# recommend me a grinder



## Danm (Jan 26, 2012)

hi all,

My Vario is now 6 years old I have an undiagnosed problem with it...

With Christmas coming up, think I will dip[ my toe back into the grinder market. Having not been on the forums much I am a little out of touch by a quick peek at Bella Barista this morning showed a few around my budget... Max £350

I like the look of the Compak K3 touch... Does anyone have any experience with this machine or can provide ideas for alternatives at same/similar price point.

Will be used exclusively for Espresso.

Thank in advance.

Dan


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Danm said:


> quick peek at Bella Barista this morning showed a few around my budget... Max £350


If it has to be new then I cant see a better option than a Eureka Mignon for that budget and that gives you some money left over.


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## Danm (Jan 26, 2012)

I looked at the mignon but may struggle getting it past the Mrs as it's just plain ugly..

Is it a better grinder than the compak?


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## GCGlasgow (Jul 27, 2014)

First time I've heard a mignon being described as ugly....they're cute wee grinders!


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

GCGlasgow said:


> First time I've heard a mignon being described as ugly....they're cute wee grinders!


I'm sure I've described them like that. They are all boxy and squat. I may have used the word fugly though (which I'm hoping is the correct word- I'm not really cool enough for fancy words these days!)


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## UncleJake (Mar 20, 2016)

Wow. Vive la différence eh? The Mignon is the prettiest bit of coffee kit I've owned. People would comment on its fine looks. Even the other half, who reckons 'two thirds of the kitchen is taken up with coffee gear' was sad to see her go.


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## Kosta (Jul 20, 2016)

I'd definitely look for a used one..much better value esp if your budget is not huge. You can get a Mazzer SJ for less than that and I personally liked the resulting cup better than the vario but aesthetically it's a disaster.

there are also some new Ascaso's going on eBay in that price range.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Kosta said:


> I'd definitely look for a used one..much better value esp if your budget is not huge. You can get a Mazzer SJ for less than that and I personally liked the resulting cup better than the vario but aesthetically it's a disaster


ahem - SJ's they can be made beautiful imho with the addition of some wood and a wooden coffee bean ;-)


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## GerryM (Feb 6, 2016)

That looks great Jimbojohn55, did you make the wooden lids and the coffee bean yourself?


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

GerryM said:


> That looks great Jimbojohn55, did you make the wooden lids and the coffee bean yourself?


I did, I've been making a few to order for members, pm me if interested, the standard jolly is a bit of a monolith but just needs a few tweaks.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Danm said:


> I looked at the mignon but may struggle getting it past the Mrs as it's just plain ugly..
> 
> Is it a better grinder than the compak?


I have looked at both grinders for Bella Barista as part of an independent engineering review they asked me to do. I just looked again at the engineering review and my conclusion was that it's worth some extra money over the Mignon and is a better grinder.


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## Danm (Jan 26, 2012)

DavecUK said:


> I have looked at both grinders for Bella Barista as part of an independent engineering review they asked me to do. I just looked again at the engineering review and my conclusion was that it's worth some extra money over the Mignon and is a better grinder.


just to confirm Dave, you are saying the Compak is worth paying the extra for over the Mignon. ? Thanks in advance


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## doru (Sep 27, 2016)

I would give Kinu grinders a try,I've got one.Very,very pleased with it.

It has very good reviews on european forums.They are only manual though.Also if I'm not mistaken the warranty on this model is 10 years.

Here's a review on Home Barrista

http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/kinu-grinders-t43335.html


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Danm said:


> just to confirm Dave, you are saying the Compak is worth paying the extra for over the Mignon. ? Thanks in advance


I think it's a better grinder, worth paying more for...I realise it's £70 more, but i do think you get a better grinder. Most people will know I'm not a big lover of Compak K8/K10, partly due to size and those can be a bit of a hassle to get into and clean. The K3 though, it's a nice little grinder and not difficult to open and clean. Grind quality was very good. Little bit of retention (around 5g, but no different to mignon or most other smallish grinders), so worth a purge or a few seconds if you have not used for a while.

If the budget is strict, the Mignon is still very good. Remember both these are really entry level grinders.....the bare minimum you need.


