Grinder help

I think a Maestro plus should last for years if you're using it only for drip coffee. Drip isn't so fussy that the superior precision of an expensive burr grinder is needed.

All overkill for drip, IMHO.

These aren't rules, but cautions to help you avoid damaging your grinder.

Think about how a burr grinder works, and the reason for the "rules" becomes obvious. I am not aware of any burr grinder that should be adjusted finer unless it is running, or unless the hopper is empty and there are no beans between the burrs.

No. But they DO allow you to dose grinds into another container, and to pour the contents of that container into your drip machine. This is what most doser-grinder owners do when making drip.

Personally, I my tastebuds not convinced a burr grinder is necessary for drip coffee, possibly because I prefer to use a paper filter to eliminate sludge. Some people say drip coffee made from beans ground in a burr grinder tastes better than coffee made from beans ground in a blade grinder, but I think the difference is small.

Rick

I think he either had a dodgy Maestro, or a Maestro in serious need of a new top burr. I don't have that kind of fluctuation in timing for *espresso*, never mind drip....and this is with the 166 model that preceded it. My shots are rarely a couple of seconds off after a change of bean, or a cleaning out/re-sitting of the hopper. In my opinion the only major drawback of this grinder/burr set is that it doesn't seem to last too long without the need for a new burr. Which for drip/press, I personally would have thought you could get away with for a little longer than those of us using it for espresso could.

I certainly agree that anything more than this kind of grinder, for drip use, is most definitely overkill. It's his money though. :)

Hey thanks for notes above - but please read original post;

I wrote "will do BOTH espresso and drip grinds"

Let me try to ask my question again.

1) I got a very bad Solis Maestro that clogged frequently and had extremely variable grind on espresso.

2) I would like to get a grinder that does not do the above (and is not so temperamental re changing settings etc).

3) Said grinder would be good for drip AND espresso.

What would people recommend?

My question about the grinders with dosers (and the gaggia MDF) related to whether the ground coffee bin could be removed so that coffee could be poured into a paper cone for drip. It seems impractical to "dose" the coffee into a cone for a pot of coffee. clearer?

Yeah, I remember your first post about the SMP. Changing is a good move. What is your budget--to some extent you'll get what you pay for. If modest, look at the reviews for the Capresso Infinity. It should be serviceable for the Gaggia, and, if you're on the upward spiral that is common here, it should keep you happy as long as the Gaggia does ;-) And, if your espresso aspirations ascend, you could always keep the Infinity as your drip/press grinder--it *really* can be functional to have a separate espresso grinder. If you want more than the Infinity, you might want to look at the Rocky Doserless. You can more or less pre-measure your beans and just grind what you need directly into a portofilter or into a cup for your drip coffees, without measures of going stale sitting in the doser. I don't know if the Gaggia MDF can function without a doser; others here may weigh in on this one.

Good luck, Bradley B.

o b b m a i l PUT-@-HERE v e r i z o n AND-dot-HERE n e t remove the spaces and the obvious to reply

Bradley B!

Thanks - actually helpful! After your note and some more noodling around settled on the Rocky Doserless and we'll see. GOtta say - not too happy with WLL on this one. As they mailed it out, I called and expressed my concern about the SMP - they said "Dont worry if it werent great we wouldnt sell it". It wasnt. Sending it back but Im paying for shipping (and prob get billed for the shipping out to me!).

If they paid for the shipping would have gotten my rocky from them and my next espresso machine. Oh well, their loss is 1st-line's gain.

thanks for info,

| My question about the grinders with dosers (and the gaggia MDF) | related to whether the ground coffee bin could be removed so that | coffee could be poured into a paper cone for drip.

As Rick said, what you do is stick a container under the doser and dose into that, then dump into the drip cone. This is neither slow nor difficult, though perhaps very marginally less convenient than a grinder like the Solis that grinds into a built-in container.

- David R.

-- Less information than you ever thought possible:

| around settled on the Rocky Doserless and we'll see. GOtta say - not | too happy with WLL on this one. As they mailed it out, I called and | expressed my concern about the SMP - they said "Dont worry if it werent | great we wouldnt sell it". It wasnt.

Judging from similar stories that have been posted here, the people who man the phones at WLL are not the brightest lights in the sky. However, the store as a whole does seem to be reasonably concerned with customer satisfaction.

- David R.

-- Less information than you ever thought possible:

is running on empty a problem on the Rocky? I have run it to empty to use up the last of some beans and I have not had a problem. I change the grind setting with the Rocky turned off. changing beans is not difficult with the Rocky except for the weight...I put in just enough beans for a pot (Krups Moka).

I have a doser Rocky and I use a 1/3 plastic measuring cup which take 3 doses.

| is running on empty a problem on the Rocky?

No.

- David R.

-- Less information than you ever thought possible: