Absolute Cheapest Coffee Beans for Seasoning New Grinder

thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 11:06
Last edited 02/04/2024 - 13:17

Edit: This seems to have quickly become a debate about seasoning burrs. I'm really just after any help finding cheap beans please.. The cheapest beans.

I'm looking for the absolute cheapest coffee beans I can find, to season my new coffee grinder burrs. I do not care about quality or taste. I have three burrs and will need about 5-10kg for seasoning each burr set. So I'm looking at between 15-30kg of coffee total.

Woolworths has their own brand - Woolworths Coffee Beans Espresso 1kg for $12. But I'd really like it if they're under $8/kg. Cheaper is obviously better.

Food & Grocery Coffee Coffee Beans

Comments

  • EFC94 on 02/04/2024 - 11:18
    +7

    Excuse my ignorance, assuming you buy 5kg for each set and you get them for $10kg, is it really necessary to spend $150 to "season" the three sets? Surely you just throw 1kg of the Woolies beans through it and then just start using it? Granted I'm no coffee connoisseur but does it really make a difference?

      • EFC94 on 02/04/2024 - 11:21
        +1

        That's a great way to describe me.

    • darkkito on 02/04/2024 - 12:15

      Its supposed to help the burrs break any abnormal rises and encourage uniformity. Otherwise it can be pretty difficult to dial in coffee when using more expensive beans because of inconsistent results.

      They are also supposed to improve clarity or flavour depending on what kind of burr set you have by seasoning the burrs but honestly its more for the expensive grinders with fancy burrs like the SSP burrs.

      I wouldn't be able to tell the difference personally and I would most likely blame it on my skills but having inconsistent results when using beans that are more than 50$ a kg would be pretty annoying

    • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 12:21
      -4

      It seems the seasoning process mostly improves the consistency of grind distribution, with significantly less fines. Larger burrs seem to need more seasoning (e.g more coffee). Seemingly conical burrs aren't as impacted.

      Here's a good overview from Lance
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSgdqd7eWMw

  • jv on 02/04/2024 - 11:22

    Cheaper is obviously better.

    Which coffee grinder did you get?

    • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 12:23

      A (turin) DF83v.

      • jv on 02/04/2024 - 14:15
        +1

        Cheaper is obviously better.

  • freefall101 on 02/04/2024 - 11:33
    +2

    Why not use rice or something like that instead?

    • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 12:24

      It seems rice is often mentioned as an option, but concerns over the impact on motors because it is so much harder than coffee.

  • Boioioioi on 02/04/2024 - 12:17
    +12

    What a waste of coffee and all the resources that go into making it

    • coffeeinmyveins on 02/04/2024 - 12:49
      +8

      yeah but the cofffee with taste 100x better once it has been "seasoned". lol

      I can almost guarantee there won't be a single difference

      • rumblytangara on 02/04/2024 - 13:43

        That's cause you're direct injecting the coffee, not drinking it. No taste difference when it comes out of a needle :)

    • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 12:56
      -7

      I agree, it's a shame. Unfortunately, it takes about 5kg to season these burrs. I saw a suggestion elsewhere to try local roaster and ask them if they have any waste coffee from bad roasts to use.
      The alternative is three months of bad coffee….

      • rumblytangara on 02/04/2024 - 13:43
        +22

        The alternative is three months of bad coffee….

        I think you need to step back and get some perspective here.

        The alternative is three months of coffee where you might or might not be able to tell a difference, and if you can tell a difference it's probably down to other variables anyway.

        A coffee geek obsession is supposed to be fun, not an excerise in paranoia.

        • dtc on 02/04/2024 - 13:52
          +15

          A coffee geek obsession is supposed to be fun, not an excerise in paranoia.

          Um, I think the whole point of a coffee geek obsession is an exercise in paranoia. Oh no, I put in 22.1g of coffee beans and only 19.95g came out, my grinder is a disaster. Oh no, I put in 22.1g of coffee beans because I couldnt find a bean that weighed 0.1g to get exactly 22g. Oh no, my pour took 22.15 seconds instead of 22 because I was distracted by a butterfly. My beans are 9 days old, can I still make coffee or should I just kill myself.

