I'm looking to make a power drill attachment that will grind directly into the basket for my mypressi Twist. I've been directed to this site for a cheap plastic GSI Java Grind (?!?) and this site for just the guts (but if your box is failing, you could get a new one of those here too...).
The second link suggests that they are primarily for decorative purposes, so I don't trust them much, and haven't heard of the first offering other than someone found one at a thrift shop for five bucks, and hadn't tried it yet. (Yakster?)
I've asked around a bit for someone that has a grinder with a mechanism that still works, but the outsides are beyond help that I could cannibalize, but no luck so far.
Something that I've missed? Zassenhaus, Hario, Kyocera, whomever, will sell just the mechanism? Some great parts house (already have a call out to OE) that has stuff like this in stock? I'll probably put a WTB on CG's BST thread, but I figured I'd ask here first.

I wonder if you could modify one of the turkish mills - or are they too slow?

I'd look at the Hario Skerton. $38.95 at Sweet Maria's and it has ceramic conical burrs.

peacecup wrote:I wonder if you could modify one of the turkish mills - or are they too slow?

I'm gonna drive this thing with a DeWalt anyways, so...

The Turks are just (usually) way too expensive, and way too nice to take apart to Frank together some sort of proto-type.

Phaelon56 wrote:I'd look at the Hario Skerton. $38.95 at Sweet Maria's and it has ceramic conical burrs.

Those worth using on espresso? I kinda heard a rumour that they weren't really doing the job for espresso machines.

Psyd,

I found a GSI espresso maker (camping moka pot) at the thrift store, but not a grinder. Just scored a nice brown Nuova Point 1.5 oz tulip espresso cup perfect for singles along with two generic green tulip demitasses I picked up on a previous trip.

I do see that OrphanEspresso is parting out the guts to the Kyocera, burrs, body, etc., you might be able to put something together from that.

yakster wrote:I found a GSI espresso maker (camping moka pot)

Oh, oops...

yakster wrote:I do see that OrphanEspresso is ...

Yah, I have a note out to Doug, he'll let me know my best options there, I'm sure...

I'd look to a Dienes, KYM or Zass. on ebay. A nice Dienes went for $15. yesterday. The build quality of both the burr and the rest of the mechanism are just so much better and will hold up better with your drill. The question becomes how aggressive a set would be best when using a drill to drive it. Even among burrs that will do espresso there's quite a difference in the size of the grooves where the coffee exits and the aggressiveness of the feeder spirals. If the drill goes any faster than normal hand cranking may have an effect on consistency depending on burrs chosen.

farmroast wrote:If the drill goes any faster than normal hand cranking may have an effect on consistency depending on burrs chosen.

I usually have it going just a hair faster than I would normally hand grind. There is a fairly obvious loss of feed when you start spinning too fast for the feeder, and a resulting loss of productivity that is sort of self-regulating. I use the drill (or powered screwdriver) because I'm occasionally pulling shots for six or eight people in a row, and it allows me to be a bit more efficient, and far less left-handed when I'm done.
I'm about forty-five seconds to a minute, at the outside, for hand grinding, and thirty seconds with the drill.

Yeah, I missed a PeDe by just a coupla bucks. I'm having a hard time bidding up an unknown quantity of grindage that is going to have all of those wonderful wooden bits just discarded....

If a line forms when pulling shots for a crowd, you could always load your hand grinder and hand it to the next in line... that way they'll get more enjoyment out of their coffee experience... at least that's what I told them last time I did this.

Psyd wrote: I'm having a hard time bidding up an unknown quantity of grindage that is going to have all of those wonderful wooden bits just discarded....

Line the box and put a coffee seedling in it.
farm