Grinder for french press and paper cone

[dirtbikejunkie]

I just bought a new macap M4 stepless doser, I had planned to use for both espresso and my french press, but immediately I can see that's going to be painful and suspect having 2 purposed grinders is the way to go.

so any recommendation on a cheaper grinder for just doing french press and paper cone? how critical is the grind for these applications?

to compliment my M4 I am leaning towards a stepped doserless (and a lot cheaper if possible).

[Kaffee Bitte]

What is the price range you are looking for? That will set the discussion up much better.

[bill]

I use a Solis Maestro for my french press and have for 3-4 years. It's a good grinder for that and I assume for filter machines, too. Cost about $100 I believe.
Bill

[dirtbikejunkie]

What is the price range you are looking for? That will set the discussion up much better.

good question... I feel it's worth spending what it takes get something that will last me a long, long time. however, it doesn't seem like I need to spend as much as I did on my macap.

so I am assuming $250 or less?

[Kaffee Bitte]

Ok you will probably want to go doserless. The Nemox Lux might fit the bill. It is also quite small, so less counter space taken up. The Solis Virtuoso or Maestro Plus also should work pretty well.

[RapidCoffee]

I'll toss out another suggestion: the KitchenAid Proline grinder. It's a cool retro design, sturdy construction, great customer support, and the price is right (as low as $99 on sale at Amazon). Grind quality should be fine for French press and drip.

Before I get buried, let me qualify this recommendation. There have been a number of (loudly) unhappy buyers of this grinder, so quality control may be a problem. It's rather coarsely stepped, and I would not recommend it for espresso without a stepless mod.

I purchased a KAP to replace the Nemox Lux in my office, where I have a Krups Moka Brew and an AeroPress. It's much faster and quieter than the Nemox Lux (a slow noisy little beast of a grinder, although quite capable). No complaints so far, and no interest in going back to the Lux. (In fact, PM me if you're interested in a lightly used Lux.)

If you're thinking Solis, the Baratza might be a better long-term choice than the Maestro.

[dirtbikejunkie]

I was checking out baratza.com and saw they offer refurb models...

"These grinders are like new, they have been thoroughly check and certified by our trained service department. Many have never even ground any coffee."

the prices seem good.

Virtuoso Grinder: $149
Maestro Plus: $99
Maestro: $60


I've been looking on ebay for some doserless grinders, like a rocky, so far nothing.

[jesawdy]

On the cheap, I'd say a refurb Solis/Baratza, although I don't think John's recommendation of the KitchenAid at $99 is a bad suggestion.

If you are willing to spend a bit more, a used Rancilio Rocky doserless typically goes for ~$200 on the CG Buy/Sell/Trade forums, and one typically shows up every few weeks. It's built like a tank and will serve you well (and could double for decaf espresso, or a backup grinder).

Another thought would be to try calling or mailing some site sponsors for a buyer's remorse or demo item, you never know what you may find.

[PJDiez]

I'm a FP/Cafe Solo user with a KAP grinder. I'm about to purchase a MACAP MC4 stepless to upgrade the KAP and have an espresso capable grinder ready for when I purchase an espresso machine (probably in the fall).

Why is using the MACAP "painful" for both FP and espresso? Do you find the worm gear-driven adjustment too cumbersome to switch back and forth between grind settings? I've been told this is not really that difficult.

Thanks in advance for your response.

[luca]

Why is using the MACAP "painful" for both FP and espresso? Do you find the worm gear-driven adjustment too cumbersome to switch back and forth between grind settings? I've been told this is not really that difficult.

It isn't difficult, it just takes a lot of turning. Some clever folk have made the process faster with this handy accessory. In comparison, the adjustment mechanism on the cimbali is more irritating because you can't use the gadget on it to change quickly, whilst the "floating collar" design of the mazzers and the compaks makes going back and forward between FP and espresso as easy as using a stepped grinder. With all of these grinders, you will have two issues to overcome: (a) grinding enough to purge the espresso grind before grinding FP and purging the FP grind before grinding for espresso and (b) getting the hang of getting back to the perfect espresso setting after grinding for FP. Those issues are some of the reason why a cheap FP grinder is an attractive proposition.

If you are willing to spend a bit more, a used Rancilio Rocky doserless typically goes for ~$200 on the CG Buy/Sell/Trade forums, and one typically shows up every few weeks. It's built like a tank and will serve you well (and could double for decaf espresso, or a backup grinder).

I think that the small conical burred grinders are sensational value for grinding FP only. The nemox lux that I borrowed from a friend on a few occasions (to accompany my FP when travelling) probably produced a better cup than my rocky used to.

Cheers,

Luca

[dirtbikejunkie]

Some clever folk have made the process faster with this handy accessory.

that would definitely help...

looking at how the worm gear housing is built it appears it could have been made to swivel out of position allowing you to quickly turn the adjustment collar, which would work great for going from espresso grind to FP...

that is, the gear housing appears hinged in the back but then the front of the housing is bolted solid. today I brought my tools out and was going to remove the two screws holding the front of the plastic housing and see where that got me. it's difficult to get remove the screws without first removing the adjusters, which appear fastened with c-clips. anyway, I decided to wait but imagine one of these days I'll give it another go... has anyone else tried this?

regardless, I realized that even if it was quick and easy to adjust between FP and espresso collecting the grinds for my FP isn't the greatest with the doser. however, I like having the doser for it's other conveniences.

seems like having a dedicated espresso grinder and dedicated FP/drip grinder for bulk dosages would be ideal