# Upgrade from Iberital MC2 .



## cold war kid (Mar 12, 2010)

Hi.

I'll hopefully be picking up a second hand Rancilio Silvia at the weekend that I've got an agreement to buy from a fellow forumite when his new machine arrives. At the moment I'm using ( or was til my current espresso machine died) an Iberital Mc2 grinder that I'm happy with as it seems to grind consistently with no lumps and a lot of control over grind size. However, having read into the Silvia and seen a few online tutorials, lot's of them seem to mention to pair it with a good grinder as it's picky over the grind used.

So I'm wondering if anyone can give me advice. Is this a good match for the Silvia, and if not , why not, and how much should I be budgeting for a new grinder that will see a good improvement in my shot's.

I'm getting a bit confused as when I was last looking into grinders around three years ago the next step up would have been either a Mazzer or a Macap but these brands seem to have fallen out of favour a little bit to be replaced by grinders that I'm not familiar with at all and have never seen in the flesh.

I'm not in a position to buy at the moment, it might not happen til after Christmas now as I've got 2 kids and obviously they come first, but to have a good idea of how much cash I'll be needing would be a great help.

Thanks


----------



## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Whereabouts are you based maybe people near you can offer to demo their grinders for you.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

if you are near swindon come and have a play, i have loads that you can try and then you can get an idea of which direction you want to go in.


----------



## cold war kid (Mar 12, 2010)

coffeechap said:


> if you are near swindon come and have a play, i have loads that you can try and then you can get an idea of which direction you want to go in.


Thanks, but I live in Bolton.


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Try not to get too hung up on the silvia is picky with grind,learn to temp surf on it ,get the dose you want for the taste you want ,nail your distribution and tamping . It's no more picky than a lot of single boiler machines , the advantage is there are tons of great blogs,advice on how to get the best form them.

. Yes a better grind will inevitably deliver you a better taste . Bargains can be had , I sold a magnum on here for £220 ,for a 75 mm titanium burr grinder. Depends on the size you can accomodate and whether you want doser or doserless.

Coffee chap reconditions, strips and services his grinders. I and many others have bought from him very happily .

A much as you won't want to hear it , I'd start at £250 for something good from a trusted forum member . Yes you may pick a bargain up off eBay , but then there is the risk of the parts and service you will need to do .

Have a look at the space you have , don't be put off by buying ex commercial if your budget and space requirements can stretch to it .

Bigger burrs ,bigger machine ,better more consistent grind , bit more expensive ,well worth it in taste .


----------



## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

cold war kid said:


> Thanks, but I live in Bolton.


Well if you can make it over to Chorley some time I can show you my Brasilia RR55 OD which is paired with a Gaggia Classic at the moment, I noticed a huge leap in quality when I changed to the Brasilia from an MC2


----------



## cold war kid (Mar 12, 2010)

Charliej said:


> Well if you can make it over to Chorley some time I can show you my Brasilia RR55 OD which is paired with a Gaggia Classic at the moment, I noticed a huge leap in quality when I changed to the Brasilia from an MC2


Thanks. That's very kind of you. If I can get some money together before Xmas I might take you up on your offer.

How much does a grinder like the Brasilia cost?


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

cold war kid said:


> Thanks. That's very kind of you. If I can get some money together before Xmas I might take you up on your offer.
> 
> How much does a grinder like the Brasilia cost?


When you collect the machine ill show you the k30 I have mate .


----------



## Yes Row (Jan 23, 2013)

cold war kid said:


> Thanks. That's very kind of you. If I can get some money together before Xmas I might take you up on your offer.
> 
> How much does a grinder like the Brasilia cost?


I picked my doser version up second hand for £80 last month. I had to replace the burrs for another £20 and I stripped and cleaned it myself. I got it via Gumtree and it was a local collection only

I was lucky, but shows there are bargains to be had


----------



## cold war kid (Mar 12, 2010)

Mrboots2u said:


> When you collect the machine ill show you the k30 I have mate .


Good, but isn't that over a grand new? If it is it'll be nice to look at but the missus would divorce me if I even mentioned buying one. At the moment she's just about putting up with my weird fixations on coffee, wine and watches but I fear talk of another heavy, bulky machine in her kitchen might tip her over the edge.


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

cold war kid said:


> Good, but isn't that over a grand new? If it is it'll be nice to look at but the missus would divorce me if I even mentioned buying one. At the moment she's just about putting up with my weird fixations on coffee, wine and watches but I fear talk of another heavy, bulky machine in her kitchen might tip her over the edge.


Yeah over a grand brand new , less second hand , just thought u could get an idea of what a different machine does , the kind of grind consistency they produce etc.


----------



## Yes Row (Jan 23, 2013)

cold war kid said:


> Good, but isn't that over a grand new? If it is it'll be nice to look at but the missus would divorce me if I even mentioned buying one. At the moment she's just about putting up with my weird fixations on coffee, wine and watches but I fear talk of another heavy, bulky machine in her kitchen might tip her over the edge.


Don't look at the "one for the shavers" topic. DE shaving is addictive.

You have been warned!


----------



## cold war kid (Mar 12, 2010)

Yes Row said:


> Don't look at the "one for the shavers" topic. DE shaving is addictive.
> 
> You have been warned!


Noooooooooooo. When you posted this I didn't know what you meant and promptly forgot about it. I've read it now and there's £75 worth of shaving gear in my amazon basket waiting for payday.


----------



## Yes Row (Jan 23, 2013)

Oh dear, you will be forever buying and trying different shaving stuff now, its an eternal quest for new blades, creams, balms, razors.........you were warned!


----------

