Thanks again for all the great info. It's all very helpful. Do you all have certain types of scales that you like most? I have a really nice kitchen scale but it's not digital and it's in KG so it's very hard to use for grams. Someone was telling me that a cheap burr electric grinder would be just as good as the Hario Mini Mill. Is this true? If so, any particular models?

Thanks

If your thinking electric, look into the Baratza models.

For scales, get a digital gram scale, in fact, there's recommendations for one in this same forum.

Check out the refurbished listings on Baratza's website for some good deals. A refurbished Virtuoso would be fantastic, and even an Encore will be a huge step up compared to what you are used to.

Here is the scale I like: http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Sc ... 895&sr=1-5

ashevillian wrote:Thanks again for all the great info. It's all very helpful. Do you all have certain types of scales that you like most? I have a really nice kitchen scale but it's not digital and it's in KG so it's very hard to use for grams. Someone was telling me that a cheap burr electric grinder would be just as good as the Hario Mini Mill. Is this true? If so, any particular models?

Thanks

As someone who has owned both a Mini and a cheap blade grinder, I say absolutely not. I will say that the Mini is lousy at press and passable at anything finer, whereas the blade sucks at everything. I would never recommend the blade over the Mini even if the blade was free.

If you like the vintage look this grinder or similar would probably work. Might even work for espresso if you ever go that route.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Classic-Pe-De-D ... 4191993041

[creative nickname] wrote:Check out the refurbished listings on Baratza's website for some good deals. A refurbished Virtuoso would be fantastic, and even an Encore will be a huge step up compared to what you are used to.

Here is the scale I like: http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Sc ... 895&sr=1-5

This is a great scale, though I would opt for the one that you can plug in as well for a couple dollars more.

If you're going to buy a good scale, the above referenced one is good, but I would advise spending a couple more dollars and get this one.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Sc ... Scales+2KG

If you are certain that your interest in coffee is not a fad and that you genuinely enjoy making great coffee, you should strongly consider investing in a quality grinder. Unfortunately, in the current market this will cost over $100. But, even if you have to save your pennies for some time, it is worth it. Based off of my own personal experience as well as what I've gathered from other coffee nerds, the cheap hand-grinders, such as the Porlex and Harios, do not last very long. My main criticism is that their burrs are not stable and are also ceramic. This leads to less uniformity in the grind output and the teeth on the ceramic burrs inevitably wear themselves down. I once dropped $50 on a Porlex to use as my main grinder, just to become absolutely fed up with it within a few months. I kid you not, there were many days that I would refuse to make even a single cup of coffee because I didn't want to fuss with that grinder.

If you make coffee more than once a week, it is best to invest in a durable grinder. I own a Lido 2 and I love it. It's consistent. It's versatile. It's durable. It's portable. It's quick and easy to use. I've heard others compare the Lido 2's grind quality to the grind quality of electric grinders that are 3-4 times more expensive. If you want to go electric, Baratza has a good reputation. While with an electric grinder you gain convenience, you also become dependent on electricity and you lose out on the portability factor. You also need to cross your fingers that the motor doesn't die out within a couple years. One last thing to factor in about the Lido 2: it will probably outlive it's owner.

Portapresso Rosco is a good one.