Sunbeam Grind Fresh Conical Burr Coffee Grinder EM0440
$60 @ Big W, online only price
Postage from $7.90 or free pick up in store
showing $119 for me
Me too
Me too
you have to click on show availability, input postcode and then select a store then you get $60
VIC price
It’s $69 for me
Mixed (mostly poor) reviews.
Another option is the Sunbeam Precision Grinder EM0700 $139 on Billy Gyatts, Catch, Stan Cash, would be a better choice.
I think most folks who buy electric grinders have some expectation it should be good for espresso (which it more or less unanimously is not).
According to some statistics I just pulled out of my shorts most folks who do not drink espresso at home use pre ground. For those who grind themselves but use french-press, mokka, aeropress or filter this is probly plenty good enough
Are you thinking of the blade grinders? This is a Conical Burr. Conical Burr style should be fine for espresso, but you pay for what you get.
This grinder should be fine. It apparently is not.
Blade grinders are a crap tool for whatever style you drink imo
This grinder should be fine. It apparently is not.
Huh? sounds like a Tommy Wiseau quote.
@nereus: On paper it should be fine (it’s conical bur). Going on feedback by OzB folks it seems to be the popular view it is not ok for espresso. That does not therefore mean there is nobody who has bought one of these who is not happy with their purchase.
Buy it, don’t buy it. I don’t care.
I really don’t feel like spending the afternoon defending a generalisation that I prefaced later with ‘according to some statistics I just pulled out of my shorts’.
@0jay: We had one. Concur. Rubbish for espresso - but fine for 'french press'. Or, indeed, anywhere that a consistent but NOT fine grind will work.
Gave it away…
I have this grinder and it works fine for expresso.
But coffee snobs gotta snob.
Cheap conical burr grinders have retention and grind consistency issues, which makes them unsuitable for unpressurised baskets in home machines.
It's fine and who said they are that cheap.
Can easily clean them with a paint brush, I've never bothered and it's still fine.
What? Most electric grinders on the market grind for espresso.
Look at the OzB historical deals and the comments.
You’ll find that most folks, even with modification, find these units are no good for espresso.
I'm talking about these units. You made the statement "most folks who buy electric grinders have some expectation it should be good for espresso which it more or less unanimously is not", I'm simply stating that isn't true. Most espresso grinders are indeed electric.
@zonfierre: Ok well if you put any stock in review stats (including reviews on this site) the numbers skew to this being inadequate to the task of making a good espresso.
If your experience is different and you’re happy with your purchase then you would appear to be an outlier and I’m happy for you. More power to y.
@zonfierre: Erm, I’m mid fifties, live in Melb, work in hospitality and that’s a different model costing more than triple the unit in this deal.
@0jay: Congratulations. Once again, your statement was "most folks who buy electric grinders have some expectation it should be good for espresso which it more or less unanimously is not". Again, that simply isn't true.
They are fine, pardon the pun. Mine makes excellent coffee with Gaggia classic.
Most of it is down to technique and getting the rest of the process right.
I have the em0480 and it's still going since 2008 or something. At the time you could mod them with a small washer to grind finer.
Just get a pwd tool to break up any clumpiness and save $500+.
Stock out of the box this grinder might not be able to grind fine enough for some people BUT Sunbeam used to provide a metal washer you could install for a finer grind but it does involve taking out the burr assembly.
Easy mate, i've mentioned it twice on here.
Youtube would have plenty of vids but not as hard as it sounds and makes a world of difference.
Had mine for 10+ years. I get great coffee every day.
What method do you use?
The kind where you raise the cup to your lips whilst angling it at around 30 degrees to horizontal to avoid excess liquid rapidly entering your mouth and burning the tissue therein.
Hey that’s a really well expressed, quite amusing little joke there mate.
You should develop those skills, you’ve got something there.
Flat white type of thing. The only downside is it is pretty loud when grinding.
That’s a style, I’m curious as to what method you use to brew it
Have had mine for more than two years, I use it for French press, aero press, moka pot, v60, and a cold brew device also. No issues here…
I think that you have the use case right there: Consistent grind but not as fine as most espresso machines demand.
I've been using this with a Delonghi dedica and very happy with it so far.
Good for you.
Reviews are consistently poor.
