Thanks gents! This is a great thread.
Coffee Grinders & my Solis Maestro Plus
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The Solis is a good grinder--I have one for drip/Aeropress for my wife so she doesn't have to fiddle with my gigantic Mazzer Super Jolly that's mine for espresso. I actually used the Solis as an espresso grinder and it was just about adequate. I got the Mazzer used from a reseller who had bought all the used grinders from Starbucks when they retooled a huge number of stores.
The burrs were dull in it so a quick replacement ($25) was called for. The new burrs are rated for 400kg of coffee before being replaced which should last me 3 or 4 decades.
The thing weighs 50 pounds and just barely fits under my cabinets--without the hopper.
All the coffee geeks I know say the grinder is by far the most important factor in decent coffee. If you go to coffeegeek.com and ask what espresso machine you should get you will instantly get quizzed about what grinder you have or what is your grinder budget.
By the way, I think the best drip coffee is manual pourover and had a Chemex pot (til I broke it) that was great. You do have to stand there and pour, but the problem with almost all automatic drip machines is that they don't get the water hot enough.
The burrs were dull in it so a quick replacement ($25) was called for. The new burrs are rated for 400kg of coffee before being replaced which should last me 3 or 4 decades.
The thing weighs 50 pounds and just barely fits under my cabinets--without the hopper.
All the coffee geeks I know say the grinder is by far the most important factor in decent coffee. If you go to coffeegeek.com and ask what espresso machine you should get you will instantly get quizzed about what grinder you have or what is your grinder budget.
By the way, I think the best drip coffee is manual pourover and had a Chemex pot (til I broke it) that was great. You do have to stand there and pour, but the problem with almost all automatic drip machines is that they don't get the water hot enough.
By reading what all the experts on this forum have written, I ended up getting an Aeropress over the Holiday Break. It's a vast improvement over my French Press. It'd be nice to improve even further with a decent grinder. So this thread has been great. Thanks.
I've got an Aeropress on order...can't wait for it to arrive!
Randy
Randy
I have a Braun burr grinder that I bought quite a few years ago. Definitely an entry-level grinder. It was an improvement over my blade grinder (now relegated to spices 
) but the dust and static is unbelievable. It is like a wave of coffee dust sprays everywhere, making cleaning an absolute nightmare. It spends most of its time collecting (regular) dust in a cabinet somewhere.
) but the dust and static is unbelievable. It is like a wave of coffee dust sprays everywhere, making cleaning an absolute nightmare. It spends most of its time collecting (regular) dust in a cabinet somewhere.
I had a grinder and switched to a Cuisinart grinder - coffee maker about a year ago and am very happy with it. I buy one pound bags of specialty coffee which I keep sealed in my freezer and make my own blends.
Sue
Sue
At home I have Rancilio Rocky for espresso and Zassenhaus Turkish manual grinder for electric moka pot when I travel (also for occasional moka at home when I am in a hurry). I also have a retired Lux grinder (http://www.nemox.it/Inglese/Caffe/Lux/lux.htm) - actually the same burr set as Solis Maestro in a stainless steel package and more robust grind adjustment.
In the office I have the Solis Maestro Plus for my own use and Solis 166 for the rest of the people. The Maestro Plus is nice for a simple espresso machine (it is serving Nemox Junior), but the quality of grind is much more consistent with Rocky.
I'm not a coffee fanatic by any means, but I got my first grinder for Christmas - a cheapie B&D blade grinder. I also got a pound of Dunkin' beans to go with it.
May not sound like much to y'all, but for a Boston boy living in Texas, it is a small piece o' heaven!
May not sound like much to y'all, but for a Boston boy living in Texas, it is a small piece o' heaven!
I have a Braun burr grinder that I bought quite a few years ago. Definitely an entry-level grinder. It was an improvement over my blade grinder (now relegated to spices
Scotto -
Wet your hand and let a few drops of water fall on the whole beans. That will cure (or, at least GREATLY reduce) your static "explosions."
Those suck.
Sorry to hear about your experiences, ExcerciseGuy...
I've had that same "first generation" Maestro (and I beat the CRAP outta mine) with not so much as a hint of a problem. Heck - it even survived a house fire!
If you get some of those "Grindz" cleaning pellets - there's not really a reason to take apart your grinder, except to replace the burrs. Mine are still doing fine (I do mostly coarse grinding with it since getting a Rancilio Rocky, then the Mazzer Mini).
I've had that same "first generation" Maestro (and I beat the CRAP outta mine) with not so much as a hint of a problem. Heck - it even survived a house fire!
If you get some of those "Grindz" cleaning pellets - there's not really a reason to take apart your grinder, except to replace the burrs. Mine are still doing fine (I do mostly coarse grinding with it since getting a Rancilio Rocky, then the Mazzer Mini).
Another quick and easy cleaning method for your grinder is to throw a scoop of uncooked white rice in the grinder, grind it through and then run a few beans through to remove any residue. This method will remove any unwanted and possibly rancid oils from the burrs etc. without tearing your grinder apart. This is also extremely cost effective compared to using the Grindz product.
Good luck.
DJ.
Good luck.
DJ.
Sorry to hear about your experiences, ExcerciseGuy...
I've had that same "first generation" Maestro (and I beat the CRAP outta mine) with not so much as a hint of a problem. Heck - it even survived a house fire!
If you get some of those "Grindz" cleaning pellets - there's not really a reason to take apart your grinder, except to replace the burrs. Mine are still doing fine (I do mostly coarse grinding with it since getting a Rancilio Rocky, then the Mazzer Mini).
My grinder is still going strong for now, I use it everyday, sometimes twice, usually with a medium (drip) grind.
One other thing I dispise about this grinder is the static-cling, it's not the worst, but it ain't good either for the price I paid.
I never heard of "Grindz" before, I need to look into it. Thanks.
White rice sound like it might do the trick. Thanks.
What are Grindz made of? I bet they're nothing more than fiber tablets. I assume you are supposed to discard the beans you "flush" the machine with, seems wasteful unless you have a stockpile of old nasty beans you need to get rid of.
What are Grindz made of? I bet they're nothing more than fiber tablets. I assume you are supposed to discard the beans you "flush" the machine with, seems wasteful unless you have a stockpile of old nasty beans you need to get rid of.
Which burr grinder provides the most bang for the buck?
I'm one of those guys who uses a french press with a blade grinder and don't mind the resulting particulate laden brew - yes the beans are coarsely ground. It's second nature to give the tankard a swirl before taking a swig.
I'm one of those guys who uses a french press with a blade grinder and don't mind the resulting particulate laden brew - yes the beans are coarsely ground. It's second nature to give the tankard a swirl before taking a swig.
I used rice for a long time - honestly, I'd forgotten about it. Good point!
The Grindz tablets are "proprietary"
But it just grains of some sort.
Rik - the Maestro IS the grinder with the most bang for the buck in my opinion.
The Grindz tablets are "proprietary"
But it just grains of some sort.Rik - the Maestro IS the grinder with the most bang for the buck in my opinion.
Yup, this is the one I have only the brushed chrome --the 565?. Also have a 50 year old Cory DEG.
The capresso is a terrific grinder, is the low end of the 'good' grinders. Will do a journeyman's job for Espresso, though I don't (or rarely) use it for that. For drip, and especially vac pots, you can't beat it. Recommended.
-- John Gehman
I have followed advice in coffeegeek and used instant rice for grinder cleaning. The instant is a little 'fluffier' and will not gum up the burrs. I suspect that Grindz are a bit pricier than Uncle Ben's.
Wayne
Wayne
Interesting thread. I have a Solis Maestro Plus Coffee Grinder along with a Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine. I usually make my coffees on the weekends only and I have had very good luck in the three plus years I have had these machines. These are kind of middle ground machines. By that I mean they are too expensive for those not into coffee and on the flip side not the best for the real coffee connoisseurs. To me both are easy to work with and heavy duty machines that I would recommend to anyone!
John
Its been a few months now are you still loving your "new" grinder?
Its been a few months now are you still loving your "new" grinder?
