LARGE Conical Grinder Owner Club

Simon · September 2017

on 1504790803:

Ha Brett: You are right so I guess I might just start my glowing report on the Gorilla burrs now, don't bother actually bother buying and testing them. It will contain references to the lack of fines and bitterness and flavour notes so high that they could only otherwise achieved with a rubber band around the 'nads' and so on. Grounds so fluffy that fine snow in siberia doesn't compete and flavours that I didn't know existed in coffee are now blowing my mind. Chocolate notes so pronounced that I may as well be immersed in a vat of the finest swiss chocolate. Floral notes so pronounced it is like being in the middle of the botanic gardens on a fine Spring day and so on. Flavour notes so bright that I need sunglasses when I have an espresso. The burrs a deep black the low friction coefficient so low I need a stethoscope to detect the sounds of the beans being ground. My laser particle analyser (I have a spare one in the shed) will show a such an amazing particle size distribution that in fact is just a simple vertical line. Grant

HAHAHA another glowing ripper of a post XD

Brett H · September 2017

Bwahahahaha :rofl:

InspectorGadget · September 2017

I'm glad you guys enjoyed my pre-burr review on the Gorilla Gear burrs... The correct and appropriate use of language is important even when used inappropriately..in Blazing Saddles the Movie Hedley Lemarr the assistant to the Governor said to Sheriff Taggart after a spectacularly florid and OTT speech, 'why Mr Lemarr you use your tongue prettier than a $20 whore'. Impressive stuff, modern poetry...suck on that Shakespeare is all I can say. I'm showing my age too. Mazzer Robur burrs have a reputation for taking 20kg and then some of beans to be bed in. It turns out that this was caused by Mazzer producing poorly machined burrs, one engineer in the CoffeeSnobs group took photos of the rough edges and poor finish obvious to even the naked eye. The cause was thought to be equipment that did the cutting being blunt. Evidently Mazzer fixed this....evidently. The corollary of this is that Mazzer burrs are often not the first choice for burrs in the Robur. My Robur has aftermarket burrs fitted by Espresso Works here in Perth and it was for a first line cafe use as their main machine so obviously they did it for reasons other than cost as the difference in cost is not that much, less than $100 maybe even less than $50. I want to replace the burrs just in case even though by my calculations at 20kg per week since January the burrs should still be in good shape and the machine has been not used since July when they started using their Mazzer Kold. There are also burrs called Food Friendly Burrs supposed to last 70% longer. Thoughts?

LeroyC · September 2017

I think the grass is always greener on the other side. ;-P

InspectorGadget · September 2017

on 1504922945:

I think the grass is always greener on the other side. ;-P

Did you ever replace the burrs in your K10?

LeroyC · September 2017

on 1504923033:

Did you ever replace the burrs in your K10?

No, not yet. I have no idea how much use they've had, but the grinder was less than 2yrs old from a relatively low volume cafe when I bought it. I just have to go on appearance and performance and they look sharp and work well so should hopefully last a while yet. New Compak conical burrs are just a tad more expensive than the biggest flat burrs at $240 v $80, so I won't be changing them until necessary.

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2017

The Mazzer Kold is a different design to the Robur Differences are Robur uses the top burr to adjust grind size Kold uses the bottom burr to adjust grind size Kold does not have a threaded top burr collar The collar is now slip in The reason is due to grinds fowling the collar thread of the Robur making adjustment and cleaning difficult That's why you see an adjustment knob on the side of the Mazzer Kold KK

InspectorGadget · September 2017

on 1504925228:

The Mazzer Kold is a different design to the Robur Differences are Robur uses the top burr to adjust grind size Kold uses the bottom burr to adjust grind size Kold does not have a threaded top burr collar The collar is now slip in The reason is due to grinds fowling the collar thread of the Robur making adjustment and cleaning difficult That's why you see an adjustment knob on the side of the Mazzer Kold KK

The best feature of the Mazzer Kold is that it means busy cafes are retiring the Mazzer Robur and so I got one quite cheap and it is a really good one.

