OT: coffee grinder reccomendations?

[jh_on_the_cape]

get a good grinder. Using a gaggia classic machine for espresso only. Started with pre-ground coffee. Wow this is great! Then found a great deal on a Rancilio Rocky here on Paceline. Wow this is really really great! I found the doser super annoying (although some love it as seen by how many are sold) so I found a Ceado E5P here on Paceline again. WOW this is better than at the coffee bar and consistently great. Yes it's better. Worth the upgrade? For what I spent and how many espressos I have been drinking with work at home, yes. Absolutely.

[Tim Porter]

We're really happy with the Olympia Express grinder we have to go with our 33 year old Olympia Express Cremina. We use it exclusively for espresso/cappuccino. Bullet proof.

[jchasse]

I'm probably in the minority here, but I don't see the cost/benefit trade-off being there for expensive grinders. We had a ~$65 Starbucks burr grinder for eons. When I decided to replace it I went with a Rancillio Rocky. I don't notice any huge improvement in grind quality, but there are things I flat out dislike about the Rocky (the two switch system is kinda dumb, the static electricity it produces is ridiculous, and you basically have to empty the hopper to adjust the grind size down from a drip or french press grind to espresso)

[benb]

I've very skeptical about a lot of the expensive stuff too. More from a K.I.S.S. standpoint and engineer's mindset.

There's a giant marketing/influencer industry effect going on here.

There are zillions of variables involved in making a good cup of coffee, and the only thing that matters in the end is whether the person drinking the coffee is satisfied.

There's almost no objective testing on what "better" means for a grind. We all talk about uniformity & I can see the difference, but there's basically no quantifiable testing being done.

I've had a $99 OXO grinder for the last 2 years and it's done a really good job for me. If it eventually breaks and I can't repair it the only thing that will really justify a more expensive unit for me would be increased ability to repair. The OXO has no static issues or real usability issues, it's jammed maybe once, it adjusts finer than I need and coarser than I need and the adjustment steps are very fine grained. No need to empty the hopper to adjust it. Pretty easy to take it apart and clean most of it out too. I have had both ceramic & SS burr grinders, the OXO is stainless steel and there's been no issues with that.

I can go look at reviews of products at $500, $1000, $2000, etc.. and there are still plenty of end user reviews where the product broke, didn't last, has plenty of flaws, etc.. so it's still buyer beware at any pricepoint. There's a lot of marketing & cosmetics involved in some of the high prices equipment.

I know this is a minority opinion/viewpoint on *all* kinds of products on this website.

You'd never hear me argue against locally roasted/fresh roasted & Just-in-time grinding though.

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by Tim Porter

We're really happy with the Olympia Express grinder we have to go with our 33 year old Olympia Express Cremina. We use it exclusively for espresso/cappuccino. Bullet proof.

Lovely setup. Would kill for a Cremina... Especially after James Hoffman's most recent video on them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyhn49uXyHk

[Miller76]

I got a Rocket Fausto yday in the Labor Day sales - my wife worked with my riding buddy to find a birthday/anniversary gift for me (I’d never spend this much myself) can’t wait!!




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