Grinder Popularity and Timing from Release - Page 3

#21: Post by **AssafL** » December 13th, 2017, 10:25 am

Engineering is about compromises. Grind fast with a flat, get static. Grind slow - avoid static and get some retention of pieces that avoid the centrifugal force.

The nature of engineering is the compromises. If you like to WDT fast grinding is optimum. If not - it isn't. But it is always your choice as the consumer.

Some people buy products that they can't deal with. Eg. if you don't like WDT (I don't) so had to replace the Mazzer with a Versalab. With its own compromises but different ones (famous ones!).

I think that is why most read the negative reviews. I care not for the Koomviah - just for the nature of the compromises.

BTW there are technological solutions: In the future some grinders will grind slow and pulse fast. The best of both worlds. Until then it's up to self modification to implement albeit I am certain it is patented - why wouldn't it be? Even then it is a compromise. Perhaps more expensive controllers?

#22: Post by **ira** » December 13th, 2017, 12:30 pm

AssafL wrote:BTW there are technological solutions: In the future some grinders will grind slow and pulse fast.

As I recall the current Monolith flat does this. Mine is one batch before this change. I've thought of adding the necessary button and wiring as everything else is already there, but truthfully, I don't see the need.

Ira

#23: Post by **desmodici** » December 13th, 2017, 12:55 pm

Very well said.

cnworld wrote:I think it seems there's been a lot of change in what grinder is popular at the moment due to the issue (until recently) of there not being a good "home" grinder that was built for single dosing and had minimal retention. I've been on HB for several years and I always thought the hacked commercial grinders with cut yogurt container funnels and the like looked ridiculous and impractical in a home regardless of how well they ground. I had one of the early HG-1s and liked the concept with it's simplicity, single dosing, and minimal retention, but the quality of build and the burr alignment was not up to par. Over time I became tired of hand grinding and ultimately I decided to sell it. Early this year I purchased a Monolith Flat and after much use I think it is the "Cremina" of grinders and unlikely to become unpopular any time soon.

Though new home espresso machines come out regularly, machines like the Cremina, Maximatic, Linea Mini, E61s, Londinium, etc. all stay relevant because it's more the style of machine the owner wants and each has been optimized for the home environment. The Monolith is the first and only espresso grinder I know of that combines commercial quality with a small footprint, is motorized, has both a flat and conical burr options, and is made for single dosing. I could be wrong, but I think you'd save money by buying a Monolith because I don't know of any ginders coming out any time soon that are comparable. Like I said earlier, I'm betting it's the "Cremina" of grinders.

#24: Post by **barneyfife** » December 14th, 2017, 3:52 pm

I have a feeling the only and next upgrade to a Monolith is a Monolith and a personal barista.

#25: Post by **CwD** » December 14th, 2017, 4:29 pm

IMO a roller mill that can fit in coffee shops and homes is inevitable. I don't think the day is coming soon. But when it does, if the extraction is anything like the 30% speculated by Rao as the limit for good coffee, no currently existing grinder will be worth owning or taken as anything but a joke in the specialty coffee community.

December 14th, 2017, 11:35 pm

CwD wrote:IMO a roller mill that can fit in coffee shops and homes is inevitable

Maybe sooner than you think
https://www.mpechicago.com/gpxwci

December 15th, 2017, 12:23 am

Am I wrong or is that still basically a flat burr grinder?

Now something like this, maybe...
https://www.mpechicago.com/600-f-series

December 15th, 2017, 10:11 am

I suspect a home roller mill is a long ways off just due to sheer expense. In order to deal with coffee bean size product it would probably need at least a double set of rolls. The first set of rolls to deal with the full size beans and the second to crack the particles to brewing size. Then there is also the issue of regrinding the surface of the rolls after they become pitted from use. In the food plant where I worked the rolls had to be refinished about every year. We were flaking red winter wheat kernels which might have been more of an issue regarding how much they damaged the roller surfaces. The surface texture is very critical as it must "bite" the product being processed but not become too pitted in that the texture of the finished product becomes too variable. We did use hammer mills for grinding oats and they were a lot less maintenance intensive so that might be a possibility to examine. They do consume a lot of energy to maintain speed under load. Changing the grind consistency would be done by changing the hole size in the screens. I think there would be large variations in particle size of the output with a very wide differential across the spectrum. That was not an issue for our product but coffee is quite a different matter.

#29: Post by **MNate** » December 15th, 2017, 11:08 am

yakster wrote:I've seen the same thing, and add to that sometimes grinders are released with lower introductory pricing to open the market may play a factor in its appraisal if the other is increased.

It's easier to recount specific incidents when you've had a problem with equipment than when it just works, and sometimes you don't want to just sound like a fanboy.

I don't have any experience with the HG1 or Monolith to offer.

I think the Caedo e37s is evidence of this. Lower intro price got people to try it. Spraying problems cited here made people shy away from it. Enough discussion and time showed these problems overstated/fixable and it became recommended again. Price jumps and all of the sudden it's, "I've got to have it."

Lack of people sharing their problems with a grinder is a decent sign on here. People recommending without reservation is even better. Monoliths seem to have both of these. I'm actually thankful people keep asking for buying reccomendations because things are always in flux and a search that gets results from 2012 is certainly outdated but one from 2016 might be too.

So keep up the annoying task of recommending your favorite equipment (for the moment)!

#30: Post by **michael** » December 15th, 2017, 12:51 pm

ira wrote:As I recall the current Monolith flat does this. Mine is one batch before this change. I've thought of adding the necessary button and wiring as everything else is already there, but truthfully, I don't see the need.

Ira

I have the one before as well and do two taps with the palm (a little air pressure) to get out the last bits

do you think a pulse button will do the job as well