Homeroasters - Home Roasting Coffee Community » GRINDERS » GRINDERS
Who is here? 1 guest(s)
 Print Thread
Bunn G3 ???
Ristretto
Top  #1 Print Post
Posted on 11/02/2018 12:02 PM
Hello all - I have a burning question.
Since my Breville Smart Grinder Pro shredded it's plastic gears, I've been looking at replacing it with a Bunn G3, which I can get re-conditioned for less than $200. I know the G3 grind settings for espresso are very limited, but I rarely changed the Breville from "3" settings except for decaf.

That said...
*Will a G3 produce an espresso grind which equals or exceeds the Breville?

On other forums, the only answer I get is "just buy a $$$$ Italian grinder." That will not happen this year. I hate to repair the Breville for $80 and have it blow up again. I'm hoping this G3 will suffice for my espresso needs after I remove the detent and make it "stepless," as most comments about the G3 are concerning lack of grind settings for espresso.

And yes, some day I will get a trick Italian grinder. Grin
 
jkoll42
Top  #2 Print Post
Posted on 11/08/2018 7:16 PM
Short answer - no. It's not going to produce an acceptable espresso grind and will be worse than the Breville. Likely much worse. If it were me I would repair and keep an eye on Craigslist for a used Super jolly or similar. You would be amazed how frequently used espresso grinders pop up. Don't just search for espresso grinder. Try coffee grinder etc - a lot of time people buy lots from defunct cafes or restaurants and have no clue what they are.
-Jon
Honey badger 1k, Bunn LPG-2E, Technivorm, Cimbali Max Hybrid, ECM Synchronika w/ Flow Control
 
Ristretto
Top  #3 Print Post
Posted on 11/16/2018 9:48 AM
Thanks for the solid advice jkoll42.

As per your advice, I have been watching this:
Mazzer Luigi SRL Super Jolly Timer Espresso Coffee Grinder - $450
It initially posted at $575.
Untill then, the Breville will get repaired ; it's too bad that the only online source for the plastic gear charges almost the same as Breville wants prepaid for parts, repair and return shipping.
 
jkoll42
Top  #4 Print Post
Posted on 11/19/2018 5:21 PM
Yeah that stinks about the gear.

I bought the Cimbali grinder new but just to give you an example of CL deals if you just keep looking...

Little book store/cafe going out of business. Bought a large Bunn 2 hopper grinder for $100, cleaned it up and resold for iirc $350. Bought the "small" backup grinder as well that was never used still factory sealed for $50. That's the LPG-2E I used for drip/pourover.
-Jon
Honey badger 1k, Bunn LPG-2E, Technivorm, Cimbali Max Hybrid, ECM Synchronika w/ Flow Control
 
Ristretto
Top  #5 Print Post
Posted on 11/26/2018 5:05 PM
"And yes, some day I will get a trick Italian grinder. "

You inspired me to find my dream grinder for $100! - Thanks!

I found a Fiorenzato T80 in need of TLC. The doser was useless and removed. The inside needed 2 gallons of Jo-Glo mix to clean. It also needs the adjustment detent post, but it runs super quiet.

The result: a nice super fine grind with the right texture (think micro bb's, not powder).

17 grams in portofilter, 25 sec run, 55 grams output = sweet, caramelly awesome!

Also - the grind output looks larger and fluffy. I think these old burrs have some life left!

Lots of cool mods for this unit. I'm working on the output funnel and the washer mod inside the lower burrset.
 
jkoll42
Top  #6 Print Post
Posted on 11/27/2018 11:18 AM
That's awesome - congrats!
-Jon
Honey badger 1k, Bunn LPG-2E, Technivorm, Cimbali Max Hybrid, ECM Synchronika w/ Flow Control
 
Jump to Forum: