Best home grinder for Espresso - Barista Exchange2024-03-29T05:46:04Zhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A944851&xg_source=msg_com_forum&feed=yes&xn_auth=nohttp://www.home-barista.com/g…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9450942010-10-14T21:45:09.585ZChrishttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Chris60
<a href="http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/hand-grinder-jive-photo-essay-t4482.html" target="_blank">http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/hand-grinder-jive-photo-essay-...</a><br></br>
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Sorry, wrote up me some code that wasn't compatible. Just realised that C&P the link would make it…
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Sorry, wrote up me some code that wasn't compatible. Just realised that C&P the link would make it happen ion the page! ; > Chris said:
Dustin DeMers…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9450732010-10-14T21:17:07.498ZDustin DeMershttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/DustinDeMers998
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<cite>Chris said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?xg_source=activity&id=1688216%3ATopic%3A943828&page=2#1688216Comment945067"><div><br></br> <br></br> <cite>Dustin DeMers said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?x=1&id=1688216%3ATopic%3A943828&page=1#1688216Comment944672"><div>How long have you used hand grinders for? Ill also check craigslist…</div>
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<cite>Chris said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?xg_source=activity&id=1688216%3ATopic%3A943828&page=2#1688216Comment945067"><div><br/> <br/>
<cite>Dustin DeMers said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?x=1&id=1688216%3ATopic%3A943828&page=1#1688216Comment944672"><div>How long have you used hand grinders for? Ill also check craigslist for any good deals on electrics right now.</div>
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I have a coupla Majors, a Rocky, (sold my Ricky doser) and a small stable of various hand grinders. The Hand grinders are for when I find myself off the grid, or in a parking lot, or whenever I'm not going to be near an outlet, but would still like and espresso. And I like to refurbish them for my friends. I do, however, travel with a DeWalt Cordless Hand Grinder Motor™, and that usually does take the grinding chore down to a minimum.<br/>
Zass is the nearest thing to a current manufacturer of really good hand grinders, though they are nothing like the Zassenhaus of old. KYM, PeDe, DeVe, Armin Trosser, Lehnartz, all of these made great quality grinders. SOme of them have been cared for well enough to still work wonderfully, some, not so much. 'Mokka' or 'Espresso' on the label is a clue that they're great for espresso, but the lack does not always indicate that they aren't up to the task.<br/>
If I'm buying on Ebay or CL, I always ask how it performs for espresso. If the answer is anything other than 'It's great!', I either pass, or make it a condition of purchase.<br/>
I rate mine on a scale of 0 to 6. 0 means that it won't choke my machines, 6 means that it beats my Mazzer Majors all to heck and back, and the rest fall somewhere in between.<br/>
See here, for a comparison of a hands grinder to a Mazzer Robur:<br/>
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And here is a great discussion of hand grinders in general, with a lotta pics.</div>
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I want to click...!!! Dustin DeMers said:How long…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9450672010-10-14T21:09:50.065ZChrishttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Chris60
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<cite>Dustin DeMers said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?x=1&id=1688216%3ATopic%3A943828&page=1#1688216Comment944672"><div>How long have you used hand grinders for? Ill also check craigslist for any good deals on electrics right now.</div>
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I have a coupla Majors, a Rocky, (sold my Ricky doser) and a small stable of various hand grinders. The Hand grinders are for when I find myself off the…
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<cite>Dustin DeMers said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?x=1&id=1688216%3ATopic%3A943828&page=1#1688216Comment944672"><div>How long have you used hand grinders for? Ill also check craigslist for any good deals on electrics right now.</div>
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I have a coupla Majors, a Rocky, (sold my Ricky doser) and a small stable of various hand grinders. The Hand grinders are for when I find myself off the grid, or in a parking lot, or whenever I'm not going to be near an outlet, but would still like and espresso. And I like to refurbish them for my friends. I do, however, travel with a DeWalt Cordless Hand Grinder Motor™, and that usually does take the grinding chore down to a minimum.<br />
Zass is the nearest thing to a current manufacturer of really good hand grinders, though they are nothing like the Zassenhaus of old. KYM, PeDe, DeVe, Armin Trosser, Lehnartz, all of these made great quality grinders. SOme of them have been cared for well enough to still work wonderfully, some, not so much. 'Mokka' or 'Espresso' on the label is a clue that they're great for espresso, but the lack does not always indicate that they aren't up to the task.<br />
If I'm buying on Ebay or CL, I always ask how it performs for espresso. If the answer is anything other than 'It's great!', I either pass, or make it a condition of purchase.<br />
I rate mine on a scale of 0 to 6. 0 means that it won't choke my machines, 6 means that it beats my Mazzer Majors all to heck and back, and the rest fall somewhere in between.<br />
See here, for a comparison of a hands grinder to a Mazzer Robur:<br />
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And here is a great discussion of hand grinders in general, with a lotta pics. Great! This is one of the rea…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9450432010-10-14T20:27:38.871ZDustin DeMershttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/DustinDeMers998
Great! This is one of the reasons why i love barista exchange. Having honest opinions on matters such as this is invaluable. Because I knew nothing about hand grinders before this, other than there was a decorative one in the shop I managed. But it didnt grind, beans just fell threw.(all though i guess i wouldn't know how to change the fineness anyway) I might just pull the trigger on the kym, all though ill wait tell they respond to the email i sent them first.
