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Grinders

Ive been wondering which grinders are popular with Londinium users.

I have a pre 2016 Londinium 1, and am currently grinding with a La Cimbali Cadet, which has 64mm conical burrs. I’m really enjoying my coffee, but I suspect a grinder upgrade may open up the flavors.

Compak grinders seem to be popular here, and I recently had a cup from an e5 which was delicious, and is probably what got me thinking.

I’m pretty open to different options at this stage, electric or manual, flat or conical, hopper or single dose.

The only thing I don’t want is a doser, as I find them bulky and unnecessary for home use. Due to limited space I’d say the biggest grinder I could consider would probably be a Mahlkoenig K30.
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Comments

  • I got Eureka e75 flat titanium burrs and I like it so far!I am thinking of upgrading to a single dose grinder to avoid retention and purging for the 1st time after not using it for hours. The E75 has a low retention volume compared to other commercial grinders though! It is always consistent and easy to use and clean. It is an unbeatable grinder in its price range.
  • hi geoff (surely not three f's?)

    i think it would help if you said you are not prepared to spend more than AUD X as the world of grinders is a wide one with many ways to slice it, depending on your personal needs

    for example, some owners are happy with manual grinders, others like me have owned them in the past and would not consider another one. if a manual grinder was acceptable you could do a lot worse than the Pharos from Orphan Espresso. it isnt the last word in ergonomics, but it does produce a good grind quality. helpfully you have stated that you are not interested in a dosered grinder as this helps to narrow down the suggestions.

    not all will agree, but for my money conical burrs are dead now that we have a lot of investment being put into highly aligned flat burrs; the world is moving toward lighter roasts, even in italy. if your budget allows a massive flat burr is the gold standard. why? because the volume between the top and bottom burr is such that it can contain the whole dose from the moment the beans are poured in; when the grinder is turned on the centrifugal forces throw the beans outwards and they are trapped between the burrs; no pop corning

    conical burrs are always going to pop corn as soon as a weight of beans is not sitting above the burrs to hold the beans against the cutting face; i am not aware of any conical burr design that has solved this issue.

    if you want to single dose there is a very short list of grinders that achieve this, so it comes at a high price

    mahlkonig do make good grinders, no question

    that said i have been using a Compak E5 since i sold my Compak R120 while i wait for another grinder (a Kafatek), and while the E5 does not provide the flavour magic that the top end grinders do, i am happy to say the grind quality is as good as a Compak E8

    The Compak E5 is also really pushed to its limits to grind super light nordic style roasts fine enough, but given the price point that it sits at i think it is worthy of consideration if that is the price range you are considering

    kind regards


    reiss.
  • Many thanks for the replies, that certainly gives me some things to consider. I may have had one too many coffees when I signed up, as it is Geoff rather than Geofff.

    I can spend up to about $2k AUD and I’m happy to buy second hand to bring a more expensive grinder into that range. I’d rather spend now and buy right, and have a grinder I’ll be happy with for some years to come rather think about further upgrades.

    The Kafetek grinders look ideal, but I’d need to wait for one to pop up second hand. The Helor Stance Motor also looks great and it is more affordable here, but they are sold out and I’m not sure if more will be made.

    There are a few second hand Mythos one grinders locally under $2k which look good.
  • the mythos one is a great grinder geoff

    i didn't mention it because it is a big lump

    kind regards

    reiss.
  • Reiss Gunson post=15334 wrote: the mythos one is a great grinder geoff

    i didn't mention it because it is a big lump

    kind regards

    reiss.

    It appears to be reasonably narrow though, so I could wedge it in against the wall. Height would not be an issue With this grinder, here is my current coffee corner.


    image
  • I like my R120 even though I mostly just use it for color measurements after a roast. The little Baratza Forte is there to take along when I go away for a weekend and the etzMAX is the most used one of the three. It single doses well but I keep the little hopper mostly filled.


    image
  • I forgot to mention that Eureka E75 has the exact burrs as Mythos One! You can buy it online for $1150.

    Best regards,
    Abdul
  • Geoff-

    Anfim grinders seem to give good bang for the buck, and are a narrow footprint.

    I'm a Compak, Anfim and Mahlkonig reseller in AZ and have sold a few grinders to forum users (on HB). There is a local climbing gym here that bought the two Anfim models and I was impressed with them. I really like the guitar tuner style adjustment for grind size. Whichever you buy, if it's got a hopper full of beans make sure you run the grinder while adjusting the grind.

    Compak grinders tend to be a bit larger for similar burr size.

