I'm tired of using my Zassenhaus knee mill for grinding coffee for espresso shots, but having already dropped some large bills on coffee stuff, I'm not ready to blow another large wad of cash for a grinder that can do the spectrum of grinds. Subsequently, the Gaggia Classic has gone sorely neglected. As a one-coffee-drinker household, the only thing this grinder would really be needed for is fine espresso grinds. I'm perfectly happy using one of the hand mills for the FP.

So, my question is, anyone out there know of a coffee grinder that does espresso grinds well, but maybe misses the mark on larger grinds? Not typical, I know.

I gave the whirly-blade a try, but ended up with under-extracted results (albeit, I was still using the plastic tamper that comes with the Classic). The Bodum Bistro looks tempting (especially when it hits $60 on-sale), but sounds like it stops just shy of working well for espresso.

Don't know your price range but I love my Le'Lit PL53.

As with the above, a lot depends on your price range. Ditting (the American arm of Mahlkoenig) makes an espresso only grinder. It can be stepped or stepless. Many times they have demos for sale, with warranty, well below the MSRP. A number of folks on this board have either a Ditting or its Mahlkoenig counterpart. They are very good grinders.

Most of the grinders mentioned on this forum are "tuned" for espresso; Baratza Vario, Mazzer, Compak K10, Mahlkonig K30, etc. It is usually finding a great drip/press grinder that has people looking at a "shop" or "bulk" grinder like a Mahlkonig, Ditting, or Bunn.

Thanks, all. Sounds like I need to just put up with the Zassenhaus for a bit. The Le'Lit is quite tempting, though.

the_trystero wrote:Don't know your price range but I love my Le'Lit PL53.

UltramaticOrange wrote:The Le'Lit is quite tempting, though.

Then let me tempt you. I love mine too. I wrote to Jim Piccinich awhile back and he was using it at home. Since he's the owner of 1st-Line, he certainly has his pick of grinders and he says its grind quality is comparable to a Mazzer Super Jolly. Mine may even outperform my Super Jolly. It's espresso-only because it has a very finely tuned stepless dial that you would have to dial forever to go between espresso and coarser grinds.

Pros:
- grind quality
- built like a tank out of all stainless steel -- it's heavy
- very small footprint
- attractive
- stainless steel removable catch tray

Cons:
- throws grounds to the left, but I collect them in a cup and spoon them into the portafilter
- grounds collect in the chute -- I've put a toothpick in the retainer hole so I can remove and sweep it out quickly. I also use a small brush to clean stale grounds out of the grind passage and that's sufficient
- louder and slower than a commercial grinder like the Mazzer Super Jolly

The OE Pharos is a good option it grinds much faster with better results than the Zassenhaus.

opother wrote:The OE Pharos is a good option it grinds much faster with better results than the Zassenhaus.

That would be my first choice for a very high quality budget grinder, but I think Alastair wanted something other than manual. Now the Pharos works very well on the countertop since it's been fitted with a stabilizing pad, so he wouldn't be holding the grinder between his knees, and I expect the crank handle is much more robust than what he's got.

I wouldn't necessarily object to another hand grinder, but is defiantly something I'd have to dial-in to my espresso machine (simply to find out how not-lazy I would have to be) before I'd be ready to spring for it. The nice thing about an electric grinder is that even if it is slow, it is at least lazy. (When I say lazy/not-lazy, I'm thinking in terms of effort involved to pull back-to-back shots)

I see the creator of the OE Pharos has several not-exactly-to-the-point YouTube videos. I'll check them out.

But when you have it dialed in, the grind quality is the equivalent of a Mazzer Robur. http://www.home-barista.com/cafes/chicago-grinder-shootout-t18964-10.html#p223994

And since the grinder does more for the quality of the coffee than the espresso machine ...

You also have to dial in the Le'Lit. Aren't you curious about how good your shots can get? Wouldn't want to tempt you, though!

Seriously, if that's possible at this point, if I were choosing a grinder for my leisure time at home with the versatility to travel, I'd choose the Pharos. For my office, where I've got to quickly grind and pull a shot between appointments, I prefer the Le'Lit. Either one will serve you well. The Pharos, hand built and unique in its class, will probably someday be a collector's item.