PIXIllate wrote:There are a few used Kafatek Monolith grinders around if you look. If this is the last grinder you want to buy it might be worth skipping the Ceado's. Lots of reports of unhappy people if you use search.

Good suggestion. Stars still need to align for me to find one relatively close for a pickup.

Finley72 wrote:I agree imperfectly attractive is probably is a way to describe it. The SSP burrs were $400 Cdn so all in it was around $2300. I had read and watched a lot about these burrs and wanted a grinder to use then. (And not a 64mm) I also wanted a grinder to swap from espresso to pour over.
...
The single dose workflow, like I mentioned, really isn't much different than my Niche. I really don't think I would call them issues though, just workflow. I always weighed, RDT, grind into dosing cup, bellows and weighed again. Then dose into porta filter and WDT. The E37SD adds bellows, removing the rubber chute cover and a quick sweep of the chute to get the last .2 - .4 grams in to the dosing cup. You do need to RDT with this grinder where as the Niche it could be optional.
...
For now I've satisfied my reason for moving along the Niche. I enjoyed it, however I've realize I like flat burrs better and a little more clarity without losing too much of the traditional espresso I enjoy.

Thanks for the info on the burrs and the workflow. I think we are of similar mind, also chasing more clarity with flat burrs. Glad it is working out for your so far.

buckersss wrote:Haven't used it but hard pass IMO. On paper it's way underpowered compared to competitors. If you are set on Ceado, grab the E8D at idrinkcoffee if it's still on sale for ~1200 cad. It's a great deal. I don't need it and I thought of pulling the trigger on it just for shits. It has a motor that is 185% as powerful as the E37SD. Then wholelatte love sells the worm gear add on that I believe would be compatible for ~400 cad. I would call them to mark sure it's compatible but it looks like it is. You saved ~300 cad and got a better machine in the end.

If I had to buy again I'm not sure I'd buy a Ceado, but that E8D looks like a hell of a deal.

Now you got me thinking about the E8D with SSP burrs and a short hopper... Not sure I would need the worm gear, normally just make espresso with slight adjustments for different beans.

TreCime wrote:Like Bob, I have an older E37 and also get about 3 - 5 grams of retention, which I purge. It's definitely a better grinder with beans in the hopper, so if that's something you're looking for, I can recommend. Outstanding espresso grinder (I drink mostly light, filter roasts). If your heart is set on a true single doser, I'd be surprised if the newer SD version is really up to snuff as a single doser.

Good insight. I am personally set on the single dose workflow and have been following it for a few years. Choices choices...

I've had one for three years. It takes a long time to break in those huge burrs, but once done it works really nicely. If you use the bellows and sweep out the chute I find you get zero retention consistently. This grinder does not get a lot of love on this forum, and experiences seem to vary. I use mine with an Olympia Cremina and have grown to love it.

Thanks! Hope you are enjoying the Cremina too. This was the same feedback I got from idrinkcoffee when enquiring:
"Overall with Ceado, I do find that they need a bit more time to be seasoned."

As a fellow Canuck, I recommend idrinkcoffee - in fact, that's where I purchased my Grinder (as an open box). That deal looks too good to pass up to me.

So after some reluctance to make a decision, an open box E37SD was offered for CAD 1417 and I took the plunge. Time will tell, but got a large amount of stale beans on request from my local coffee shop so ready for the seasoning. Thanks for all the feedback.

After a few days of use I will provide some feedback for anyone interested:

After trying to dial in for the first time, I noticed the ability to have better adjustment control than the Sette (I know these are different leagues, but its my reference point). I can easily choke my espresso machine but more importantly have better control within the 7-8 bar range. With the Sette adjustments were more coarse and I don't think I ever could grind this fine (not that it is necessary, just an observation).



I seasoned the burrs with ~1.5kg of beans. Wish I had more, but this is what I could get my hands on.

First few cups were not bad, there was a wider range of flavors but still some bitterness.

I checked alignment and found it was slightly off on one side on the top (static) burr. When I removed the top burr I saw a foil shim meaning someone else tried to align it before (its an open box item). There were also some coffee grounds under the burr which I suspect were not cleaned properly by the previous user which would impact alignment.



I proceeded to clean up the two faces with alcohol and removed the shim (already cleaned up in the above image). I also rotated the burrs one screw hole. I tested alignment and it was pretty good, all the dry marker was removed from the edge of the burr. After this change there was a significant improvement in the cup. Bitterness was gone and the flavor was full and sweet. My suspicion is that the coffee grounds under the burr were the main cause.

I would summarize my pro's and cons (keep in mind my reference is a Sette 270 and a Super Jolly with SSP burrs):

Pro's:
* Solid construction and extremely quiet.
* Once dialed in and aligned the flavors for me were on another level.
* Micro adjustments are truly micro.
* Ceado lock system makes it easy to take burr carrier off and not lose settings. This makes alignment and burr inspection easier.
* Its available & idrinkcoffee were a pleasure to deal with.
* Discounted pricing.

Cons:
* Its big
* Increased workflow steps i.e. RDT, pushing bellows (did not find this too important) and scraping the coffee chute (i found a small spatula is much better for this than a brush, this is where most of the residual coffee reside, very little in the chamber).



Overall I did not expect perfection but I am happy with what I got for the price. It has substantially improved the quality in the cup and I can now grind beans while the SO is on a teams call .

I like the small spatula idea. Any chance you remember where you got it?