We're working on him Ev's we're working on him:-)

Dave, I like the Baratza Virtuouso for everyday all round grinding. Solid construction, dependable, does a great job grinding and just one step below the "major" coffee grinders and worth the money, but not cheap.
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I love my Zass.
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The Good Jane.

1. Anything less than the best would not match the humidor motif.
2. To make to-die-for moka and espresso down the road may harken.
3. Possible coffee drinking crowds (e.g. Shackie thing) demands capacity.

If Jane has an unlimited budget and she is not afraid to overspend it, don't **** around. Select among the three or four of the top-rated burr mills according to style, size (will it fit under the cabinets, etc.) and color. The top 10 best of the bunch all do a lifetime job brilliantly, Dave. Nobody moves up the grinder ladder, ever, and sez, "Feh. THAT was a waste."

MazzerMini
Macap
Pasquini

Keep the old grinder for decaf, flavored beans, the boat house - whatever.
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Jeez - another thing. Consider in the mix, besides the cosmetics of machine height or color and cord location, the doser and auto-timer options.

Doser is good for espresso, but only when you're making at least three or four at a time. Otherwise, it is in ther way and one more thing to keep clean. I like a doser given that I make a lot of espresso but many people find them inconvenient.

The on/off timer is something I never have used. If you're tending to make a pot of coffee in the same machine, regularly, I can see where a timer would be a good thing. Turn it on and it shoots out a measured amount of grind, just right for your Teknikalkworm basket, and then shuts itself off. No waste - no minding the button while you're running the water or flipping the bacon or telling Jane, over and over, how much you appreciate the new grinder with the timer on it.
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And it is and always be the "Shack Grinder" :-)

So assuming she loves me alot and I have an 18 inch high counter area that is 3x2... the specific reccomendation is.... :-)
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Rancillio Rocky has served me well and fits the niche between $Moo$ grinders and the $200-and-under set. Personally I think that for the low-mid-$300 price tag it is much closer to a top tier grinder than the price would lead you to believe
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I was looking at buying one of these refurbed directly from Baratza to save a little money. That's about the same price as the Capresso Infinity and Bodum Antigua which are new. What would be the best choice at that price point? I tend to shy away from refurb for the most part. :-) Thanks
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They do make a shorter hopper for the Mazzer these days but, short or tall it's my first pick. Nobody ever got one and said, "Feh. This thing sucks."

The Macap may be the equal of the Mazzer for a few clams less and, in most peoples opinion, it comes in a package more pleasing to the eye. It lacks history to speak for future performance but looks great in the here and now.

Macap owners tend toward an irrational exuburance - and a jingoistic, "My grinder, right or wrong!" mentality which cannot be explained by anything except the poisonous, toxic gasses Macaps release, Mazzer owners claim. I think the imbalances that have occured in BigWaved and ResIpsa since they got Macaps validates the Mazzerian argument.

The Rocky is a legendary, fine grinder for a younger (or less worldly) man than yourself, Dave; it's a finely tuned 599cc crotch rocket in the shadow of a Harley Ultra Classic. (gentle shrug - fine grinder, a Rocky, but not up to the demands of someone who may pursue coffee with even 10% of the vigor you pursue cigars. C'mon...

Let Jane decide. If you get a Macap just keep a few windows open to cross-ventilate. Hope this is helpful. :-)

http://www.1st-line.com/machines/com...nder/index.htm
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Wow, I did not know some grinders had such steep prices. I think I will have to stick with grinding my coffee with my shoe, my taxes are going up.
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Mister Moo, you do make me laugh, :-)
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WTH... it's my thread. Truth is overrated.
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I knew, felt, that there was something other than quality that led me to the Rocky.
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The Zassenhaus is a great alternative if you don't mind working for your coffee a little.
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now the question is, what is a good mid based quality grinder for espresso?? (not that I am looking my self)
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With the dollar weak I am not sure what mid-priced means anymore but Rocky (Rancilio) is probably the start of "good" espresso grinders. The comparatively flimsy Bodum Antigua and Solis Maestro are the beginning of passable and, relatively speaking, low-priced. They are both good grinders but will not have the durability or long-lived quality that comes from the Rocky and those higher up the scale.

There is a large user-review database of grinders at http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/grinders. It is helpful if you are patient.
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thanks for the reply..

I do have another question my "espresso maker" is a bit quick when it comes to pulling a shot. It takes about 5 to 6 secs for the pressure to build and coffee starts to come out... and it takes about 23 secs to pull shot but I just dont get the volume of crema in my shots.. I do have to say that I dont have a grinder yet so I use, dare I say it.. store bought and store ground beans..
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Same with Val Kilmer in Tombstone.

Image

Best to ask this in the "Espresso" thread. Troubleshooting espresso gets into a lot of areas. Repost at http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1192
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thanks for pointing me in the right direction
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I'm your huckleberry.
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My Gaggia MDF has worked great for me. Had it over a year with no issues whatsoever.

I got a cheap capresso burr grinder I use for drip and press, but it seems to make too much powder. I will be in the market for another one soon.

As for my braun burr grinder, I have put it to good use as well. I grind spices with it. I ground cinnamon sticks for my apple pie for thanksgiving. much better than the pre ground stuff.
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