I picked up this Tiamo grinder in a thrift store a couple of days ago. I actually haven’t had a chance to try it, but they get really good reviews online, and are around this price point.
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Coffee Grinders?
- Thread starter analog_kid
- Start date
I have a KRUPS GX420851 and it has it’s quirks with having to press the buttons repeatedly, however it does provide consistent grinds, quiet for an electric, and has a built in scale. I went through over 50 pounds so far and it still works decently. The Oxo might be a better choice at a similar price, both in the $100 range. For about $150 the Baratza Encore is also good.
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+1 for the Baratza Encore. I’ve had one for years. It’s a great conical burr for drip/pour over level grinds that’s affordable and durable. They’re also serviceable. If you manage to wear anything out, it can be repaired.
It’s been the top pick at wire cutter for years.
www.nytimes.com
They even sell factory refurbished when they have them in stock.
shop.baratza.com
It’s been the top pick at wire cutter for years.
The Best Coffee Grinder
We’ve been testing coffee grinders since 2015 and have yet to find a better value than the consistent, reliable, and repairable Baratza Encore.
www.nytimes.com
They even sell factory refurbished when they have them in stock.
Baratza | Coffee & Espresso Grinders
Every great cup of coffee starts with the grind. Upgrade your mornings with freshly-roasted coffee and the exacting precision of a Baratza burr grinder.
I really like my JavaPress manual burr coffee grinder. No, you probably won't want to hand grind a whole bunch of coffee at once using it. But, really, I thought the idea of home grinding was a nice, bespoke cup for a few people at a time.
It makes a damn fine cuppa, with easy adjustment for ground size. And the price can't be beat: it lists for $39.99.
www.javapresse.com
-Z
It makes a damn fine cuppa, with easy adjustment for ground size. And the price can't be beat: it lists for $39.99.
Buy Our #1 Rated Manual Burr Coffee Grinder - JavaPresse Coffee Company
The Manual Coffee Grinder by JavaPresse Coffee Company was built with a professional grade ceramic conical burr to heighten flavors of the most exquisite coffees in the world. It was born out of pure necessity, to provide an incredibly consistent grind for a variety of brews while making as...
-Z
I've made a few 34 oz. French Press coffee brews after I dialed this one. I like the results much better than our Cuisinart DBM-8 for coarse ground beans required in a French Press.
This one is their least expensive but for my use, it's perfect. It makes coarse grind easily. I do have to fill it twice to get enough for my 30 ounce Yeti Rambler.
This one is their least expensive but for my use, it's perfect. It makes coarse grind easily. I do have to fill it twice to get enough for my 30 ounce Yeti Rambler.
garyg
B&B membership has its percs
Ok, time for a new hand grinder. I have used an old Hario Skerton about 8 mornings in the last month due to power outages, and though it was modded back when it still doesn't produce a very consistent grind, and is painfully slow. Need to do some reading, starting with this thread ..
When it comes to doing all forms of coffee grinding, what is most important as I have learned, is grind uniformity, this is key. Depending on what coffee grinder you use, can make, or break, your coffee tasting experience, as the brewer itself, is only but a small piece of the puzzle.
Blade grinders suck, take it from me, you don't want one, just simply avoid. lol
Ceramic burr grinders, like the Hario Skerton you used, or an electric model like the famous Cuisinart DBM-8, they can provide more of a grind uniformity then a blade grinder. But I find that the ceramic burr causes heat generation, which creates static as a result, which means a hefty grinds retention going on.
Coffee grinders which use stainless steel conical burrs, I find, are far superior. They provide the best grind uniformity that I've seen thus far. Plus, its much easier to crank the handle, very little muscle is required, far less then you would think. And, since the burrs generate practically 0 heat generation, there is next to no static buildup, and thus, very little grinds retention, especially after a smack of the grinder.
I recently upgraded from an electric blade grinder, to an electric ceramic burr grinder, then to finally a stainless steel conical burr hand grinder. If you would like to learn more, feel free to check out my review for my new 1ZPresso K-MAX hand grinder.
1ZPresso K-MAX Hand Grinder & Timemore Black Mirror Nano Scale & The Wonders Of Stirling Kenya Coffee (An SWCT Review)
Hello everyone, its been awhile since I posted in this forum, and since I got a couple new coffee toys to play with, I figured I'd let you all know what I thought about them. As some of you know, I own the Cuisinart DB-8 electric grinder, that I bought back in December of last year...
www.badgerandblade.com
For reference, that was a grind set at level 6 on the grinder, to produce a medium fine grind. I don't know about you, but that looks like some quality grind uniformity right there. How much grinds is that you ask? Thats about 20g in there. How long did it take to grind that much? It took about 30-seconds MAX.
now that I have a few more minutes to write...
