Discussion of coffee grinder hardware. How to get the most out of specific grinders. Cleaning and maintenance issues with grinders. Comparison of different grinders.
Here's a pic of the new (to me) Bunn G3 sitting on it's tempory home. Installing a new countertop/sink this week so the Bunn will be working out of the livingroom for a few days. The Vario sure looks tiny in comparison! The G3 is 27" tall due to the 3lb hopper which I don't really need so I'm looking for a cheap G1 hopper insert so I can trim 4" off of the top. The Bunn is much quieter then the Vario, much/much easier to dial in a specific grind & extremely fast. Not for the counter impaired but the wife & I love it.
I wasn't unhappy with the vac pot coffee I brewed from my Vario grounds but I did not like fiddling with the 2 lever adjustment & I have no use for timed dosing. Also I wanted to go from a fine vac pot to a coarse press pot grind with the twist of a dial. The Vario would require recalibrating to give the best of both. I seldom used it for Espresso grinding which really is the Vario's forte so I'm sure it will be better appreciated at it's next home. As for a back to back taste comparison that probably won't happen as I will be cleaning & packing it up later today. I may run some "past their prime" beans through both just to compare the grind if I have time.
The Bunn, now referred to as Bunnzilla, continues to evolve. I modified the grind selector so it is now stepless & replaced the stock Bunn burrs with Ditting 804/Malhkonig machined burrs. Very, very happy with the improvements.
Is the Bunn in stock form a worthwhile upgrade over the Vario for regular brewing? I am interested in getting a high-end grinder for pourover and cupping, and the bunn G-series is relatively easy to find within driving distance.
Depends how you feel about the B. Vario I guess. As I'm sure you know I'm no fan of the little Vario & I do like the Bunn. Of course as is the case with most equipment I own it didn't stay stock for long.
Well, I already own a Vario, and I don't think it is going to stay in rotation as an espresso grinder if some other doserless options I have on order work out. I've never used it for anything else, but I suppose it would be silly to sell it and buy an enormous Bunn if the quality as a dedicated brewing is comparable. That's why I'm wondering about their relative merits.
I used the Vario primarily for my vac pot brews & some pour over, mostly in the drip & finer range. It did a decent job & I recall thinking that the coffee was better then what I made when I used the Major for V/P grinding. If you bought a used Bunn that had seen duty in a shop you would have to think about new burrs ($200) so you would want to wait for a sweet deal. My current set up with the Ditting/Mahlkonig burrs is much better then either the vario or stock Bunn. About as close to a Tanzania as you are going to get without spending serious money. You could always use the Vario until a used 804 comes up for sale?? Upgrade the stock pressed burrs to the machine burrs & you would be set for life.
Next project, when I get some free time, is to downsize Bunnzilla.
The G3 is 27" tall due to the 3lb hopper which I don't really need so I'm looking for a cheap G1 hopper insert so I can trim 4" off of the top. The Bunn is much quieter then the Vario, much/much easier to dial in a specific grind & extremely fast. Not for the counter impaired but the wife & I love it.
