Hey Tom. I used to have this model back in the day before I got into Espresso and just drank drip coffee. It's really popular and works well for the price. Not a bad grinder at all.
I've loved this grinder for years... for use with my 3420. However when I started doing your "pro" upgrades something wasn't working right. Now that I'm watching this video I see what it is!
Ceramic burrs are not going to be suitable for espresso in general. If you already own an electric drill (cordless or otherwise), you can get a Timemore C2/ C3 for a similar price and use the drill to motorize it (the shaft should be using a 6mm or 1/4" hex). This is what I did with my cheap China hand grinder (with steel conical burrs) before I bought a DF64. The grinder is probably the most important purchase for an espresso setup (aside from non-pressurized baskets if using a cheaper machine) and I wish I knew that earlier in the game.
I really like this video taking a look at cheaper grinders and what the downfalls are but I want to correct one misinformation (actually looked up a few articles for this, links below) So there seem to be 3 types of material for burrs: - stainless Steel - Ceramic - (often referred as) False Here is the thing on why it is important: While Stainless Steel burrrs are machined, False burrs are a cast of some compound, mostly metal particles. I have to admidt that I do not know how ceramic burrs are created, I assume that it is also machined or a combination of casting and machining. And those "ceramic" burrs that you call them in the video are false burrs. They are incredibly dull by nature and grind the coffee mainly by friction for that reason. I kinda felt like I had to point it out because I own a Vario Home V3 (or Baratza Vario) which has ceramic burrs in it and costed around 400€ when it was sold and it grinds espresso even with lighter roasts perfectly. 😅 The main point of this video is still very good and important! Just don't freak out if a manufacturer tells you it uses ceramic burrs in it's grinders by default. ^^ (tho they tend to perform not as well in those cheaper handgrinders like the Hario Mini Slim compared to Steel, the good ones tend to be comparable in cost to the stainless steel ones, while still making more fines but being way more durable. Personally saw better cases on flat burrs than on conical ones, probably because they tend to produce less fines in general) Sources: Steel vs. Ceramic burrs: timscoffee.com/blog/steel-burr-vs-ceramic-burr-coffee-grinders/ Steel vs. Ceramic no. 2: knowyourgrinder.com/ceramic-vs-steel-burr-grinders/ Issue with false burrs: prima-coffee.com/learn/article/grinder-basics/learn-whats-deal-false-burrs/32642 If you have anything to add on, just comment and I'll read it. ^^
Thanks very much for your thorough comment. I was just looking on their website, and they don't actually say what the burrs are made of: www.cuisinart.com/shopping/appliances/coffee_makers/DBM-8P1/ So, I assumed it was ceramic, but that's just supposition. James Hoffmann refers to these kinds of burrs as "mashers" I think. So yes, they crush the beans, or mash them up, rather than cutting with sharp edges. At least that's how I understand it. I am sure the burrs in your Vario are much better. I've seen ceramic knives too, that seemed quite high quality, and were sharp. Anywho, just wanted to review this little guy, since it's so popular in the States. Best, Tom
I have had three in the past few years. I keep them clean. All three died after a few years. All from micro switch malfunctions. The problem on Amazon is you buy it, you live it and give it a great review. Then the thing break after a year or so.
Ich wollte Dich nur mal wissen lassen (vielleicht erinnerst du dich noch an meine Frage bezüglich der einfachen Espressi mit einer Dedica), dass ich jetzt meine Mühle tatsächlich verbessert habe und mit der Dedica sehr zufriedenstellende Ergebnisse erzielen kann. Ich hab mir eine Commandante geholt. Die Mühle ist halt extrem gut und mit dem Red Click Update ließe sich da wahrscheinlich sogar auf Ristrettoniveau arbeiten. Insgesamt ist es doch immer wieder erstaunlich, was für unglaubliche Leistungen man mit der Dedica erzielen kann, wenn man bereit ist, ein paar Upgrades und Zeit zu investieren um sie perfekt zu beherrschen. Mit richtiger Temperaturkonstanz, Flow usw. kann man der Maschine Ergebnisse entlocken die man ohne Probleme mit viel teureren Setups vergleichen kann. Gerade da häufig bis 1500€ eh nur Vibrationspumpen ähnlicher Bauart verbaut werden. Schon sehr sehr spannend. Ich glaube wüsste nicht, dass der Sprung zu 500-750€ Modellen so viel bringt. Erst ab 1000€ sieht man soweit ich weiß echt erhebliche Unterschiede, wenn man die Maschinen bestens beherrscht, also wenn's nur um Espresso und nicht um Milchschaum geht.
Vielen dank für dein Feedback! Ich muss dir zustimmen. Ich find auch, dass die meisten anderen Maschinen nicht viel besser sind, bis man wirklich viel Geld in der Hand nimmt, und zu einem Lelit Bianca, Ascaso Steel Duo PID, oder sonstiges zugreift. Die ECP35.31 allerdings finde ich sogar besser als die Dedica...so bald aufgeheizt, wird auch die Brühgruppe erheizt, und kann sogar noch bessere Aromen aus der Bohne entlocken. Sehr geil. Schönen Gruß! Tom
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Ich spül immer ordentlich durch, bis der siebträger richtig heiß ist oder was genau ist mit der Brühgruppe hier gemeint? Grüße zurück 🤗🤗
@@ZELLKRATOR nein, ich meine, das die Gruppe selbst aufgeheizt wird, dadurch dass der Boiler obendrauf liegt. Dadurch wird auch der Siebträger aufgeheizt.
I own this grinder and when I set it to the finest grind, it's still results in big chunks of beans big enough for a normal coffee brew. The finest setting is very far to being fine enough for making espresso. I will get rid of it and get something better. Not worth purchasing if you want my opinion unless you plan on only using this for american coffee!
@@b.quirion I've used this model for about seven years and that's all I use it for, filter coffee, with a Moccamaster now, with some brewing modifications. It's starting to become inconsistent though, although I am never sure at first if it's the coffee maker that needs descaling, or the beans are a little different, or if the grinder burrs are wearing out, etc. However, I just preordered another machine just for filter coffee that's a bit of a step up--the $699 Timemore Sculptor 078.
You lost me at [ " pressurized expresso " ] I dont care about that crap, all I want to know if this Cuisinart coffee grinder will grind coffee to work in a regular plain Jane coffee maker.............
Yes, mine is over twenty years old however I had to replace the basket ten years ago because the threads are plastic, not a big deal. Our household makes 6 to 12 cups of regular coffee a day. Not bad at all!
Many of the sub $100 grinders use these ceramic burrs. I mention in the video that steel burrs would be much better. But for casual coffee drinkers, it'll do the job.
yeah you're probably right, before i bought a better grinder i actually put a dimmer switch on mine to slow the motor down and got much better results as far as consistent particle size lol , it also made it sound less like a vacuum 🤣 @@TomsCoffeeCorner
no I didn't make a video but I just installed it inside of the machine and had the dimmer knob on the side. it was actually a very good learning tool for understanding how big of a difference it makes to change rpm for grinding
I have had three in the past few years. I keep them clean. All three died after a few years. All from micro switch malfunctions. The problem on Amazon is you buy it, you live it and give it a great review. Then the thing break after a year or so.
Thanks for watching - comments welcome!
My wife and I bought one over 20 years ago. I had to replace the basket once, great bang for the buck.
Hey Tom. I used to have this model back in the day before I got into Espresso and just drank drip coffee. It's really popular and works well for the price. Not a bad grinder at all.
Thanks for sharing, Steve. Yes, I think for the price it works pretty well. 👍🏻
Thank you for your simple and straightforward review.
I've loved this grinder for years... for use with my 3420. However when I started doing your "pro" upgrades something wasn't working right. Now that I'm watching this video I see what it is!
Ive used this same grinder for 15 years now untill switching up to the Breville Smart grinder pro thanks to Toms Recomendation.
Wow, 15 years is a ton of longevity for $60! Did you ever switch out the burrs?
what setting would you recommend for a moka pot?
Ceramic burrs are not going to be suitable for espresso in general.
If you already own an electric drill (cordless or otherwise), you can get a Timemore C2/ C3 for a similar price and use the drill to motorize it (the shaft should be using a 6mm or 1/4" hex). This is what I did with my cheap China hand grinder (with steel conical burrs) before I bought a DF64.