Great! This is one of the reasons why i love barista exchange. Having honest opinions on matters such as this is invaluable. Because I knew nothing about hand grinders before this, other than there was a decorative one in the shop I managed. But it didnt grind, beans just fell threw.(all though i guess i wouldn't know how to change the fineness anyway) I might just pull the trigger on the kym, all though ill wait tell they respond to the email i sent them first. Dustin, older hand mills defi…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9450322010-10-14T20:14:15.198ZShadowhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Shadow
Dustin, older hand mills definitely have the advantage because the burrs are made of higher quality materials as well as better shaft support than most of what is available new. The description of that KyM sounds good.. 70 turns for 14 grams is fairly fast.<br />
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Bryan, lots of hand mills are indeed slow, some being 2-300 turns for 14 grams on a good espresso fineness. Burr diameter surely plays a part in speed, but from my experience the actual design and condition of the burr cutting edges is what…
Dustin, older hand mills definitely have the advantage because the burrs are made of higher quality materials as well as better shaft support than most of what is available new. The description of that KyM sounds good.. 70 turns for 14 grams is fairly fast.<br />
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Bryan, lots of hand mills are indeed slow, some being 2-300 turns for 14 grams on a good espresso fineness. Burr diameter surely plays a part in speed, but from my experience the actual design and condition of the burr cutting edges is what determines how aggressive it feeds. That and of course the distance between both burrs. I was basing my times on a Za…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9449872010-10-14T19:04:53.794ZBryan Wrayhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/BryanWray
I was basing my times on a Zass Turkish mill, no doubt one of the smaller burr sets out there (and I think the size of burr has far more to do with the speed of a grinder than how aggressive the burrs feed doesn't it? maybe not... I don't really know I guess) but times well over 2 and 3 minutes aren't uncommon at all from what I've heard from dozens of other home users. 6 minutes was an example and an exaggerated one, I didn't mean to imply an absolute.<br />
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No doubt a quality hand mill has a…
I was basing my times on a Zass Turkish mill, no doubt one of the smaller burr sets out there (and I think the size of burr has far more to do with the speed of a grinder than how aggressive the burrs feed doesn't it? maybe not... I don't really know I guess) but times well over 2 and 3 minutes aren't uncommon at all from what I've heard from dozens of other home users. 6 minutes was an example and an exaggerated one, I didn't mean to imply an absolute.<br />
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No doubt a quality hand mill has a better grind than a Rocky. Rocky has it's moments where everything lines up really well, but consistency isn't even near what a hand mill would reproduce time after time.<br />
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-bry<br />
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<cite>Shadow said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A944851&xg_source=msg_com_forum#1688216Comment944851"><div>Dustin, great hand grinders can be had for less than $100. I wouldn't bother with any of the new ones. Visit Orphan Espresso and see what they have available for "espresso." The find good hand mills, refurbish them and grade them based on quality.<br/> <br/>
Bryan, hand mills grind based on how aggressive the burrs feed. There are hand mills that will crank out 14 grams in 40 turns MAX, which takes maybe 30 seconds. I use a 50+ year old KyM hand mill and I can easily do 16 grams in 80 turns, so maybe 45 seconds. If it takes you 6 mins. to hand grind you do need electricity.<br/>
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No Zassenhaus aren't the best by any means, just the most commonly thought of when hand mills are mentioned.</div>
</blockquote> Why is it that people recomme…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9449632010-10-14T18:20:38.070ZDustin DeMershttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/DustinDeMers998
Why is it that people recommend old hand grinders? Is it just a case of they dont make them like they used to. I guess once electric ones came out no one cared about a quality hand mill. Ok, shadow i found a 80 dollar kym hand mill on orphan espresso. Should i jump on that? Also Byran thanks for recommending craigslist, I dont know why i didnt think of that seeing how im looking for a coffee job on there every day. I saw some really good old posts, so hopfully something could pop up again.<br />
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Why is it that people recommend old hand grinders? Is it just a case of they dont make them like they used to. I guess once electric ones came out no one cared about a quality hand mill. Ok, shadow i found a 80 dollar kym hand mill on orphan espresso. Should i jump on that? Also Byran thanks for recommending craigslist, I dont know why i didnt think of that seeing how im looking for a coffee job on there every day. I saw some really good old posts, so hopfully something could pop up again.<br />
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Ok new question... which has a better grind, a quality hand grinder(say KYM,or Zassenhaus) or a Rancilio Rocky? Dustin, great hand grinders c…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9448512010-10-14T15:21:57.270ZShadowhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Shadow