Not true, seems like overwhelming positive reviews from catch - https://www.catch.com.au/product/sunbeam-grind-fresh-conical…
If you’re keen to base a purchase on Catch reviews have at it
I’m not gonna cherry pick but there’s not much love among these posts https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/sunbeam-em0440-grindfre…
@0jay: Amazon has over 600 reviews with 4.3 average, i think thats a pretty good recommendation Vs "consistently poor". https://www.amazon.com.au/Sunbeam-Conical-Burr-Grinder-Grey/…
@ilikecheapcrap: I’d argue that ‘reviews well on catch and amazon’ (in spite of coffee freaks on ozb who pan it) is skewing things in the ‘buy it you’ll be fine’ territory but I get where you’re coming from
@0jay: all good! I am trying not to purchase for my ageing / not premium grinder, but i think if this one can last a few years, its a decent buy.. horses for courses :)
@ilikecheapcrap: If I drank more than a cup a day I’d most likely be grabbing one of these for $60 but I’m more than happy with aeropress and can’t justify the cost of even a bambino (much as I’d like one)
@0jay: thanks.. i drink a few coffees a day.. i have a grinder that apparently has a hack recently discovered :D so i will first ensure i break my ageing grinder first and then be annoyed that i didnt get this in a few days..
@ilikecheapcrap: I have a Hario Slim that does a pretty good job, most likely upgrade if I was still on two or three cups a day would be to buy a $20 cordless screwdriver to make the most of my sunk costs with the Hario for minimal extra outlay.
For households that run on coffee or/and have multiple coffee drinkers this’s probly a decent workhorse if you’re not making espresso.
@0jay: My $0.02 is that there is a lot of sunbeam hate here from people who have never used sunbeam.
@admira: I’ve used one of these, admittedly not my own.
Seems to retain quite a bit of old grounds that cake up in the spout and inside but I’d guess a bellows-top on the hopper can probly mitigate that. Grinds seem pretty inconsistent as observed by others
Hate? Ok, I guess I should chat with a therapist about it
@0jay: I mean that sounds … not so bad. Anyway I'm not saying this is a good or bad grinder, I've never used this one but I have used a sunbeam grinder (actually 2 different ones) and made espresso, and generally happy with the results.
@admira: Folks can be very picky about this stuff. I do credit a lot of what is posted in these ozb deals but it’s good to be aware it’s subjective and just a ref point.
I love my aeropress coffee so I’m not really that fussy when it comes to it I spose.
@0jay: You won't be able to tell difference between this and a Eureka.
https://coffeesnobs.com.au/forum/equipment/grinders/19633-su…
@0jay: good deal, have had this one for a few years. no complaints
I've had a 2nd hand one of these for about 6 months, works great!
It’s good for the money, the only gripe is….
Those are the first three comments on this post, which I picked at random.
Mine's been fine for the two years I've had it as well.
@jong: Ok so if you want to give a bit of heft to your endorsement what method do you use for making coffee?
Etc etc.
If you have one and like it that’s great. My point was electric grinders are typically measured against how good they are for use with an espresso machine. Espresso drinkers tend to be fairly fussy and therefore a grinder has to be pretty good to satisfy this cohort.
If you make espresso with yours and you are happy with it that’s great! It’s cool when you can land on a bargain bit of gear that performs well enough for your needs.
@0jay: You said that "reviews are consistently poor" and linked off to previous bargains as "proof".
I'm just pointing out that your own evidence does not support your conclusion.
@jong: Those particular comments that you picked out don’t constitute what I consider to be substantive reviews that might reflect the experience of using and living with one of these units.
You’re entitled to your opinion but from my point of view, some comments are better overlooked.
That doesn’t mean there are not plenty of folks who own and enjoy these units. If you own one and like it then I am overjoyed for you and shudder to think you may be offended by anything I might have said in my posts on this thread. Please disregard my opinion and enjoy your gear.
I am getting $81 at all stores.
Where are you located?
Someone mentioned above this price might be restricted to Vic
WA $81
NSW $69
It is certainly not the most consistent grind. But I went on an econo kick for making coffee after watching too many James Hoffman youtube videos but it is okay. I can get an fairly good espresso from my sub $250 coffee setup. It is messy so I grind into the container it came with and found a set of round coffee scales on Aliexpress that fit exactly into the base plate. This means no mess and exact measurement.
It slows down the process but I think as a budget grinder you will be happy.
Can you give us the info on your coffee scale please? Thanks
I am not in the country at the moment. I will check when i get back.
No worries, thanks.
I got one of those $5 Kmart food scale that works.
Just zero it with the group handle first, Then grind straight into that. There isn't much mess so not sure what people are on about (admittedly have the EM0480, look similar enough but not sure). Only weigh every so often to get an idea of 20g but it's usually up to the top loose.
Would this be good for cold brews and v60 pour overs?
Cold brew absolutely. Pour over - it will probably be okay. But take note that it is not the most consistent of grinders.
I'd chance it for non-espresso applications.
what about for the cup to your lips whilst angling it at around 30 degrees to horizontal applications?
If you have an espresso set-up, I would recommend saving your money.
This got me started when I had a bad machine (with a pressurized portafilter) and it will work for that, but if you need a consistent grind this thing is terrible. I even tried modding it with the 'shim' method to get a finer grind but at it's best it was still useless. The burrs that grind are too far apart, the blades are too blunt, and the burr fittings are too loose to ever work well.
Would be good for filter coffee though.
For espresso on a half-decent machine, I'd recommend getting either a manual grinder that's quality, or hanging out for a second hand grinder off marketplace - people upgrade all the time so there are plenty. There are lots of different grinders that are good quality, I'd wait until you see something around $50-150 then google espresso reviews for it. Ideally it doesn't have a 'doser'.
This here is the good oil imo
Smart grinder Pro is the budget king isn't it?
Haven't used it personally but from my research a couple of years ago, for the price a manual or second hand electronic grinder from a brand dedicated to coffee products will be much better.
How does this work for a moka pot? Looking make my own expresso for first time and looking for a reasonable grinder
Is this good for a drip machine?
It’s my understanding that drip-brew is one of the more forgiving brew methods in terms of grind consistency and you should therefore be fine with this grinder.
If I’m mistaken in the above observation there will doubtless be half a dozen righteous hopped-up bean freaks ready to pound me into shape so give it a minute or two before ordering.
Great unit for the price. Works well paired with my Anko espresso machine + non-pressurised basket. Main issue is that the grinds get stuck and sometimes fly everywhere. Shots vary but on a whole they are good. Apparently there is a V2 unit which already has the shims preinstalled as mine can grind to literal powder on the finest setting. Was planning on getting the shim kit before purchasing but looks like I don't need it.
Mine is ok for pressurised portafilter but no good for non pressurised as not a fine enough grind on lowest setting. I have not done the shim mod though.
I need to tap mine a couple of times on the lid after each grind to release the excess grounds.
These are alright for espresso if you're happy to use fresh and oily dark roasted beans. If your beans are more than a week post-roast, or light roasted, or dry for any other reason, this grinder is completely useless.
Upvote for the tip, but mostly for the correct use of ''you're'' and ''your''. Incorrect usage of those words and ''they're'', ''their'' and ''there'' really grinds my conical burrs.
Incredibly easy typos to make though I’ve found (however much I sympathise with your pedantry).
The number of times I type it’s when there’s no cause for a contraction (especially in non editable contexts) makes my head spin.
Always one ..
But nice to educate and at least get these correct.
Been using one of these for about a year currently grinding on number 6 for a 28 second pour for 36 grams in a non pressurised basket on a Breville machine
It works no problems and when people ask if i put chocolate in their cup i know it is good brew some people are just coffee snobs
I tend to grind on 6 too. 5-7 seem to be the only workable numbers
I think I have the predecessor to this, still going strong after 12+ years of 3-5 cups a day. I use it for espresso grind every single day and it works amazingly well. I wouldn't have thought they would change much on newer models but maybe they did.
Should be expired as back to normal price
Ok all my comments were based on the em0480, seems to be a more expensive machine. Would be worth the extra.
https://thecoffeepost.com.au/sunbeam-em0440-vs-em0480/
Seems like the shim mod still applies, for those claiming it doesn't go fine enough. Very easy fix.
https://coffeesnobs.com.au/forum/equipment/grinders/46922-su…
Espresso gatekeepers. How cute.
I have this. I can highly recommend. I make everything from espresso, aeropress, v60 and french press.
It definitely grinds fine enough for espresso.
Fine enough ok, what about consistency? Then there’s retention (something espresso-heads get apoplectic about with grinders). Then there’s the hella mess they make (something I’ve experienced myself with these units).
Good that you reckon they’re a good grinder, for this price I suggested one to a friend of mine who’s been using a spice-grinder (we’re still friends so clearly I’m not a real snob).
Some people are just clumsy I guess.
Just grind into the group handle.
Those pricks are very anal retentive and you'd think your morning coffee is making a million dollar business out of it. No need to take it too seriously.
It’s pretty serious if I raise a cup to my lips and resent the idea of finishing the cup.
For some reason it's showing $119 for me :(