The grinder is probably the most important purchase for an espresso setup (aside from non-pressurized baskets if using a cheaper machine) and I wish I knew that earlier in the game.
I can agree with you on all these points. With this video, I kind of wanted to point out that such a Grinder does not work for traditional espresso.
Thanks! Great video!
Glad it helped! Happy coffee drinking!
Is it 110 - 220 Volts?
I really like this video taking a look at cheaper grinders and what the downfalls are but I want to correct one misinformation (actually looked up a few articles for this, links below)
So there seem to be 3 types of material for burrs:
- stainless Steel
- Ceramic
- (often referred as) False
Here is the thing on why it is important:
While Stainless Steel burrrs are machined, False burrs are a cast of some compound, mostly metal particles.
I have to admidt that I do not know how ceramic burrs are created, I assume that it is also machined or a combination of casting and machining.
And those "ceramic" burrs that you call them in the video are false burrs. They are incredibly dull by nature and grind the coffee mainly by friction for that reason.
I kinda felt like I had to point it out because I own a Vario Home V3 (or Baratza Vario) which has ceramic burrs in it and costed around 400€ when it was sold and it grinds espresso even with lighter roasts perfectly. 😅
The main point of this video is still very good and important! Just don't freak out if a manufacturer tells you it uses ceramic burrs in it's grinders by default. ^^
(tho they tend to perform not as well in those cheaper handgrinders like the Hario Mini Slim compared to Steel, the good ones tend to be comparable in cost to the stainless steel ones, while still making more fines but being way more durable. Personally saw better cases on flat burrs than on conical ones, probably because they tend to produce less fines in general)
Sources:
Steel vs. Ceramic burrs: timscoffee.com/blog/steel-burr-vs-ceramic-burr-coffee-grinders/
Steel vs. Ceramic no. 2: knowyourgrinder.com/ceramic-vs-steel-burr-grinders/
Issue with false burrs: prima-coffee.com/learn/article/grinder-basics/learn-whats-deal-false-burrs/32642
If you have anything to add on, just comment and I'll read it. ^^
Thanks very much for your thorough comment. I was just looking on their website, and they don't actually say what the burrs are made of: www.cuisinart.com/shopping/appliances/coffee_makers/DBM-8P1/
So, I assumed it was ceramic, but that's just supposition. James Hoffmann refers to these kinds of burrs as "mashers" I think. So yes, they crush the beans, or mash them up, rather than cutting with sharp edges. At least that's how I understand it.
I am sure the burrs in your Vario are much better. I've seen ceramic knives too, that seemed quite high quality, and were sharp.
Anywho, just wanted to review this little guy, since it's so popular in the States.
Best, Tom
How does it compare to the Delonghi KG79? Both at similar price points, so I’d be interested to see what you’d recommend…
Well, the KG79 at least has metal burrs, but it's highly inconsistent. You really need at least a Baratza ESP or Fellow Opus.
I have had three in the past few years. I keep them clean.
All three died after a few years. All from micro switch malfunctions.
The problem on Amazon is you buy it, you live it and give it a great review.
Then the thing break after a year or so.
So this thing is really good for price and longevity. Maybe it’s not the best but some people like me it’s all we can budget 👍
Is there something similar that is less noisy? (in your opinion)
Well, a hand grinder, or the Eureka Specialita, but the latter is very expensive.
Okay, does anyone have experience modding this? Such as putting metal burrs or putting a more powerful motor?
I'd suggest just getting a different model. There's so many now...maybe a Baratza ESP?
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thanks for the recommendation!
Ich wollte Dich nur mal wissen lassen (vielleicht erinnerst du dich noch an meine Frage bezüglich der einfachen Espressi mit einer Dedica), dass ich jetzt meine Mühle tatsächlich verbessert habe und mit der Dedica sehr zufriedenstellende Ergebnisse erzielen kann. Ich hab mir eine Commandante geholt. Die Mühle ist halt extrem gut und mit dem Red Click Update ließe sich da wahrscheinlich sogar auf Ristrettoniveau arbeiten.
Insgesamt ist es doch immer wieder erstaunlich, was für unglaubliche Leistungen man mit der Dedica erzielen kann, wenn man bereit ist, ein paar Upgrades und Zeit zu investieren um sie perfekt zu beherrschen.
