Grinder Buying Guide - Part 1 of 3

[denrex01]

hey! i really enjoy your videos. question. what are your thought on hand burr grinders? and if you do like them, any recommendations?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@denrex01 We have tested several but they didn't go fine enough for espresso. The Hario models do; we have heard good things about Kyocera but we haven't tried them ourselves - Kat

[zomgz932]

@SeattleCoffeeGear the kyocera's are re branded hario's basically.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@zomgz932 Ah; but they do a bunch of ceramic products so they don't manufacture these themselves? - Kat

[zomgz932]

@SeattleCoffeeGear they may manufacture them but the only difference between them is the colors. they both are essentially the same and BTW i love my mini mill

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@zomgz932 Ah, got it. Well when we get in a demo we'll do a side by side :) - Kat

[zomgz932]

@SeattleCoffeeGear well at least from what i can see they are the same. but i await your comparisons and review.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@zomgz932 Def! It's not rocket science, right? So I'm guessing they will practically perform very similar :) - Kat

[zomgz932]

@SeattleCoffeeGear yep unless there is an actual difference. then anything may happen

[MascisMan1]

Would you recommend a $200 grinder also for coarse grinds (french press)?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@MascisMan1 Better burrs will equal more particle consistency and, therefore, improved extraction overall. You can get cheaper grinders that will work, definitely, but they tend to be more inconsistent and that can effect the overall taste in the cup. - Kat

[sweetfeat1]

I need help choosing a grinder and am very new to espresso making. I am currently debating between the Rocky, the Persico and the OE Pharos. I want the Pharos but am wondering if the quarks it has (non-ergonomic, and finicky adjusting) outweigh the fact that you get a step less titan conical burr for the same price as the Baratza Virtuoso models.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@sweetfeat1 Hi there - sent you a response to your pm. Not sure about the Pharos; haven't used it. Rocky and Preciso are both great choices; Rocky has longer history, more commercial components, while the Preciso gives you a little bit more dial-in functionality - Kat

[DrCaligar1]

So manual grinders are crap? Which is the best one? Is that kyocera cm 50 any good?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@DrCaligar1 I don't think they're crap; the Hario hand grinders we've tested are rad. Haven't tried the Kyocera but it's on our to-do list - Kat

[DrCaligar1]

@SeattleCoffeeGear Which (in your experience ) are the better hand grinders? Zassenhaus?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@DrCaligar1 I haven't tried the Zassenhaus; the Hario is the best we've tried that will work with espresso. - Kat

[DrCaligar1]

@SeattleCoffeeGear In your experience which are the better hand grinders? Hario or Zassenhaus? Btw rad means good right? Cuz i have to find a dictionary for that

[49kasey]

I was led to this video in search of an electric grinder/blender powerful enough to chop and grind ginseng root. I used to have an old Moulinex that did the job but replacement blades became unavailable. I slice the roots after softening them by steaming them first. I'm actually planning to make formulas containing other herbs with the ginseng, then mixing the powder with honey. It's a lot of work but nothing else compares with taking herbs this way. Any suggestions?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@49kasey Sorry, no great suggestions for you; all of our burr grinders aren't really spice friendly and I can't recommend that you put any through them. - Kat

[carvinrigged]

Wish you had a shop in Missouri ! I am a home roaster and hand grind in a Zassenhaus. Very time consuming but I'm 50 years old and don't get in a hurry about anything anymore. I also have a comercial size Curtis grinder,but it is a pain to clean. Thanks for sharing your knowlege !

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@carvinrigged I love hand grinders, myself, so good choice :) Thanks for watching - Kat

[mookie840]

I LOVE these videos!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@mookie840 thank you!! :) always great to hear - kat

[mXpFoxRACING]

one thing she did not mention was to make sure your grinder has a crystal catcher (:

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@mXpFoxRACING What's that? - Kat

[Ghosteater]

Just wanted to say, thanks for all the hard work on these videos, it really made the decision on what I needed a lot easier. I just ordered the Virtuoso through you guys. It's great to see a store really know their products well, and be honest and up front about them. Thanks again! -John G.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@Ghosteater Great to hear! Thanks for the feedback -- and let us know if you need any assistance once you get the grinder. :) - Kat

[bizojan]

can you guide me for herb grinder like ginseng

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@bizojan Hi there - sorry, just saw this. If you are grinding the fresh root itself, I would actually go with something like a meat grinder that will basically juice it. I have used this kind of grinder for both ginseng and ginger root...not sure what the best dried ginseng grinder (or even spice grinder is for that matter) as it's not our specialty. Sorry! - Kat

[NickiSig]

