Low on funds, and want a redneck coffee grinder in that there must be a tool in shop which grinds coffee beans (small amounts at a time) without having to resort to the overly expensive weak-assed motors in the consumer brands like Gaggia.
Any idea what toolbox tool we already have that grinds coffee well?
A hammer? Maybe put your coffee beans in a bag first. Good luck! : )
why not get the coffee grinder you feel does the job, and find some additional use for it out in the shop?
Blender
Sure. I keep a blender in my toolbox at all times! (who is this bozo?)
Hammer!
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One of the most important traits of an excellent coffee bean grinder is that it outputs a uniform particle size. For that, you'll need a conical burr machine.
No tool here even comes close.
Paint paddle on a cordless, Nope. Cement mixing drum, Nope. A file of some description, Nope. Festool Coffee Grinder, that does not exist yet.
Maybe a drill using a conical drill bit with a metal funnel as the container?
Conical drill bit:
Steel funnel:
Does it sound like it would work?
Make an attachment for your 1/2" router. That should have enough power for you.
Or he/she could buy this one on ebay for 10 bucks delivered ...
Build your own:
Other options:
Per Terry Coombs:
Call me lazy, but I find that grinding by hand gets *really* old
*really* fast if you are doing more than a cup or so.
I agree, but when you're looking to sub a shop tool, that criteria probably went out the window.
Similar situation re: too much work/being lazy.
We recently tried a couple of different coffee makers that grind the coffee just prior to brewing it. One was fairly fancy, with customizable grind settings, brew strength options, etc. The other was more basic - just grind and brew.
Both machines had one thing in common: they required extensive cleaning after each use. The basket for the grounds has too many nooks and crannies to allow for a quick dump of the filter/grounds into the garbage. You have to rinse it with a sprayer from multiple directions, then spray the grounds out of the sink, etc. That doesn't include the nooks/crannies/chutes within the machine itself where grounds can get stuck. The higher end machine had 3 different pieces that had to be removed in order to perform a proper cleaning.
We went back to grinding a few days worth with a counter top electric grinder and keeping the grounds in a sealed container. Sure, the grinding does require some cleanup, but it's once every few days as part of the grinding process, not the PITA clean-up that the other machines required every day, sometimes twice a day.
I'm using a B&D electric burr grinder that's like 10 years or so old , a
10 second grind makes a 5 cup pot just the way I like it . When we were cooking in the camper I'd grind enough for a couple of weeks at a time - didn't want to wake the wife every morning . There's very little cleanup involved with this unit . The OP wanted a cheap solution , I gave one ...
Is your B&D grinder built into the coffee maker or it is a separate unit?
Real-life suggestion:
Buy a used Zassenhaus hand grinder. I got mine fer $15 at an antique store. I say "used", meaning an older model. Not to worry. Older Zazzies have hardened steel conical burrs. The newer models, the burrs are not hardened steel.
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I disagree.
Uniform particles size IS critical for espresso. Not so fer coffee. If you use a drip filter, a hammer is good enough.
Also, one of the biggest names in commercial espresso grinders is Mazzer. I have a Mazzer Super Jolly. It has flat burrs. Sure, I'd prefer a conical, but Mazzer has proven they are not necessary and my personal bias is merely that. ;)
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