Thanks sas, I've been looking at the baratza encore or oxo. Good to know!

Here is the AmTestKitchen reviews. HERE

I have a commercial grinder. But if I was shopping for one today in your budget I might get their top pic. The Encore.

Thanks for the reviews! I love reading those and confirms my thoughts.

We also have the Baratza Virtuoso and it has performed well. Ninety percent of the time we grind beans for espresso but DH occasionally grinds beans for the French press.

Here is the grinder page for SweetMarias (where I get my green coffee beans)...they like all the ones mentioned. My old burr grinder is used a the beach house. At least 20 yrs old and still kickin' but SO loud. No idea the brand but was under 100 and a top pick at the time. Good timing as I may replace it.

Linky, HERE

I have the “Best Buy” Capresso, seems to work fine so I don’t blame it for my inability to make good coffee. I will say it’s a pain to clean though, the plastic gets a little staticky and I start by making a bigger mess when I attempt to clean it.

We have the Capresso and it’s been going strong for over 5 years. I like it because it fits under the counter, I’m not sure the DeLonghi or the Breville would. That might be a deal breaker for me. I wouldn’t want it sticking out and in the way all the time.

Interesting reading all this, thank you! Ideally I would like something that will last a long time and right now I am leaning towards the baratza and perhaps the virtuoso if I decide to spend that much money. I mean, my krups blade coffee tastes great....but does it LOL

Had a bad experience with Breville last fall when I started getting into espresso makers, I bought a new looking one off of Facebook Marketplace and was very happy with it for a month until the internal water heater went out and I found out that much of Breville is about exterior packaging that looks sharp and plastic interior parts.

So I bought a gaggia after much research and an engineer friend has the breville that he got semi working but definitely a wonderful "starter" machine for me, especially for 50 bucks.

My DSIL got a grinder for Christmas to go with his new espresso machine. It is a Mazzer Luigi Spa. He’s pleased. If you choose to go with this brand, be aware that this grinder is quite tall (~24”). DD is concerned that it won’t fit under the cabinets in their new house.

Oh I'd love a mazzer but out of my budget!

I don't know anything about coffee making equipment, but my DH is a coffee-making nut. He asked for a Baratza Encore for his bday last year. He seems to love it.

re I would like something that will last a long time

I also have used the Capresso Infinity shown on Sweet Maria site above that a couple others above also use. It is ~13 years old, gets used every day and has never given any trouble. I usually make drip grind but occasionally go finer for espresso and also grind coarser for french press. This model is designed to store beans in the grinder and choose a time for appropriate delivery. I would be concerned about leaving some ground coffee in the unit and therefore don't store beans in the container. Instead, I measure appropriate number of scoops, grind, and while the grinder is still running after actual bean grinding has completed, give it a forward tip and a couple solid love taps that actually produce some extra fresh grounds. The machine must be reasonably rugged to tolerate the continual love taps without any evidence of damage.

I have the predecessor to the Encore. Still works fine after 18-19 years. It's my understanding that the Encore in an improvement over mine. I'm not wild about all of the plastic on mine, but it hasn't been a problem. If it dies, I'll probably spring for a Rocky to go with my ancient Sylvia.

If you needed any further validation of your choice, I enjoy the unpretentious reviews from Gail at Seattle Coffee Gear on YouTube. (There are several others in different categories)

If you haunt Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace long enough, you'll eventually find a Mazzer for $250 or so. Might be a Mini but might be a bigger one.

I have a Capresso that works well and has served us for almost ten years. Most of the time, we use the Macap commercial grinder.

The Baratza grinders have a good reputation. Apparently their warranty service is excellent too.

I also have a Capresso, which I bought used at auction. It works fine and I've had it a couple of years, it gets daily use.

Our "backup" is a Cuisinart burr mill, less than $50 on Amazon, and it seems to work just fine but it was a Christmas gift and so I can't tell you about the longevity.

Annie

While I haven't bought it yet, I've decided on the Baratza Settee 30. It grinds directly into a portatfilter. More than what I wanted spend but it's a dedicated espresso grinder.

I’ve been looking for a burr grinder too. Mostly for drip coffee (as an aside, I have the Oxo Barista Brain, and it is as good as the Technivorm IMHO). I was set on the Baratza Encore grinder based on reviews including the America’s Test Kitchen video review of burr grinders. However, I see that Baratza’s next model up is the Virtuoso+ for about a hundred dollars more than the Encore. Reviews indicate it is superior enough to the Encore that the upgrade is worth it, assuming its higher price is affordable to the individual. Coffee is one of those pleasures of life, and I am willing to spend a bit more for it, though not so much more (like for the Mazzer, I just can’t). Though if someone knows reasons I shouldn‘t get the Baratza Virtuoso+, please let me know.

I'm superficial a bit, I want a sharp look in the kitchen, one reason I got the sette. It arrives tomorrow.

Please post back on your impressions of the Baratza Sette 30. I would be very interested! I am pretty sure I am choosing the Virtuoso instead, though they are priced similarly, and the Sette 30 is more cool looking. I make drip coffee, not espresso, and the Baratza website says the Sette is not as suited for drip, so I am taking their word for it!

I will! Yes, I decided on the settee because it is a dedicated espresso grinder but I think it will do coffee for drip too from what I have read.

The Baratza sette is exceptional! My coffee station and ease of grinding and pure fun is very high right now. It's super easy to use, little to no mess, very fast and for the gaggia, a 13 is the lowest I can go. I tried the recommended baratza 9-7 and that stopped the flow. At a 10 I got a ristretto.

The hopper is fairly small so for grinding for a typical drip coffee maker it would take a little longer to produce the volume. Have not tried the grounds yet on 31 the highest setting. I will update.

Good choice. Not often is the highly rated also the best looking. 10 oz hopper is pretty small but that is 5 double expresso. Did not notice the adjustable arm holders before. Would work just ok for daily pour over but not ideal.

It sounds really great! I‘d like to hear about the espresso taste though. How does it differ from what you had before? My Baratza Virtuoso+ is coming Monday or Tuesday. I prob won’t have time to play with it until the next weekend, and I’ll report back then.

The taste is definitely stronger. I use good, fresh beans and bought a gator fresh lock canister to store them in.

Apologies for the blatant hijack but just had to post a pic of the gift I just gave DH. He was thrilled to find his new scale when he opened the coffee cabinet this morning. Yes, he is a pour over guy.

Ooooh, there is a special pour-over scale? Tell me more. DSIL just uses a regular kitchen scale, but he’s a rocket scientist/brain surgeon who does all the calculations to determine the water to bean ratio.

...he’s a rocket scientist/brain surgeon who does all the calculations to determine the water to bean ratio.

Oh, he and my DH should get together. My DH had a regular kitchen scale, too but I guess this one measures to the tenth of a gram rather than just to the gram (which is the difference of a bean, which seems to make all the difference in the world to the perfect cup of coffee). Also, it has a built in timer. Another factor for DH was that the kitchen scale would reset after a certain amount of time and he'd have to reset half way thru the pouring. Yes, he times how long to pour the water.