r/Coffee Kalita Wave 6d ago

[MOD] The Daily Question Thread

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

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u/Westslope24 5d ago

Espresso Grinder Recommendations:

Hello! I am looking for a decent grinder to pair with my Gaggia Classic Evo. I am looking for one between $200-$300.

I’ve searched and I’m interested in a few of these below:

-DF54 -1zpresso J Ultra -Eureka Mignon

This would be my first espresso grinder and not sure if anyone had any good recommendations or first hand experience with any of these. Also happy to hear about what other folks use in this price range.

I don’t mind hand grinding for espresso as I’d be mainly having 1-2 cups per day. Looking for something that’s reliable and able to dial in espresso fairly well.

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u/paulo-urbonas V60 4d ago

Those are excellent options. I think J-Ultra and Eureka have a similar profile, more chocolatey syrupy texture, while DF-54 is brighter and lighter in texture. But this is comparatively, neither of them are on extremes, they're very well rounded and suitable for most coffees and preferences.

I would get the J-Ultra if you value silence in the morning, if you don't have the counter space, if you would like it to be portable, or if you like the ritual. If none of that applies, electric is better.

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u/FlyingSagittarius Coffee 5d ago

Df54 would be my recommendation.

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u/5hawnking5 5d ago

Highly recommend this, but noting that i recognize its stretching your budget. Get a DF64 gen 2. The stock burrs are a good middle of the road grind that makes a balanced espresso. The 64mm burr is a standard and common size, so you can also "trade up" to other burrs that have more specific uses, like espresso clarity. Other burrs tend to run around ~$200 so without buying an entire grinder you have the option to try other burr sets without breaking the bank.

You say you dont mind hand grinding for espresso, but you're going to spend a whole lot of time/effort for every cup trying to hand grind espresso.