboots2u said:


> Have you had a think about wether something with a doser or no doser would suit you, or perhaps a timer mech?


I'm glad I came to this forum as I didn't realise this was all so complicated.









From my reading of the doser/non-doser question I "think" it would be non-doser as I would only be using it in the house for a double dose espresso possibly 4 times a day. I may have misunderstood what I have read though!!!! I read most of my information here.

With regards the timer mech. I hadn't thought about it mainly because I haven't a clue what that means or does. I now see grinders with them but what do they actually do?


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

it just runs the grinder for say 20 seconds, then it turns it off. You could program it to grind a consistent amount, say 16g in 15 seconds then stop, rather then manually stopping the grinder.

You say you prefer beans to pre ground, which is great - but where do your beans come from? If it's the supermarket, then have a look at the 'list of UK roasters' thread in the beans subforum, and try some freshly roasted beans form one of the roasters there. It will be 100x better than supermarket beans, and better than some shops that sell beans (although there are some good ones out there too).


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## RealCoffeeNewbie (Sep 3, 2013)

aaronb said:


> it just runs the grinder for say 20 seconds, then it turns it off. You could program it to grind a consistent amount, say 16g in 15 seconds then stop, rather then manually stopping the grinder.


Ah!!! That sounds like what a newbie like me requires. That's a definite yes to having a timer mech.

Did I pick up the doser/non-doser point correctly?



aaronb said:


> You say you prefer beans to pre ground, which is great - but where do your beans come from? If it's the supermarket, then have a look at the 'list of UK roasters' thread in the beans subforum, and try some freshly roasted beans form one of the roasters there. It will be 100x better than supermarket beans, and better than some shops that sell beans (although there are some good ones out there too).


Fantastic I will do that as they have been from supermarkets anytime I have tried it.


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## Brettyboo (Sep 4, 2013)

i know how you feel, its a minefield for us newbies! i bit the bullet yesterday and bought a SJ off fleabay. Bit worried about doing so but after research (that's how i stumbled upon this forum!

luckily the guy i bought it off is a coffee shop owner and has been given a grinder by ILLY so his old one is defunct. the burrs are new and looks in good condition, he has also said he will run some beans through it and make me some coffees to prove its good, so a sigh of relief has been given!

i pick it up on sat so a weekend of grinding is ahead......(bit excited!)


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