@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker - interesting observations, but I've found a different line of information about burrs that I'll get to.
There are obviously $10 grinders and $10,000+ grinders. The question as to where on the spectrum you want to be outside of your particular financial situation, is whether or not your palate can or will detect or appreciate a difference in the cup and are you brewing for espresso or not.
As others have stated, grind consistency is key to experiencing great specialty coffee. I explicitly say "specialty coffee", because the type of coffees coming out of specialty roasters is designed to be best experienced using quality equipment. There are nuanced tasting notes that can only be realized via good quality equipment and then the ability to taste those differences.
It's similar to wine tasting. Can your palette detect the essence of the tasting notes, flavor development, acidity, smoothness, etc.?
That all aside, the biggest contributor to experiencing quality coffee is the grinder. Espresso aside, all of the other brewers out there are comparatively very inexpensive to acquire (i.e. Aeropress $30, Hario V60 $10+, Bodum French Press $30).
Quality, machine pressurized and heated water espresso machines (not manuals like the Flair), cost several hundred dollars and require you to be willing to experiment to dial in a cup of your beans. There are very few people on the planet who can pull a perfect first shot with a new bag of beans without having to dial in with multiple pulls.
Anyway, if you're at all interested in brewing specialty coffee at home, the grinder is where you spend the money, to a point.
If you're not brewing espresso, a quality grinder can be hand for less than $400, like the Ode 2, Baratza Encore (original or even the new ESP). When you want to start grinding for espresso, you're going to want to step up to a grinder more specifically designed for that - has micro-steps, minimal fines, larger burrs (flat or conical).
As for ceramic vs. steel burrs. In not-cheap grinders, ceramic burrs are typically used in commercial settings since they last a very long time, transfer less heat out of the grinding process and are can be good for espresso if large enough and the machine is capable of grinding that fine. Many home users will switch to steel burrs for non-espresso use due to a particle distribution that tends to produce a favorable flavor profile for most non-espresso brew methods.
Here's an article from Baratza on this subject: Steel vs Ceramic burrs and heat generation - the lowdown - Baratza - https://baratza.com/steel-vs-ceramic-burrs-and-heat-generation-the-lowdown/
Anyhow, I started with an Baratza Encore with upgraded M2 burrs and it was great for a few years for non-espresso brewing, but it lacked the granularity of settings to really dial in some beans where I thought that if I had a half-step adjustment, then I'd be on the money flavor-wise.
I now have a Baratza Vario+ that I love and has made a massive difference in the clarity of the cup and it has exponentially more adjustability than the Encore. I swapped out the ceramic burrs for the steel since I don't brew espresso. The fines dramatically decreased and the coffees just taste more defined, less erratic and are easier to dial in.
I'd also highly recommend watching James Hoffman's videos on Youtube. He's a former World Barista Champion and he regularly distills down the means to the end of a good cup of coffee. He recently reviewed the Ode 2 grinder and watching that might give you some good insight on what to look for.
Good luck and good coffee!
@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker - interesting observations, but I've found a different line of information about burrs that I'll get to.
There are obviously $10 grinders and $10,000+ grinders. The question as to where on the spectrum you want to be outside of your particular financial situation, is whether or not your palate can or will detect or appreciate a difference in the cup and are you brewing for espresso or not.
As others have stated, grind consistency is key to experiencing great specialty coffee. I explicitly say "specialty coffee", because the type of coffees coming out of specialty roasters is designed to be best experienced using quality equipment. There are nuanced tasting notes that can only be realized via good quality equipment and then the ability to taste those differences.
It's similar to wine tasting. Can your palette detect the essence of the tasting notes, flavor development, acidity, smoothness, etc.?
That all aside, the biggest contributor to experiencing quality coffee is the grinder. Espresso aside, all of the other brewers out there are comparatively very inexpensive to acquire (i.e. Aeropress $30, Hario V60 $10+, Bodum French Press $30).
Quality, machine pressurized and heated water espresso machines (not manuals like the Flair), cost several hundred dollars and require you to be willing to experiment to dial in a cup of your beans. There are very few people on the planet who can pull a perfect first shot with a new bag of beans without having to dial in with multiple pulls.
Anyway, if you're at all interested in brewing specialty coffee at home, the grinder is where you spend the money, to a point.
