I'm new here and starting to buy my own espresso machine and grinder. Both the Kyocera CM-50 and Rocky have good reviews and the Kyocera is a fraction of the cost of the Rocky. I will use it mostly for mochas/lattes. Will I notice a difference between the two enough to pay a lot more for the Rocky?

Thanks for the suggestion. How does the Kyocera and Rocky compare in terms of performance?

Is the burr the only thing that would need replacing occasionally?

As long as it prints, faxes, and copies too the Kyo is the winner:)

kimbahpnam wrote:I'm new here and starting to buy my own espresso machine and grinder. Both the Kyocera CM-50 and Rocky have good reviews and the Kyocera is a fraction of the cost of the Rocky. I will use it mostly for mochas/lattes. Will I notice a difference between the two enough to pay a lot more for the Rocky?

The CM-50/Hario Skerton has no where close to the build quality of an espresso grinder like the Rocky. The plastic alone should give you reason enough to think twice about using one of these as your daily grinder. The steps are large as well so when on one setting the shot pulls too fast, the next available finer grind setting takes too long to pull or chokes the machine. I have one and like it for what it is designed for - light duty, non-espresso related occasional use.

I do not know first hand about the Rocky, but several hundred dollars buys a large, heavy, and durable espresso grinder that puts a toy like the CM-50/Hario Skerton to shame.

Check these recent threads for complaints from Rocky owners.

I do not like this relationship Rocky... it's over.
Starting to think 9 out of 10 Rocky's are lemons... is this sound = wobble?

For electrics, I would suggest looking at the Baratza Preciso. The Hario Skerton I had for a while (returned it) certainly was able to grind fine enough for espresso, but it was stepped and took forever to grind out a dose at fine settings. Among all these options, I would still prefer my PeDe hand grinder from Orphan espresso. Stepless adjustment, incredible grind quality, and no grind retention issues to deal with. Only takes 60 seconds and some effort to grind around 16 grams. They don't have any on sale right now, unfortunately.

kimbahpnam wrote:Will I notice a difference between the two enough to pay a lot more for the Rocky?

With there being only a $100 delta between the Rocky and the Baratza Vario I would go the extra if I could and get a Vario. At that point you have a grinder which you can dose by either time or weight, minimum grind retention, even distribution and easy adjustment. And you won't be planning an upgrade a year hence. For me, personally, a hand grinder like the Kyocera is just too slow - but if I were to get the Kyocera it would be the OE version.

Hand grinding definitely takes a little more time. The old box mills can grind 15g in less than a minute, probably more like 30 seconds, without rushing (not sure how long the Kyocera takes). On top of this time, however, one needs to add the time of getting the coffee from the drawer to the portafilter, probably another minute all together. So it takes 2-3 minutes to grind and dose.

The Vario probably takes 30 seconds or less to grind and dose. On the few occasions when I am in a hurry, this time factor seems very attractive. If I were ever to find myself with the space, means, and could accept the noise factor, I would take Hal's advice and go for the Vario.

Hand grinding is a bit of a Zen experience, and one must accept the time factor. If limitations in noise level, space, and price are issues, hand grinding can be a very attractive alternative.

PC