Large Capacity Prosumer Grinder Advice

[Shannon22]

I'm trying to set up a deal where I roast coffee for a local dorm.  They have a Bunn airpot brewer and I need to set them up (on loan) with a grinder that will work well for drip coffee at a capacity greater than a typical 12-cup pot. 

I would prefer something relatively inexpensive as I'm fronting the money for it, but quality, durability and specs are priority for me.  No need for espresso quality just a good drip. 

It would need to either need to have no ground coffee bin (to grind straight into the filter) or one that would hold a fairly large amount (I'm guessing 200+ grams) because of the size of the brewer.

Any thoughts?

[mp]

Yeah ... how about this:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11242594&search=coffee%20grinder&Mo=2&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=coffee%20grinder&Ntt=coffee%20grinder&No=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

$70.00 for a Saeco Burr grinder.  With Costco's stand behind their product warranty if you have any problems just keep the bill and bring it back.

What do you think?

[Shannon22]

I think that's a great deal, but I think the bin that collects coffee grounds is smaller than what I'm looking for.  I think it would require two grind sessions to fill a Bunn Airpot Brewer and I'm hoping for something they can just dump the beans in and hit grind once.

I'm trying to keep things as simple as I can for them since it will be dining hall employees (who may or may not care about good coffee) grinding the coffee. 

[Chris]

I got a great deal on a brand new Ditting grinder.  Even though I grind for me and my family, it is awesome, esp. when the occasional multi-pound gifts come up.

You can also find some Bunn grinders that even accept the funnel directly (I bought one from eBay used, and we are still using it at work with a Bunn Airpot brewer).

Both grinders were around $250, and the Ditting was by far the better value, but I think that was luck.  There are 2 basic types you can go for: Supermarket grinders meant to grind into a bag, or ones that grind directly into a funnel.

Do a search on eBay for "Bunn Grinder", and make sure to choose "Completed Listings" on the advanced options.  Now you can see what is out there, and what they go for with shipping after the auction is closed.

Craigslist is also a nice place to find some deals.  I find that for drip, American or Swiss/German stuff is the best bet for drip.

[peter]

What's your budget?

[Shannon22]

I got a great deal on a brand new Ditting grinder.  Even though I grind for me and my family, it is awesome, esp. when the occasional multi-pound gifts come up.

Never heard of Ditting.  I'll look into that.

[Shannon22]

What's your budget?

Optimistically, I'm trying to keep it under $200.  Not certain I'll be able to do that without getting lucky on Craig's List.

[peter]

I've gotten great performance from my KitchenAid Proline.  It has a glass bin, but that could be removed and grounds caught in a filter basket.  They're built like a tank, and parts will be available for the next 48.5 years.  I bought a new set of burrs just to have on hand, and they were only $24 for the set.  I wouldn't recommend it for espresso, but then you don't need that.

KitchenAid grinder

[mp]

I think that's a great deal, but I think the bin that collects coffee grounds is smaller than what I'm looking for.  I think it would require two grind sessions to fill a Bunn Airpot Brewer and I'm hoping for something they can just dump the beans in and hit grind once.

I'm trying to keep things as simple as I can for them since it will be dining hall employees (who may or may not care about good coffee) grinding the coffee. 

Ok then ... how about a Bunn Pro Grinder:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bunn-Commercial-Coffee-Grinder-model-LPG_W0QQitemZ180258485449QQihZ008QQcategoryZ53305QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

$150.00 + shipping and handling. "Bunn Commercial Coffee Grinder model LPG"

Is that large enough for you?

[Chris]

I think that's a great deal, but I think the bin that collects coffee grounds is smaller than what I'm looking for.  I think it would require two grind sessions to fill a Bunn Airpot Brewer and I'm hoping for something they can just dump the beans in and hit grind once.

I'm trying to keep things as simple as I can for them since it will be dining hall employees (who may or may not care about good coffee) grinding the coffee. 