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## Sergeiroy (Nov 30, 2016)

I am sorry for my English, it is not my native language, but I would like to know the opinion and wishes of experts, I have a choice between 2 grinders mazzer mini and baratza vario.

Mini like appearance and positive reviews in many forums , baratsa look like too and more "informative", so that selection was delayed for a long time...

I am sorry for my English, it is not my native language, but I would like to know the opinion and wishes of experts, I have a choice between 2 grinders maser mini and baratsa vario mini like appearance and positive reviews in many forums and baratsa more "informative" so that selection was delayed for a long time


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Hi Sergeiroy, welcome to the forum. Appreciate English is not your native language, that should be ok. the Mazzer mini is built like a tank. It will last a long time providing you look after it. Which version is it? Is it on demand? A or B? Or is it the doser version?

Some people really like the Vario, some not so much. The Vario is good if you want to switch between beverage types, say, from espresso to French press and vice-versa.

Whatever you do, make sure that you can get replacement parts or there's a dealer near you, specially for the Vario, as, according to the coffee drinkers and users out there, it is much more likely to break than the Mazzer mini.

What coffee machine do you have? Have you been drinking coffee long? It will be a good idea to go to the "Introductions" thread and introduce yourself there.

Once again, welcome.


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## Sergeiroy (Nov 30, 2016)

Thank you for your reply, coffee bezzera unica, want to use only the grinder for espresso to brew using other methods hausgrind.


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## Sergeiroy (Nov 30, 2016)

I also read about that chance to break from the vario more, I myself tend to Mazzer, here's another question whether I need a dispenser or it is still a fad?


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## dlubo (Dec 1, 2016)

You can use Krups Expert GVX231. Type: Electric - Burr. It is well recommended and I use it personally.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

my experience of the krups was that it couldn't grind fine enough for espresso and had lots of problems with static -give it a miss and get an iberital MC2 Sec Hand imho


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## shaunclarke (Nov 30, 2011)

I am really happy with my K3. I brought mine used and it was a bit tatty, however a new small hopper and a new adjustment collar, it looks like new again. It polishes up beautiful and looks great sat next to my classic. You would have no idea it is 8 years old. It is a real solid beast. Grinds can be a bit clumpy but then i think most doserless grinders do produce a few clumps. Burrs are available for about £25-£30 and are incredibly easy to replace. Its simple to keep clean. It does retain a few grams after grinding, so if you want to ensure your grinds are fresh, just dump the first few grams that come out.


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## POV (Dec 1, 2016)

Will definitely bear these in mind


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## RASD4651 (Apr 15, 2013)

I used to have a Mignon and loved it. For the money it's great. Step less, range of colours, clean, tidy on demand grinder which is pretty consistent. Compact too. I paired mine with my l1 and had great results.


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## Danm (Jan 26, 2012)

Decided on the compak... can anyone help me with a reliable retailer who has these in stock...

BB out of stock in the white with no g'tees for xmas...


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Danm said:


> Decided on the compak... can anyone help me with a reliable retailer who has these in stock...
> 
> BB out of stock in the white with no g'tees for xmas...


Try foundary coffee roasters - they are forum sponsors on here too


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Hang fire young man, speak to Bella barista, ask about the new compak grinder coming into stock early next year...


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## Dayks (Nov 19, 2016)

Danm said:


> Decided on the compak... can anyone help me with a reliable retailer who has these in stock...
> 
> BB out of stock in the white with no g'tees for xmas...


 @coffeechap has one for sale here if you don't mind second hand.

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?35283-Compak-k3-touch-advance-%A3240-00-inc-delivery


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Danm said:


> Decided on the compak... can anyone help me with a reliable retailer who has these in stock...
> 
> BB out of stock in the white with no g'tees for xmas...


I have a decent used one 2015 in the for sale section that I have stripped and sorted, great condition and a lot less than a new one


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## Rdalong (Dec 22, 2016)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hario-Medium-Coffee-Grinder-Ceramic-x/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_13?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1482418617&sr=1-13&keywords=coffee+grinder

Hario grinder myself.


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