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quality budget grinder?
Beaner
Top  #21 Print Post
Posted on 05/17/2013 1:31 AM

Quote

Lawnmowerman wrote:

It is destined for the trash. Nothing on it will be salvaged. More to follow...maybe.


Don't throw away that blade grinder as it can be used to grind other stuff like nuts, chocolate, seeds, etc. I have two of them and am using one of em to grind egg shells to mix in my potted tomato plants.

Glad that the Baratza is working out for you. I bought one and after about 10 grinds it jammed and wouldn't unjam. I sent it back and got the Capressa Infinity. That thing is built like a tank and wouldn't fail on me even with the beating I gave it to shake out grinds. It does however have a couple of things I don't like about it.

One is the hopper lid, it's clear and I've poured a few scoops of beans on the counter thinking the lid was off. I solved that by sticking a postit note on the top to let me know the lid is on. The other thing is the grind collection bin. It has a weird shape and can trap grinds which will spill out the sides when dumping the grinds in a cone. I have to tap the bin to get all the grinds into the middle before I dump. It's a poor design. I'd also like the grinds to be more consistent.

Having said all that I recently sort of killed the Infinity. I wanted to do a deeper cleaning of the lower burr and removed the screw that held it in. That was a mistake. When I removed the lower burr there were 3 ball bearings sitting under it and not an obvious way to determine how exactly they were set during assembly.

I was able to get it back together but the grinds were all the same no matter what setting I chose. I removed the lower burr again and found that one of the springs was bent. Well, I figured that repair would cost at least half of a new one so I bought a new grinder.

I decided to try the Krups GX610050.
http://www.wholel...rinder.cfm

It seems to be a well built grinder and has more consistent grinds. I would like the most course setting to produce courser grinds though and also has more static cling than the Infinity. The verdict is still out on it.

I hope I didn't hijack this thread with my Infinity problem. I was going to make a separate thread on it with pics to see if someone could tell me how the lower burr is supposed to be reassembled. All it needs is a new spring.

That refurbished Gaggia seems like a good deal if I end up returning the Krups.

Anyway, grats on the new Baratza.
 
happycat
Top  #22 Print Post
Posted on 05/18/2013 10:04 PM
FYI the Encore is very easy to take apart and the support staff at Baratza were amazingly responsive to me when I was modding the grinder to grind finer. I've heard great things about their support in general.
 
Lawnmowerman
Top  #23 Print Post
Posted on 05/19/2013 12:50 AM

Quote

ginny wrote:

Hi Ben,

How is it going with your new grinder? Have you noticed a difference from the blade grinder?

Let us know since I am sure other members will be interested in your input.

Ginny.


:smiley-1705.gif:
Blade grinder? The grinder I/we were using is a b and d cbm210.A very cheap burr grinder. I could never get much variation between grind settings with it. And not very consistent grind either. The Barratza; well there is still no comparison. Thanks again for the tip on sacrificing a few beans to get the crud out, Happycat. Now if I can always rrmember to return it to the fine setting before grinding to brew...
Bad coffee prevails when good coffee roasters stand by and do nothing.
 
Lawnmowerman
Top  #24 Print Post
Posted on 05/19/2013 1:09 AM
We do have achopper with the same blade design as a coffee bean chopper. Dont really use it since we acquired(free) a cuisinart. And about the eggshells beaner grinds up. The scale on the bottom of my teakettle looks like the same stuff as eggshell. I put a couple marbles on the bottom and it keeps it clean but the eggshell substance stays inside. When I rinse it , out pours a bunch of eggshells. So if you need to fortify your tomatoes with calcium and have a compulsion to use everything and keep scale from building up on the bottom of your teakettle at the same time...put a couple marbles in it. Did I threadjack my own thread?
Bad coffee prevails when good coffee roasters stand by and do nothing.
 
Beaner
Top  #25 Print Post
Posted on 05/19/2013 10:03 PM
I'll let you be the hijacker. The eggshells are mainly a experiment. Most cases of veggies not getting enough calcium is with watering, either too little or too much. Plants are unable to absorb the calcium very well under those conditions.

Wait, did I just out-hijack you on your thread? Doh!
 
Lawnmowerman
Top  #26 Print Post
Posted on 12/28/2014 4:58 PM
It's been about a year and a half since getting the encore. It has served served very well for my narrow scope of coffee brewing. Before purchasing it, I really had no clue about the specifics of regular cleaning. Things like where to expect buildup of any grounds that remain. I found just recently that a toothpick works better than the brush. Anyway I have one question: I need to purchase a replacement part. It is the plastic ring on the top burr. Is there any place that sells this part without the burr? I haven't been able to find a part number. Thanks in advance. Ben,
Bad coffee prevails when good coffee roasters stand by and do nothing.
 
turtle
Top  #27 Print Post
Posted on 12/28/2014 5:28 PM

Quote

Lawnmowerman wrote:

I need to purchase a replacement part. It is the plastic ring on the top burr. Is there any place that sells this part without the burr? I haven't been able to find a part number. Thanks in advance. Ben,


Burr holder $4

https://www.barat...p;key=6068

If you are talking about the adjustment ring it is $5

https://www.barat...p;key=6376
Edited by JackH on 12/29/2014 11:27 AM
Mick - "Drinking in life one cup at a time"
"I'd rather be roasting coffee"

Roaster 1: San Franciscan SF-1
Roaster 2: Hottop B-2K+
Roaster 3: 2 kilo Chinese drum
Grinders: Mazzer Major - Forte BG (x3)
Pour over: Hario - Bee House - Chemex - Kalita - Bodum
Drip: Bunn CWTF15-1 & CW15-TC (commercials)
Espresso: Pasquini Livia 90 auto
Vacuum: Cona - Bodum
Press: Frieling - Bodum Colombia
 
Lawnmowerman
Top  #28 Print Post
Posted on 12/28/2014 9:10 PM
Thanks, Turtle. It's the burr holder.Is there a way to make the link clickable?
Bad coffee prevails when good coffee roasters stand by and do nothing.
 
Omega
Top  #29 Print Post
Posted on 12/28/2014 11:12 PM
I'll cast another vote for the Baratza Encore.

I've had mine for about 9 months or so and it has worked perfectly. Since I just grind for pour-overs, the demands on the grinder aren't too stringent.

One of the deciding factors in choosing a Baratza grinder was the excellent customer service that I read about, on several forums.

Barry
 
JackH
Top  #30 Print Post
Posted on 12/29/2014 11:29 AM

Quote

Lawnmowerman wrote:

Thanks, Turtle. It's the burr holder.Is there a way to make the link clickable?


All fixed!
---Jack

KKTO Roaster.
 
Lawnmowerman
Top  #31 Print Post
Posted on 12/29/2014 10:24 PM
Very well. I'm all set. I tried a few months back and couldn't find this at their site. I got too impatient and made a phone order with Seattle Coffee Gear but for some reason they weren't inventorying it. They had one, but they had to make up a part number. So this is much better. Now I do have some advice for any other encore users. I you have a tendency to smack your grinder in an attempt to dislodge the grounds DON'T. The motor controller board is directly adjacent to the outer left panel. Over time repeatedly whacking can break component leads and that could be all bad. In my case, I was able to repair the lead before it quit,and I didn't need to buy a board.
Bad coffee prevails when good coffee roasters stand by and do nothing.
 
snwcmpr
Top  #32 Print Post
Posted on 12/31/2014 2:12 PM
I will ditto the great customer support from Baratza. I was talked out of a more expensive upgrade part, he said I didn't need it.

Ken in NC
--------------
Backwoods Roaster
"I wish I could taste as well as I wish I could roast."

As Abraham Lincoln said "Do not trust everything you read on the internet".
 
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