Hi Gail,

I have the Starbucks Saeco Serina and im shopping for a burr grinder. i would like to take the plastic gasket out and tamp my own shots.... any grinder that you reccommend?

thanks, and i love your vids---

thanks,

Nick

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

I would go with the Baratza Virtuoso for this machine, you'll get pretty good results with the non-pressurized portafilter and this grinder. Let me know if you need more info. - Kat

[theunholy69]

By the way, I'm not hoping to teach you anything lol

I'm just giving my opinion to explain the use of another grinder as far as I'm concerned.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Cool :) - Kat

[theunholy69]

Hi Kat, you two girls are really doing great videos, I've been almost all of them lol

What do you think of the cuisinart DBM-8 ?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

I have not gotten my hands on it, so I don't know how well it performs when compared to other grinders. Sorry :( - Kat

[theunholy69]

@SeattleCoffeeGear It's a 40$ grinder (less during special sales). It's not an espresso grinder but it's best to have two grinders if you like different kinds of coffee. One for the espresso, one for the rest.

Reason is: after grinding on a coarse mode for a french press, if you grind very fine for the espresso you'll get some coarse from the previous use. It's a pain to use only one grinder.

The DBM-8 is a very affordable solution for drip or french press. You might want to check it out.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

We may look into carrying it...I will let you know if we decide to get one in here to try it out :) - Kat

[adrito70]

Hi Kat, my name is Adrian, I live in Argentina and i'm going to visit NY in this April. I searching for a Rancilio Rocky grinder, for 220 volts, can you import one for me? I'll buy you inmediatlly! In my country, serious coffee stuff are not avaible, it's impossible to find! Thanks

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

We don't have access to this, but we have had some SA customers have success contacting Rancilio directly to order the 220V machines. I'd give them a call and see if they can ship one to your hotel's address. - Kat

[adrito70]

OK Kat! Thank you very much, I really appreciate your effort!

I'm going to be in PA in my uncle's house, let me know the news for give you the address.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Hey, sorry -- no we won't contact them on your behalf, you'd need to do so and find out if they can ship it to your uncle's address, etc. - Kat

[kwantran]

Hi! Your videos are amazing!

I am pretty new at this and I was wondering if the Baratza Maestro would be a good buy for a beginner. I don't plan on using it on an espresso machine anytime soon, just mostly for french press, drip coffee, and AeroPress.

If used daily, how long do you think the life span would be?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

The Maestro is an excellent grinder for press pot or drip...should work with the Aeropress, but I haven't tested it. These can have a good life -- it's really the motors that might go out, but I'd think that with average use, you'd get at least 5 - 7 years out of them, if not more. If you're thinking you'll get into espresso in the future, however, you might want to look into the Virtuoso and invest just the once. - Kat

[GuiaDoCafe]

Hello Kat,these are awesome reviews, thank you for the good work!

I'm planning to buy the Baratza Vario but I need to know if it grinds better then the Virtuoso or it's more expensive just because of the fancy buttons and display! With $400 bucks, there are any better option?

Thank you very much!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Hi - I just saw this, sorry! YouTube isn't great about comments notices sometimes. The Vario definitely grinds better, it allows you to tweak the grind more so you can dial in your shot more finitely. Not sure if you're still looking for a grinder, but if you have any questions, feel free to msg me. - Kat

[mambachaser]

I am in the market to buy a good grinder and have read many positive things abut the Ascaso i-Mini. Do you plan to do a review on that product? I'd love to hear your opinion.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Sure! We have one in the store on demo, I'll put it on the to-do list. - Kat

[4flat7]

You guys do a great job!!! I am considering starting a coffee shop, and your videos have been soooo informative.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Thanks for the feedback! Glad the vids are helping you :) Let us know if you have any requests.

[MrElTiante]

I currently have a Baratza Virtuoso grinder calibrated for 'Turkish Grind' directly from the factory. I am planning on purchasing a Rancilio Silvia and am concerned with some of the negative reviews stating it won't do a good job with espresso. I would love to hear your oppinion on using the Virtuoso (company calibrated) with the Rancilio Silvia (dialing it in, shot timing, etc...). Thanks in advance.

PS: Love the videos you ladies really do an awesome job!!!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

We think the Virtuoso is a good pairing with the Silvia -- it's the lowest end model that we'd recommend, but it does do the fineness and consistency that you'd need. Big difference is that you can't grind as much as you can with larger grinders and the burrs can get a little toasty, singing the coffee. If it's already grinding fine enough for Turkish, you should be able to take it up a couple notches for espresso grind. Feel free to message me with more questions, glad you like the vids! - Kat