# Coffee Grinder Shops in Birmingham



## scrufftyguy (Jan 6, 2011)

Hi,

I'm off to Birmingham in a couple of weeks and was hoping I could get to check out a few grinders while I'm there. Can anyone recommend where to go to check out some non-commercial grinders. I'm particularly interested in the Rancilio Rocky as my budget is around £250, but I'm still open to suggestions.


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

The Rocky seems to have fallen out of favour in recent times having been all the rage for a while, I think this is due to the size of the steps on the grinder adjustment but not having used one cannot say how true this is.

The £250 grinder price point is a tough one as there are not many choices and there is a tendency to either go for the Iberital MC2 at £140 or jump to the £300 - £350ish price point where the Mahlkonig Vario, Compak K3 and Macap MC4 reside.

Sorry no info on where to go and look in the Brum area.


----------



## scrufftyguy (Jan 6, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback I'll bare that in mind!

By the way, I probably should have mentioned that it's a non-doser (doserless) grinder that I'm after as it's only for my french press and my aeropress, at the moment.

I'm probably more likely to spend that little bit more if needed as I'd rather not feel like I want to upgrade at a later date, so I could probably stretch to around £300.


----------



## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

Don is spot on about the Rocky. It is a stepped grinder (meaning large gaps in grind particle size). Although this might be ok for french press and aeropress if you decide one day to start making espresso you'll get better results with a stepless grinder so you can fine tune your grind. These seem to start around the £300 mark although the Eureka Mignon which I've heard only good things about is currently £259 from Bella Barista. It is also small, stepless and doserless. Also depending on which part of Birmingham you're going to Northamptonshire is not a million miles away. If you can go up to the £300 mark I got my Compak K3 touch for that price from myespresso (who have a bad name but delivered promptly to me). I cannot rate the K3 highly enough. Now I have got the hang of it I love it. I can't compare it to the Mignon as I've not used one but they seem very respected.


----------



## scrufftyguy (Jan 6, 2011)

So much to learn! So is there any advantage at all in a stepped grinder, or is it just that they're generally cheaper? Is the Mahlkonig Vario stepless?


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Heres the Vario homepage with lots of info,http://www.mahlkoenig.de/en_products/VARIO-home.html/?setLanguage=en_EN

I say stepless is the way to go due to the tweakability of the grind fineness for espresso, BUT if you need to change grind setting dramatically say between french press and espresso, you want one that is quick to adjust which the Vario is for example.

Some folks on here use the Vario and will be able to give some hands on info.


----------



## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

None that I can think of... I think they must just be cheaper to make. I suppose you could argue that you can change between a very fine grind and coarse grind quickly but I don't think that's really a big deal. The Vario is stepless and has a very good reputation. Think Glenn has one if you need any more of an endorsment but they're over the £300 mark I think. If I were you I would just stear clear of stepped grinders.


----------



## scrufftyguy (Jan 6, 2011)

Thanks! Sounds like I'm probably better off spending that extra £75 or so and getting myself a stepless grinder then!


----------



## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

The Vario is actually a stepped grinder - but with very small steps. Would probably be ideal for your current use for French press and Aeropress, as it not only grinds into an espresso portafilter, but also comes with a container to catch the grounds, and to dispense from there.

Personally, I couldn't wait to be rid of mine, but I'm in a minority and lots of other uses hold them in very high regard.


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

The Vario grinder is as close to stepless as you can get without actually being stepless

The steps help with repeatability but with a micro-adjust function allowing you to get a fairly precise distance between the burrs even after adjusting to coarse then back to fine.

The other option you could consider is an electric grinder for your main grind type and a hand grinder for your alternative brewing method

eg Iberital MC2 for Espresso and a Porlex Mini or a Hario Ceramic Slim for Aeropress/Filter

Total investment less than £200 and that gives to money for jugs/tamper/beans and milk


----------



## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

The manufacturer Fracino is in the Birmingham area and they have a range of grinders. They may have a local distributer.


----------

