Hey all,

I am considering to buy a grinder. Would you suggest buying a Ascaso Mini I-2 @177 euros or a Compak K3 @277 euros? Are there any real advantages between the two. This will be my first try for home-brewing so I need something reliable and easy to use If there is any other alternative please provide it. Thank you

Compak K3

If you wanna skip the tiny conical burrs and go for a decent sized 58mm flat burr..

I'm sure you get more grinding surface area with the K3 burrs and it's on par with the Mazzer Mini (both are 58mm flats, Mini-E is 64mm so not gonna match the Mini-E burr class)

Instead of buying a small conical and eventually wasting more money upgrading.. why not go the extra mile early..

Don't take my word for it though opinions are opinions..

Thank you for the feedback... Well I am going to match it either with a Lelit PL41 PLUST PID or with a Gaggia Classic. So I guess that since the Lelit has 58mm pf the K3 would be worth it. I am newbie so I might not be making a lot of sense

Just as a point of notice...
I can't quite tell from what you typed out whether this is some confusion or not, but a 58mm PF does not require or benefit from 58mm burrs. Totally different conversations. Larger burrs allow for an increased surface area for the coffee to be ground and generally larger burrs are found in better grinders. 58mm PF size is just the "industry standard" and there are a wide range of PF sizes from machines that produce excellent espresso.

For what it's worth, I have an Ascaso i-2 full size conical and find it to be an excellent grinder. It has it's quirks and some things I'd change about it, but it does a fine job.

Dayglow wrote:Just as a point of notice...
but a 58mm PF does not require or benefit from 58mm burrs. Totally different conversations. Larger burrs allow for an increased surface area for the coffee to be ground and generally larger burrs are found in better grinders. 58mm PF size is just the "industry standard" and there are a wide range of PF sizes from machines that produce excellent espresso.
...

Ok. Yes there was some confusion there.

I've owned an i1 D and a K3 Elite and the Compak is well worth the 100 euro premium over an Ascaso mini.

I've had my K3T for several months now and am very happy with it. It's a very good, consistent grinder that's built well and is a pleasure to use. I've been using it with my Lelit 41TEM daily and couldn't be more pleased.

russel wrote:I've owned an i1 D and a K3 Elite and the Compak is well worth the 100 euro premium over an Ascaso mini.

I own an Ascaso i-2, and a Lido 2. I'm also ready to upgrade my grinder. When you say this, did you find that the Compak is better in terms of taste, usability, or both?

Thank you all for the info. I can only find the K3 touch and not the classic K3. The K3 touch is doserless. Did you have any issue with that one or heard any complaints about it?