First question, have you ever tried them?
http://www.coffeejudge.co.uk/ikea-ka...t-coffee-beans
So what is it about Ikea beans that makes you post such a demeaning comment about them?
Further thoughts on this rainy Thursday about manual mills, after roughly eight months with Orphan Espresso's Lido 3 and eight weeks with Made by Knock's Feldgrind...
I got sick of messing around with the grind setting on my Mazzer to switch between brewed coffee and espresso, and I wanted something I could take on the road as well, so I decided to get a Lido 3 earlier this year. I stand by my original assessment: it's the grinder to have for low-volume non-espresso use, period. (It beats anything with an electric motor for the money, and is fast enough that the manual operation doesn't bother me in the least. And it does a great job with espresso, too, it's just that I don't see the point of using a manual grinder for that method other than noise and budget.)
But during my last visit to Oslo, there were a few of those always-sold-out-on-their-manufacturer's-site Feldgrind dealies at Tim Wendelboe, so I decided to get one as a travel grinder, as it's way less bulky than the Lido, and I do like my coffee toys:
And despite its smaller size, they both pack roughly the same diameter conical burr set in high-quality hardened steel:
The FG's burrs ride on a burly stainless steel shaft supported by precision cartridge bearings, compared to the also-playless brass bushings of the L3. If you hold it by the handle and spin the body, it'll keep going for an impressively-high number of revolutions. Even the knob on the handle appears to ride on tiny little ball bearings, and it's essentially frictionless. The whole thing is very well-machined and beautifully put together, and the only non-metallic components are the O-rings, the paint on the dial, and the bearing seals. It looks and feels like a top-end bicycle hub (e.g. Industry Nine or Chris King), except for making coffee. Clearly, this thing is no joke.
Also noteworthy is its easier-to-adjust grind setting dial:
(The Lido's system is excellent, too. Though some report that it's difficult to use, I figure that says more about their lack of mechanical finesse than any deficiency in the Lido's simple and good adjustment setup. The non-numbered collar isn't an issue, either — I just use a piece of tape to mark my typical Aeropress starting point.)
So let's check out how the grind looks straight out of the burrs:
And see how much is left inside:
The Feldgrind is as close to a true zero-retention grinder as it gets, although the Lido also achieves that distinction if you give it a few taps after use, especially with a light spritz of water on the beans before grinding to kill the static. Both are extremely clean to transport and won't leave a trail of fines everywhere.
And both provide grind quality that's consistent enough to rival the likes of the pro-grade Mahlkönig EK43. (There was a small nerding-out session after a barista championship and nobody could pick a winner between these two, the fantastic manual Commandante and the EK43. If they look slightly different, it's because the Lido was set a bit finer and I didn't bother re-doing the photo.):
So far, it appears that the Feldgrind equals or beats the Lido in every area except capacity. Heck, it's even a bit quieter in use.
But does the little guy have any disadvantages compared to its bulkier cousin? Unfortunately... yes. It has one significant weakness: lack of speed.
With the same dose and grind setting, it seems to take over triple the time to actually grind stuff compared to the Lido. Counting turns confirms this — for my default 17 g Aeropress dose, the Feldgrind needs over 100 turns and at least a full minute, whereas the Lido rips through the same amount in around 30 turns of the crank and 15-20 seconds. Strangely enough, the cranking effort is too similar to tell apart, even though the Lido's burrs are obviously far more aggressive and it doesn't have those free-spinning cartridge bearings.
So I'll be keeping the Lido 3 as my daily brew grinder — the accidental-folding issue with the handle I mentioned in that June post hasn't recurred even once — and the Feldgrind will be for travel. Swap the L3's burrs into the FG and you'd have the ultimate manual grinder, but for now, there's a role for both. And for anyone who's considering one over the other, it just depends on whether speed or size is the priority. (Personally, I'd rather deal with a larger grinder than a slow one for daily use, so I'd be sticking with the Lido if I could only choose one.)
I hope this stuff wasn't too boring, and feel free to tell me whether you think I'm a stupid idiot or whatever if you disagree with any of it. :)
Nothing to do with the grinder question, but there'll be discounts at
http://www.elektros.it/gb/en/
tomorrow. Discount code is BCFRIDAY. I can vouch for the shop (a google will bring up plenty of positive experiences) if you see anything you like.
Looks like we have a new contender for manual grinder supremacy — the rather serious-looking Kinu M47:
image credit: dailycoffeenews
Though I have absolutely no complaints about the Lido or the Feldgrind, I might just have to get my hands on one of these babies before the national brewing championship. :D
USD275 for the M47, though there's a 38-mm-burr M38 version priced at USD199 that would probably be more suitable for travel. At home, I only use my electric Mazzer for espresso now; the fast and quiet Lido 3 is ideal for the brew grinds that I drink more frequently.
For me, the Feldgrind is still the one to beat for travel, though.
I'm not an expert but recently bought a Sage Smart Grinder Pro and am very happy with it. That said I don't do anything fancy with it and only use it for french press grinds.
https://www.sageappliances.co.uk/the-smart-grinder.html
^
The burrs on that thing look legit.
As far as equipment goes, a decent grinder will make the most noticeable difference in the quality your coffee, and French press brewing benefits from it as much as any other method.
Would it be sacrilege to grind coffee beans with my nutri-ninja?
Thanks. Back to the hand grinder then. Just a thought that popped into my head, randomly!
Speaking of manual grinders, here are some of the large-burr-set options pictured together to help give a sense of their sizes in case anyone's considering them:
Comanadante C40 (Mk III) / OE Lido 3 / MBK Feldgrind
The burr sets are similar in diameter, despite external appearances. On the caliper, I measured outlet sizes of 32 mm for the L3, 30 mm for the Comandante, and 29.5 mm for the Feldgrind.
But the L3's burr set is by far the speediest; it rips through beans at over double the pace of the other two, neither of which I'd consider to be slow compared to the typical Hario/Porlex/Rhino options. And all three provide exceptionally-consistent grind quality. :)
what is the handle like on the commandante? does it come off with vigorous grinding like the cheaper vario grinder?
i have used the feldgrind a lot but the weight is an issue for travelling so the commandante looks interesting.
might see if can blag one for a review in caffeine magazine.
The handle is brilliant. The interface is via a precision hex shaft with about 20 mm of solid engagement, and it uses strong magnets on both ends to keep it firmly in place. No chance of it coming undone inadvertently. :)
However, you won't save any weight with the C40; at 633 g of mostly solid steel, it's heavier yet than the FG's 588 g.
Last edited by Belligero; 1st February 2017 at 13:51.
Hi, sorry for the delay in replying. I'm still very happy with it. I can't compare to any other grinders and solely use it for French Press, but it's been great. Initially I thought the whole digital display / timed grinding etc would be a gimmick but I find it really useful. I wake up and without needing to think press one button and I get exactly the amount of coffee I want for my French Press at exactly the right grind size. And the reservoir holds a fair amount so I don't need to refill too often. It's also easy to clean which I do about once every month or so. Any other questions let me know....
I got an Aergrind for Xmas it replaces my Porlex (now in the Sales forum :)). I'm impressed with the build quality seems to be made of hefty steel and so has a decent weight to it. Once I googled the adjustment, due to paucity of manual, the setting was easy to do. The handle rotation has a very nice smooth lovely action. I reckon it now takes 2/3 the time of the Porlex to grind the same amount. I have found that there is retention of coffee so that I need to brush it off. Not sure if this is the coffee or the grind currently set at 1.6 for an Aeropress. The Porlex is easy to take apart and clean but at present I'd hesitate for the Aergrind. Overall I feel I have a fair upgrade then again it did cost substantially more. It was purchased in store from H.R. Higgins in London so I had no wait time. Incidentally this is a nice old (though now spruced up a bit) coffee shop to visit. Both to buy tea and coffee or use the small cafe in the basement. It's located on Duke Street near Selfdridges.
Thanks for that...I'll look forward to further reports once you used your Aergrid for a while.
Meanwhile, I'd recommend that you try the Ross Droplet Technique to eliminate the static when grinding (see #107...the video should work although it appears to be greyed out). This really does work. I give my 26 g of beans a couple of squirts of water from one of these (152601834166):
...and I there is minimal retention in the grinder.
I wasn't familiar with Knock's new Aergrind and so found this overview a good introduction (more so than www.madebyknock.com):
Youtube video: Aergrind Setting Selection.
Last edited by PickleB; 4th January 2018 at 14:44.
Forget about that one; the thing is made of Chinese parts. :(
Ehhh...?
I think the crank handle and base disk are made in China. At least that is what delays were attributed to. The burrs I think are Italmill from Italy. Regradless as a package it seems to get very good reviews so far and I am happy with it.
Seems that the Iberital I've been using for many years is currently available at a 10% discount. The fact that i've not considered any sort of replacement, at any price, since it arrived is a testament to how good these thing are for home use
Cheers for the info on the droplet technique. I had one scoop worth of the beans left and it did make a difference. I have now tried a completely different brand without any drops and that has far less static cling anyway. So it does look fairly bean/conditions dependant.
A point to note is that the body of your Aergrind is made of aluminium (rather than steel as suggested above) and this may well help in reducing the static. My Lido grinder has an anti-static plastic catch jar, but if I miss out on the water spray I wonder what's gone wrong (it happened).
I was given one of these to try last week, it’s a big improvement over the rhinowares one that also fits in the aeropress, slightly bigger steel burrs and a lot easier to turn/grind and a bit faster too. It’s a very nicely made bit of kit. Mine says 'BETA' on the side but I don’t think there are any differences to a production model.
I was given it at as the first owner (who runs a coffee magazine) also has one of the bigger Made by Knock grinders which is a very nice bit of kit if a bit heavy for traveling.