LeroyC · September 2017

on 1504948756:

The best feature of the Mazzer Kold is that it means busy cafes are retiring the Mazzer Robur and so I got one quite cheap and it is a really good one.

LOL, agreed. I won't tell you how much (or should that be how little) I paid for my K10.

InspectorGadget · September 2017

Well whatever people may have paid for their grinders 8) I think the $1193 isn't a bad buy for a brand new Robur which includes freight and shipping to the colonial outpost of Perth. The grinder is very quiet and it is great being able to just give it four seconds and have a double shot ready, what is not to like about that? I haven't timed it, I just do it by 'eye' and the grind times seem the same as my used one. The shots are fantastic. I'm sure that the burrs may take some time to bed in but it certainly isn't a problem in that they work perfect right now in the present tense. I should wait a while for a full report though on any changes due to the burrs just in case but the peformance of the burrs are at least as good as the used ones in my old Robur and probably better. I was concerned after what I heard about the Mazzer burrs taking a long time to bed it but if that is the case then it isn't a problem and I can look forward to them being even better. I really don't have any complaints. The Robur is the essense of a perfect grinder, stable, robust and absolutely dead simple with the fewest number of parts to go wrong. The only plastic is on the hoppers and the switch. The entire chassis is sold steel with enamel coating and it weighs 28kg.

Koffee_Kosmo · September 2017

Congratulations 👏 and welcome to the club A Robur is a beauty to behold My preference as you is for the manual One thing I remembered now from the Mazzer Major is that the grinds sweeper needed a mod to do a better job Not sure if the newer Mazzers have addressed it - if not it’s easy to do KK

InspectorGadget · September 2017

on 1506220702:

Congratulations 👏 and welcome to the club A Robur is a beauty to behold My preference as you is for the manual One thing I remembered now from the Mazzer Major is that the grinds sweeper needed a mod to do a better job Not sure if the newer Mazzers have addressed it - if not it’s easy to do KK

Hi KK: From memory they all have sweeper arms underneath the bottom burr which from when I stripped by 2010 model down had these same arms. This is just a stock image http://www.cafeparts.com/Espresso-Coffee-Grinder-Parts/Mazzer/Robur Look at part 27 this is the sweeper and it seems to sweep well. Yes, it is an industrial work of art to behold and I never would have bought one new had I not got such a good deal. One reason being is that they are just so well built that there is no shortage of Roburs that can be bought second hand that will run for decades out there for sale. All I would do is buy genuine Mazzer burrs and fit them right away unless you have clear evidence that the burrs are quite new and genuine one. Although burrs last for decades in home use, their lifespan is only months in a cafe and they can be damaged also. Yes, I love this machine so quiet and quick and easy to adjust. Grant

Brett H · September 2017

on 1506220072:

Well whatever people may have paid for their grinders 8) I think the $1193 isn't a bad buy for a brand new Robur which includes freight and shipping to the colonial outpost of Perth. The grinder is very quiet and it is great being able to just give it four seconds and have a double shot ready, what is not to like about that? I haven't timed it, I just do it by 'eye' and the grind times seem the same as my used one. The shots are fantastic. I'm sure that the burrs may take some time to bed in but it certainly isn't a problem in that they work perfect right now in the present tense. I should wait a while for a full report though on any changes due to the burrs just in case but the peformance of the burrs are at least as good as the used ones in my old Robur and probably better. I was concerned after what I heard about the Mazzer burrs taking a long time to bed it but if that is the case then it isn't a problem and I can look forward to them being even better. I really don't have any complaints. The Robur is the essense of a perfect grinder, stable, robust and absolutely dead simple with the fewest number of parts to go wrong. The only plastic is on the hoppers and the switch. The entire chassis is sold steel with enamel coating and it weighs 28kg.

Yeah... if you find another one at that price please shoot me a link

Congratulations!!!

