$200 Roma Doserless Grinder on Amazon (from Vaneli's): quality?

[cedar]

I am new to this site, about to get into the home espresso game, and I am busy researching equipment.

On Amazon.com, Vaneli's is selling a "Roma Doserless Grinder Black" for $199.00.

http://www.amazon.com/Vanelis-Rom...=1173601503&sr=8-1

There are three positive reviews posted on Amazon, one suggesting:

"However, after examining the grinder carefully, I realized that it had been made by Bregant in Milan (good news) in 2004 (which means it must have sat in a warehouse somewhere for awhile) and that for all practical intents and purposes, this grinder seems to be the same as a Pasquini K2 Moka (generally sold at more than twice the price of this one) with a slightly different housing and hopper. "

Vaneli's sells another souped-up version of this machine on their site, the "Roma Electronic #56," for $390.00

https://www.securewebnexus.com/va...=0&page=1&featured

Has anyone on HB had any experience with these grinders? Might the $200 version on Amazon be as good as the reviewers suggest?

thanks kindly

[scottyg514]

I have the Roma grinder since christmas & I think for the money you won't get a better one.

The Grinder is built very well, weighs about 13 lb's & the burr's look like the Mazzer & Macap's.

Having said that, I never owned another decent grinder to compare it too for espresso.

If you look further in the Vaneli web site, you will notice the same exact grinder with the doser attached (called the Milano) goes for $350.

Before I received the Roma, I was letting my local coffee shop grind my beans & hardly got any crema.

When I used the Roma with the same exact beans, I got 1/2" of crema on every shot.

When my wife uses the grinder on a coarser setting for her French press, she says the coffee tastes so much better ground with the Roma then the cheap $50 Cuisinart burr grinder she usually uses.

And for years she drinks black/no sugar every day, so I consider her an expert on taste.

If you decide to get this grinder let me know & I can give you a few tips on getting the right setting & cleaning it.

[cedar]

thanks for the reply scottyg,

yes please, pass on any advice you might have regarding setting it up, cleaning or anything else. I am giving it a try and have bought it.

cheers

[bobpaule]

Darn, if i had not won a Rossi RR45 just a few days ago