I bought an Arcade grinder on Ebay (sans glass top and bottom catcher, figuring I would grind by the dose). I was skeptical looking at the burrs which looked pretty rounded over-- not sharp like the ones on my Rossi 45. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality. It does excellent drip-- very even grounds and very adjustable.

I made only one espresso and it looks like it will be more than adequate. It takes about 50-60 revolutions to do three scoops (about 21 grams), very little left in the grinder, not very hard to crank. It's the sort that mounts to a wall, which I haven't done while I test it (I mounted it to a board).

Anyhow, I'm wondering how something so simple and funky can do such a good job, even compared to an electric grinder with good sharp burrs? It is counter-intuitive. Not only that, on the drip, at least, the flavors are noticeably rounder and what might have needed a tiny bit of milk using the Rossi, doesn't need any milk at all with the Arcade. How can this be? I don't really believe the electric grinder really heats up the beans. There must be something else going on.

I'll test more on espresso for the next few days before drilling holes in my house...

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

dan

I have a modern Japanese hand grinder and an excellent reconditioned Lenhatrz bought from Orphan Espresso. The former produces acceptable espresso, whereas the latter produces results in the cup that are comparable to my Super Jolly in terms of consistency of taste and pour, but slightly brighter, making it excellent for Ethiopian single origins. It is not, however, in the same class as my Ninos for layering of flavours, mouthfeel or consistency of pour and taste. I imagine the same would apply to other Titan conicals, but of course the difference in price (and portability ) is immense.

Cheers

Mike

Different folks, different strokes, Jack.

I get quite worked up about what works, but less so about the why, if what works keeps on working and keeps me happy, then.... well, I'm happy.

Darn it, I'm not trying to make heaven or rewrite the theory of relativity, I'm just trying to make a good drink time after time.

The Titan grinder project run-on into the great electron microscope comparisons of grind certainly supports some of your thinking there, yet all anyone can really conclude with certainty is still, quite simply, that a big conical burr set with a big electric motor helps...

But of course there are other things that can make a grinder enjoyable, like turning it by hand, slowly, and listening to just the sound of the beans breaking, not a large electric motor.

It is my experience (in the cup, which is as far as I worry) that the Nino produces a fuller, more nuanced shot than the Lehnartz and is more consistent, faster and more convenient, but that doesn't stop me using the Lehnartz with pleasure in moments of leisure, and no one is going to prise it out of my clammy hands...

I'm happy with whatever works as well, but I do wish I knew WHY. That's because if I know why, I can maybe make it better next time it doesn't work.

For example, it's commonly said that the burrs heating the coffee has an impact. I really find that hard to believe, but it is repeated as fact thousands of times. The amount of time a bean has in contact with the burr is so short and if you are grinding by the shot or a few shots at a time, how could heated burrs be a factor? I doubt the burrs get even warm to the touch given they're anchored in brass holders which are heat sinks.

Another thing that puzzles me is that my Arcade seems to be almost as fast (elapsed time) as my Rossi 45. When you count the cleaning of the Rossi, blowing it out, keeping it from smelling like an ashtray, the Arcade, since it doesn't trap much, is way ahead, time-wise. It also wastes about 2-3 grams less per shot.

Obviously it's the geometry of the two machines, but the electric machines turn at probably almost 2000 RPMs, (in the approx 30 seconds to grind a shot, at least 1000 revolutions) yet the Arcade does the job in a total of 60 rpms in about the same time. It may be that hand power allows more torque than an electric motor of that size, so the electric has to make up for it in speed. I'm sure some engineers would have an opinion on this.

The angle of entry of the hand grinders is quite open (by that I mean it seems that the gap at the entry side is large, and as long as the gap at the exit side is small enough, I guess the right sized grinds make their way through. The angle of entry of my electric grinders seem smaller.

That said, I'm not about to clear my counter top of the Rossi until I have at least a week or two by hand with espresso to make sure. In the meantime, for drip, it certainly is a keeper. I'll also keep measurements of my bicep size.

The grinds coming out the Nino are warm. I'm sure you're right that a hand grinder doesn't heat the beans as much, if at all. By the time I open the drawer on the Lehnartz it seems to be at ambient temperature (I am curious even if ignorant ).

On the other hand, I'm also pretty sure (about as far from double blind as one can get) that the Nino turns at a steadier speed than I can crank the Lehnartz. How much, if any, of a difference that makes is another matter....

Ah, sorry Jack, I didn't realise you were being serious about blind testing.

I was going to post on the double blind tests I did, but I can't find the figures, so I'm sure it wouldn't satisfy you. Plus, while I didn't select the dosed baskets or load the PF, I did pull the shots on my lever machines, so the testing is open to criticism: I could have been subtly influenced by the pours.

Non-blind taste tests tell you which you grinder, deep down, you like more, not which grinder's coffee you like more.

Rossi RR45 grinder are the most accident prone of commercial coffee grinders; they rarely survive a week in cafes without mysteriously breaking. Some have felt so lonely and despised that they committed suicide by hurling themselves against baseball bats.

Enough said.