Hi, I am planning to upgrade my grinder from the Baratza Virtuoso, and I'm thinking about getting either the Rocky or the Baratza Vario. Which would you recommend? I use a Silvia to pull shots. Thanks!
I just purchased a rocky grinder for for SIlvia V3 (I've been using a consumer grinder before). I've spend a while dialling in the grind and I'm now on the finest setting the Rocky allows (0). I tamp firmly and the machine is well-maintained but the shots are still running fast just slightly! Do you have any ideas on what else I can do? Thanks ladies!
@TheKevster310 It could be that your set screw is not set fine enough so you can't go as fine as possible; You can take the burrs apart and see where it's placed down in the Rocky; also, ensure that, when you're making the grind more fine, you are running the grinder at the same time to ensure beans don't get caught and give you a false reading as far as burr position. If that doesn't resolve it, contact the retailer or warranty support to troubleshoot it further - Kat
@SeattleCoffeeGear Thanks for your reply Kat! After trying some fresh beans I was easily able to pull a 25 sec shot from dialing the grinder to 5. So fresh beans are indeed very important!! With stale beans, my doubles on setting 0 ran at 17 seconds!! What a difference! Thanks!
@vejbylauritsen Literally, no -- espresso was about fast preparation. Obviously that has changed from some people's perspectives in the last several years, but the original idea behind espresso was to make coffee quickly in order to decrease the amount of caffeine and, therefore, bitterness. - Kat
@mark2500 The darker you get, the oilier the beans and the stickier they are so grinders like this will have issues. Anything above a medium roast will start to have issues - Kat
@mark2500 Some of them have necks that are more inclined and so not so much of an issue...the Nuova Simonelli Grinta, for example, doesn't have this problem. - Kat
o.k. i purchased a rocky yesterday and the first cappucino was far superior made by previous grinder a baratza virtusos. yahoo. but i woke up after my wife today and she had ground some Starbucks verona beans for our bodum. the rocky was set at 28. she told me the grinder stopped grinding. i reset for 38 and ground the rest of the beans which were almost 1/3 of the hopper. my question can one use this grinder for two different types of beans? i use espresso beans with the rocky set at 8.
@tinbiscuite Oily beans have difficulty in the Rocky's hopper, so she could have seen that happening -- the beans actually not dropping down, hence the no grinding. Giving it a good knock usually works, but just a heads up that this is common regardless of the grind - Kat
Hey Kat & Gail, I am from Sydney. My local shop remanded me to get the K3 with the silvia. Which I originally was looking to buy the rocky and the silvia. The question is will the k3 bring that much difference? I drink milk coffee usually but occasionally drink espresso
Hi Kat, thanks for the reply. The grinder is a couple of months old - the burrs looked fine to me when I cleaned it, however the set screw is bent at an angle - is this normal? The problem started after I pressed the grind button but the machine wouldn't work - all I could hear was an electrical humming noise. I unplugged it, tried again and it worked normally, but ever since the grind setting and bean hopper shift. The grinder still grinds well but I have to allow for the shift each time.
@pncm2 I just asked our techs; they don't think this is an issue, because it's not jumping notches. When the beans hit the burrs, it's forcing the burrs a bit wider and that will mildly affect the grind, but shouldn't be a huge issue. They didn't know of any specific way to fix because it's within specs I guess. Let me know if you have any other questions -- hope this was helpful! - Kat
All your videos about the Silvia and the Rocky are wonderful - I have learned so much! I have a question about the Rocky though - I have the doserless model, and when I press the button to begin grinding the grind setting and bean hopper lurch automatically about half a notch to the left of the setting that I dialled in. I don't know why this is happening all of a sudden, and wondered if you had any ideas? I have cleaned the machine as per your video but it has not solved the problem.
@pncm2 Hmmmmm....how old is the grinder? The burrs might need to be looked at, or the set screw. Not sure, haven't heard of this happening before (but, I'm not a repair tech). :) - Kat
@ForcedToSignUp That doesn't happen all the time; it really depends on the container you're using. For example, when we use glass with the Rocky Doserless, this definitely happens; but if we're grinding into portafilters or into plastic containers, not as much. Also definitely depends on your location's electromagnetic situation and the weather :) - Kat
I noticed that you changed the grind without having the machine on. I was always told that on the Rocky you have to have the machine running in order to change the grind level or the machine can be damaged, which is a hassle because it talkes three hands to do that. What is the correct way to change the grind?
