I posted the following on CG yesterday. Not much activity, so I'm going to cross post here:

While looking on Ebay for a used Bunn grinder (G1/G2/G3), I have three questions that I can't find a answer for:

1. Some listings are for a G2-T or G3-T instead of just G2 or G3. Bunn doesn't list the "-T" designation on their website. Any idea what that means?

2. A couple of listings pointed out that their machines are ETL certified. Is that unusual for Bunn Grinders? Is it a benefit worth extra money?

3. Most of the listings show a close-up of the label. I'd like to figure out the date of manufacture, but haven't deciphered the code. I attached one as an example.

Your feedback on any of these questions is most appreciated.

Thanks!
Michael

Randy G. wrote:<image>
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These old grinders have a motor in them like you would find in a small table saw. Basically, it is the older version of what is now found in Costco and Trader Joe's. Look at local restaurant supply houses. The one above weighs about 50 or 60 pounds I think, so shipping would be a deal-killer.

Imagine my surprise stumbling across one of these vintage grinders on ebay today! It's a little rough and a little pricey, but fun to look at! I like your red one better than the gray and white.

Michael

Hey,

I owned a Bunn G2 Bulk grinder for 8 months. I JUST sold it 2 days ago to fund another espresso grinder. I'll be 100% honest here.. It was hard to sell the G2. Meaning, I didn't want it to go.. But, the end result was worth it. Had I not just bought the Vario to handle brewing grinding, I wouldn't have sold. Now, dont get me wrong, the Bunn puts any home use, or any espresso grinder to absolute SHAME when it comes to brewing grinds.

It flies through a pound of coffee in under 30 seconds(about 27-28). The result is a incredibly consistent, cool, DUST FREE grind. The sweet spot is in the "auto drip" to "pourover drip" area. The real coarse presspot grind wasn't AS perfect.. but again, dont get me wrong, it was better then anything Ive seen.. and compare with the grind coming out of a Malhkonig Guatamala.

The Bunn G1-2-3 grinders are all the same thing. The number designates the size of the hopper in pounds. I used mine as a "per-pot" grinder.. just adding my 50grams or so at a time.

The grinder itself is built like a tank and heavy. There is nothing to break on the grinder, and the amount of coffee held in the grinder is a couple grams AT BEST.. The burrs are mounted vertically, and the coffee falls right out of them.. Meaning the retention is minimal.

This is your best bet. A home espresso grinder, like the rocky.. is a joke for what you need. Even a mazzer mini, or something similar would not even be able to do what your asking. None of those grinders can grind for very long without being turned off. Plus, they're just not suited to do what your asking. If you have a budget of $350, and need to grind 6lbs at a time, every other day or so.. This is the grinder you need.

They sell on Ebay for anywhere from 100-400. I sold mine for $350, which was a steal for the person who got it, as it was only used in my home, and in superb condition.

Call EspressoParts.com.. They sell the Burrset for the Bunn G series. Ask them what the burrs are rated at.(pounds wise). These grinders are meant to withstand the abuse of a SuperMarket, where people come in, take their couple bags of flavored, burnt coffee, and pass it through on Turkish so they can use it in their Krups "expresso machine". There is nothing a good cleaning, and maybe a burr change cant fix on these bad boys.

So, try to find one for a price that will allow you to put new burrs in. When it comes to used Grinders, especially ones which were almost certainly used in a Commercial Environment, You should expect to change the burrs. Changing the Burrs on the Bunn is pretty simple, the front dial comes off, then the grind-size plate, and then your in the burr chamber. unscrew the old ones, screw in the new ones. When you're putting it back together, just don't force anything/use common sense, and you should be fine.

JmanEspresso wrote:I owned a Bunn G2 Bulk grinder for 8 months. I JUST sold it 2 days ago to fund another espresso grinder

Too bad I missed out on your G2, but I sure appreciate the useful post. I'm watching a few Bunn G models on e-bay right now. It's kind of hard to sort out a good one vs one that's been abused. They all look pretty much the same in pictures. As you recommended, I'll just plan on adding a new set of burrs to the price.

mailmanx wrote:1. Some listings are for a G2-T or G3-T instead of just G2 or G3. Bunn doesn't list the "-T" designation on their website. Any idea what that means?

I'm not sure about this, but I did find an indication that the -T suffix might mean "Tall". However, I can't find any indication of height difference, so who knows.

2. A couple of listings pointed out that their machines are ETL certified. Is that unusual for Bunn Grinders? Is it a benefit worth extra money?

ETL is another testing lab like UL. It's just a certification, and I doubt extremely that there would be anything different about the grinder itself. I'd ignore this; it might possibly matter if you were commercial, but for your usage it doesn't matter.

If you were grinding by the pot then I'd suggest finding an inexpensive used Super Jolly or Major that had no doser or a trashed doser (plenty of those available if you know where to look), do a home-built spout modification and be done with it. Including parts for the mod, a set of new burrs and shipping costs you could still pull that off for well under $300. But you will see a fair amount of heat buildup if trying to run through a few pounds at a time and the grind particle size distribution is optimal for espresso but less so for drip.

I do think a Bunn is a good choice and I'm told (this is hearsay only) that is uses "cutting" style burrs rather than the "crushing" style burrs used in the Grindmaster bulk grinders.

mailmanx wrote:Imagine my surprise stumbling across one of these vintage grinders on ebay today!

Are they really selling for that much!? I would guess that it is quite high for the condition. The "lighted window" stated in the auction... mine does not have that feature. I believe it was for the grinder to sit on the counter, and the lighted window to face the customers.

Randy G - I know you've had plenty of experience grinding coffee with your Grindmaster bulk grinder. I could use your feedback on Grindmaster vs Bunn bulk grinders.

Grindmasters are very affordable on ebay (well under $200). Bunn bulk grinders average double the price. Unless I have read incorrectly, the main difference seems to be with the burrs. Bunn grinders use sharp "cutting" burrs whereas Grindmaster uses dull "crushing" burrs. I've read that Bunn bulk grinders produce almost no fines which is perfect for drip. In your opinion, how effective are the Grindmaster burrs at producing low-fine grounds for drip coffee? Would I notice a difference enough to make Bunn worth twice the price?

The only time I seriously use the Grindmaster is when I grind a full batch to give to folks. Since most of them just drink what's on sale in large cans anyway, the amount of fines matters not, particularly when they use paper filters (as opposed to "gold" metal filters). My Grindmaster is too old and the burrs are too worn for "real" use. If you can get a newer Bunn I would go that route... As far as comparing the newer Grindmasters to the newer Bunns, I have no idea. In either case, neither will look as cool in the house as my old Grindmaster.

Randy G. wrote:Neither will look as cool in the house as my old Grindmaster.

That's the truth! I love the look of that machine.

Randy, I used one of your pictures trying to clarify a point over at CoffeeGeek. On reflection, I should have asked your permission first. At your request, I can edit the post to remove the picture, or change the way I credit it to you.

Michael