# Newbie grinder question...



## 5thelement (May 8, 2011)

Thinking about buying a grinder and i already know to avoid blade grinders like the plague so im looking at burr grinders

Im on a budget and ive been looking at the following models

Delonghi KG79

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delonghi-KG79-Professional-Burr-Grinder/dp/B002OHDBQC

Krups GVX231

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Krups-Expert-GVX231-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002H2IOM

Are there any others i should be looking at in the £40 region? are these even worth buying? ie would i be better just getting the coffee shop to grind my beans or would one of these be preferable so i can grind my beans as and when required?

Thanks!


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## RoloD (Oct 13, 2010)

I have the Delonghi grinder in question. It's a great little grinder and works well BUT it's not going to grind fine enough for an espresso machine (might be fine for a stovetop espresso maker though), or not give the precision of grind you need. I use mine strictly for cafetiere use. I have a feeling the Delonghi and Krups are actually the same grinder inside - certainly all the controls are in the same position.

I would beg, borrow or steal the extra 60 or so to get an MC2.


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## AndyL (Apr 10, 2011)

As RoloD has said it really depends how you are preparing your coffee. If you are using an espresso machine. then the machines your suggesting are not going to grind fine enough and i would also suggest the extra investment and buy an MC2. There is the option of hand grinders such as the Porlex Ceramic Burr Hand Grinder or the Hario Mini Mill which although I've never used them, by all accounts are very good.

Having a shop grind your beans is always hit and miss as you're not in control and any adjustment to grind is out of your hands.

hope that's helpful.

Andy

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 5thelement (May 8, 2011)

Unfortunately £114 is out of the question







i'm the only one in the house who drinks coffee and i just cant justify it for the amount of use it would get, hence looking at budget models.

As for the hand grinders, i had looked at them but it just seems like alot of hassle when you just want a quick drink! i reckon i'd lose interest pretty quick if everytime i wanted a coffee i had to stand there and grind beans by hand.

So if these two models are completely useless for espresso, i guess i'll need to stick with the shop grinding it and having it sat in an airtight jar which is disapointing, guess i cant have it all though!


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## 5thelement (May 8, 2011)

Is this model any improvement?

Morphy Richards ARC bean grinder

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-47910-Bean-Grinder/dp/B0031RG4QI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


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## james10 (Feb 28, 2011)

I've recently purchased the Porlex from HasBean. Slightly skeptical at first, due to people saying it's a fairly laborious job and can take a few minutes for each double shot.

Took a punt and really happy with it. I grind 18g of beans in about one minute fifteen seconds - Grind is very good and it's damn easy to transfer the grounds to the portafilter and clean when finished.

For me - comparing it to the two grinders you mentioned it's a no brainer. But it's not everybodies cup of tea...or coffee (as it were).


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## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

I'd go with the Porlex. You'll get a high end grind for very little outlay plus if you're not going to use it very much spending a minute or so hand grinding is not going to be a big deal.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

The Porlex is suberb, really consistant grind, easy to adjust and clean etc.

As mentioned before 15g takes about 50 seconds to grind.

No brainer


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## funinacup (Aug 30, 2010)

Can you stretch your budget to getting the used MC2 for £80 that's in the for sale section?

If not, then be prepared to spend a lot of time on ebay waiting for a bargain! I would rather do this than go with any of the above mentioned electric grinders personally.

Hand grinders might seem like a pain but if you can spare the extra minute in your prep process then id definitely get a hario hand grinder!

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk


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## Zouche (Jan 16, 2011)

Hi,

I bought a used Gaggia MM grinder in eBay for about £12 a month or so ago. It isn't the greatest grinder and doesn't get great reviews, however it is working really well for me and grinds finely enough to get a good espresso from my Gaggia Classic. Bargains can be had on eBay if you are prepared to play the waiting game...! It does of course depend as others have said on what espresso machine you have and what drinks you enjoy. So far, all I drink are milk-based coffees, which I am very happy with. A pure espresso may not be as good, I'm working my way towards trying one soon!!


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## 5thelement (May 8, 2011)

Mainly milk based drinks here also..

I'll checkout these hand grinders and keep my eyes open on ebay - thats how i usually get stuff cheap-ish, playing the waiting game!


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Definitely consider a hand grinder in that price range. They will be far superior to a cheap electric grinder that you will wish you hadn't bought


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## liquidmonkey2000 (Oct 4, 2010)

Don't rule out quality vintage hand grinders like the Zassenhaus or PeDe. You can sometimes pick these up very cheaply and good vintage grinders are better than most built today. However, you need to be careful because not all grinders are as good as each other. Make sure that the model is adjustable and that the burrs are in reasonable condition (if buying off eBay treat those which do not show photos of the burrs with some caution).

To help here are some examples of what I would look for.

Example to avoid

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=Zassenhaus&_dlg=1&_dmpt=UK_Kitchen_Accessories&_ds=1&LH_PrefLoc=3&_ftrt=901&_ftrv=1

Worth considering if it remains cheap

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ZASSENHAUS-Coffee-Espresso-Grinder-Antique-Vintage-RARE-/260793878440?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb886c7a8#ht_765wt_1141

NB If you are looking for a bargain then this one is the one I'd go for

A really nice example but I don't think this model is adjustable (look for Mokka in the name)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ZASSENHAUS-Coffee-Grinder-unusual-model-excellent-cond-/280688844986?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415a5be0ba#ht_500wt_1156

This one is perfect but expensive

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ZASSENHAUS-German-Coffee-Grinder-rare-excellent-cond-/280688920049?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415a5d05f1#ht_500wt_1156


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## surfer (Oct 15, 2010)

I have several electric grinders and all are excellent, a Gaggia MM, a Cuisineart and a Fracino. I am the only one at home that drinks coffee so I don't grind that much really. I recently bought the Porlex hand grinder and to be honest from a cost and space angle I could live happily with the Porlex. Hope this helps with your decision.


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## 5thelement (May 8, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies . i picked up a gaggia cubika on ebay and the seller threw in a cuisinart electric grinder...and it looks like everyone was right, it doesnt grind finely enough - im getting little to none crema and much too quick extraction times.


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## crispy (Jun 6, 2011)

Could always sell the Cuisinart and put it towards the Porlex / Iberital... The grinder is the key element in managing extraction times and quality... I put my grinder on a CC and paid it off, not saying this works for everyone but I have never thought of changing my grinder and I won't for a long time...

Even if you could tamp the grinds to produce a 25 second(ish) shot, it is likely your flow rate wouldn't be optimal...

If you do go with the Porlex you will appreciate the fruits of your labour and could increase upper body tone, who needs Zumba...


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## 5thelement (May 8, 2011)

I reckon i will put the grinder on ebay and go for the porlex - seems like the best option unless i want to shell out more cash on something better which will also take up more kitchen space and would probably be overkill for the amount of coffee i typically make.


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