Green Coffee Buying Club
Coffee Discussion boards => Hardware & Equipment => Topic started by: Mass. Wine Guy on September 13, 2015, 07:55:26 AM
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I have a Bodum grinder that I like. I only drink pour over coffee and it works well for this. But its plastic housing comes apart too easily and then is a pita to reassemble.
I want to buy another inexpensive but relatively good grinder, preferably under $200.
Can anyone recommend any?
Thank you!
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:
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Duct-tape.jpg)
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Baratza Encore. Best everything-but-espresso grinder in the known universe.
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Thanks, Peter. I saw that on Amazon. I hear Baratza customer service is good, too.
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Keep an eye on the baratza website for refurbished grinders. I think the refurbished Encore is about $90. Also within your budget you could get Virtuoso with Preciso burrs which would be great for pourover.
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As a matter of fact they have a refurbished Encore available right now.
http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=485R (http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=485R)
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Some Amazon reviews say the Encore is pretty messy.
A Vittuoso with Precious burrs? How much is that I wonder?
Are the inexpensive Capresso machines good?
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Baratza grinders have plastic burr housings. But I like the Baratza Maestro which they have renamed it several times.
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Plastic gear housings sound defective from the start.
I should clarify that I mostly make coffee in a French press.
Do Capresso grinders also have plastic gear housings?
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Plastic gear housings sound defective from the start.
I should clarify that I mostly make coffee in a French press.
Do Capresso grinders also have plastic gear housings?
Everything in that price range has plastic gear housings, but it's a moot point - IOW, it has no impact on the performance of the grinder and little if any impact on longevity.
Well, along those lines... I bought a used Virtuoso on craigslist, and one of the three little tabs on the upper burr carrier snapped. I called to order a new part, explained I bought it used, and they sent a new one... when I asked if I could buy a second one as a backup they threw it in at no charge.
After using this grinder for maybe 5 years, the main drive gear (plastic) wore off a couple teeth. The new ones (supposedly made of a better plastic) are $5. I got the new gear, but it's part of the upgrade package with a new housing and Preciso burrs. Very clear instructions on their site, in both video and PDF format, and I'm back in business for another number of years.
That's why I say Baratza is a smarter buy; a Capresso, etc, might be just as good a grinder for the money, but try fixing one or getting service for it when (not if) it breaks over time. A Baratza is serviceable and you can keep using it for much longer.
If you mainly brew with a press pot, you don't need anything beyond an Encore (the 'new and improved' Maestro Joe mentioned).
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Good points, Peter. Thanks.
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Breville Bcg820 or Bcg800. They're both around $200.
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I have two Baratza's, a Vertuoso in the house maybe 5 years old plus it was used when I purchased it off ebay. my Encore purchased direct from Baratza refurbished for the shop about 2 years ago, I don't think I will ever need to replace them. My Virtuoso motor gear went bad Baratza shipped the part received in two days. For value this is your best option and way under your budget. You can't go wrong with Baratza.
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Breville Bcg820 or Bcg800. They're both around $200.
+1
I really like mine for the money. It has consistent grinds for french and pour over. Some use it for espresso, but it will not go as fine as a grinder dedicated to this purpose.
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Breville Bcg820 or Bcg800. They're both around $200.
+1
I really like mine for the money. It has consistent grinds for french and pour over. Some use it for espresso, but it will not go as fine as a grinder dedicated to this purpose.
But, what will you do when it breaks down in 5 years? I have no idea how good Breville is with customer service, so this is only a simple question. If they're like 99% of businesses nowadays, they'll say 'sorry about that Chief' and expect you to pony up for a new one.
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As a matter of fact they have a refurbished Encore available right now.
[url]http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=485R[/url] ([url]http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=485R[/url])
Gone!
:o
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Someone was quick on the draw. :D
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Breville Bcg820 or Bcg800. They're both around $200.
+1
I really like mine for the money. It has consistent grinds for french and pour over. Some use it for espresso, but it will not go as fine as a grinder dedicated to this purpose.
But, what will you do when it breaks down in 5 years? I have no idea how good Breville is with customer service, so this is only a simple question. If they're like 99% of businesses nowadays, they'll say 'sorry about that Chief' and expect you to pony up for a new one.
I had always assumed that I could obtain parts for this grinder from Breville, since I have read posts online stating just that. However, it just occurred to me that I do not know that first hand . I sent an email to Breville to confirm. I will report back with their response.
As far as durability is concerned, I've been using mine for over 4 years without an issue. However, now that I type it I'm sure it will break tomorrow. ;)
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Nice looking dog Badam!
;)
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As a matter of fact they have a refurbished Encore available right now.
[url]http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=485R[/url] ([url]http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=485R[/url])
I decided to grab one, and replace my Capresso grinder.
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I decided to grab one, and replace my Capresso grinder.
Wow ... you mean you got 1.
I just checked and Baratza says that they are all out of the refurbs.
???
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Someone was quick on the draw. :D
Guess I was lucky yesterday - looks like these refurbs appear regularly.
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Guess I was lucky yesterday - looks like these refurbs appear regularly.
Yes, I guess so. May I ask how much it was with shipping in?
Thanks.
:)
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Shipping was $28, so the total is $127.
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Shipping was $28, so the total is $127.
That's interesting. Prima Coffee sells one brand new for $129 with free shipping.
(https://static.prima-coffee.com/styles/pc_product_main/s3/baratza-485-encore-front.jpg?itok=apeLii0Z) (https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/baratza/encore)
Click image for link.
:)
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I hear Baratza customer service is good, too.
That's an understatement. We are fortunate enough to live an hour away from their office. Pierce is the one who I normally deal with. He's a stand up guy all around, and they love coffee like we do. Here are my two experiences with customer service at Baratza...
I bought a pound of beans from a roaster and threw some in our Vario. I heard a loud crunch and whine after 5-6 seconds. I got it all apart, and it was a rock from the beans. I called Baratza first to review my options to repair the unit. They suggested I bring it in for them to look at, so we did. After a few minutes of looking at it, they concluded it shouldn't have broke even with the rock, so they gave us a new one.
Three years later, we were living in New Hampshire when the grinder started making an odd whining sound. I e-mailed customer support. Pierce suggested the issue was with the circuit board and the mechanism they use to spin the motor. He informed me they have newer components out since we bought ours, and offered to send me the new parts if I was agreeable to replacing them myself. Pierce walked me through how to replace the parts, so we agreed I could handle it. Two days later, a box with the new parts was on my porch.
For us, the grinders are amazing and the customer service is even amazinger. We won't buy another brand of grinder for daily use (I did pick up a neat old Zassenhaus hand grinder just for fun on some days). If this Vario ever stops working, we'll buy another one without even shopping around.
It's been about five years now with the Vario, and it shows no signs of breaking down.
-Mike
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Shipping was $28, so the total is $127.
That's interesting. Prima Coffee sells one brand new for $129 with free shipping.
(https://static.prima-coffee.com/styles/pc_product_main/s3/baratza-485-encore-front.jpg?itok=apeLii0Z) (https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/baratza/encore)
Click image for link.
:)
$28 for shipping is kind of high. If that's the case I would go with the new grinder from Prima.
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Nice looking dog Badam!
;)
Thank you! He's a little monster, haha. He is begging for something in the picture, we'll assume it was coffee. 8)
On another note I heard back from Breville. They said replacement parts were available and sent me to a site where I could purchase inane things like a grounds container or cleaning brush, but there was a listing for replacement burrs (top only :/). I had read a thread years ago that said Breville would sell a replacement motor and burrs (bottom included), but the rep did not address that part of my question.
Hi Adam,
Thank you for contacting Breville consumer support. Replacement parts are available for the BCG800XL.
[url]http://www.brevilleusa.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=bcg800xl&order=price[/url] ([url]http://www.brevilleusa.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=bcg800xl&order=price[/url])
Best regards,
Daniel Casarez
Consumer Service Specialist