    The only Mahlkoenig grinders I've sold are an EK-43s and the Guatemala, prolly a little much for a home user unless you are Frans :)

    Currently I'm using a Niche Zero, the last bean can and will pop-corn on occasion but it is a big conical at a price that isn't matched. It, like the HSM is a large conical. I use it for all my roasts and enjoy it but it is certainly not a big flat. Although I haven't TRIED them, the 64mm SSP burrs are supposed to take a good 64mm flat and elevate it to the quality of the big flats, another option to consider.

    I'd stay away from anything plastic :) This is a good time to be buying equipment.
  • Frans Goddijn post=15336 wrote: I like my R120 even though I mostly just use it for color measurements after a roast. The little Baratza Forte is there to take along when I go away for a weekend and the etzMAX is the most used one of the three. It single doses well but I keep the little hopper mostly filled.


    image

    I hadn’t come across the etzmax before, that looks like it could be good. Will take a closer look.
  • Abdulrahman Alzhrani post=15337 wrote: I forgot to mention that Eureka E75 has the exact burrs as Mythos One! You can buy it online for $1150.

    Best regards,
    Abdul

    That’s good to know Abdul. I was just thinking to myself yesterday that the Mythos One temperature control system would not be any use at home, but adds to the cost and complication of the machine. The Eureka seems to answer this - the big burrs but without the features I don’t need.
  • Note that the original mythos doesn’t have any of that temperature control gimmickry on it and is the one to get in my view.
  • Richard Gregory post=15339 wrote: Geoff-

    Anfim grinders seem to give good bang for the buck, and are a narrow footprint.

    I'm a Compak, Anfim and Mahlkonig reseller in AZ and have sold a few grinders to forum users (on HB). There is a local climbing gym here that bought the two Anfim models and I was impressed with them. I really like the guitar tuner style adjustment for grind size. Whichever you buy, if it's got a hopper full of beans make sure you run the grinder while adjusting the grind.

    Compak grinders tend to be a bit larger for similar burr size.

    The only Mahlkoenig grinders I've sold are an EK-43s and the Guatemala, prolly a little much for a home user unless you are Frans :)

    Currently I'm using a Niche Zero, the last bean can and will pop-corn on occasion but it is a big conical at a price that isn't matched. It, like the HSM is a large conical. I use it for all my roasts and enjoy it but it is certainly not a big flat. Although I haven't TRIED them, the 64mm SSP burrs are supposed to take a good 64mm flat and elevate it to the quality of the big flats, another option to consider.

    I'd stay away from anything plastic :) This is a good time to be buying equipment.

    The Anfims do look good, I’ve been trying to find info on the Pratica, but there doesn’t appear to be many out there yet.

    The Niche is an interesting grinder. It would be very good from a practical sense and it’s not too expensive.
  • Reiss Gunson post=15343 wrote: Note that the original mythos doesn’t have any of that temperature control gimmickry on it and is the one to get in my view.

    Thanks. There so much hype around the One, I don’t think I’ve even looked at the original.
  • Welcome to the forum, Geoff.

    You really need to answer to yourself whether you want a single doser (by design) or an on demand grinder! Also, do you drink brewed coffee at all? Eureka and Ceado grinders are quite popular in UK by home users, but there's a ton to choose from.
  • PPapa post=15356 wrote: Welcome to the forum, Geoff.

    You really need to answer to yourself whether you want a single doser (by design) or an on demand grinder! Also, do you drink brewed coffee at all? Eureka and Ceado grinders are quite popular in UK by home users, but there's a ton to choose from.


    Many thanks, I just drink espresso so I’ll only need to do fine grind.

    After thinking more over the last few weeks, I think a single dosing grinder is the way to go, to save on size and retention. I may even wait until I can buy a Monolith or something similar, they seem to be ideal for my use. Perhaps an e5 while I wait.
  • Hi Geoff,

    Glad you are enjoying the machine. You have already tried the E5 with the shot I gave during the pickup. Yes, Monolith grinders are very good but at twice the price, it is a high price to pay for the gain, notwithstanding the consideration of bench space.
    Cheers
    Trevor
  • Trevor Watters post=15358 wrote: Hi Geoff,

    Glad you are enjoying the machine. You have already tried the E5 with the shot I gave during the pickup. Yes, Monolith grinders are very good but at twice the price, it is a high price to pay for the gain, notwithstanding the consideration of bench space.
    Cheers
    Trevor

    Loving the machine, drinking great coffee every day.