@whiskeyminute If you're making the grind much finer, the grinder should be running to prevent beans being caught between the burrs and damaging them. Making it coarser, it doesn't matter and if you're moving it just a notch finer, running while doing isn't totally necessary. - Kat
HI there, I wanna buy a grinder on your site, cause there are no shops in belgium, ore not much.
I wass thinking to buy a rocky but you have 2 on your site, 1 for 359 dollars and the other for 299 will the 299 be good enoff for me ( beginner ) and what are the real differents between those 2 ? thanks already !
@Logicdj The $299 version is 'open box' which means it was used and returned to us within the 30 day return period that we have on new merchandise. We clean it up and re-sell at a discount; it will have most if not all the original accessories, may show some use (scratches, etc.). - Kat
@garbon2535 I know it gets coarse enough but it also tends to get more and more inconsistent as it gets coarser...so you have some mixture of particle size and, hence, some silt. - Kat
Thanks Kat! Hey, I just bought the Rocky doserless and I'm wondering how long you, personally, would leave beans in the hopper. Like, would you just add your beans daily or would you fill it up even if you wouldn't get through all the beans for a week or so? Would they go stale or would the quality of the shot be diminished? Thanks!
I wouldn't put more beans in there than I'd use within a couple of days, max. Even in the store, we usually fill our hoppers up about 1/2 to 3/4 full, even though we move through a lot. I'd put only what I was going to use within the next couple of days and keep the rest stored. - Kat
Hello from Melbourne, Australia! I just want to say that I think your videos are incredibly informative, and a little bit funny, which makes them all the more pleasurable to watch. Thanks heaps! I've been considering a new machine for a while now, and have decided on the Rancilio Silvia with Rocky Doserless. Keep up the great work! Adrian
I noticed that your grounds were clumpy for both the doser and doserless.....any reason why? I'm struggling between getting a Rocky Doser vs. Doserless....suggestions? Does one make the grounds clumpier than the other? (I know that there's ways around eliminating those clumps after dosing anyway...) Thanks!
That's going to be the case depending on the coffee you're using and the fine-ness of the grind. I think that when you get to a super fine setting, it clumps. The doser would break that up, though. - Kat
Thanks for these videos! I far prefer the real life demos than some of the stuffy snobby ones that can be on here :) Great job, and we'll be sure to visit you if we're ever in the Seattle area again for some items and expertise!
the machine can grind coarse enough for a plunge and i imagie fine enoufgh i am not to sure tho for a turkish coffee its an awesome machine i have the doseless one and its great for a person who wants the best tasting coffee, none of this make a stash and safe for later buisiness its grind on demand and thats the best way i think
I've seen several article that say that the Rancilio Rocky can grind fine enough for Turkish coffee, but can it really? I haven't been able to find a picture of the coffee ground at the Rocky's finest setting. Turkish coffee should be a very fine clumpy powder. Maybe you guys could do a video comparison with the capresso, rocky, and mazzer and show little piles of their finest settings, and their most course settings side by side. I'd love that.
That's a great suggestion -- I did work with one customer who felt that the Rocky didn't get fine enough for Turkish, but we were able to do it with our model. I will add that video to our to-do list :) - Kat
Does the camera lady have to comment on everything? If she has something to share she should be on camera rather than annoyingly saying "uh huh," "OK", "yeah" all the time. Its interrupting.
Hi Kat - in your experience, does a lot of ground coffee remain in the 'guts' or chute or the doserless grinder? That is, would you end up getting a lot of stale ground coffee the next time you grind or does the chute clear out as soon as you stop grinding?
Yeah, there is a little bit of leftover in the chute after the previous grind, but that's true of any of the grinders we have -- doser or doserless models. So that's something to keep in mind also while you're dialing it in, there will be a bit of the previous grind left over that you need to grind out before you try the next shot. - Kat
Is grinding that amount usually done when wanting only a double shot?