InspectorGadget · September 2017

Hi Brett: Thank you very much for the congtratulations. I did alert members but left it until Friday night. To be honest I had to do some investigation to assure myself that the sale was not too good to be true. The shipping box address of sender is Cerebos Australia so definitely the real deal. I have also ordered a Kony $837.10 including freight and may already have sold that to a CS member. I got it to test against the Robur but the big Robot has won my espresso heart already. I also hold CS forum gatherings at my place. Small affairs with typically 4 or 5 guests. The last one was yesterday. The next gathering I will also extend the invite to members of this forum for those who live close enough to Woodvale in the northern suburbs of Perth. I would in fact be happy to get expressions of interest any time so I can PM you when I issue the invite. Cheers, Grant

Brett H · September 2017

lol... cool mate! The commute from Brisbane may be a bit much but who knows... :D

InspectorGadget · September 2017

Hi Brett, I am unsure what is leftover from the sale at EM. You could enquire with Stavroula at [email protected] and ask. I got a Robur and evidently the last Kony. I guess you are free to ask about conicals. I know they had five Majors leftover but I am unsure even if there is stock leftover what their policy is on selling at sale prices. Grant

InspectorGadget · October 2017

I sold the Kony for a small profit that I ordered in the sale. I got their last Kony and I enquired about it during the sale and paid for it after their sale ended. They were great to deal with. The idea was to test both and keep one I liked best but I made a deal on the Kony the day I ordered it. I got it Thursday and Stuart picked it up Saturday still sealed in the box. He had a Quamar Q50.He did send some pix today of it and LOVED it. I felt great too as the Kony is no toy and he had some grind issues with the Q50. On the CS forum a few others have too which leads me to believe that either a number have alignment issues or they are just poorly designed. The Kony though is the real deal and is an amazing conical. The Robur is King but then the Kony is Queen with the Robur just being a bit bigger but twice as powerful. I am still staggered how quick and quiet the Robur is. The grind is amazingly consistent even with brand new burrs. It does throw ground to the left but I have learnt to deal with that and wastage is minimal. I am sure I would have been happy with either but I love this powerful beast. It is a magic carpet ride and so far can’t say enough good things about it. I top up the hopper to about one cm from the throat and keep it there although at the end of the day I let it drop. I do not empty the hopper but at no time does the hopper hold beans for more than half a day or so. I judge shots by time and get it very close so only small amounts if any are left between shots. I will check and remove any left over grounds at the beginning of the day from the doser but the amounts are small. My wastage is probably 5% only as I am not trying to completely remove all traces of coffee prior to each shot. I’m happy with that and very happy with flavours and the lovely fluffy grind with no clumping thanks to the Doser. I guess the run time, enjoy watching the bean level drop in the throat the dispense the shot. The technique works well. I love my Macap M4D and I can tell you it is way better than a Quamar 50. The Kony or Rovur though are both in a different league the time. Amazing.

Koffee_Kosmo · October 2017

Nothing to say in writing :question: I present the new addition to the coffee station The Robur KK

InspectorGadget · October 2017

Handsome. You put the tamper on! I left mine off. Off to late lunch appt. look forward to more detail later. Happy for you mate. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Koffee_Kosmo · October 2017

on 1507009022:

Handsome. You put the tamper on! I left mine off. Off to late lunch appt. look forward to more detail later. Happy for you mate. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I just literally put it up to show the wife and take a photo The tamper will go before days end Mrs KK likes it KK

InspectorGadget · October 2017

Hi KK: My wife hated it and called it the 'monster'. Said she was going to 'put her foot down'. That was when I had the used Robur. She got used to it though and then completely forgot about it. I got the new one, brand new and no issues. I keep looking for changes in grind as the burrs break in, I haven't really noticed any changes, in fact, it is rock solid consistent. I take my pours to about 30 seconds and it seems right to my taste buds. I'm sure people can look at something like the Robur and think 'not in my kitchen'. Fair enough too and that is exactly what I thought to start with. You also hear horror stories about grinds retention and all that which I think is misplaced. They don't retain any more grinds than a much smaller grinder. They are also much quieter and will grind a shot in 4 seconds. Totally consistent, will do turkish powder if you want it to. Incredibly well built. The doser, yup, love it and dosers aren't in fashion either. Yet a doser mixes and nixes any clumps and is easy enough to use. I leave beans in the hopper, just keep it topped up to a cm above the bottom of the hopper so the maximum residence time of beans in the hopper is probably half a day or so which is fine. The doser seems to sweep itself clean enough. I don't clean the chute or haven't yet but will get some pipe cleaners and clean it occasionally. Overall much to love, and not much not to love. It isn't for everybody though, obviously, but I do love this machine KK and hope you do too although it will take you a few weeks maybe to figure out how you wish to use it and whether you wish to modify it in any way. Good buy too wasn't it!! 8) Grant

Koffee_Kosmo · October 2017

I am already thinking to modify for single dose use Mods 1) Remove tamper ( done already ) 2) Remove deflector screen from top of doser - (done already ) 3) Remove the fill limit micro switch so I can clean the exit chute In the future I can remove the doser & retrofit a doser funnel KK

Simon · October 2017

Ah looks amazing KK, enjoy!! :D

Koffee_Kosmo · October 2017

on 1507026149:

Ah looks amazing KK, enjoy!! :D

Thanks Simon :thumb: Just need to play and dial in the grind adjustment a little and after that I’ll be right as rain KK

InspectorGadget · October 2017

The mods described are easy to make. In a cafe the idea is to fill the hopper and to cutoff when full. I might do the same but found it easy enough just go push anything in the chute through into the doser using a brush or pipe cleaner from the hopper end. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Koffee_Kosmo · October 2017

A quick update Morning coffee by Robur , had an educated guess at the grind adjustment and nailed it - Needed to be a little courser grind from last night Nice 👍🏼 coffee indeed KK

InspectorGadget · October 2017

Hi KK, Just be careful not to wear it out. The burrs are only good for 800 kg of coffee which doesn’t go far in the average household either. The Robur is very delicate and like the Vario you can bend and break things all too easily. The shot consistency is amazing. I do my dosing by volume and there is variation in weight. Today I got my IMS basket just full with not enough to skim off with my finger. This is probably half a gram variation I would guess. The M4D would cause a sizeable variation in pour when this happened. The Robur yes it make the pour more rapid but by just a few seconds, as expected. It is a beautiful machine but also an amazing precision piece of equipment. I forgive it being a bit big but then Lurch in the Addams family was oversized too yet gave sterling service. Enjoy KK. G

Koffee_Kosmo · October 2017

Mrs KK loves the grinder - noting that the coffee shop at the centre she works in has one half the size But she also hates the ground coffee spills from the exit chute So as I have done in the past I have manufactured a guide to alleviate the issue But because I can’t upload any photos since the upgrade of the iPad to IOS 11 I can’t show you how I did it KK

InspectorGadget · October 2017

on 1507250070:

Mrs KK loves the grinder - noting that the coffee shop at the centre she works in has one half the size But she also hates the ground coffee spills from the exit chute So as I have done in the past I have manufactured a guide to alleviate the issue But because I can’t upload any photos since the upgrade of the iPad to IOS 11 I can’t show you how I did it KK

I agree with the mess from the chute. My Gages Road cardboard insert from my 24x case of IPA is doing the job but looks a bit amateurish although I did use a good pair of scissors. It makes hardly any mess now. I can only assume it is made to be used with a full hopper in a cafe and gravity and momentum make it drop more vertically. G

mycuppa · October 2017

Does not matter if you are in a cafe using them full-speed, Roburs are bloody messy - both doser and the electronic. The #1 gripe of any cafe owner is the mess and wastage from a Robur - among other things to whinge about.....even when they get to use them completely free of charge !.

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