Mine is about to go tits up. I need a replacement.

Are there any hidden bargins in this space? Or is it you get what you pay for?

Needs to be an adjustable burr that can go from espresso to French press.

Doesn't need a bean hopper for any more than I am grinding at the moment. Being able to play nice with a portafilter is nice but not needed.

Does it have to be an electric grinder? I helped fund a kickstarter for a manual grinder that I'm pretty optimistic about, should be shipping this month or next month. Their campaign and transparency through the production process has been really good, and they are dead set on making a quality product. It's called Handground, you can also preorder straight through their website.

I have a Capresso Infinity, but i dont do espresso. Most people are big on Baratza grinders and you can find used/refurbs occasionally on their website that will get you a good discount. I also have a Hario Skerton hand grinder, but its probably not consistent enough for espresso and i had to add a mod to give it better consistency for french press.

Really intrigued by that handground, Brenner. would love to hear about yours when you get it. My dream is to have an Orphan Espresso Lido grinder, but my wife would kill me if i spent $200 on a hand grinder. Not sure how long my Capresso will hold out and would like to have a high quality hand grinder to replace it when it goes out since i deal with a good amount of power outages where i live.

just realized i didnt tell you about how i like my capresso. It works pretty well, i use it for Aeropress, French Press, Moka Pot, and Siphon Pot. I get pretty decent consistent grinds and dont have much sludge in my french presses. The downsides to the capresso is that it as far as i know you cant really replace parts on it, so once it goes down, its pretty much a paperweight. i basically ended up getting it because i found a long lost best buy gift card and that was the only burr grinder available. Refurbed baratzas can be found for about the same price as a new capresso infinity. again, i dont know about espresso, and im sure youre going to want to look into higher budget grinders for good grind at that level.

My espresso machine gave up the ghost this morning. I knew it was going and had been prepared so I just ordered a replacement. Ended up getting a new grinder too. Went with a Rancilio Rocky.

I've got a Delonghi burr grinder, and it sucks. It was free to me, and I'm about to trash it and buy a good one.

I love my Capresso Infinity, but I don't do Espresso... Just use it for Chemex and the day to day drip coffee maker.

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I love my Capresso Infinity, but I don't do Espresso... Just use it for Chemex and the day to day drip coffee maker.

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This. I can't say how it compares to other burr grinders but it is reasonably priced and has pretty good reviews.

My wife surprised me with a baratza encore and it's an excellent grinder. I nearly stroked when I found how much she spent, however, it supported my switch from a kuerig to chemex & aeropress methods.

I've got a Capresso as well. Use for French press, pour over, cold brew and moka pot. Been going steady near 10 years.

Anyone that needs any coffee equipment let me know. I get wholesale pricing on just about any espresso machine or grinder you can think of.

Whats the budget Duncan?

I like the Preciso or Vario. The Vario can get a little pricey, but it is a great grinder. Anything lower in the Baratza line will not give you as good of a grind on your espresso. The Rocky is also a good grinder and I used one for years. If you go that route get the doserless. If you want pricing for any of them just hit me up through the site with which ones you are thinking of.

What kind of discounts can you offer?

Depends on what you are looking for. Not everything is the same. I dont get a flat discount, each price varies. Send me a contact through doddcoffee.com and I will send you the price.

I can get all kinds of coffee equipment not just espresso.

I have a LIDO 3 that I bought for making pour-over and Aeropress, that is fantastic for that use.

A few months ago, though, I decided to get an espresso maker. I learned quickly that the hand grinder just didn't do a good enough job on espresso... it just can't be dialed in accurately enough to make consistent espresso grinds. They make a LIDO E now, for espresso, which is made for espresso. A friend who is a much more finicky coffee snob than I uses a Pharos grinder right now (it's his backup, but he's remodelling, and has his good one packed away). He says it's great. The LIDO will now be my travel grinder, if I choose to be that picky.

I now use a Baratza Vario. I LOVE it. Very adjustable, consistent, etc. However, I've read that the ceramic grinder doesn't do a good job for coarser grinds for pour-over or french press. You can put steel grinding plates on it, which are apparently better for coarse grinding. The 54 mm burrs spin slower than the old POS burr grinder I used to have, so they make a lot less noise, and don't heat up as much when grinding. I'm not sure my palate is sensitive enough for the heat to make a difference, but the quieter operation allows me to grind coffee before anyone else is up without hearing complaints. Also, the ceramic burrs create NO static. I have the W model, which grinds to your specified weight +/- 0.1 g, and grinds into a polymer bin. WIth the LIDO, the grinds cling with static to the bin. No clingers with the Vario.

I've got a Baratza Encore, and it all of a sudden started having grinds statically cling to everything and make a mess. I googled all about it and came across a forum where they take a single drop of water into the beans, and all of a sudden, not a single grind clings to anything. Crazy how well a single drop works.

