ECM grinder - any point in thinking about sub $500 upgrade? - Page 2

#11: Post by **kjarsheim** » August 15th, 2022, 2:42 am

+1 This is seriously good advice from Erik. Speaking as the owner of a little Macap, a Niche and an 83mm flat ex-commercial modded to SD, it all depends on your level of enthusiasm and willingness to mess around.
Micrometric as opposed to click-stop adjustment is pretty useful, as you've found.
The Niche is not the be-all but it's a damn fine, really good grinder for no fuss single dose espresso.
Yes there are better but once again, it depends on you. And your pockets, lol!!!

#12: Post by **JohanR** » August 15th, 2022, 5:30 am

If you want something faster and don't mind a hopper, then maybe a Eureka Mignon XL or Eureka Atom Specialty 65. (75 is even faster but out of your budget)

#13: Post by **erik82** » August 15th, 2022, 11:49 am

If you like very light roasts then flat burrs will give you more room to play. A Eureka Olympus 75e will be just under 1000 and is the same as the Eureka Atom75 in terms of adjustments, grind quality and burrs but really build to last. It'll grind 18gr in 3.7s and have around 6gr of retention. For me it's the best grinder in it's class for its price.

The Niche is probably the best affordable SD grinder with really good burrs. It does have conical burrs which is a great plus if you like medium and darker roasts and an occassional light roast. It's super consistent.

And you don't want to put SSP burrs in your ECM because the 100W motor can't handle that and will stall. And with those small burrs it just doesn't work well.

August 15th, 2022, 12:11 pm

Cuppajoy wrote: I've realised now that this grinder is already in the $500 range, at least according to a quick Google Shopping search. I'm mainly looking for faster grind times (serving up multiple guests has become a chore) and ideally lower noise. Doesn't hurt if it looks good either to appease the missus

So, if I understand correctly, then you keep the hopper full of beans and grind each shot as needed? This is known as grind-on-demand. The amount of coffee is usually determined by a timer, but some machines use weight (integrated scale). An example to consider is the Eureka Atom 75 (not Mignon).

There is also a different workflow known as "single-dosing," where the beans for a shot are weighed out and the grinder run with only that mass of beans. An example to consider is the Niche Zero.

I don't know how loud and slow the ECM is, but I am willing to guess that the above two examples are quieter and faster.

For serving multiple guests, it depends on how many. For example, for serving four, I used to grind, dose, and tamp two baskets before starting to pull the four (split) shots - so grinder speed is not an issue. However, if there are more than about six-eight guests, then I would go with a grind-on-demand workflow. (I actually use a vintage doser grinder for parties, but I can't recommend buying a new doser grinder.)