Coffee Grinders

[shellylh]

Question for the coffee experts:

I want to buy my husband a new coffee grinder for Valentine's Day. Right now we have a Cuisinart Burr grinder but it is having some problems. We drink drip coffee (pour almost boiling water from a tea kettle into a porcelain cone filter with a paper filter). We don't need it for espresso. Any suggestions of good grinder than don't cost a million dollars. I would prefer to have a quiet grinder if possible.

Edited February 8, 2011 by shellylh

[blubliss]

This is a good place. I bought a machine and grinder from them. Looks like there are a few reasonably priced grinders.

Chris Coffee

Edited February 8, 2011 by blubliss

[boomana]

Whatever Al has at Mayberry, don't get that. It was annoyingly slow, though I suppose it ground the coffee just fine.

[Voltron]

What I have in Mayberry is an old, cheap Starbucks branded POS because we don't grind beans as a rule. JP knows all the right ones, Shelly so just PM him.

[shellylh]

OK, I'll stay of away from Starbucks POS grinders and PM JP.

[jinp6301]

Heh, I just bought a coffee grinder a couple of weeks ago and was doing the same research as you.

Baratza Maestro is the one that is most recommended. Good quality grind for drip and not that expensive.

I bought the Baratza Virtuoso for $60 when williams-sonoma was having a clearance sale on them. Might be able to find a good price on ebay. None of these are THAT quiet.

If you want really quiet, you can buy a hand grinder, the Hario Slim Mill and the Hario Skerton are very well regarded.

[acidbasement]

I love hand grinders. If you can get one of the old cast-iron ones made by Spong that you mount on the wall, without paying too much of a premium for its antiquity, go for it. My parents have had the same one in their house since before I was born, and they continue to use it daily 32 years later.

Make sure it has the tray to collect the ground coffee though, as a lot of the ones for sale these days don't have them.

[shellylh]

I have heard the Baratza Maestro recommended. How much better is the Virtuoso. I wonder if it will last longer and be worth double the cost.

I was thinking of going with the Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder. Anyone know anything good/bad about it?

The hand grinder is not going to fly. My husband makes and grinds the coffee in the morning and he is not going to use a hand grinder.

[grawk]

I have heard the Baratza Maestro recommended. How much better is the Virtuoso. I wonder if it will last longer and be worth double the cost.

I was thinking of going with the Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder. Anyone know anything good/bad about it?

The hand grinder is not going to fly. My husband makes and grinds the coffee in the morning and he is not going to use a hand grinder.

I have the capresso. I like it but its not at all quiet.

[jinp6301]

I have heard the Baratza Maestro recommended. How much better is the Virtuoso. I wonder if it will last longer and be worth double the cost.

I was thinking of going with the Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder. Anyone know anything good/bad about it?

The hand grinder is not going to fly. My husband makes and grinds the coffee in the morning and he is not going to use a hand grinder.

Shelly, take a look at http://baratza.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Baratza-Grinders-SM-3.pdf. Basically, at normal drip levels, the baratza and the virtuoso grind at the same consistency. The virtuoso does have a timer knob though.

[shellylh]

I decided to get the Capresso. The main reason was that I could get it with amazon prime so it would actually be here on the 14th. It doesn't have the motor that the Baratza has but seems to be better than the Cuisinart... we'll see. My husband would probably freak out if he found out I bought him a $200 grinder so that kept me from getting the Virtuoso.

[grawk]

I think you'll like it. That was my exact reasoning, except for the husband part, which role I played, as well.

[Aimless1]

Think you'll be happy. I like my Capresso.

[luvdunhill]

Shelly,

you don't perhaps use one of those glass conical shaped drip coffee makers? The design from the 20's or whatever. I cannot remember what those are called for the life of me, anyone know?

[shellylh]

Do you mean one of these Chemex brewers?

http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/coffee-brewers/chemex-drip-brewers.html

No. I just use a ceramic cone: http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/coffee-brewers/filtercones.html

[luvdunhill]

yes, yes, yes! thanks!

[justin]

is this the coffee thread?

i was given a Tassimo Single-Serving coffee maker. It uses "T-Discs" which seem expensive and not that easy to find. What's the most common type of pod, that is also cheap, and not likely to become obsolete? I might want to buy a smaller pod coffee maker anyway. oh yeah...and cheap is key. i'm not a coffee snob, i just like caffeine.

Edited June 18, 2011 by justin

[grawk]

You can get refillable K-Cups, so that might be the way to go for single shot coffee makers. Otherwise, a french press, or an aeropress

[boomana]

Justin, I'm lazy and busy. The easiest, fastest, cheapest, good cup of coffee is with an electric tea kettle and an Aeropress. I have this kettle, which I picked up for about $25 somewhere (Target, I think), though I'm sure you can get it cheaper elsewhere.

Start the water, put coffee in the Aeropress, get out a coffee cup, the water's done, pour it, wait a few seconds, press, drink, pop the filter out of the Aeropress, rinse off, the end. Whole thing takes maybe a couple minutes, and you can choose your coffee, strength, etc. I like the sample packs from oldbisbeeroasters.com, but you can grab on-sale coffee from the supermarket if you want.

I bought my brother a Koenig for Christmas last year and he likes it. I didn't like any of the coffee in the multiple sample pods, and though it came with a special cup to put in your own coffee, I tried it out and prefer the Aeropress.

[GPH]

I second Dan with french press, it makes better coffees for the price than the pod machines I've tested. Plus, it allows you to experiment with different beans, water volume, temperature, etc. Get a Bodum for 20$, a decent Burr grinder for 100$ and you're set.

[boomana]

I also have a French Press, but only use it when I have someone else over and need multiple cups. It makes good coffee, but it's a waste for a single cup, and isn't as easy to clean.

[GPH]

I've never tried the Aeropress, but I've heard good things about it. French press works well for me so I've never bothered investing in an Aeropress. Next coffee move I make will be a good espresso machine when I have some spare money. Espresso is really the worst value when it comes to making coffee, but nothing compares to a good shot IMO.

[deepak]

Is the AeroPress cumbersome to use? The videos I've seen make it look like a good amount of downforce is required, and one slip and you have scalding hot coffee everywhere.

[boomana]

Very easy to use. It's more of a slighty slow motion rather than one that requires a lot of pressure. As long as you have a steady cup (not styrofoam), is no problemo.

[grawk]

and the coarser the grind, the less pressure. But you know, pressure makes espresso