Urbino237 1 month ago
@Urbino237 To use the hopper on the doser, you have to grind excess to get the correct measurements...is that what you're asking? - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 1 month ago
Baratza Virtuoso Preciso or the Rancilio Rocky for espresso grinding?
bxiao6 1 month ago
@bxiao6 Either works well; Preciso gives you more dial in than Rocky; Rocky grinds faster - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 1 month ago
Hi, I am planning to upgrade my grinder from the Baratza Virtuoso, and I'm thinking about getting either the Rocky or the Baratza Vario. Which would you recommend? I use a Silvia to pull shots. Thanks!
thebehaviorist 4 months ago
@thebehaviorist The Vario gives you way more control over the grind; I would definitely go with that - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 4 months ago
@SeattleCoffeeGear Awesome. If I order from you guys via Amazon.com will I still get the free package of Grindz and # of esp beans?
thebehaviorist 4 months ago
@thebehaviorist No - that's just freebies on our site (Amazon takes a chunk when we sell through them so no freebies included) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 4 months ago
I just purchased a rocky grinder for for SIlvia V3 (I've been using a consumer grinder before). I've spend a while dialling in the grind and I'm now on the finest setting the Rocky allows (0). I tamp firmly and the machine is well-maintained but the shots are still running fast just slightly! Do you have any ideas on what else I can do? Thanks ladies!
TheKevster310 5 months ago
@TheKevster310 It could be that your set screw is not set fine enough so you can't go as fine as possible; You can take the burrs apart and see where it's placed down in the Rocky; also, ensure that, when you're making the grind more fine, you are running the grinder at the same time to ensure beans don't get caught and give you a false reading as far as burr position. If that doesn't resolve it, contact the retailer or warranty support to troubleshoot it further - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 5 months ago
@SeattleCoffeeGear Thanks for your reply Kat! After trying some fresh beans I was easily able to pull a 25 sec shot from dialing the grinder to 5. So fresh beans are indeed very important!! With stale beans, my doubles on setting 0 ran at 17 seconds!! What a difference! Thanks!
TheKevster310 5 months ago
@TheKevster310 Great to hear!! Glad it was nothing more complicated than some new beans :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 5 months ago
How can you use a time saving perspective, making espresso? Espresso is all about quality time is'n it?
vejbylauritsen 5 months ago
@vejbylauritsen Literally, no -- espresso was about fast preparation. Obviously that has changed from some people's perspectives in the last several years, but the original idea behind espresso was to make coffee quickly in order to decrease the amount of caffeine and, therefore, bitterness. - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 5 months ago
@SeattleCoffeeGear Nice and informative argument.
vejbylauritsen 5 months ago
at what kind of roast does the oils start getting in the way of the grinder?
mark2500 6 months ago
@mark2500 The darker you get, the oilier the beans and the stickier they are so grinders like this will have issues. Anything above a medium roast will start to have issues - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 6 months ago
@SeattleCoffeeGear Well this is gonna suck because my local roaster only does full city
mark2500 6 months ago
@mark2500 Some of them have necks that are more inclined and so not so much of an issue...the Nuova Simonelli Grinta, for example, doesn't have this problem. - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 6 months ago
@SeattleCoffeeGear I see. Thanks. I don't plan on storing beans inside a hopper all day anyway so I hope that will keep me from having issues.
mark2500 6 months ago
o.k. i purchased a rocky yesterday and the first cappucino was far superior made by previous grinder a baratza virtusos. yahoo. but i woke up after my wife today and she had ground some Starbucks verona beans for our bodum. the rocky was set at 28. she told me the grinder stopped grinding. i reset for 38 and ground the rest of the beans which were almost 1/3 of the hopper. my question can one use this grinder for two different types of beans? i use espresso beans with the rocky set at 8.
tinbiscuite 6 months ago
@tinbiscuite Oily beans have difficulty in the Rocky's hopper, so she could have seen that happening -- the beans actually not dropping down, hence the no grinding. Giving it a good knock usually works, but just a heads up that this is common regardless of the grind - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 6 months ago
The difference is $150, K3 worth the extra bucks?
