Upgrade the grinder or espresso machine?

[Dogshot]

I have pretty much decided that I would like to end up with a Mazzer Mini and a Brewtus or Chris' upcoming DB machine, but I can't decide which to get first. My wife and I recently hired a nanny, which hits our household cashflow at the rate of 1 Mazzer Mini per week, which means that I can get the grinder soon, and wait up to a year to get the machine, or get the machine in a few months and wait another 5-6 months for the grinder. My question is, given my current rig and problems with it, will I see better results by getting the grinder and waiting for the machine, or vice-versa?

My current setup consists of a Gaggia MDF and Classic. I use a double basket with between 17-19 grams of coffee depending on beans, and either a pro roast or my own (4 Brazil, 3 Yemen, 2 Monsooned Malabar, 1 Sulawesi) done in an i-roast. I have several issues with my final results:
1) results are only really good when espresso is on the ristretto end (1-1.25oz)
2) I get a pervasive sharp edge to my espresso, regardless of bean or roaster, that is on the back of the tongue or even the roof of the mouth. It is almost like some cheap alcohol has been added to the shot. My best defence against this so far has been to go with the ristrettos and to use the steam thermometer to heat the brew water a bit above the set brew temp, but it becomes a balancing act between taming the sharpness and losing the character of the beans. I have to be careful about the beans that I use, since some are practically unusable (Brazilian Santos, Sulawesi, some Mexicans). This sharp edge is the most important aspect that I would like to get under control (ie. eradicate), and is the reason I am considering an upgrade.

Current Grinder - my NPF tells me that my extractions are looking pretty darn good these days. I suspect that the MDF does a good job of grinding; it's the control over the coarseness that is a let-down. The steps between settings are too wide, so I tamp lighter on the early days, and as I move up to 30lbs, I let the timing of my shots vary between 22-35 seconds. My shot volumes tend to start to go thin and blond after about 1.25oz, and I'm not sure if that is all technique or partly the grinder's fault. Otherwise, the grinder is ok - I keep it clean, sweep it out, and the doser does not collect a lot of grounds. However, the lack of control is a bit frustrating.

Current Machine - the Gaggia Classic is easy to keep clean, and the double basket holds up to 19gms of coffee, but at the normal brew temp, almost all beans/blends are sour. I've read that some people have found the Gaggias to have such wide temp variation within shot that the machine can give shot that are simultaneously too bitter and too sour. Maybe the machine can be blamed for this sharp edge that I am complaining about? Certainly the lack of temp control is frustrating, but I just don't have the spare time to start logging brew temps with a probe in a PF.

So does it sound like I have a grind issue, a brew temp issue, or something else? Will I see the greater improvement by getting the Mazzer or the DB machine first?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Mark.

[another_jim]

I almost hate to say this, given the grinder mantra; but in your case the machine will improve your shots more. The MDF uses commercial burrs -- the motor is amateur hour and geared, so it's noisier than it should be, and there's somewhat coarse adjustments, but the grind quality is based on the burrs, so you're looking at something fairly close to what you'd get from the Mini.

The Classic is a decent machine, but it isn't particularly temperature stable for full doubles; and the ristretto or single shots are coming in at 12 bar or so, because there's no overpressure valve -- hence the bitter edge. Any E61 machine will take it to the cleaners in terms of consistency and the potential for godshots. Moreover, because of the E61's long preinfuse, you can get away with a coarse stepped grinder, providing you follow the blonding rule and don't get to persnikety about shot times and volumes.

[cannonfodder]

I do not have a Gaggia Classic so I can not speak for it, but I do have a Mini and a MDF. The MDF is surprisingly capable, I would not say that it matches my Mini in either grind or construction, but I can get some pretty good shots out of it. It does have a couple of quirks, the grinds like to clump unless you give the doser an occasional flip, and the grind shoot holds a fair amount of coffee (I cut the finger guard off so I can clean it out). The Mini is better, but as Jim suggested you may get better initial results with a machine upgrade. This is a shot from my lever machine ground with the MDF...

[Dogshot]

Thanks a lot for the advice. When I got the Classic to replace a Saeco with the PPF two years ago, I thought it would last me ten years. What it did was help me see just how good espresso can be. Now I want a setup that is limited only by my abilities.