Solid, Heavy, Built to last Grinds consistently and with authority Adjusts easily
Negative Product Points
Somewhat dorky looking Spout just a tad too long (for my portafilter)
Detailed Commentary
After experiencing what an inconsistent grind will do to the espresso when the Faema at the shop where I used to buy coffee wore its blades down, I knew that a good grinder is arguably more important than the machine… The slow motor driving the commercial burrs in the Rocky made it a natural choice. This grinder has control! I am 13-17 clicks up from touching the burrs together for my espresso machine. All the way down and it makes a fine dust that is almost soluble, all the way up and it makes neat, consistent, huge chunks. One click does make a difference in extraction time. (I have a dosing automatic machine…)
I bought a doserless for home to cut down on wasted coffee in the doser bin, as I actually only pull about 2 doubles at any one time. I also figure that if I want the doser, I can probably buy the parts and retrofit it. (I have not seriously looked into the possibility of this, but imagine it can be done. Anyone with experience?)
My only complaints are that the chute is just a tad too long for my taste, and wish it were a bit shorter for my portafilter. Your experience will probably vary and I am nit-picking anyway. Also, I would like the power cord to enter the machine on the back instead of the side, but again, that is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
It is built like a tank, grinds really well, and works as advertised. The mess factor is low, and the wasted coffee is also minimal. It is one of those products that is worth the money because it is a really honest product that performs.
Buying Experience
Whole Latte Love -- Great website, nice people, FedEx arrived a day earily!
Three Month Followup
After some time with the grinder, I must say that the quality of the grind is top notch! No complaints using it for making espressso or press -- which are at the opposite end of the grind scale! This will do everything you need a grinder to do to make great coffee, and is still a very good value on the price/performance scale. I would buy it again.
Tips and tricks? Remove the black "finger guard" from inside the hopper right away, espically if you like oily beans (I don't usually, but sometimes...) or if your espresso blend has a particularly large bean in it, such as an India plantation nugget. (Big suckers) Remove the 3 screws holding it in, take the "guard" out, and replace the screws. The machine will feed much better. It also feeds better when the hopper is half full or less.
I should have bought the doser -- but I didn't know that when I bought it. I am making a LOT more espresso than I used to. Mainly because friends and neighbors are over all the time drinking my coffee! I love having a full house and making coffee for them, but the doserless is really for one or two shots at a time. If you make many shots in a row (5 or more) there will be a big old pile of grounds on the base of the grinder. This mess has alot to do with the fact that the spout is too long for my portafilter. I need to cut it shorter by 1/4 inch or more, and just haven't gotten around to doing it, as it is really easy to clean up the mess.
One Year Followup
I retract my previous statement saying that I should have bought the doser. Now that I have lived with Rocky for more than a year I am quite adept at making a minimum of mess as well as 'dosing' by eye. Because there is no doser it is a snap to quickly grind coarse for press-pot and then dial back down to espresso with basically no waste. This is a great grinder and I would happily buy it again... But it is so well built I will never have to!
