lucie wrote:Is there a good grinder out there that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Anything good for less than $200 for my Profitec 500?

At your price point it will have to be a hand grinder.

I have a Kinu M47 that I love, and the Phoenix version is $200. However Kinu is having supply problems due to pandemic, and it might be hard to find one now.

The 1Zpresso JX Pro is well liked on HB, and costs $159. Best way to buy one is direct from the manufacturer.

What grinder are you using now?

mycatsnameisbernie wrote: What grinder are you using now?

I have an awful one; Oyster. The cheapest out there. I have to get my coffee grind at the coffee shop in town. Not very practical. So that's why I'm looking for a good one at home.

This is your problem. You mentioned previously that your coffee is fresh, but in reality it's the equivalent of having multiple week old beans. Quite a bit of aging/staling occurs once they've been ground and coffee that's been ground for 1 hour will extract very differently than coffee ground right before brewing. The increased surface area of ground coffee accelerates the aging therefore you had to get the turkish grind you mentioned to provide enough resistance for espresso.

You have a $2000 espresso machine, you should try to spend a bit more than $200 provided you don't want to hand grind. The grinder is more important than the machine At the low end, around $350, you have the Sette 270 and the Eureka Mignon Notte. Beyond that, closer to $700, there's the Eureka Mignon Specialita (bigger burrs, 55mm vs 50mm, than the other Mignons), Ceado E5p, and the ever popular Niche Zero. The Niche you'll have to wait for. Beyond that, hit the used market and try to find a used Mazzer like a Super Jolly or Mini

thoang77 wrote:T

You have a $2000 espresso machine, you should try to spend a bit more than $200 provided you don't want to hand grind. The grinder is more important than the machine At the low end, around $350, you have the Sette 270 and the Eureka Mignon Notte. Beyond that, closer to $700, there's the Eureka Mignon Specialita (bigger burrs, 55mm vs 50mm, than the other Mignons), Ceado E5p, and the ever popular Niche Zero. The Niche you'll have to wait for. Beyond that, hit the used market and try to find a used Mazzer like a Super Jolly or Mini

The above cannot be stressed enough.

My best "budget" setup cost a lost less than your Profitec 500: it was a Gaggia Classic + a refurbed by hand eBay Mazzer Major. But it made much better espresso than what you've currently got.

That machine deserves a real grinder. I just picked up a Craigslist Mazzer Mini for $275 (plus $40 for new burrs), and I'd think that's about the cheapest option imaginable.