sackpac Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Washington Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon May 5, 2008, 6:24pm Subject: Help me decide on a grinder........
I've never owned a commercial grinder but have been reading about them for the past month. I'm going to be buying a mini vivaldi but wanted to buy my grinder first. I really want a doserless and prefer a stepless grinder and have been leaning towards the mini mazzer but the price for a doserless mini is just too much for me. Also is having a stepless absolutely nesessary? Anyway I'm also looking at a Macap. I really want to make the best coffee possible, anyone have any ideas or recommendations? Thanks
mitchellb Senior Member Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 605 Location: Houston, TX Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Astra Pro, SAMA Lever Grinder: Mazzer Major Vac Pot: Cory DKG-S Drip: Bodum French Press Roaster: HGDB
Posted Mon May 5, 2008, 9:34pm Subject: Re: Help me decide on a grinder........
my ultimate choice is a used superjolly or major off of ebay, cleaned up, with the doserless mod from espressoparts.com.. purchase your superjolly and add 150.. do not think of it as a 150 dollar funnel or you might just throw up on yourself..
The Macap comes in a doser and doserless model (M4/M4C); w/ the doserless actually costing less money. The reason the Mini E (Doserless) costs more than the regular mini is that it has larger (64mm) burrs and it has an adjustable automatic timing to control the amount ground to set it for single and double doses.
Having a doser does have it's advantages; I personally wouldn't let a doser keep me from getting the grind I wanted.
sackpac Said:
I really want to make the best coffee possible, anyone have any ideas or recommendations? Thanks
sackpac Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Washington Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue May 6, 2008, 1:08pm Subject: Re: Help me decide on a grinder........
About $400-450. With a doser I understand that the grounds can sit in the doser and stale. Is there a way around that? I'll only be making 4 to 6 coffee drinks aday. Which doser model is the easiest to use/learn? THanks
Posted Tue May 6, 2008, 1:13pm Subject: Re: Help me decide on a grinder........
My grinder collection consists of the Mazzer Mini, Macap M5(same as M4) and Macap MX. All doser models. The Mini & M5 under certain conditions can generate some really clumpy grinds requiring WDT to deal with the problem. With the doser by pulling the lever rapidly while grinding you may be able to reduce or even eliminate the problem. What seems to be occuring is as the coffee exit the burrs into the discharge throat clumps appear. I'm assuming the mechanical agitation of the doser is breaking down the clumps. The Mazzer E static screen seems to reduce the clumping. From what people have noted the Macap doserless is a clump creator. I consider the doser models to generate a similar quality grind. The Macap tends to retail at a lower cost.
Take a look at the Cimbali Max Hybrid if you plan to stretch the budget into the Mazzer E range. No experience with this machine. Comments from owners at H-B.com seem real positive.
Noel Mano dell 'operatore> Macinadosatore> Miscela> Macchina espresso
mitchellb Senior Member Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 605 Location: Houston, TX Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Astra Pro, SAMA Lever Grinder: Mazzer Major Vac Pot: Cory DKG-S Drip: Bodum French Press Roaster: HGDB
Posted Tue May 6, 2008, 1:41pm Subject: Re: Help me decide on a grinder........
sackpac Said:
About $400-450. With a doser I understand that the grounds can sit in the doser and stale. Is there a way around that? I'll only be making 4 to 6 coffee drinks aday. Which doser model is the easiest to use/learn? THanks
I agree with what narc said. I do not fill up the hopper on my grinder, but simply scoop beans in for every shot i make.. I clean out the chute in between every shot (or at least at the end of pulling several shots.) I suffer no waste and do not use any stale coffee..
it's all about brushing the doser and chute clean.. (many doserless grinders have nozzles or spouts that cannot easily be cleaned out, thereby creating more waste.. Look at teh design of the rocky doserless with the snout.. I had it and burned a gram or two of coffee for every shot
also my major clumps much less than rocky.. like narc explained
Posted Wed May 7, 2008, 4:05am Subject: Re: Help me decide on a grinder........
Yes. I personally weigh my beans prior to putting them in the hopper, but you can also measure by volume and figure out how many scoops, shot glasses, # ofbeans, spoonfuls, whatever that makes the right amount for a shot. If you determine it takes 3 tablespoons for example to make the right amount for a double, you just measure out 3 tablespoons of beans. Once you run the beans through the grinder you'll need to sweep out the chute between the burrs and teh doser, but I waste very little coffee this way. I have a doser and doserless model and although they both have their advantages, I need to purge out the chute on my doserless of old grinds each time prior to pulling a shot (or a series of shots), because I have no way of being able to sweep it out of the grinds I used the day before or earlier in the day.
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