[Paganini Alfredo]

Well, the grinder have is terrible then. The ground coffee has uneven chunks in it... and you say that a good grinder that will properly grind starts at around $70? Whew. I guess  you get what you pay for!

 

[El_Doug]

Quote:

 
The most important aspect of grinding coffee is evenness or consistency of grind. 

 
i think i said that  
 
Quote:

 
Each of the granules must be the same same size in order for extraction to be uniform.  Smaller granules extract flavor too soon while large granules under-extract.  Compared to absolutely even grind size the flavor of the finished product is dramatically different.  A good grinder produces evenly sized granules throughout the grind, thus producing far superior coffee. 

 
um... no schiit? 
 
Quote:

This is at least as important with a french press as it is for espresso.

 
I strongly disagree with this statement!  I dunno, that is just such a weird thing to say... I dont even know where to begin :/   Espresso is so much more sensitive to the slightest variations in granule size, in my experience - and I have done a lot of experimentation.  I press every morning, and rarely have a bad cup - only different - within reasonable grind ranges.  This is the least I can say for espresso, which often will not even come out of the portafilter if the grind is too small! 
 
 
 
 
i appreciate your zealousness on the issue, however I think your aggressive response is due to a misunderstanding:  i was not suggesting that blade grinders were sufficient for press coffee, nor was I saying that grind did not matter for a press.  rather, I think one can easily use a capresso infinity for a press with fantastic results, whereas I would not use less than my baratza vario for espresso.  i think that if you only press, the money is better spent elsewhere - headphones, for instance  

 

[gore.rubicon]

Just got me a Zassenhaus 151, does some decent fine grinds, needs work on the coarse for french press (poor consistency), takes quite a bit of tweaking and manual grinding but it seems worth it, significantly better than a black and decker i was using before
 

 

 

 

[kwkarth]

Very nice!

 

[choka]

I was a die-hard french-press fan, but recently for convenience I acquired a DeLonghi Perfecta... the coffee tastes gooood...
 

 

[Albedo]

I drink about 1 liter of coffee pr. day and use a Moccamaster type: 741.73B model: H, a cheaper version of the KBC-741. I'm not that into espresso so a Bialetti Brikka and two plates does the job, one on max and the other maintaining the pressure. For grinding I use a Krups GVX242, not that good for espresso as the powder gets a little too hot, but for my regular cup of coffee it's good. 
 
Having a grinder opened up a whole new world for me, now beans that's been through the digestive system of a catlike being in the Sumatra jungle actually sounds intriguing.

 

[Ash]

I am a serious coffee nut... or at least so I thought, till I saw this thread!
I have all kinds of beans from all over the world over the last 4 years and have been surprised as well as disappointed.
My equipment seems to be the limiting factor... I am using a cheap/free Gevalia coffee machine and a Cuisinart entry level grinder - http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-580-01-Disk-Grinder-Black/dp/B001G8Y2NG/ref=sr_1_13?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285329577&sr=8-13
Although the grinder is ok, it has its issues... inconsistency in grinds and cleaning issues.
 
I recently got the go ahead from the LOML to upgrade the coffee rig. I am looking for better grinder and a good coffee machine that can do justice to the $$ I spend on the beans. I would like the option of being able to make lattes and cappacinos. I am not a big espresso drinker. Ideally a machine that can do everything from grinding to brewing would be preferred!
Budget - under a grand, the lower the better!
 
Please advise!

 

[Albedo]

I've seen many (in fact quite a lot) user reviews and recommendations of the combo Rancilio Silvia + Rocky, about 1K for a new one (Version 3), but you could get a fairly new one (Version 2) for about $750 + shipping: http://coffeegeek.com/forums/members/buysell/493893
 
An older Silvia goes for about $375: http://coffeegeek.com/forums/members/buysell/498007

 

[Veemo]

I started going to a coffeehouse in Portland and getting coffee made with this ugly little SOB
http://www.amazon.com/ABID-CO-LTD-C-70888-Dripper/dp/B0047W70GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292565047&sr=8-1
I like using my pour-over at home. It's quick, and simple to use and clean, though hard to make consistently. This looks like it solves the consistency problem. Basically it's a pour-over with a plug at the bottom, so you can let your coffee brew like with a French Press, then filter like a pour-over. All I can say is that it makes the best coffee I've ever had. Really amazing.
 
Also, has anyone ever used one of these? 
http://www.amazon.com/HARIO-Coffee-Grinder-Mini-Mill/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1292565023&sr=8-7
I've heard good things, I think this and the Clever Coffee maker could be a good pair for under a hundred bucks.

 

[azncookiecutter]

Quote:

Also, has anyone ever used one of these? 
http://www.amazon.com/HARIO-Coffee-Grinder-Mini-Mill/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1292565023&sr=8-7
I've heard good things, I think this and the Clever Coffee maker could be a good pair for under a hundred bucks.

My dad actually got this a while back, it's pretty decent for making press grinds. There's slightly more dust compared to the electric Capresso burr grinder that I use, but for something that cheap, it's to be expected. The handle is detachable, so it's slightly annoying to grind when you're doing something else like watching TV. Other than that, it's a decent little grinder.

 

[TheAudioDude]

I got a french press for Christmas.  I must say, this is the best coffee I've ever had!  It tastes just like really good restaurant coffee but it's much smoother.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-1928-16US6-Chambord-Coffee-Press/dp/B00005LM0S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293418825&sr=8-1
 
I've been using a Melitta Mill & Brew for the past few years and I've never been able to make coffee as good as the french press.  The coffee would always be slightly bitter and I wouldn't be able to taste the full flavor of the beans... until now.
 
I also got a Cuisinart burr grinder (cheapest one I could find).  Aside from the obvious issue (plastic trapper attracts fine coffee dust), the grounds were very even.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Automatic-CCM-16PC1/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1293418834&sr=8-2
 
These gadgets should serve me well for the next few years. 

 

[Kirosia]

I just purchased an old Solis Crema SL90 for espresso. My grinder (a Maestro Plus) is crud but I'm still not sure how far I want to get into the coffee game, and even then I'd wait for a refurb Vario to appear. Ordered some Redbird Espresso, should arrive in a few days so hopefully I can make something remotely drinkable. 

 

[El_Doug]

If you want to spend a bit less than the Vario (I absolutely love mine, <3 SCG), the Rocky is a great grinder to consider
 
Quote:

I just purchased an old Solis Crema SL90 for espresso. My grinder (a Maestro Plus) is crud but I'm still not sure how far I want to get into the coffee game, and even then I'd wait for a refurb Vario to appear. Ordered some Redbird Espresso, should arrive in a few days so hopefully I can make something remotely drinkable. 

 

[Kirosia]

^ I figure if I go that deep, I'll go for broke. 

 
Freshly roasted (quite possibly a little too fresh). My Maestro wasn't really up-to-par, even at the finest settings, I was getting too quick a shot. Didn't taste too bad (drank like ten shots), though I'm not sure how espresso is supposed to taste. (Nor if I even would like said taste) Still have not been able to steam milk properly. 

 

[Mdraluck23]

One of these: