Clemsonbarista34 Senior Member Joined: 5 Sep 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Clemson, SC Expertise: Just starting
Posted Fri Jul 3, 2009, 10:25pm Subject: Outpunting my coverage?
Hey guys . . . just returned home to South Carolina from 6 month stint in Seattle, and after half a year of Zoka, Ladro, Vivace, Umbria, Vita, D'Arte, Pegasus, Stumptown, etc; I'm having to step up my home game in my new environment devoid of comparable java.
Before my move, I had been operating off of a Francis Francis X3 and a Solis Maestro for a solid year. Although you guys could probably see this coming for a mile, I was irritated recently when the plastic cone on the top of my grinder broke and rendered the whole thing useless. Here's my question:
Is my X3 worth pairing with a 2-300 dollar espresso grinder? I don't want to spend a ton of money on a grinder that would be superfluous for my machine's capabilities. Thoughts? And if so, what models are recommended in that price range - used is fine if available (starting med school on loans and have strict budget but great need for good shots).
P.S. Anyone know where I can buy a double shot basket for my F!F!X3 portafilter?
If the choice is between finding one in that range vs. abandoning espresso until finishing med school, I'd look at the Cunill Tranquilo. For around $250 shipped, it should give you what you need. Yes, it's messy, and no, it's not considered pretty. But it's pretty solid and it has great grind quality for that price range. Or, find a used commercial machine on eBay.
The Tranquilo is a great grinder, and another possibility under $300 shipped is the Vaneli's Stepless Mini Pro III (it's also called the Pasquini Lux if you want to pay an extra $100 for that name). This grinder may be a bit noisy, but it has very good burrs and a stepless adjustment mechanism that I feel is a big advantage for espresso grinding.
I would agree with the aforementioned Cunil Tranquilo ($235). And while I have no personal experience with the Vanelli's Steples Mini Pro III ($249), I would trust JonR's suggestion. And the third sugestion would be the Le'Lit PL53 ($269).
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