I chose a Gaggia Classic because of its commercial 58mm portafilter. Reasoning that the greater diameter creates a larger surface area, which would aid in the extraction process. I use the double shot filter basket in which I have removed perfect crema disk; for obvious reasons. Realizing that this setup dictates I use a very fine grind, I desire a good burr grinder that will give me that consistent fine grind, however my budget is limited to around $200. I know that good grinder and $200 should not be incorporated in the same sentence, however these are the parameters in which I must work. My research has led me to possibly a Baratza or Capresso grinder and welcome any comments, suggestions or advice regarding my dilemma. . .

Maybe one of these:

...sorry.

Check this thread here on HB for the Krups GX610050 Professional Die Cast Conical Burr Grinder. otherwise, watch www.baratza.com for refurbs, or even give them a call.

OE Pharos for $245.

Or...

Craigslist for a used commercial grinder. They are always for sale used, just wait for one to come to your price range.

Both of Aaron's suggestions are very worthy of consideration.

Some perspective:

A really good grinder will allow your Gaggia to produce the very best espresso it's capable of producing -- which isn't really very good in the greater scheme of things. In fact, a really good grinder will allow a really good espresso machine to produce the very best espresso it's capable of producing -- which, considering your little Gaggia, isn't really germane.

H-B is filled with people kvetching about their Baratza Virtuosos; no one seems happy even after they get them to grind finely enough to get something which resembles an actual "espresso grind." At least, they're not happy for long.

Moral of the story? That a given grinder can grind fine enough for espresso isn't enough. The hallmark of minimal adequacy when it comes to making espresso is the ability to make very small adjustments and get consistent results. This reflects the differences between coffees, and the changes which occur as a given blend ages and/or as the atmospheric conditions change. And, espresso machines impose their own limits on quality; they can only do what they can do.

Getting down to cases...

I can't speak to the Krups -- never seen let alone used one.

In my experience, when it comes to new, electrically powered grinders, at 3 bills a Baratza Preciso is about as inexpensive as you can get and maintain enough control to tweak your coffee meaningfully for an inexpensive espresso machine; and, not to pound the point to hard, it's an appropriate grinder for your machine in the sense that neither would outstrip the other by much and no expensive capability goes begging.

A good used grinder, or an OE Pharos (if you can deal with the exertion and kinky spanking) won't hurt anything, will cost about the same, and will leave you ready for the step up to your next espresso machine. But used isn't new, and hand powered isn't electric.

Preciso, used whatever, Pharos -- each of these choices has its strengths but none is perfect, and each is going to end up about $100 more than your stated budget. Little to spend often means lots to think about.

BDL

If you have $199 to spend then the Iberital Challenge could be worth considering with a similar worm drive and burrs found on the more expensive Ascaso Mini. These are both going to clump at the finer settings - most in the sub $300 category will. The Preciso mentioned earlier in the thread retains very little grounds and does a very good job - but costs $300...

Here is a post (translated by Google) from the German coffee enthusiast site Kaffee-Netz that gives a detailed opinion from someone who owns the Graef CM80 (same grander as the Krups Conical Burr) and the Iberital Challenge:

"Recently, I have now the Graef CM80 What I noticed in comparison:

The Graef is quieter thanks to the trunk and she "messes" around less. My Iberital is now about 3 years old. It takes considerably longer for the beans to grind (comparison test with the same beans and same machine) Question: Can this be due to the wear and tear? me it seems as if the Iberital spins faster and therefore most "instructive" turns. If I put something on fine (been a tendency to fine) then it actually turns instructive and does not involve a multi-bean. Only when I stop short fall back into the bean grinder. Is the wear and tear? I can not remember whether that was from the outset."

http://www.kaffee-netz.de/m-hlen/10856-...post619662

Sounds like pop corning to me - also sounds like the Graef might be the better grinder...

But others like the Iberital Challenge:

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/mc2review/mc2review.htm

This site is found in a link provided on the Iberital USA web site in the grinder section:
http://creativedrinksinc.com/inc/sdetail/2615/2618

Thank you ever so much for the informative and useful replies. I was braced for a vast amount of flaming, however I got some great advice and I am grateful for those who took the time to reply. To quote BDL, "Little to spend often means lots to think about," so I shall go into grinder research mode and will report my progress. Thanks once again for all the positive responses.
Bill

I guess it depends on how sophisticated your palate is. I like my Mini Vivaldi and giant commercial grinder with conical burrs very much. They make espresso and espresso based drinks easy. And, as I roast my own coffee, I always have good fresh beans. Still, my first real entree to espresso was with a Gaggia Baby Twin and a Gaggia MDF grinder. It can be hard to find folks with much good to say about those machines. But, they're what I take with me when traveling, along with some of my beans. Also, when my Mini broke down recently, it was my Gaggia that came to the rescue for about a month. The fact is, for me, the Gaggia Baby Twin, even with the Gaggia grinder makes very palatable drinks. Also, I got my Pietro T-80 grinder on e-bay for right around $200. Cleaned it up, put in new burrs for around $60 and I have a really good 63mm flat burr grinder.

It is starting to look like the Baratza Preciso might be my best bet, given my budgetary limitations. I found a refurb on Bratza's site for $239. I shall endeavor to refrain from making a buying decision directly as I believe it would be in my best interest to wait a bit and see if anyone comes up with a better idea...

I would check eBay or Craigslist for a used commercial grinder and get new burrs. Having said that, I bought a refurbished grinder from baratza a few years ago and have been very satisfied with it (not for espresso -- a Maestro).