I may try to hit you up in the next few months for a price on Mazzer mini electric (undecided on tyoe a or b yet) and ECM Technika espresso machine if you have access to ordering those.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1463082343&sr=1-5&keywords=coffee+grinder

This is what I have, adjustable and gets the job done for $50. Never had a nicer one so I can't tell you if you spend more money it will truly be worth it but I use it prior to brewing in my Aeropress.

My Rocky and Gaggia Classic came today. Nothing like 5 or 6 test shots dialing things in to get the blood flowing.

The Gaggia is a nice machine you will love it

I'm looking to get into the espresso game and am wondering if my grinder will cut it. I have the capresso and have read that there is a shim mod that makes it work pretty well for espresso. Do you know how well this works?

Any recommendations for an espresso machine in the $250-300 range?

Is 300 your max? No clue on the capresso grinder.

If there is something a bit more I could go for it. Have something in mind?

I would go with the Gaggia Classic or Gaggia Baby. Unfortunately I am unable to get those. If you can stretch higher into the $600 range you can look at the Rancilio Sylvia. It is a great machine,very forgiving and easy to learn on. You can check here as well Coffee Geek Buy Sell Trade and maybe pick one up used. I emailed a couple other people to see if they had any customers that were upgrading and maybe selling their machine. When are you looking to purchase?

I got the Gaggia Classic last month. That's roughly $300. Its makes really good espresso. That and the Rocky grinder are night and day better than what I had. I didn't know what I was missing.

Interesting, being in the business, I'm sure you're more in-tune w/ the quality to spec pay-off price points. But I'm of the consensus that the Silvia is the minimum entry for pump machines. Anything below that, go manual. I bought my La Pavoni Europiccola for $199 off Craigslist. There's plenty more on Ebay. It's enough machine for most home enthusiast and has true, dynamic pressure profiling. I use my Silvia in the morning when I just want to lock-and-roll, but I enjoy experimenting with the manual on nights/weekends.

Also, OE Pharos manual grinder is $299. I have the Vario for convenience. But plenty of reviews/threads on HB & CG that pit the Pharos against the Vario and Mazzers, i.e. Mini, Major & Jolly, and it's a serious contender. Don't let manual shy you away - it's 68mm burr set will run through a lot of bean quick.

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Does it have to be an electric grinder? I helped fund a kickstarter for a manual grinder that I'm pretty optimistic about, should be shipping this month or next month. Their campaign and transparency through the production process has been really good, and they are dead set on making a quality product. It's called Handground, you can also preorder straight through their website.

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Did you receive the grinder? Happy with it?

Not yet. Latest update says shipping in July.

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I'm looking to get into the espresso game and am wondering if my grinder will cut it. I have the capresso and have read that there is a shim mod that makes it work pretty well for espresso. Do you know how well this works?

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i dont do espresso and havent tried it on my capresso, but i still dont think it would have the consistency needed to do decent espresso. i love mine for what it is, but i still have fines in my french press.

Not necessarily. The Gaggia is a good little machine for those that are getting into espresso. It will work for newbies, but what I have found is that many people will upgrade within a year or two. Here is a good break down of the two machines side by side Gaggia Vs Sylvia. If you are only doing a drink at a time and just learning, the Gaggia is a great way to get all of the Techniques down before spending more money. On the other hand if you are a coffee drinker and will continue to make drink for years to come, then you are better of going with the Sylvia from the start. It is twice as much, but it is a better machine on a few different fronts.

If you are not in a hurry, and think you will be using the machine for a while, I would recommend finding a used machine or wait till you can expand your budget a little.

Keep in mind that for someone starting, the grinding will be extremely important. If you have to choose between a higher dollar grinder or machine to start I would go with the grinder. If your grind is not correct, you will never get a good drink and will not be able to get your tamping skills correct. Also the correct grind will allow your coffee to be a little more forgiving in a lower powered machine.

Second make sure you are using good, fresh coffee. Find a roaster that roasts to order. This will help in keeping your coffee fresh and should give you better quality coffees.

I have been using this grinder for the last 6 months or so and have been very pleased. The inner workings are well made with good material for the price. I do not do extremely fine grinds (mainly drip and press coffee), but the adjustment has a wide range and is simple to use. I found it for 89.99 somewhere and would urge you to at least research this one. Not sure if this would pass for routine espresso users though.

http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/grinders/bodumbistrogrinder/chhutchison

Haven't made a buy yet still looking around. What have you heard about the new Baratza Sette? I think it looks pretty good and the early reviews seem to agree

Everything I heard was good enough for me to put one on order. I am just waiting for it to come in. If you want one let me know.

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Not yet. Latest update says shipping in July.

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Any word?

Hell nah. Last two updates said shipping late Oct. and will be at my door Nov. 15. They actually showed pictures of completed grinders sitting on a pallet this time, so this may be more accurate. When I funded the Kickstarter, their first estimate said shipping Aug. 2015, so it's about 15 months late. Not sure if I'll do many more kickstarter projects.

Breville Smart Grinder

Is what we use. Been holding up really well for how much we use it.