After weeks of researching I (think) I have finally decided on an espresso machine and espresso grinder, and I figure I should get a dedicated brew grinder too to really up my coffee game. Being that im about to spend quite a bit (read: too much) on an espresso setup I dont plan on brewing all that often, so I'd like to keep it as cheap as possible (under $100 would be nice, though not an absolute requirement). I suspect a manual grinder will be my best bet in this price range. Maybe a Hario Skerton? Please suggest one

I admit I havent done much research on this. I just emerged from the rabbit hole of espresso machine and espresso grinder research, and dont much feel like immediately going into the rabbit hole of brew grinder research. Sorry for being lazy.

Baratza Encore. You can always slap an Essato on it later. Brew grinding isn't as finicky as espresso grinding and there is dramatically less to be gained by spending large amounts of money on commercial equipment.

Baratza sells refurbished grinders (with a 1-year warranty) here:

https://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerc ... egory=RFRB

Many people here consider the Virtuoso to be the sweet spot in terms of quality vs. value for an electric brew grinder. At roughly the same price point you can also get some high end hand grinders, like the Lido from Orphan Espresso or the feldgrind from Made By Knock.

You'll hate grinding with a Hario Skerton-the ceramic burrs are slow-and the grind quality isn't ideal for any brew method.

This is a far more interesting option at roughly the same price point:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Zassenh ... Sw7ehXTJuW

(Bottom is in need of repair, but that's nothing gorilla glue can't fix.)

yes, vintage grinders can be great for drip/press. Check Peugeot, the models with integrated funnel and burrs are really good at coarse grinding.

jkool702 wrote:After weeks of researching I (think) I have finally decided on an espresso machine and espresso grinder, and I figure I should get a dedicated brew grinder too to really up my coffee game. Being that im about to spend quite a bit (read: too much) on an espresso setup I dont plan on brewing all that often, so I'd like to keep it as cheap as possible (under $100 would be nice, though not an absolute requirement). I suspect a manual grinder will be my best bet in this price range. Maybe a Hario Skerton? Please suggest one

I admit I havent done much research on this. I just emerged from the rabbit hole of espresso machine and espresso grinder research, and dont much feel like immediately going into the rabbit hole of brew grinder research. Sorry for being lazy.

Understandable but having a high end espresso setup and mediocre brew setup will just make you unhappy. A poor brew grinder is inconsistent and Boris out an edge on otherwise good coffee.

Low end burr grinders like the Encore have crushing burrs and generate lots of fines. Baratza admits as much. It wasn't even their grinder design... They inherited it from Solis. I have one and I do not recommend it. You can upgrade its burr to a Preciso. Take a look at this pic that shows the brunt crushing burr of the encore vs Preciso.

http://m.imgur.com/a/Zm1ZP

Dan HB's rules of the board suggest saying where your information comes from when you recommend for or against something. Mine comes from ownership.

If you are burned out, focus on espresso. When you are ready for brew, come in back.

That being said, a used bulk grinder like a Bunn series can be found cheap used and delivers a consistent sweet grind in comparison to encore.

A refurbished baratza might be a good way to go (I was considering a vario for espresso, but ultimately decided I wanted one that was better built. I wont be using a brew grinder as often though so im not nearly as concerned with build quality). However, for the price of a refurbished virtuoso/preciso I could get a Lido...would a lido be better grind quality for brew?

summer wrote:yes, vintage grinders can be great for drip/press. Check Peugeot, the models with integrated funnel and burrs are really good at coarse grinding.
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Never heard of them, but I'll have to check them out.

happycat wrote:Understandable but having a high end espresso setup and mediocre brew setup will just make you unhappy.

This is my concern. I dont want to buy something so cheap that it doesnt work well and then not end up using it at all. If you simply can get a good brew ginder for cheap i will probably just come back to this at a later time, once my wallet has recovered a while. My new espresso setup should keep me content at least through the end of the summer

happycat wrote:That being said, a used bulk grinder like a Bunn series can be found cheap used and delivers a consistent sweet grind in comparison to encore.

Good idea. I almost think i saw one of these listed for sale somewhere in my area while i was looking for used espresso equipment. I didnt consider it much (since its not really espresso quality) but maybe I can find the "for sale" ad again.