day wrote:Just curious why the turn off to hand grinding for espresso, given your requirements? Or just loyal to the reseller?

To clarify, idrinkcoffee does sell the HG-ONE:
http://www.idrinkcoffee.com/HG_one_Prec ... -hgone.htm

Not loyal to any brand or reseller, nothing like that. I have two Rosco hand grinders actually, and they are the best 38mm burr grinders around. I currently use one at home for drip, and one in my office for everything. But I don't want another hand grinder for my home espresso setup in Canada since I want a faster workflow as I'll be preparing multiple drinks most times. In my experience with hand grinding, it's fine for a single shot but gets tiresome and slow after that, even with a beast like the HG One.

The HG One is also quite a bit more expensive than I want at this point for a summer home. I'm not exactly skimping on the grinder if I'm willing to go up to $1000 or in the case of the Forte, a little more.

Basically, the grinders I listed are the likely best ones available within my budget. All I really want to know is if any of these can beat out a Forte for espresso, based on taste.

I'm not looking for perfection, just some insight about how these might compare. For example, the new Fiorenzato F4 has been getting great first impressions from Chris Coffee and others, and it's a 58mm flat, which in the case of the Mazzer Mini is a step back from a Vario/Forte but in this case the burrs are different and the results seem to be quite nice based on initial reports.

Maybe that's the grinder I'm looking for, don't know, which is why I'm asking here - to get a little help, a few wise words.

Where's Rich when you need him?

What about used equipment? I just got a used Compak K10 for $875. I would say that although you won't likely get shiny, new, and warranty...you can get a much better grind quality for the money and grinders in this range are extremely well built.

I also have had a HG1 for a long time, and had planned to sell it off after getting the K10. With both on the bench right now I'm kind of just letting them get used to each other. Not sure which one I'll sell off at the moment, as each have their advantages and disadvantages. I don't think any production grinder out there is perfect at any price point for single dosing. But the good news is that lots of them are very good. You just have to pick what work-flow is important to you.

Sorry I can't help you with your list as requested, but thought maybe the used idea would be of interest to you.

I haven't had much luck with the used market. I check ebay occasionally and I honestly don't know how others get such great deals all the time. Between Craigslist and Ebay I usually find a whole lot of nothing, especially for Canada, as the market is a lot smaller. But I do keep my eyes open. Being in the UAE now it is also not possible to go see a grinder in person if need be.

I don't mind buying new but just want to make the best choice. I have a hunch the new Fiorenzato F4 is the best quality/price in the bunch but without some feedback from others I have little to go on other than a few online first looks.

If not the Firoenzato, then I wonder if you have to move up to a K6 or above to get the jump in taste that many assert is real.

Here is a better question perhaps: what is the least expensive grinder you would choose that:

1. Bests the Vario in taste (in your opinion) without concern for single dosing
or
2. Bests the Vario in taste and has pretty low retention, allowing for single dosing

I'm opening this up to pretty much any grinder, in the hopes of getting some response! So far, it's been crickets!

I like big flats like the Mazzer Major, if you can deal with the size, wiping out the chute usually yields your full dose.

coffeedom wrote:I haven't had much luck with the used market. I check ebay occasionally and I honestly don't know how others get such great deals all the time.

I wouldn't say all the time, but keeping an eye on the Buy/Sell boards does well here:
/buysell/

Or on CG. It's basically just a waiting game, eventually everyone around here upgrades, even now from an EK43 there's the new R120

My advice on single dosing, which I do exclusively, is that most electric grinders just aren't that great at it out of the box. Many will need mods, additional steps, or just living with some amount of retention.

For new, I hope others can help you. I went from a Vario to a Pharos and haven't gone back from Conicals since.

In the Toronto area - I'd venture to say Ontario and Quebec - kijiji seems more popular than Craigslist for used espresso gear. Just watch for damage from freezing (stuff stored in a garage or shed). I picked up almost all my gear from here, CG, or Kijiji (and much of it is going to be going back up in a few weeks).

Yep, I frequently check kijiji in Ontario for espresso equipment. Craigslist is widely used in the U.S. But in Canada kijiji is the closest equivalent.

Here's a K30 that came up in a search:
http://m.kijiji.ca/business-industrial/ ... 2940937090