... and unfortunately the budget doesn't allow for a $200 Virtuoso. I've been cold brewing coffee lately, which calls for a rougher grind. I've found about 20, 1 second pulses to be the most consistent method (which is still not really consistent at all).
Any Advice/tips for us bladed warriors out there? (also known as poor schlubs)
Yeah, don't buy blade grinders! Also, you can find decent burr grinder for around $50, which probably isn't far from a spinning blade, and for the difference in results, it's worth it.
What extraction technic are you using? Because I don't think it would impact a lot a drip extraction, on the other end, espresso will suffer!
I'm mostly French pressing. Whether that be a 4 minute hot press, or a 12 hour cold. The wife uses the Kuerig so Theres no concern (other than bad kups) there. I have one of those stovetop espresso makers, but pretty much buy pre-ground espresso for that.
@HotSauceMagik: For both french press and moka pot, consistency is very important. I really have no usable tip for you, other than, when you can afford it, get a burr grinder.
With blade grinders, I would shake the grinder up and down to try to get a more consistent grind. I don't know if it really helps but it seems to do the job. I also do short pulses and check the grind to make sure I don't over grind when doing a French press.
That's the one lane and I have, it works pretty well. But I'm thinking of getting a backup, just in case. I use it quite a lot (about one and a half Starbucks bags of beans a week, sometimes more), but I'm a little concerned: last time I bought coffee from Starbucks, I messed it and took ground instead of beans, and I reground it... bad idea, I thought the thing was going to stall. In clear, don't do it. Other than that, it's a pretty good thing, small, cheap, efficient. Nothing much to say about it other than that. Also, I had it for two years.
That's the one lane and I have, it works pretty well. But I'm thinking of getting a backup, just in case. I use it quite a lot (about one and a half Starbucks bags of beans a week, sometimes more), but I'm a little concerned: last time I bought coffee from Starbucks, I messed it and took ground instead of beans, and I reground it... bad idea, I thought the thing was going to stall. In clear, don't do it. Other than that, it's a pretty good thing, small, cheap, efficient. Nothing much to say about it other than that. Also, I had it for two years.
My two complaints about that grinder is that the grind setting seems a little too fine for the setting and the other is that there is some fine powder in the grinds, but not too much. The grind setting is no big deal since I just set it where it looks good after some testing grinds. The fine powder is not too bad for such an inexpensive grinder so I am okay with that.
This grinder is temporary but it is working well I may just use it until it breaks.
We really need a section to post our own testing on products.
@viderian: Really? Fine powder? I don't have that issue (yet?). And for the grinding fineness, I'd say you have quite a great range, even for french press (which I really rarely use), I don't go all the way up, on the other hand, for espresso, it's almost not fine enough on the finest setting, just a couple clicks more would have been perfect.
Hey, you're free to start a thread on this grinder really, and other users might want to weigh in, and then you could add it to your first post... just sayin'. That's kind of how it's been working.
@viderian: Really? Fine powder? I don't have that issue (yet?).
There is a fine powder that sticks to the side of the hopper where it gets ejected into the hopper. I may take a picture this weekend after I buy some more coffee this afternoon.
@viderian: If I'm remembering correctly, I believe this tends to happen when the burrs get dull. I feel like I read something about that when looking at grinders a while back.
Any Advice/tips for us bladed warriors out there? (also known as poor schlubs)
Also, you can find decent burr grinder for around $50, which probably isn't far from a spinning blade, and for the difference in results, it's worth it.
What extraction technic are you using? Because I don't think it would impact a lot a drip extraction, on the other end, espresso will suffer!
I have been using this lately since my old grinder broke, http://www.amazon.com/Krups-GVX2-12-KRUPS-Burr-Grinder/dp/B0001I9R8W/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1307106466&sr=1-2 At $54.44 it works pretty well.
Other than that, it's a pretty good thing, small, cheap, efficient. Nothing much to say about it other than that. Also, I had it for two years.
This grinder is temporary but it is working well I may just use it until it breaks.
We really need a section to post our own testing on products.
Hey, you're free to start a thread on this grinder really, and other users might want to weigh in, and then you could add it to your first post... just sayin'.
That's kind of how it's been working.
There is a fine powder that sticks to the side of the hopper where it gets ejected into the hopper. I may take a picture this weekend after I buy some more coffee this afternoon.