          • rumblytangara on 02/04/2024 - 13:59

            @dtc: I… actually understand this.

            Annoyingly, my scales are not accurate enough to be responsive to the addition of a single bean. I do have a separate sub milligram scale but I'm not enough of a saddo to pull it out for coffee.

            I've a friend who is an amazing professional roaster, he doesn't give a crap about stuff like 'seasoning' burrs.

          • jv on 02/04/2024 - 14:17
            -1

            @dtc:

            I couldnt find a bean that weighed 0.1g to get exactly 22g.

            That really stresses me out sometimes.

          • The Hawk on 04/04/2024 - 10:44

            @dtc: ^This. Like audiophiles spending a billionty dollarbucks on fancy cable risers.

            I get wanting to save $$ on the seasoning process, but when you're $1,500 deep on a grinder, I expect the rest of the setup is also lots of $$. What's a few hundred more :P

      • freefall101 on 02/04/2024 - 14:33
        +1

        Isn't seasoning mostly about getting the grind more consistent across doses? If you're getting bad coffee then I'd be more worried it's not dialed in properly with each shot (takes more time, but wastes a lot less coffee)

        I'd just run a bag through it then see what it's like after that. I also wouldn't use woolworths, too oily. I'd go the aldi medium blend instead.

    • Gekov on 03/04/2024 - 13:36
      -1

      "What a waste of coffee and all the resources that go into making it"

      … and I bet he's one of those woke, hypocritical global warming true believers infesting OzB to boot!

      … just like those global warming preachers telling us to do without as they jet around the world speading their message of doom, as doomsayers have done throughtout history.

      http://butnowyouknow.net/those-who-fail-to-learn-from-histor…

      • Boioioioi on 03/04/2024 - 13:37

        Global warming or not you should not waste resources

  • Drpepper666 on 02/04/2024 - 12:21
    -1

    why you need so much beans? buy cheap grinder from temu?

  • carlJack on 02/04/2024 - 12:37
    +1

    DF83 is pretty good just off the shelf. Let it season over time. Coffee may not be perfect but it will still be delicious provided you dial it properly. btw what burrs did you get with DF83v?

    • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 13:21

      I bought the SSP 83mm Cast Sweet lab

  • coffeeinmyveins on 02/04/2024 - 12:48
    +7

    I can't imagine a $1300 grinder requiring that level of "seasoning" and definitely feels up there with the silly stuff people do like spraying their beans with a mist of water and other over the top things.

    Why wouldn't you just let it season over time? I would argue that you won't even notice the difference and most of it is just fluff from youtube personalities.

    • CheapandUsed on 02/04/2024 - 13:09
      +5

      silly stuff people do like spraying their beans with a mist of water and other over the top things.

      Probably using the plain power cable too rather than a proper cable to help the motors maintain the appropriate voltage and current, allowing the burrs to spin at the best speed to extract the maximum flavour.. Something like a mid-level Siltech would do.

  • AussieDaddy on 02/04/2024 - 12:53
    +3

    Upon seeing the title I thought this was about an industrial sized grinder. 5-10kg for "seasoning" a consumer sized grinder? I don't think that's necessary. Looks like another fluff by a "YouTube Coffee Influencer" who ran out of new things to post citing a "research" done by his "friend". If the manufacturer doesn't recommend it I wouldn't bother.

      • brifog on 02/04/2024 - 22:06
        +3

        I love coffee and make it at home but bloody hell this is just getting utterly pathetic. I guarantee in a blind taste test that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a "seasoned" and "unseasoned" grinder. I've watched James Hoffman in the past and would bet he wouldn't be able to tell either.

      • thrillhouse on 03/04/2024 - 07:32
        +5

        This is too much. Big fan of Lance and James (and of course, coffee), but we're really verging into insanity here.

        Just buy your beans and use your grinder as per usual. If it makes you feel better, accept that the output is going to be "subpar" for a few months, but will only improve over time. Consider it something to get excited about.

  • kiitos on 02/04/2024 - 13:10

    Have you tried using the grinder as is and having issues with the results and trying to fix it? If so, what sort of issues?

  • ihbh on 02/04/2024 - 13:20
    +4

    The first thought that came to mind was the waste.

    But here's a way to save your conscience. Bag it in 1kg bags and donate it to a soup/homeless kitchen (just Google for nearest); call ahead.

    Second option is to offer it on marketplace.

    Last option, if for some reason no one will accept it, if you're in Sydney, I'm happy to pick it up for my compost or drop it off at your local community garden.

    • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 13:22

      Love this idea!!!

      • ihbh on 02/04/2024 - 13:35

        Another thought is: can you lend your grinder to a local cafe for a day or so for each burr? If it gets damaged you'll have warranty (unless they drop it, etc., I'm not an expert on this particular risk).

        No cost to you, saves their grinders - win/win.

        • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 14:35
          -2

          The first idea was a great one, this second not so good. A coffee shop generally wouldn't use unseasoned burrs, they're not consistent enough and would produce too many bad coffees.

    • Drpepper666 on 03/04/2024 - 13:41
      +2

      Wow so homeless can have terrible tasting coffee from unseasoned burrs? They are human, not animals.

    • Gekov on 03/04/2024 - 14:16

      "The first thought that came to mind was the waste."

      … followed closely by GULLIBILITY

  • sumyungguy on 02/04/2024 - 13:27

    Have you asked your local torrefazione? They might have some waste available for cheap.

  • KaTst3R on 02/04/2024 - 13:48
    +4

    If I buy a new Ferrari, should i go through 500L of 98 Premium at a slow speed to season the engine?

    • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 14:38

      I would hope not. Unfortunately, that's not the case with coffee grinders. Hence James Hoffman's request more than a decade ago asking grinder manufacturers to pre-season the grinders.

      • KaTst3R on 02/04/2024 - 14:41

        Im not asking in a trollish way (this is a genuine knowledge gap here), but could you explain what's the effect of running through bags of beans in the grinder? All you want it to do is to deliberately wear it down so it grinds better?

        And also what about a common consumer machine like Breville Barista Express, is seasoning required? I got a Barista Pro but never read anywhere about seasoning.

        • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 15:11

          Generally, it seems that conical burr grinders, like the Breville grinders, don't need seasoning.

          It seems that there is a big difference (improvement) in consistency of the grinds after seasoning flat burrs, especially larger burrs (like 83mm).

  • jv on 02/04/2024 - 14:19

    @thedriver

    Here you go….

    • thedriver on 02/04/2024 - 15:12

      Sadly, that's $20/kg. Cheaper elsewhere. Thanks though.

  • how2save on 02/04/2024 - 16:50

    If we assume it's true that there will be a difference after seasoning the grinder, it still seems wasteful to me.

    OP claims 3 months of "bad" coffee, but it's not going to be bad through 4.9kgs of beans and then come good at 5kg.

    At what point do you get better coffee, could you run 1 or 2 kgs through and then have good coffee for a month until you hit this magical 5kg?

  • altomic on 02/04/2024 - 19:06
    +1

    Do you have an Electronic voltage regulator to regulate incoming AC line voltages to deliver clean and stable power to your grinder for optimum operation and longer life?

    I have a Furman EL10E Power Conditioner.

    You can taste the difference in the beans from a smoother grind.

  • p-d on 03/04/2024 - 07:53
    +1

    To answer your question, did you try asking a local roaster for a bulk buy? Just tell them what you want to do and you might get a batch that would otherwise be thrown out but good for your seasoning.

    In coffee, it’s easy to go down the rabbit’s hole. I have a friend that spent 10 grand (and counting) for an epic setup (la marzacco, a really good grinder, etc…). He still can’t pull consistent shots and his latte art is non existent. He blamed the machines not being good enough but I know people who pull better shots than me and him with their Bambino (I have a duo) and latte art. Coffee has too many parameters and for me, I settled with a good cup for myself every morning.

    With that said, I’ll go pull a shot :-)

    Good luck!

    • thedriver on 03/04/2024 - 22:33
      +1

      Whole heartedly agree.
      I actually got free bags of coffee from a local roaster today. I just asked and they were willing to give me 3kgs. Two of them were straight off the shelf (just older beans they didn't want to sell).%

      • ihbh on 04/04/2024 - 22:59
        +1

        But still donate this to a homeless kitchen if possible.

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