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Espresso coffee grinder recommendation?

C

Chris152

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I recently dug out my Gaggia Classic and am very happy it still works fine, after several years in a cupboard.
I want to try grinding the beans and am told I need a burr grinder - some are pretty cheap, some the opposite. Any recommendations for something decent, up to about £100?
Thanks for any thoughts.
 
I've got the same coffee machine and it's fandabby. I use an older model Gaggia grinder but the a new one is almost as expensive as the coffee maker :o - Rob
 
I've been through a few grinders. The one I use currently is a basic semi commercial one, Eureka Mignon. Made in Florence, Italy.

https://www.coffeeomega.co.uk/product/e ... ess-steel/

(Shop around - prices vary. All good coffee stuff has gone up a lot sadly).

It's outside your budget, but to be brutally frank, anything that will last is going to be. Domestic grinders get knackered quickly: they don't grind fine enough, they grease up and give an uneven grind after a while, and they tend to burn the coffee during the grind, which makes it bitter.

In my case, because we do garden openings, the grinder can get used a hundred times some days. The domestic ones that dump into a plastic container are annoying in use. It's better and more convenient to put the basket under the grinder spout (as on the Eureka), dose, tamp and brew.

Drawbacks: no automatic dosing. Doesn't hold that many beans (but if you want a larger container they do other models) but totally fine for domestic use; a bit messy as teensy bits of fresh grinds tend to get out of the basket. The bean stopper is just a simple metal bar and not a fantastic way to close the hopper.

Pros: rapid, extremely good and even grind, and seemingly lasts forever. Mine has had a lot of use and still looks and works good as new. (I do degrease the rollers occasionally).

I recommend a spring loaded tamper. Takes the guesswork out and gives consistency.
 
PS. My plumber is a coffee nut (bean?) and bought the Sage grinder that has 60 settings and is widely promoted in reviews online. He returned it as it uses a timer system and noticeably burn the beans. Inconsistent grind too.
 
I've got two Delonghi KG79 grinders, which are well within your budget.

The first one was a gift from my brother and is about 10 years old. The second one is 3 years old and was bought because I was still happy with the first one but wanted a dedicated grinder for these fabulous decaf beans.

They each get used at least twice a day, which is nothing on the garden party usage that Adrian mentioned, but I consider daily use for 10 years to be a reasonably good innings for something like this (especially since it still works fine, so 10 years isn't the end of life).

The older one had a replacement burr (if that's the bit with the grinding teeth is called) fitted at some point in its life as it was gradually getting less effective: that cost about £10 and it was like new once the new burr was fitted. Spare parts in general are readily available, which is nice.

My only criticism of the grinder is that the number of cups setting goes from 2 to 12 and sometimes I'd like a bit more control over how long its grinding. It would be much better (in my opinion) if that dial went from 0.5 to 3: if I want to make 12 cups at the same time it would be pretty easy to press the button multiple times. Both of my grinders live permanently on the 2 setting, which is fine for one mug of coffee so it's not too big a deal.
 
The KG79 is a solid grinder for most uses, but won't go fine enough for espresso in a traditional machine. The current crop of entry-level to mid-range machines ship with pressurised baskets, which makes them much more tolerant of a coarser grind. However, the first upgrade for most of those machines is to replace the basket with an unpressurised one, which means you're back to needing a proper fine grind.

I'm currently using the Sage one that Adrian's plumber didn't like. I've not found the same problem with burning, but don't drink nearly as much coffee as some people so might well have just not noticed it. If you're a serious Espresso Person then the time-based dosing will be a problem, but at that point you're probably willing to spend more money on it. I got it for just under £150 on sale, which is outside your £100 budget but about the cheapest electric option you'll find that's capable for espresso.

If your £100 budget is firm, you'll be looking at hand grinders if you want something fine enough and consistent enough for a traditional espresso machine.
 
Agree with Stephen.

Most people who use basket based coffee machines with a boiler etc, are interested in using top quality beans to make espresso. The problem with espresso is it tastes dreadful if the grind has burnt the coffee and doesn't taste of anything much if the grind is not fine and even. Uneven grind means the water finds the path of least resistance and does not extract the flavour. Bad tamping has a similar effect.

It's all maybe a bit precious. But if you are spending good money on quality beans, then it is daft not to get the best from them.

I also have a Miele machine that does full bean to cup. That also has a good grinder inside but it is not as good as the Eureka.

Must admit I bought all my coffee gear in the EU and it is silly money now.The Rocket double copper boiler machine was £1680 when I bought it in Germany (with local discount as the seller knows my FIL) about 3 years ago and is now near £5k. Ludicrous. Lots of grinders are now made in Taiwan or China. If you want German or Italian (such as the Eureka) then you are buying Rolls Royce gear that will do espresso grinds day in day out for years and can have the grinders replaced in about 10 minutes. I thought it was worth it as I expect my stuff to last a very long time so amortise mentally over a decade or so.
 
OK, that's really helpful fellas. There's no point spending money on something that'll do half the job. So, I can either pay more, or stick with ready-ground coffee. Maybe the latter until I know I'm going to keep using the machine this time and stay off the cafetiere. There's a really good coffee shop in town with a wide range of teas and coffees for sale, and they'll grind the coffee beans for customers while they wait.

I'm sure it's very subjective, but how much better is a cup of coffee whose beans have just been ground compared to one whose beans were ground, say, a week ago? I drink mine as a kind of flat white with a spoonful of sugar, so I guess that's obscuring a fair bit of taste anyway.
 
Cool. Once ground, coffee loses aroma and taste really fast. This makes a massive difference with neat espresso.

If you are adding milk and sugar, then that obscures the flavour a lot. I just drink unsweetened black espresso and I like it super fresh. Makes sense to just use ground coffee if you are doing flat whites etc and see how you go for a while.

Really good quality beans and top quality grind makes a big difference, but any sweetener and milk (also sweet and adds a fatty taste) changes that a lot. It's just a caffeine hit in the end :D
 
Kg79 is modifiable to grind more than fine enough. Google it. The only real issue with it is heat.
 
Thanks chaps, decision made - I'll hold off on a grinder for now, work my way through some of the different beans available and see where it leads. I really appreciate the helpful replies.
 
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