Best coffee grinder

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Skittle68

Skittle68

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I'm looking at the kitchenaid pro line burr coffee grinder, and the capresso 565 infinity burr grinder, but they are both so expensive!! Are these really worth the money? I want something that is going to last. I'm thinking about spending the extra for the kitchenaid one, because reviews about the capresso said the ground coffee gets stuck in the chute, and so the next batch of coffee ends up with a teaspoon or more of stale ground coffee. Any thoughts or suggestions?

While we're at it, has anyone tried the aeropress, and what do you think? My sister loves it, but I don't know if I trust her judgement when it comes to coffee lol...
 
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I use Cuisinart. The chief downside is that they can be noisy. The last one I had lasted 5 years, and has been recently replaced. They can sometimes be found on sale for around $30.

I think the chutes of most coffee grinders will catch some grounds. I clean the chute by wiping it out with my finger.
 
Bodum makes a great product for home users. A lot of the people I know who run coffee shops have this one in their homes..however all of them and myself all use french press so I can't really help with the info on the espresso grind.
I just know that it's effing amazing for the price..but yes, kitchenaid does make a good one from what I have read.
I have one of their blade grinders too and as much as I don't like blade grinders for coffee..if I really wanted to I could get away with that one..they know how to build stuff.
 
garlicjosh said:
Bodum makes a great product for home users. A lot of the people I know who run coffee shops have this one in their homes..however all of them and myself all use french press so I can't really help with the info on the espresso grind.
I just know that it's effing amazing for the price..but yes, kitchenaid does make a good one from what I have read.
I have one of their blade grinders too and as much as I don't like blade grinders for coffee..if I really wanted to I could get away with that one..they know how to build stuff.
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Darn. I really wanted to know how it is for espresso. I have a burr grinder that is fine for press coffee and the stove top espresso/mocha maker, but just doesn't cut it for the electric espresso maker. I'm still using a Braun whirly blade grinder that I have been using for 13 years to grind coffee for espresso. That Bodum is almost within my budget.

Of course it's good for press coffee - Bodum makes French presses. Around here we seldom call it French press - we call it Bodum coffee ;)
 
We have this one. I can not claim it is "The Best", but for the price I am very happy with it. It is relatively quiet and does a very good job of grinding. The grind is adjustable so if you are using it for a French press and then for espresso you won't be stuck.

The only thing that I can say about it that is not great is that it can be a little messy. Sometimes the grinds spit out a little. That is not a huge deal for me and certainly not worth $50 to get a different model that might be a little neater.
 
We had a Krups that lasted for years but when it went and we bought another the new one didn't last long at all. We now have a Braun and also a Black and Decker but I have no idea what either of them cost - they both work well. I think most of them start out noisy and get less so as the grind is finer.
 
I have a la Pavoni grinder that I have had for several years.

It does a nice job, can be messy but any grinder has that potential. It does espresso grinds well but it doesn't go as fine as a good turkish grind.

Got it at a coffee roasting house. It was about $60 when I got it.

I have a Capresso Ultima maker and love it. I got my brother a Capresso many years ago for Christmas and it died in a couple weeks. He called them and they shipped him a new one without any issues. They paid the shipping both ways and didn't wait on him to return the maker before issuing a replacement (new).
 
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sweetmarias.com has some interesting commentary on a variety of coffee mills. My wife's favorite coffee mill is a sixty to seventy year old contraption that has stone burrs. Because I had to repair it 3 or 4 years ago, I thought I'd better buy her a backup. I bought her a conical steel burr Zassenhaus 169DG, which required tuning up in order for it to function to our satisfaction. We like a fine grind for use in cone type paper Melitta filters.
 
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It really depends on what you're hoping to get out of a coffee grinder. If you need to have variable grades of "fine-ness" to your grind....for instance, superfine grind for espresso, a courser grind for every-day automatic drip coffee maker use and an in-between semi-fine grind for your French Press....then yes, you'll probably need one of the more expensive machines so that you can be sure you are investing in a worthwhile brand that will last a reasonably long time for you.