Dustin, great hand grinders can be had for less than $100. I wouldn't bother with any of the new ones. Visit Orphan Espresso and see what they have available for "espresso." The find good hand mills, refurbish them and grade them based on quality.<br />
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Bryan, hand mills grind based on how aggressive the burrs feed. There are hand mills that will crank out 14 grams in 40 turns MAX, which takes maybe 30 seconds. I use a 50+ year old KyM hand mill and I can easily do 16 grams in 80 turns, so maybe 45…
Dustin, great hand grinders can be had for less than $100. I wouldn't bother with any of the new ones. Visit Orphan Espresso and see what they have available for "espresso." The find good hand mills, refurbish them and grade them based on quality.<br />
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Bryan, hand mills grind based on how aggressive the burrs feed. There are hand mills that will crank out 14 grams in 40 turns MAX, which takes maybe 30 seconds. I use a 50+ year old KyM hand mill and I can easily do 16 grams in 80 turns, so maybe 45 seconds. If it takes you 6 mins. to hand grind you do need electricity.<br />
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No Zassenhaus aren't the best by any means, just the most commonly thought of when hand mills are mentioned. The Skerton is a good entry l…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9448432010-10-14T15:16:43.714ZBryan Wrayhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/BryanWray
The Skerton is a good entry level hand grinder, but there have been some complaints about off-kilter shafts causing uneven grind. Zassenhaus is always highly recommended, I've used 3 or 4 of them over the years and they were all great.<br />
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Not sure how many different places are carrying Zassenhaus, but I know there is a wide array of people carrying the Skerton. Tom (sweetmarias) carries Zassenhaus I know... can't think of any others.<br />
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-bry
The Skerton is a good entry level hand grinder, but there have been some complaints about off-kilter shafts causing uneven grind. Zassenhaus is always highly recommended, I've used 3 or 4 of them over the years and they were all great.<br />
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Not sure how many different places are carrying Zassenhaus, but I know there is a wide array of people carrying the Skerton. Tom (sweetmarias) carries Zassenhaus I know... can't think of any others.<br />
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-bry I use the Hario Skerton for e…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-10-14:1688216:Comment:9447502010-10-14T12:47:14.331Zzack burnetthttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/zackburnett
I use the Hario Skerton for espresso at home. Right now I can't afford an electric grinder that will do as good of a job as the Skerton. I only make one or two double shots at a time so it's manageable to grind by hand but it does take some effort and about five minutes to grind per double shot. I have however been thinking of attaching my electric drill to the crank shaft on the top of the grinder. This may ruin the grinder though so I have yet to try. For my application the Skerton does a…
I use the Hario Skerton for espresso at home. Right now I can't afford an electric grinder that will do as good of a job as the Skerton. I only make one or two double shots at a time so it's manageable to grind by hand but it does take some effort and about five minutes to grind per double shot. I have however been thinking of attaching my electric drill to the crank shaft on the top of the grinder. This may ruin the grinder though so I have yet to try. For my application the Skerton does a better job than the Rocky. I get a ton of clumps with the Rocky and no clumps with the Skerton.<br />
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<cite>Dustin DeMers said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso#1688216Comment944672"><div><br/> <br/>
<cite>Chris said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?xg_source=activity#1688216Comment944583"><div><br/> <br/> <cite>Dustin DeMers said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/best-home-grinder-for-espresso?page=1&commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A944349&x=1#1688216Comment944349"><div>Have you ever used a hand grinder for espresso? cause i havnt, Im just worried if it will be able to grind fine enough.<br/></div>
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I have a coupla grinders that will choke your machine, easy. I also have a handful that will make you question the state of your current grinder. (some) Hand grinders are the same quality burrs as motorized grinders, they simply turn slower. Motorized grinders are simply faster, and require larger burrs so that they can be faster and not (too much) warmer from the friction created by the grinding.<br/>
Like hand saws and motorized saws, you can buy both of great quality that make precision cuts, and also buy cheaper versions that are made poorly and make marginal cuts. The motorized versions are just better equipped to do larger quantities faster.<br/>
As I've always said, get the best quality grinder you can afford, and then see how much you have left or your espresso machine.<br/>
Grinders make espresso, espresso machines just make water hot and push it through the grounds at pressure.</div>
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Awesome analogy(about the hand saw vs electric saw). How long have you used hand grinders for? I honestly dont care about the time it takes to grind it by hand. Its takes me about 20 minutes in the morning from start to finish anyway. Any specific hand grinders anyone recommends? or is Zassenhaus the best? if so what model? Ill also check craigslist for any good deals on electrics right now.</div>
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