Mit richtiger Temperaturkonstanz, Flow usw. kann man der Maschine Ergebnisse entlocken die man ohne Probleme mit viel teureren Setups vergleichen kann. Gerade da häufig bis 1500€ eh nur Vibrationspumpen ähnlicher Bauart verbaut werden.
Schon sehr sehr spannend. Ich glaube wüsste nicht, dass der Sprung zu 500-750€ Modellen so viel bringt. Erst ab 1000€ sieht man soweit ich weiß echt erhebliche Unterschiede, wenn man die Maschinen bestens beherrscht, also wenn's nur um Espresso und nicht um Milchschaum geht.
Vielen dank für dein Feedback! Ich muss dir zustimmen. Ich find auch, dass die meisten anderen Maschinen nicht viel besser sind, bis man wirklich viel Geld in der Hand nimmt, und zu einem Lelit Bianca, Ascaso Steel Duo PID, oder sonstiges zugreift. Die ECP35.31 allerdings finde ich sogar besser als die Dedica...so bald aufgeheizt, wird auch die Brühgruppe erheizt, und kann sogar noch bessere Aromen aus der Bohne entlocken. Sehr geil. Schönen Gruß! Tom
@@TomsCoffeeCorner
Ich spül immer ordentlich durch, bis der siebträger richtig heiß ist oder was genau ist mit der Brühgruppe hier gemeint?
Grüße zurück 🤗🤗
@@ZELLKRATOR nein, ich meine, das die Gruppe selbst aufgeheizt wird, dadurch dass der Boiler obendrauf liegt. Dadurch wird auch der Siebträger aufgeheizt.
Thx
It's not even burrs, it's "crushers". They don't cut beans, they crush them. Guys, never buy grinders with these type of "burrs".
Why not ?
Yeah, why not?
Why not ?
I own this grinder and when I set it to the finest grind, it's still results in big chunks of beans big enough for a normal coffee brew. The finest setting is very far to being fine enough for making espresso. I will get rid of it and get something better. Not worth purchasing if you want my opinion unless you plan on only using this for american coffee!
@@b.quirion I've used this model for about seven years and that's all I use it for, filter coffee, with a Moccamaster now, with some brewing modifications. It's starting to become inconsistent though, although I am never sure at first if it's the coffee maker that needs descaling, or the beans are a little different, or if the grinder burrs are wearing out, etc. However, I just preordered another machine just for filter coffee that's a bit of a step up--the $699 Timemore Sculptor 078.
I wish I watched your video before I bought it.
Bro grinders go for crazy prices for the “right” one. You didn’t do a bad job you probably had a budget
Not suitable for espresso, too dusty for filter and french press coffee, maybe it's suitable for moka pot? But thanks for the review Tom.
I think the target audience is normal drip coffee drinkers.
You lost me at [ " pressurized expresso " ] I dont care about that crap, all I want to know if this Cuisinart coffee grinder will grind coffee to work in a regular plain Jane coffee maker.............
Yes, mine is over twenty years old however I had to replace the basket ten years ago because the threads are plastic, not a big deal. Our household makes 6 to 12 cups of regular coffee a day. Not bad at all!
The fine is to corse.
Lol, yes that's true.
i bought a presiden'ts choice brand grinder that has what i would say is the exact same burrs.
it was garbage lolol
Many of the sub $100 grinders use these ceramic burrs. I mention in the video that steel burrs would be much better. But for casual coffee drinkers, it'll do the job.
yeah you're probably right, before i bought a better grinder i actually put a dimmer switch on mine to slow the motor down and got much better results as far as consistent particle size lol , it also made it sound less like a vacuum 🤣 @@TomsCoffeeCorner
Oh that sounds like a good idea! Did you make a video about that?@@justinbouchard
no I didn't make a video but I just installed it inside of the machine and had the dimmer knob on the side. it was actually a very good learning tool for understanding how big of a difference it makes to change rpm for grinding
First :)
Sounds like a thousand fingernails scratching chalkboard, I am happy it broke!
Haha, i think it sounds like a cheap vacuum cleaner.
I have had three in the past few years. I keep them clean.
All three died after a few years. All from micro switch malfunctions.
The problem on Amazon is you buy it, you live it and give it a great review.
Then the thing break after a year or so.