    I think the e5 is a great little grinder, and is far more affordable than the monoliths. If I were to but a monolith, this would be some time away, the e5 is a far more accessible upgrade.
  • Great to hear about the machine
    Trevor
  • Reiss Gunson post=15332 wrote: hi geoff (surely not three f's?)

    i think it would help if you said you are not prepared to spend more than AUD X as the world of grinders is a wide one with many ways to slice it, depending on your personal needs

    for example, some owners are happy with manual grinders, others like me have owned them in the past and would not consider another one. if a manual grinder was acceptable you could do a lot worse than the Pharos from Orphan Espresso. it isnt the last word in ergonomics, but it does produce a good grind quality. helpfully you have stated that you are not interested in a dosered grinder as this helps to narrow down the suggestions.

    not all will agree, but for my money conical burrs are dead now that we have a lot of investment being put into highly aligned flat burrs; the world is moving toward lighter roasts, even in italy. if your budget allows a massive flat burr is the gold standard. why? because the volume between the top and bottom burr is such that it can contain the whole dose from the moment the beans are poured in; when the grinder is turned on the centrifugal forces throw the beans outwards and they are trapped between the burrs; no pop corning

    conical burrs are always going to pop corn as soon as a weight of beans is not sitting above the burrs to hold the beans against the cutting face; i am not aware of any conical burr design that has solved this issue.

    if you want to single dose there is a very short list of grinders that achieve this, so it comes at a high price

    mahlkonig do make good grinders, no question

    that said i have been using a Compak E5 since i sold my Compak R120 while i wait for another grinder (a Kafatek), and while the E5 does not provide the flavour magic that the top end grinders do, i am happy to say the grind quality is as good as a Compak E8

    The Compak E5 is also really pushed to its limits to grind super light nordic style roasts fine enough, but given the price point that it sits at i think it is worthy of consideration if that is the price range you are considering

    kind regards


    reiss.

    Hi Reiss,

    Would pop Corning diminish the quality of the grind, or is it more of an annoyance?

    I am currently looking at a high quality conical which is available second hand. I am primarily drinking light roasts. A flat may be better suited, but this conical would be a significant upgrade on my current grinder.

    Geoff
  • hi geoff

    the fact of physics that all of us are fighting when we embark on single dosing is that the beans are no longer held against the cutting face by the weight of the beans above them

    if you have even run a light piece of wood through a circular bench saw without having the wood securely held down this is exactly the same thing that occurs with single dosing

    grinders like the ek43 have an auger that carries and holds the beans against the cutting face

    you can demonstrate to yourself that all grinders product a noticeably better grind if you load a weight of beans into them, including those considered suitable for single dosing

    so as is a bit of an unsolved issue in my view; stack the beans up in the hopper and accept a slight loss in freshness and the need to throw some stale coffee retained in the grinder away, or single dose and accept an inferior grind

    if you dont disclose what the 'high quality conical' is it is difficult to provide useful comment

    kind regards

    reiss.
  • Thanks, the analogy makes sense.

    It’s an older model Monolith Conical I’m looking at. A new Monolith flat is outside the budget at the moment.
  • sure, grab it with both hands.
  • It’s some months later, I have put in a pre order for of these. I think this will be a great grinder, perhaps if interest to otters here. It appears to be a good alternative to the monolith, it’s available to buy, and at a significantly lower price.

    https://www.option-o.com/lagom-p64
  • thanks for posting geoff

    its always interesting to see what is new to market

    i would suggest you opt for the red speed coated burrs as stainless is a relatively soft metal for use as a burr, unless you are able to obtain assurances that it has been specifically hardened for the job, which i understand is called martensitic stainless which is then heat treated to improve its hardness

    to be fair this is conveyed in the link you provide when you compare the stated burr life of the stainless burr and the red speed burr, and which one is stated as suitable for light roasts

    kind regards


    reiss.
  • I ordered the Red Speed burrs, I actually wondered to myself whether many people would get the standard burrs.

    It looks like a very different geometry in the pictures, perhaps standard would suit some people better, but there is a big difference in projected longevity which would render the $100 difference null.

    I’m drinking lightly roasted Coffee, and will also use it for filter coffee, SSP seems better suited.
  • Please do share the results when it arrives! Website now says pre orders for 2020.
  • Will do, mine will be delivered in January, a few months to wait yet.

    They seem to be selling them in batches.
  • Would you say there is any benefit to replacing a Niche Zero grinder with a Compak E5 grinder (when using the Londinium with medium roast levels)?
  • hi there

    i haven't used the Niche, but i expect there are plenty of people on here who have and can provide you with far better information

    i dont doubt that the E5 will last a lot longer than the Niche as i have seen the Niche fully stripped down and it is very much a consumer grade (Kenwood) parts bin special inside

    having said that the Niche is a far quieter grinder than the E5

    the grind quality out of the Niche could well be better than the E5, but im not in a position to verify this as i haven't used the Niche

    if you already have the Niche i personally wouldn't bother shifting to an E5 - id be looking to go higher

    kind regards

    reiss.
  • Thank you for the feedback, Reiss.
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