If you're not brewing espresso, a quality grinder can be hand for less than $400, like the Ode 2, Baratza Encore (original or even the new ESP). When you want to start grinding for espresso, you're going to want to step up to a grinder more specifically designed for that - has micro-steps, minimal fines, larger burrs (flat or conical).
As for ceramic vs. steel burrs. In not-cheap grinders, ceramic burrs are typically used in commercial settings since they last a very long time, transfer less heat out of the grinding process and are can be good for espresso if large enough and the machine is capable of grinding that fine. Many home users will switch to steel burrs for non-espresso use due to a particle distribution that tends to produce a favorable flavor profile for most non-espresso brew methods.
Here's an article from Baratza on this subject: Steel vs Ceramic burrs and heat generation - the lowdown - Baratza - https://baratza.com/steel-vs-ceramic-burrs-and-heat-generation-the-lowdown/
Anyhow, I started with an Baratza Encore with upgraded M2 burrs and it was great for a few years for non-espresso brewing, but it lacked the granularity of settings to really dial in some beans where I thought that if I had a half-step adjustment, then I'd be on the money flavor-wise.
I now have a Baratza Vario+ that I love and has made a massive difference in the clarity of the cup and it has exponentially more adjustability than the Encore. I swapped out the ceramic burrs for the steel since I don't brew espresso. The fines dramatically decreased and the coffees just taste more defined, less erratic and are easier to dial in.
I'd also highly recommend watching James Hoffman's videos on Youtube. He's a former World Barista Champion and he regularly distills down the means to the end of a good cup of coffee. He recently reviewed the Ode 2 grinder and watching that might give you some good insight on what to look for.
Good luck and good coffee!
I agree 100%
And.......................
Grinding & brewing speciality coffee is my speciality.
Good job on adding additional helpful information to the conversation. As anything that can help a person make a smart purchasing decision. At the end of the day, I believe, when knowledge is shared, everyone benefits.
garyg
B&B membership has its percs
Thanks gents for the data & points to ponder - I am covered for now when the power is on with an Encore, when it's out the Skerton grinds beans but not all that well. I mostly do perc (electric or stovetop), followed by a Hario pour-over or Moka Pot if/when I want something different or one more later in the day. Less often a French Press or Technivorm.
That 1Zpresso looks well built, though I'd have to run two loads to get the morning pot going (same as the Skerton). Is it $140 better than the Skerton though .. I am surprised at the number of high end manual grinders out there now!
That 1Zpresso looks well built, though I'd have to run two loads to get the morning pot going (same as the Skerton). Is it $140 better than the Skerton though .. I am surprised at the number of high end manual grinders out there now!
here's a great manual grinder alternative to the 1ZPresso that's on sale: LIDO 3 Manual Coffee Grinder - Travel - https://www.oehandgrinders.com/LIDO-3-_c_30.html
I have had an OE Lido E for several years. 7 or 8 maybe. I don't remember the year I got it, just where I was living when I got it. It uses the same burr set as the Lido 3, and is a very similar design, but the grind adjustment rings are threaded finer to make it easier to fine tune your espresso grind. It has been great!
It's very sturdy, and it has double the hopper capacity than the 1Zpresso and Kingrinder models. All of the parts are easily available from Orphan Espresso, and they are very helpful and responsive to emails.
I also have a Kingrinder K6. It's very similar to the 1Zpresso designs, but apparently not as well made and a bit cheaper. We got it because we finally got fed up with adjusting our Lido E between French Press and Espresso grinds every time.
The Kingrinder K6 has been exceptional for espresso and pour over brews. It has 1/2 of the capacity of the Lido E, but it grinds a lot faster. 30g coffee in each grinder, and the K6 takes a little more than half the amount of rotations. It's a lot more comfortable to hold and grind than the Lido E. The Lido needs to be braced on the counter or on a leg at an angle to really work smoothly.
I loved the Lido E until I got the Kingrinder K6. The K6 feels so much nicer in use, and it makes the Lido feel clunky and slow. Even though the Lido E is spec'd for espresso, the K6 produces more consistent fine grinds and a better shot.
With all of that being said, I would still buy an OE grinder if it was my only grinder. I want that 60g+ capacity. I'd rather the grind take longer than to have to load, grind, and dump twice for a single French Press brew. The Lido rules for French Press, and can produce good pour over and espresso. The availability of parts and support is fantastic.
If you're looking into a 1Zpresso, I highly recommend getting one of the models with outside grind adjustments. It is nice to see where your grinder is set without taking off the catch jar, and twisting a fat ring feels nicer than turning a tiny, slightly recessed dial.
It's very sturdy, and it has double the hopper capacity than the 1Zpresso and Kingrinder models. All of the parts are easily available from Orphan Espresso, and they are very helpful and responsive to emails.
I also have a Kingrinder K6. It's very similar to the 1Zpresso designs, but apparently not as well made and a bit cheaper. We got it because we finally got fed up with adjusting our Lido E between French Press and Espresso grinds every time.
The Kingrinder K6 has been exceptional for espresso and pour over brews. It has 1/2 of the capacity of the Lido E, but it grinds a lot faster. 30g coffee in each grinder, and the K6 takes a little more than half the amount of rotations. It's a lot more comfortable to hold and grind than the Lido E. The Lido needs to be braced on the counter or on a leg at an angle to really work smoothly.
I loved the Lido E until I got the Kingrinder K6. The K6 feels so much nicer in use, and it makes the Lido feel clunky and slow. Even though the Lido E is spec'd for espresso, the K6 produces more consistent fine grinds and a better shot.
With all of that being said, I would still buy an OE grinder if it was my only grinder. I want that 60g+ capacity. I'd rather the grind take longer than to have to load, grind, and dump twice for a single French Press brew. The Lido rules for French Press, and can produce good pour over and espresso. The availability of parts and support is fantastic.
If you're looking into a 1Zpresso, I highly recommend getting one of the models with outside grind adjustments. It is nice to see where your grinder is set without taking off the catch jar, and twisting a fat ring feels nicer than turning a tiny, slightly recessed dial.
garyg
B&B membership has its percs
Not having to load & dump twice is attractive, especially when I get forgetful of a powerless morning & fill the hand grinder three times, or was it twice? That having been said, even the OE falls short of my normal morning grind quantity which is 8 scoops or around 80 grams ..
How long does it take to grind a pot of coffee with those hand grinder?
I generally fill the top thingy almost full on a stove top percolator with course grind.
I generally fill the top thingy almost full on a stove top percolator with course grind.
I have to fill the inexpensive hand grinder I got ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GV59M4L?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details ) twice to get the 40 grams I use in my Bodum French Press. It's a coarse grind so nothing fancy. It takes me about 2 minutes, including the filling of the upper chamber twice and the grinding. I probably spend another minute of so brushing the parts down with the small brush they included. Not bad for $70.... almost silent grinding.
I don't know if I was trying to get a very fine grind for Turkish or Espresso coffee brews if it would work as well. I'm guessing that might push its limits, though it does have lots of settings for that. They make the model 1 I have all the way up to a Level 6 for $129. I think that might be overkill for coarse grinds used in a French Press. I am not the oracle on this topic. I was using a Cuisinart non-fancy coffee brewer for years along with a Cuisinart DBM-8 inexpensive ceramic burr mill grinder that can wake up the neighbors around the block. <eg> evil grin
80g might fit with a lightly roasted, dense bean. I think it's more likely to not fit. At least with the Lido, you'd only need two rounds at most, and there's either already coffee in the brewer, or there isn't!
I don't know of a hand grinder with a higher capacity, or I'd let you know.
How about the Hario "Skerton Pro" Ceramic Manual Coffee Grinder. Its really quite affordable, uses a Ceramic burr, and it can do 100 grams of coffee. Is it as good as a stainless steel conical burr grinder? Nope! But is it affordable, and have good capacity? YEP!
garyg
B&B membership has its percs
How about the Hario "Skerton Pro" Ceramic Manual Coffee Grinder. Its really quite affordable, uses a Ceramic burr, and it can do 100 grams of coffee. Is it as good as a stainless steel conical burr grinder? Nope! But is it affordable, and have good capacity? YEP!
Thanks - That's apparently a newer model of the Skerton hand grinder I presently employ during a power outage (or its ancestor anyway). Mine won't hold 8 scoops, and as mentioned seems slow & inconsistent of grind. The "Pro" has a greater capacity and claims other improvements - and the price is way better than some of the others.
I truly hope that the analog_kid purchased a new grinder somewhere between 2007 and now. I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of the grinder. If you're using fresh beans and want an electric grinder I personally would go with Baratza or Breville.
It took me about 1 minute 45 seconds to grind 60g in the Lido E this morning, at 2-3 rotations per second. That's at a pretty coarse grind setting, and it's a leisurely pace. I'm not sure how much coffee you use for a stovetop percolator, but it's likely a finer grind setting, which would take more time per gram
