The General State of Grinder Reliability - Page 3

August 26th, 2014, 5:23 pm

Thanks to everyone so far who has contributed. Very interesting discussion.

Allow me to clarify. Ruling out a quality hand grinder was based on my trying to use the Hario small hand grinder, which was a DISASTER for me. Friends who know me well, but have no involvement with coffee, were skeptical about my ability to effectively use a hand grinder. The combination of the both things made me not consider the possibility.

Would a Lido2 be easier to use, clean, maintain, change grinder settings etc., then the Hario? Can it grind 50 grams "reasonably easy" and within a "reasonable" time? I don't want to spend 10-15 minutes grinding coffee. Another problem with the Lido2 is that it is not a grinder I can go to a store to check out. When I purchased the Breville, I went to Willims-Sonoma, who took me through the steps of setting grind, removing the hopper, removing the burr and putting it back. Baring DOA out of the box, I knew before I left the store, that I could setup and use the grinder at home.

Given the Lido2 is mail order and given my potential issues with hand grinders, as a product class, how might I make that determination.

Perhaps I should not reject the possibility of the Lido2, out of hand ? By the same token, I am not sure I am in the position to include it either. Maybe there are folks in NYC, who have the grinder, that I could reach out to...?

For the moment, since my Breville is running without a problem, the issue is not critical. However, I would like to explore the option, if I could.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed.

Jay

#22: Post by **unix04** » August 26th, 2014, 5:51 pm

Given the growth of third wave coffee and the more recent increase in demand for equipment to brew higher quality coffee at home, I think this is just part of the growing pains before it gets a lot better.

Someday, I plan on buying some parts for a burr grinder, and assemble a contraption that allows me to grind beans using a standing bike. The machine will be big, but I'll make sure to give it the stability and precision that I want in a grinder.

#23: Post by **keno** » August 26th, 2014, 6:07 pm

unix04 wrote:Someday, I plan on buying some parts for a burr grinder, and assemble a contraption that allows me to grind beans using a standing bike. The machine will be big, but I'll make sure to give it the stability and precision that I want in a grinder.

Great idea! Surely it won't be long before someone on these forums decides to hook up a bike to their HG One grinder. Would be good for those who lack the arm strength and want to use the Mazzer burrset.

#24: Post by **DanoM** » August 26th, 2014, 6:08 pm

unix04 wrote:Given the growth of third wave coffee and the more recent increase in demand for equipment to brew higher quality coffee at home, I think this is just part of the growing pains before it gets a lot better.

Someday, I plan on buying some parts for a burr grinder, and assemble a contraption that allows me to grind beans using a standing bike. The machine will be big, but I'll make sure to give it the stability and precision that I want in a grinder.

So what you want is a Robur grinder mounted on a stand with the motor removed and replaced with a spindle driven by your 10-speed? Or is yours a faster 21-speed?

Call it the "Mazzer Mover 21-Speed Grinder"!

#25: Post by **Eastsideloco** » August 26th, 2014, 7:27 pm

You can get a bike powered titan grinder with your Velopresso:

http://www.velopresso.cc/wp-content/upl ... oleman.jpg

http://www.velopresso.cc/

#26: Post by **unix04** » August 26th, 2014, 7:27 pm

DanoM wrote:So what you want is a Robur grinder mounted on a stand with the motor removed and replaced with a spindle driven by your 10-speed? Or is yours a faster 21-speed?

Call it the "Mazzer Mover 21-Speed Grinder"!

multi-gear is overrated

fixed gear all the way!!

perhaps I can find some larger burrs too...like 100mm+
i'll name it 'big burr-cycle' and my garage will smell like heaven every morning. just thinking about it gets me excited! if I only had some extra time now...

#27: Post by **OldNuc** » August 26th, 2014, 7:32 pm

The Lido 2 barrel is a larger diameter and the clear acrylic provides a better grip than the smaller diameter grinder bodies. I would suggest reading through the Lido 2 user experience threads in this sub-forum regarding the Lido 2. The Lido 2 was designed for a pour over type of grind and from my experience is not a grinder that requires much maintenance. There is a chaff issue between the clear barrel and the ends but that is purely cosmetic and the center burr can be dropped out without destroying the alignment easily if cleaning is an issue. With your projected use I would suspect that periodic cleaning may be a non issue.

I have no grip strength in my left hand due to a seriously damaged thumb and the Porlex size grinder is impossible to hold but the Lido 2 is no problem.

#28: Post by **keno** » August 26th, 2014, 8:16 pm

Eastsideloco wrote:You can get a bike powered titan grinder with your Velopresso:

http://www.velopresso.cc/wp-content/upl ... oleman.jpg

http://www.velopresso.cc/

Awesome! I think that'll be my next career - bicycle barista.

August 26th, 2014, 8:56 pm

Lido 2 is much faster to grind with than your hario, and not too hard to turn. If you buy one and don't like it you can resell it at pretty much full price, given the high demand.

#30: Post by **IMAWriter** » August 26th, 2014, 10:34 pm

jaybar wrote:"You get what you pay for". I would not consider a $500 home grinder as inexpensive.

Ok, what type of grinder might make sense for me and yield higher reliability?

Requirements:

Pour over only (Chemex). Used twice a day.
Easy to remove burrs
Easy to change and view grind settings.
Easy to clean
Does not require recalibration or frequent recalibration.

The requirements are dictated by my vision and dexterity issues.

The Breville Smart Grinder meets all these requirements. Question is how long will it last.
I just ramn into this thread.
IMO, the Baratza Forte, which I own is as solid a grinder as anything it it's price range, and WAY superior to any grinder built by Breville. Cost more? You betcha. It does seem to give me more coinsistent shots than the Vario W I previously owned, but I purchased the Forte for for the increased feature, more robust construction, and such. I can can confidently recommend the Vario line for it's great feature set, excellent all around grinding, and of course great CS.

Is it a battle ship-like Mazzer SJ? No, but having owned 2 of those previously to my Varios, I would Never change back.

Jay