If on the other hand you only need to mash up coffee beans for a fresh brew from your automatic drip coffee maker, then you'll probably do just fine with a much simpler, much much cheaper one. I bought this one when I was working in in the Middle East (it's 220v):

Amazon.com: Saachi Stainless Steel Coffee / Dry Spice Grinder. A Very Popular Model For All Your Grinding Needs. Model SA-1440: Kitchen & Dining

It's just a super basic grinder with one course setting, cost me $20 plus shipping. I've taken it from Iraq to Kuwait to the Philippines and we use it daily, sometimes twice. I've had it for 2 years and it runs like a beast.

Braun makes a number of simple grinders that are similar design and well-rated, a respectable brand, and in the same price range. If all you need is a basic grind for basic brew then I think you'd do just fine with one of those.

FWIW, my husband swears my coffee tastes better than Starbucks.....so I don't think the relative courseness of my grind is holding me back at all. ;)
 
I personally use a Zassenhaus 161 and I love it. It can adjust to a whole range of coffee grinds and you have complete control. The grind is controlled by turning a knob that raises or lowers the bottom grinding piece. I think I bought mine for $75+shipping. I will admit I don't make a lot of coffee (only 2 cups) but it doesn't take long at all to grind out enough coffee for 2 cups.

If you make a lot of coffee then it may be worth it to you to buy an electric grinder. From what I gathered doing extensive research before I bought my grinder was that good electric conical burr gringers start at $200 and go up from there. It could be a different now, but I saw a lot more complaints from grinders in the <$150 range than I did from more expensive ones.

I like grinding my coffee by hand with my mill when I am making it. For me it just adds something to the whole experience. It makes coffee seem more special.

Of course I have been told I am a bit odd...
 
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visionviper said:
I personally use a Zassenhaus 161 and I love it. It can adjust to a whole range of coffee grinds and you have complete control. The grind is controlled by turning a knob that raises or lowers the bottom grinding piece. I think I bought mine for $75+shipping. I will admit I don't make a lot of coffee (only 2 cups) but it doesn't take long at all to grind out enough coffee for 2 cups.

If you make a lot of coffee then it may be worth it to you to buy an electric grinder. From what I gathered doing extensive research before I bought my grinder was that good electric conical burr gringers start at $200 and go up from there. It could be a different now, but I saw a lot more complaints from grinders in the <$150 range than I did from more expensive ones.

I like grinding my coffee by hand with my mill when I am making it. For me it just adds something to the whole experience. It makes coffee seem more special.

Of course I have been told I am a bit odd...
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+1
 
visionviper said:
I like grinding my coffee by hand with my mill when I am making it. For me it just adds something to the whole experience. It makes coffee seem more special.

Of course I have been told I am a bit odd...
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I do not grind my coffee by hand, but I totally hear what you are saying. Doing things by hand often does add that extra special something.

Welcome to the site!
 
visionviper said:
I like grinding my coffee by hand with my mill when I am making it. For me it just adds something to the whole experience. It makes coffee seem more special.

Of course I have been told I am a bit odd...
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I actually bought a hand conical grinder, and it worked great, but was very difficult to use. It took quite awhile to grind enough beans, and it wasn't mounted on anything so you had to try to hold onto the grinder while turning the handle. Very awkward. It was actually intended for camping. I returned it. For camping I always just pre-grind my beans
 
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/<a href=
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I love my Krups... it's inexpensive and it works great. :yum: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/<a href=Krups 203-42 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder
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Elizabeth1966 said:
I love my Krups... it's inexpensive and it works great. :yum:
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I have that exact electric grinder. I don't really use it, but I keep it around for spice grinding. I don't want to use my Zassenhaus to grind spices and then have to give it a really thorough cleaning before I could grind coffee in it again. It would work really great as a spice grinder though.
 
KA A-9, original, $8 used. A tad noisy, but just a tad, and a real workhorse. Very adjustable grind, steel burrs, made before I was born and will probably outlast me. Repairable, not made to be thrown away. I can buy replacement brushes for the motor at the local auto parts store, and the burrs for the re-incarnation of the A-9 will fit, as will the glass and lid should I get careless.
 
gadzooks said:
KA A-9, original, $8 used. A tad noisy, but just a tad, and a real workhorse. Very adjustable grind, steel burrs, made before I was born and will probably outlast me. Repairable, not made to be thrown away. I can buy replacement brushes for the motor at the local auto parts store, and the burrs for the re-incarnation of the A-9 will fit, as will the glass and lid should I get careless.
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Wait, are you selling this? Or are you saying you bought it for $8?
 
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