If you keep beans in the hopper the Robur is a nice choice but it isn't highly regarded for single dosing. Several former owners on here have moved on to the Compak K10. If you are set on the Robur this looks like a pretty good deal: http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/members/buysell/541309

The Robur is HUGE.
Almost its equal are the Kony, Macap MXK & M7K and a host of others in much smaller packages.
The Macap M7C is available doserless. Its flat 75mm burrs produce an extremely consistent dose with an [external] timer.

JohnB. wrote:If you keep beans in the hopper the Robur is a nice choice but it isn't highly regarded for single dosing.

The Robur doser model is excellent for single dosing, easily as convenient as a K10.

Perhaps you're thinking of the Robur-E model, that requires a bean load to use a timer (and as a result has a large amount of grounds retention to deal with).

cafeIKE wrote:The Robur is HUGE.
Almost its equal are the Kony, Macap MXK & M7K and a host of others in much smaller packages.

This statement is not quite accurate.

The Robur burrs are equivalent to the Compak K10, Doge Conico, Macap M7K, and Elektra Nino. All of these grinders can produce similar results in the cup....so I would characterize these as "Almost equal" with the main differences being usage characteristics and features, build quality, etc.

The Kony and MXK have a smaller conical burrset, with a somewhat different flavor profile. Because the Kony and MXK produce different results, I wouldn't call them equal (or "almost equal").

But the M7K has the same burr profile and cutting path as a Robur, so IMO it is "Almost its equal".

YMMV.

menghazard wrote:Thank you Huge. I think i will stretch my budget a little to get Mazzer Robur. I want to get a doserless, but the price is way out of my range.

I have a doser Kony. I cannot comment on the difference between that and the Robur. I did do some mods to the Kony including completely removing the doser switch and related hardware and wiring which gives good access to the grounds chute and I took off the PF fork. If I had to do it over again, I would stick with the doser. It allows slow dosing, independent of the speed of the grinder, and so I can distribute by a coordinated move of the portafilter and the dosing lever.

I made a custom brush that can go through the chute, all all the into the grinding chamber (when the grinder is off) to clear the throat. All the big Mazzers have a simple and high-precision grind adjustment that I just love. I can unscrew the top burr, replace it, and get it right back to the same grind setting.

While not designed for home use, if you can adapt, you will love it.

Jon - I was referring to the many posts concerning the large amount of grounds retained in the Robur burr chamber compared to other grinders such as the K10. Is that only an issue with the E model?

If single dosing means grinding per shot, then the RoburE is awesome. If you mean dropping 18 Gm of beans in the throat and grinding, then the RoburE is miserable. Personally, I wouldn't trade mine for anything currently available and am working on a solution to my second scenario above.

I'll also amend my post to point out that while for grinders the general rule is basically bigger is better, just as with machines there is a law of diminishing returns. The Robur is a fabulous grinder, but at least at home it seems to me that it isn't necessarily better than the much cheaper conicals such as the K10.

Dosered vs. doserless is largely a matter of taste. I prefer the electronic aspect of doserless machines and the dispenser of dosered and the quiet aspect of doserless so for me it is a toss up, but many people strongly prefer one over the other (and the camps are fairly evenly split).

mitch236 wrote: If you mean dropping 18 Gm of beans in the throat and grinding, then the RoburE is miserable.

That would be single dosing.

JohnB. wrote:Jon - I was referring to the many posts concerning the large amount of grounds retained in the Robur burr chamber compared to other grinders such as the K10. Is that only an issue with the E model?

Retention is only an issue if you grind with a loaded hopper.

I single-dose the Robur only loading enough for one shot, grind it through and "bump and sweep" a couple times to end up with all the coffee in the basket. It is virtually waste free, practically zero retention.

When I start with 18.0g measured beans then I finish with 18.0g of grounds in the basket (give or take a tenth or two, depending on how much you trust a 0.1g digital scale)