First impressions

[SJM]

So....someone offers you your choice:  a brand new Baratza Forte or an old refurbished Rancilio MD=50.

You've only got 15 seconds to choose....
You can always choose again, so....just choose one...

[expy98]

lido 2?

[SJM]

 

[BozemanEric]

Baratza

But, I would not give them my Major for it.

[peter]

Rats!  This thread's already an hour old, so is it too late to make a choice?

[SJM]

Rats!  This thread's already an hour old, so is it too late to make a choice?

and getting older, too....
come on, Peter, spit it out....

[peter]

If I was spending your money, I'd opt for the Baratza.  If I had to pinch my own pennies, it might be the MD-50.  I guess I'd rather have new stuff and some warranty/customer service.  My main beef w/ the Forte is probably that they didn't go w/ a conical burr.

[grinderz]

MD-50 all the way for me. I don't want a fancy led screen on my coffee grinder as that exponentially decreases the mean time to failure in my estimation.

[BozemanEric]

My main beef w/ the Forte is probably that they didn't go w/ a conical burr.

They are flat burrs. In the video I saw they look similar to the Vario burrs.

[SJM]

Yup.  Both the Vario and the Forte have flat burrs.
The other models have conical burrs.

But, all of this emphasis on Customer Service makes me think sticking with the MD-50 is a better idea for me. 
I don't want a grinder that NEEDS customer service....:-))))

Still.... that Forte is tempting.  I'd like to spend less time weighing, sweeping, re-weighing, and still having to add or subtract grinds before the brew....

On the other hand....a bird in hand....

Dither dither dither....

[peter]

Having used an loved my Compak for a few years now, if you're not in a hurry and have the money to spend on a new Forte, I'd forgo the convenience of the Forte and wait for a good deal on the K10.

[SJM]

What a good idea....!!!!
Thanks, Peter

[expy98]

I've been watching 2 yrs for a good deal on the K10 to no avail, the closest thing right now is the Doge Conico:

https://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=3563&adminPreview=1

[SJM]

What about this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Compak-Professional-Barista-K10-Coffee-Grinder-excellent-condition-/331082680541?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item4d1610c8dd

[expy98]

assuming you can get it for $900, that's not too bad price-wise, also assuming it's in good working order and cosmetically reasonable.

How many shots you make a day?  I make 2 so it makes no sense for me to pay 4x the price of the Pharos.   But then again,
my tennis racket stringing machine is substantially more than the cost of a K10 and I'm not a string breaker.  We all have issues...