I need to get grinder for our drip station. Anyone has any suggestions?

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What are you looking to get out of your grinder?
What do you want to spend?
Do you have any restrictions (height, looks, etc) for the grinder?
What bulk grinders have you considered/already looked into?
What ones do you currently favor?

For starters you can look at Coffee Grinders on www.espressoparts.com.

-bry
I've always heard good things about Ditting grinders.
We put Bunn G1s in all of our stores. It's not the best out there, but it is a great all around grinder for the price.

To echo Fraser, Ditting makes great grinders too, but the price point is close to double the cost.
Well, yeah, as a (what I thought was obvious) really common, general feeling is that Ditting makes arguably the best bulk grinders for shops. The Mahlkonig Guatemala is a fine grinder as well.

That being said, the only grinders I have ever put into shops are Bunn "G" series grinders. Not because I prefer them over the other two, but because when push comes to shove, there generally isn't money in the budget for the higher class bulk grinders. I would rather put the money towards a higher grade espresso grinder than a high grade bulk grinder.

-bry
I should have been a little more clear.

It's easy to pick up used Bunn G series grinders and give them a thorough cleaning, replace the burrs and have a grinder that is like new. It is not easy to find used Ditting grinders because they last so long and generally only go into shops that really stick around, or cupping labs. Because of this, the price comparison is a used Bunn grinder vs. a new Ditting grinder.

If you are buying new no matter what, I would definitely get a Ditting, they are not much more at all. If you can afford it, the Mahlkonig is a dream machine.

-bry

Bryan Wray said:
Well, yeah, as a (what I thought was obvious) really common, general feeling is that Ditting makes arguably the best bulk grinders for shops. The Mahlkonig Guatemala is a fine grinder as well.

That being said, the only grinders I have ever put into shops are Bunn "G" series grinders. Not because I prefer them over the other two, but because when push comes to shove, there generally isn't money in the budget for the higher class bulk grinders. I would rather put the money towards a higher grade espresso grinder than a high grade bulk grinder.

-bry
So then the next question is: how many coffees do you offer? If I would have a house, a decaf, a single origin and a flavored - does it mean I have to get 4 grinders?
Barbara, what sort of arrangement do you envision here? There are two main possibilities that immediately come to mind:

1. You get a standard (large) bulk grinder, like the ubiquitous Bunn, and either pre-portion or measure coffee as it is ordered, and toss it into the grinder hopper every time you get an order. This is the way the (admittedly few) drip bars I've seen do it.
2. You buy a couple of smaller "espresso style" grinders, only in doserless version, like a modded Mazzer Mini or SJ, Rancilio Rocky doserless, etc. This would limit how many coffees you could offer at-the-ready, since they have bean hoppers.

Method in ATL had a bunch of little plastic containers that contained pre-measured whole-bean portions of the coffees that were on tap for the day that they would chuck in the bulk grinder as they were ordered (option 1 above). Since there was no hopper and no flavored coffees used (which in my opinion, don't belong on a drip station anyway) they used the same grinder for all coffees. There would be no limit to the number of coffees you could offer. This is what I plan to do in our bar when i figure out how to fit a drip bar into the space...

If you went with option 2, and used the hoppers on the grinders to store your whole bean coffee (like you do on the espresso bar) you would be limit your number of coffees offered. I suppose you could use them with re-portioned coffees and just not use the hopper but they don't operate quite as well with just a handful of coffee in them. Your proposed layout would lead you in one direction or the other.
My vision is the option 1. It's just such a leap for drip coffees here in South Florida. My partner is very wary of going with a drip station vs. airpots. But I really want to have a good quality coffee with least amount of waste.

Brady said:
Barbara, what sort of arrangement do you envision here? There are two main possibilities that immediately come to mind:

1. You get a standard (large) bulk grinder, like the ubiquitous Bunn, and either pre-portion or measure coffee as it is ordered, and toss it into the grinder hopper every time you get an order. This is the way the (admittedly few) drip bars I've seen do it.
2. You buy a couple of smaller "espresso style" grinders, only in doserless version, like a modded Mazzer Mini or SJ, Rancilio Rocky doserless, etc. This would limit how many coffees you could offer at-the-ready, since they have bean hoppers.

Method in ATL had a bunch of little plastic containers that contained pre-measured whole-bean portions of the coffees that were on tap for the day that they would chuck in the bulk grinder as they were ordered (option 1 above). Since there was no hopper and no flavored coffees used (which in my opinion, don't belong on a drip station anyway) they used the same grinder for all coffees. There would be no limit to the number of coffees you could offer. This is what I plan to do in our bar when i figure out how to fit a drip bar into the space...

If you went with option 2, and used the hoppers on the grinders to store your whole bean coffee (like you do on the espresso bar) you would be limit your number of coffees offered. I suppose you could use them with re-portioned coffees and just not use the hopper but they don't operate quite as well with just a handful of coffee in them. Your proposed layout would lead you in one direction or the other.
We use Bunn G for our drip station station. We currently offer a dozen different coffees brewed to order. Have a scale next to grinder, weigh for each grind. Different weight for different size cups. If you're selling whole beans Bunn also used to grind for customer when needed.

Do not use same grinder for flavored coffees! We do not offer any flavored coffees so not an issue. But if you do offer flavored coffees you will need a flavored coffee dedicated grinder else all your coffees will be tainted by the flavorings.



Barbara Adams said:
So then the next question is: how many coffees do you offer? If I would have a house, a decaf, a single origin and a flavored - does it mean I have to get 4 grinders?
Are you already open and offering flavored coffee or not yet open and thinking you want to? The reason I ask is just that if you want to really focus on quality, offering flavored coffee kind of defeats the purpose. Also it adds to your start-up costs, because as mike said, you'll need additional equipment (in this case an additional bulk grinder just for flavored). Also, you will have to have just one filter dedicated to flavored coffee. You will not be able to "just rinse" the cone and have it be okay, the cone will absorb flavors. So if you get a 4 cup station, you might do two cones for flavored and 2 for non, but if you get 3 orders for flavored, you have somebody waiting, same thing with the variables switched. You don't not want flavored coffee traveling where non-flavored coffee does and the other way around.

Just a heads up...

-bry
We are opening in a few weeks. Somehow I am trying to free myself out of what is customary down here. Somehow I thought I am supposed to offer flavored coffee. But then again, if we offer quality cup, no one will even miss their perfumes...

Bryan Wray said:
Are you already open and offering flavored coffee or not yet open and thinking you want to? The reason I ask is just that if you want to really focus on quality, offering flavored coffee kind of defeats the purpose. Also it adds to your start-up costs, because as mike said, you'll need additional equipment (in this case an additional bulk grinder just for flavored). Also, you will have to have just one filter dedicated to flavored coffee. You will not be able to "just rinse" the cone and have it be okay, the cone will absorb flavors. So if you get a 4 cup station, you might do two cones for flavored and 2 for non, but if you get 3 orders for flavored, you have somebody waiting, same thing with the variables switched. You don't not want flavored coffee traveling where non-flavored coffee does and the other way around.

Just a heads up...

-bry
Barbara

I like the idea of a pour over bar as well! Have you found any links or sites that talk about this subject?

I know if you search BE there are a few pictures, We are 6-12 months away from opening and are looking at all our options, & flavored coffee will not be one of them for sure.

Good luck with your opening :) !!!!!

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