Ok then ... how about a Bunn Pro Grinder:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bunn-Commercial-Coffee-Grinder-model-LPG_W0QQitemZ180258485449QQihZ008QQcategoryZ53305QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

$150.00 + shipping and handling. "Bunn Commercial Coffee Grinder model LPG"

Is that large enough for you?

That is the precise grinder I bought for our company off eBay 3 years ago (think I paid $225 shipped).  Still going strong, and I think the burrs will last for a lot longer.  Remember, what we would consider heavy use is not really that heavy.  Think of something like a Denny's, making 50, 100, 200+ batches of coffee a day - that is heavy use.

When using eBay, make sure they offer some sort of replacement if DOA or it fails in the first 30 days.  Many of these sellers have dozens of the same model, so they can offer something like that.

I bought the gourmet funnel (just a bigger metal funnel) for our airpot brewer, and it did not fit.  I modified the LPG grinder, and it has worked great ever since.

[ButtWhiskers]

I've gotten great performance from my KitchenAid Proline.  It has a glass bin, but that could be removed and grounds caught in a filter basket.  They're built like a tank, and parts will be available for the next 48.5 years.  I bought a new set of burrs just to have on hand, and they were only $24 for the set.  I wouldn't recommend it for espresso, but then you don't need that.

KitchenAid grinder

If this is built like a tank, it must be a Yugoslavian or Pakistani training model.      Mine broke twice (the drive pin shears off very easily and is not a user replaceable item).  The only good thing about the experience was that it drove me to buy a couple of Mazzers.  Then KitchenAid started billing me for the second replacement, as they said they never received my broken one (which I returned with their postage paid mailer that the new one arrived in).  Pi$$ed me off so bad that when I needed a mixer I wound up buying a 430-watt Oster so I would never have to deal with KitchenAid's crummy customer service again.

[milowebailey]

You said a dorm right?  Go with the bunn commercial.  College kids will be rough on anything so I'd stay away from anything light duty or anything with a glass coffee bin.  $150 is a great price for the bunn.

[Shannon22]

Thanks for all the advice, it's why I love this club (oh and the beans are alright, too!). 

'Grinds coffee right into brew basket.'  Big enough and sounds like what I'm looking for... and the price is right.

Chris, what's the benefit of the larger funnel?

[Chris]

Thanks for all the advice, it's why I love this club (oh and the beans are alright, too!). 

'Grinds coffee right into brew basket.'  Big enough and sounds like what I'm looking for... and the price is right.

Chris, what's the benefit of the larger funnel?

I found that the stock plastic funnel was too small for the amount of coffee I wanted to use for 2 & 3 liter airpots.  Well it wasn't too small per se, but it would overflow if the coffee was fresh due to bloom.  So I went with the gourmet funnel.  It was sort of expensive ($60 new?), and will not fit in the stock LPG without modification.  It also requires a different size of filter.  If you are not having bloom problems, do not worry about it for now.  Otherwise, make sure the grinder you get will accept the "Gourmet Funnel".

[ButtWhiskers]

Thanks for all the advice, it's why I love this club (oh and the beans are alright, too!). 

'Grinds coffee right into brew basket.'  Big enough and sounds like what I'm looking for... and the price is right.

Chris, what's the benefit of the larger funnel?

I found that the stock plastic funnel was too small for the amount of coffee I wanted to use for 2 & 3 liter airpots.  Well it wasn't too small per se, but it would overflow if the coffee was fresh due to bloom.  So I went with the gourmet funnel.  It was sort of expensive ($60 new?), and will not fit in the stock LPG without modification.  It also requires a different size of filter.  If you are not having bloom problems, do not worry about it for now.  Otherwise, make sure the grinder you get will accept the "Gourmet Funnel".

I second this!  The  plastic funnel will actually pop off due to bloom on occasion!  When the coffee expands it causes the plastic to buckle, and that is a mess royale.  There's a guy on eBay that sells the metal ones for $46 from time to time.  Definitely worth the investment.  I so love my CW15-APS, I can fill 7 2.5L airpots an hour, and it brews at 202?F so the quality is top notch.