alphaatube 10 months ago
I accidentally posted the comment before I finished........
alphaatube 10 months ago
Hey Kat & Gail, I am from Sydney. My local shop remanded me to get the K3 with the silvia. Which I originally was looking to buy the rocky and the silvia. The question is will the k3 bring that much difference? I drink milk coffee usually but occasionally drink espresso
alphaatube 10 months ago
Many thanks Kat, very reassuring! I'll keep an eye on it just in case it starts to jump further - this really is a great resource!
pncm2 10 months ago
@pncm2 Please do -- if it starts to jump notches, the burrs definitely need to be looked at. - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 10 months ago
Hi Kat, thanks for the reply. The grinder is a couple of months old - the burrs looked fine to me when I cleaned it, however the set screw is bent at an angle - is this normal? The problem started after I pressed the grind button but the machine wouldn't work - all I could hear was an electrical humming noise. I unplugged it, tried again and it worked normally, but ever since the grind setting and bean hopper shift. The grinder still grinds well but I have to allow for the shift each time.
pncm2 10 months ago
@pncm2 I just asked our techs; they don't think this is an issue, because it's not jumping notches. When the beans hit the burrs, it's forcing the burrs a bit wider and that will mildly affect the grind, but shouldn't be a huge issue. They didn't know of any specific way to fix because it's within specs I guess. Let me know if you have any other questions -- hope this was helpful! - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 10 months ago
All your videos about the Silvia and the Rocky are wonderful - I have learned so much! I have a question about the Rocky though - I have the doserless model, and when I press the button to begin grinding the grind setting and bean hopper lurch automatically about half a notch to the left of the setting that I dialled in. I don't know why this is happening all of a sudden, and wondered if you had any ideas? I have cleaned the machine as per your video but it has not solved the problem.
pncm2 10 months ago
@pncm2 Hmmmmm....how old is the grinder? The burrs might need to be looked at, or the set screw. Not sure, haven't heard of this happening before (but, I'm not a repair tech). :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 10 months ago
I enjoyed your review, very helpful!
pheloniousmunk 10 months ago
I find with my Rocky Doserless that the grounds come out statically charged, which makes them fly out of the container and go everywhere. Very messy!
ForcedToSignUp 1 year ago
@ForcedToSignUp That doesn't happen all the time; it really depends on the container you're using. For example, when we use glass with the Rocky Doserless, this definitely happens; but if we're grinding into portafilters or into plastic containers, not as much. Also definitely depends on your location's electromagnetic situation and the weather :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 1 year ago
I noticed that you changed the grind without having the machine on. I was always told that on the Rocky you have to have the machine running in order to change the grind level or the machine can be damaged, which is a hassle because it talkes three hands to do that. What is the correct way to change the grind?
whiskeyminute 1 year ago
@whiskeyminute If you're making the grind much finer, the grinder should be running to prevent beans being caught between the burrs and damaging them. Making it coarser, it doesn't matter and if you're moving it just a notch finer, running while doing isn't totally necessary. - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 1 year ago
@SeattleCoffeeGear Thanks so much. Love your videos; they are extremely helpful!
whiskeyminute 1 year ago
@whiskeyminute You're welcome! Thanks for watching :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 1 year ago
HI there, I wanna buy a grinder on your site, cause there are no shops in belgium, ore not much.
I wass thinking to buy a rocky but you have 2 on your site, 1 for 359 dollars and the other for 299 will the 299 be good enoff for me ( beginner ) and what are the real differents between those 2 ? thanks already !
Logicdj 1 year ago
@Logicdj The $299 version is 'open box' which means it was used and returned to us within the 30 day return period that we have on new merchandise. We clean it up and re-sell at a discount; it will have most if not all the original accessories, may show some use (scratches, etc.). - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 1 year ago
Has anyone used this grinder for a press? I’ve read comments on other website that say the course grind isn’t course enough for a French press.
garbon2535 1 year ago
@garbon2535 I know it gets coarse enough but it also tends to get more and more inconsistent as it gets coarser...so you have some mixture of particle size and, hence, some silt. - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 1 year ago
Great explanation and review. I found this video to be just what I needed to make my decision to go with the doserless model. Grazie!
Sp0o 1 year ago
@Sp0o Great to hear! :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 1 year ago
Thanks Kat! Hey, I just bought the Rocky doserless and I'm wondering how long you, personally, would leave beans in the hopper. Like, would you just add your beans daily or would you fill it up even if you wouldn't get through all the beans for a week or so? Would they go stale or would the quality of the shot be diminished? Thanks!
vttran3 2 years ago
I wouldn't put more beans in there than I'd use within a couple of days, max. Even in the store, we usually fill our hoppers up about 1/2 to 3/4 full, even though we move through a lot. I'd put only what I was going to use within the next couple of days and keep the rest stored. - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
Thank you for taking the time to put this together! The Rocky seems to be a solid, practical machine and a very good investment .
YoungJim409 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hello from Melbourne, Australia! I just want to say that I think your videos are incredibly informative, and a little bit funny, which makes them all the more pleasurable to watch. Thanks heaps! I've been considering a new machine for a while now, and have decided on the Rancilio Silvia with Rocky Doserless. Keep up the great work! Adrian
adrianjmf 2 years ago
I noticed that your grounds were clumpy for both the doser and doserless.....any reason why? I'm struggling between getting a Rocky Doser vs. Doserless....suggestions? Does one make the grounds clumpier than the other? (I know that there's ways around eliminating those clumps after dosing anyway...) Thanks!
speedsters1jh 2 years ago
That's going to be the case depending on the coffee you're using and the fine-ness of the grind. I think that when you get to a super fine setting, it clumps. The doser would break that up, though. - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
Thanks for the videos they have been really helpful. I've just ordered the Rocky doserless - can't wait for it to be delivered!
pumpkineater23 2 years ago
Awesome! When you get it, let me know if you need any assistance. :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
Thanks for these videos! I far prefer the real life demos than some of the stuffy snobby ones that can be on here :) Great job, and we'll be sure to visit you if we're ever in the Seattle area again for some items and expertise!
lunazoozoo 2 years ago
Glad you're enjoying them! And we love visitors in the store -- definitely stop in if/when you have the chance :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
i just vought one of these machines.
the machine can grind coarse enough for a plunge and i imagie fine enoufgh i am not to sure tho for a turkish coffee its an awesome machine i have the doseless one and its great for a person who wants the best tasting coffee, none of this make a stash and safe for later buisiness its grind on demand and thats the best way i think
dentederequin 2 years ago
How is it going with your Rocky? Still digging it? - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
I've seen several article that say that the Rancilio Rocky can grind fine enough for Turkish coffee, but can it really? I haven't been able to find a picture of the coffee ground at the Rocky's finest setting. Turkish coffee should be a very fine clumpy powder. Maybe you guys could do a video comparison with the capresso, rocky, and mazzer and show little piles of their finest settings, and their most course settings side by side. I'd love that.
ASFx2600 2 years ago
That's a great suggestion -- I did work with one customer who felt that the Rocky didn't get fine enough for Turkish, but we were able to do it with our model. I will add that video to our to-do list :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
Wow, this video was perfect. I was wondering what the difference was between the two models and you nailed it. Thank you :)
ASFx2600 2 years ago
Awesome! Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
Does the camera lady have to comment on everything? If she has something to share she should be on camera rather than annoyingly saying "uh huh," "OK", "yeah" all the time. Its interrupting.
bricewells1 2 years ago
Sorry you don't like that, but that's our video style :) - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
Hi Kat - in your experience, does a lot of ground coffee remain in the 'guts' or chute or the doserless grinder? That is, would you end up getting a lot of stale ground coffee the next time you grind or does the chute clear out as soon as you stop grinding?
BHamilton2000 2 years ago
Yeah, there is a little bit of leftover in the chute after the previous grind, but that's true of any of the grinders we have -- doser or doserless models. So that's something to keep in mind also while you're dialing it in, there will be a bit of the previous grind left over that you need to grind out before you try the next shot. - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago
You just cleared up all the questions I had about these two grinders in one video. Awesome. Thanks
MAXYAHR1 2 years ago
Great! If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot them our way - Kat
SeattleCoffeeGear 2 years ago