OT coffee again

[crumpton]

my 2 yo virtuoso bit the dust. a little too soon for its cost imo but considering replacing as opposed to repair. is there anything else out there that grinds as well and leaves as little mess as these puppies?

looks like the cap burnt but no telling if replacing the cap will fix it or is the motor shorting and yada yada

i need a proper espresso in a bad way.

[mschol17]

join coffeegeek.com and put a WTB in the classifieds. You can probably get a very nice used Mazzer or equivalent for that kind of money. It'll outlast you.

[WayneJ]

I have a Gaggia MDF which grinds quite well. Matched with a Gaggia Classic (older chrome-plated model). These two machines and a kilo of Tazza D'Oro is all I need to get moving in the morning.

The MDFs can be had used in the $125 range.

[WadePatton]

i use one of these:



had to shim it up for the right grind, but i don't think i'm going to wear it out any time soon.

and it's human powered--probably am due a tax credit.

(i'd like to have a non-communist press, but failed to find any last time i was searching for one--may have to fab one up)

[crumpton]

wade, you are funny but not helpful. and you need to go ahead and roast those beans. :-)

[WadePatton]

wade, you are funny but not helpful. and you need to go ahead and roast those beans. :-)

thanks and sorry.

hey-them ain't _my_ beans, i stole that offa the interweb.

well--my other morning time kitchen machine, though i've never molested a bean in it-yet i'm sure it is quite capable because i saw the dude grind up golf balls and iphones and yardrakes and snowskis in it on youtube, is a:



hell, i may drop some beans in that bad boy in the morn'.

any better?

[Brownbird]

This is what I use every morning, It looks rough on the outside but the cast iron burrs look like they were made yesterday. I had to fabricate the bottom cup support, it had been lost. I have a larger jar on the top now. No annoying electric noise in the morning.

[WadePatton]

see, i ain't the only one.

_exits_

[ericpmoss]

Love that Blendtec! I bought the 3hp one for my coffee shop (before I regained sanity and got a programming job). They are amazingly wonderful.

My favorite thing in it: 1 cup vanilla bean ice cream, 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 1 cup dark cherries, 1 cup nectarine (and a cup of ice-cold vodka if you're in that mood)

It's not as healthy as just the yogurt and fruit, but I guarantee you'll feel like you could go back out and ride that hill all over again. Seriously.

[rydesteel]

I've had good luck with the refurbs from Baratza on ebay, still has a 6 month warranty as well. I bought a Maestro plus for just over a $100 shipped about a year ago. I'm not pulling shots with mine though, just grinding for the Technivorm. I've seen some new hand grinders with ceramic burrs that look interesting but that old wall hanger is pretty cool.

[Too Tall]

I've got the (older) equivalent of an Capresso Infinity burr grinder. Perfect for my needs making french press.

Wade, I have a Vitamix for past 15'ish yrs. Among other talents, the blade speed is high enough to homogenize. Kinda like a bigblock powered lawnmower. Def. not the commie version.

[anthonymaietta]

I do the fg/fp thing each morning, but use a $20 Krups blade grinder from a big box store. I've heard about burr grinding, [at the risk of sounding like an idiot] does it make that much of a difference?

[Too Tall]

I do the fg/fp thing each morning, but use a $20 Krups blade grinder from a big box store. I've heard about burr grinding, [at the risk of sounding like an idiot] does it make that much of a difference?

Yup. I was the recipient of an coffee intervention of sorts. A good pal could no longer tolerate my uninspired coffee grinding ways and gifted me with a nice burr grinder. He was right, dangit ;) What he proved to me straight aways was that varying the grind even a small amt. changed the brew considerably. For instance, some mornings I like a cup with "sludge" and other times a lighter cuppa cuppa. Changing the grind a few notches does the deed. Blade grinders really don't do that very well.

[Disturbed]

Wheel or conical grinder?

[MarinRider]

I have two Baratza Vario grinders, 1 for home, 1 for office for my Olympia Creminas. It does not leave a mess and very easy to adjust the grind and time. Makes a huge difference if you hand pull espresso using very fresh (< 14 days) beans.

More info than you ever want to know here:

http://www.home-barista.com/reviews/...ok-t10195.html

[WadePatton]

blendtec on beans report: works great, effing cool when the grinds "lift off" and hover in the blades.

and if i want powder that's the way (for me) to go. but in the end, the 90 seconds of free time was offset by the cleanup time, which is not needed with my antique jobbie.

@ josh, i started with a hamilton beach, upgraded to a used vitamix, burned it up, and bought the blendtec new. if i can't do it with a chef's knife, parer, fillet knife, or the blendtec--it doesn't really need to be done. speaking of fillet...java is kicking in, have a date with some stays.

[gt6267a]

i have the beginner grinder for coffee dorks ... rancilio rocky. i have it with a doser (the capsule on front you see at coffee houses with a little lever to dispense ... aka the unit that provides the whack whack whack). my friend has the doser-less and i might like it better. anyhoo, this thing works well and shared internety knowledge is plentiful since its been the price point champion for years.

the GF has a virtuouso which is nice for drip but i don't think it would be that much fun for espresso. the differentiation between grind settings are not fine enough to dial it in and the means of getting the beans out of the machine is slow for this purpose.

i say look for a rocky, macap (i think the m4 is the one at this price point), or maybe a mini-mazzer.

[lavi]

I'm somewhat old fashioned. I use a handmill with ceramic conical grinder. It's great for taking on the road too. Unpug. Free yourself.

Hario Coffee Hand Grinder Skerton

[oldguy00]

Macap M4 stepless.

[lavi]

Macap M4 stepless.

Sheesh. That's some cash. I paid $45 for mine. I need good coffee, but I'm also cheap.