Gaggia 8002 MDF Burr Grinder with Doser, Black
by Gaggia
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: GaggiaBrand: Gaggia
Model: 8002
Color: Black
Product features:
- Burr grinder with 50-mm tempered-steel grinding burrs and 34 grind settings
- 120-watt motor plus gear-reduction system provides quiet operation and reduced static build-up
- Impact-resistant plastic housing; 8-ounce ground-coffee container; 10-ounce bean hopper
- Easy-to-use pull-lever doser dispenses ground coffee directly into filter holder
- Measures 20 by 14 by 14 inches; 1-year warranty
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Gaggia 8002 MDF Burr Grinder with Doser, Black
Customer Review: Excellent grinder; doser needs some work
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me preface this review with the following statement: I consider myself a grinder novice. I've been making French Press coffee for the past 4 years, but this is my first grinder purchase. Up until now, I had let the coffee shop grind the beans (Oren's Daily Roast, mostly). Why the sudden urge to finally cough up the money for a quality home grinder? The answer is simple: a 5-pound bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain beans (picked up in Jamaica @ duty free). Ideally, you want to grind your beans just before brewing to have the best flavor, so I started shopping for my new grinder.
After spending at least a week sifting through reviews on this and other coffee sites (coffeegeek, coffeekid, ect.), I purchased this grinder with high hopes. I had considered the Solis Maestro Plus as a lower-priced alternative ($149), but opted to pay the minimal additional cost to take a step up to the Gaggia ($200). Also, there was a $25-off coupon on a Friday Home and Garden sale, and I figured it was worth the cost (purchase price: $175 after $25-off, plus free 2-day air shipping with a trial of Amazon Prime).
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
The unit arrived in 3 business days, the delay a result of Memorial Day weekend. The most interesting thing I noticed when unpacking it was the presence of coffee grinds in the box. I then found the notice in the box that stated that this was not unusual, as all grinders are tested with actual coffee beans. I found this to be an excellent show of quality standards. The machine has a decent weight to it for its size, and takes up minimal counterspace (a big concern if you have a NYC apartment).
ON GRINDER SETTINGS:
There are 34 grinder settings: 1=fine (Espresso) and 34=coarse (French Press); the setting is adjusted by rotating the top. As I do not own an espresso machine (yet), I've only experimented with the coarse settings (32-34).
USING THE GRINDER:
Use is simple enough. Load the beans into the top, pick a grind setting, and turn on the power. There is no timer on this machine, so it will grind for as long as you keep it on.
The grinds are then deposited into the doser. You then pull the lever on the side of the doser to deposit the grounds into the FILTER HOLDER (read below). Each lever pull is supposed to deposit 7 grams of grounds (the amount recommended for a single shot of espresso). If your doser is not full, the first couple of pulls will not contain 7 grams of grounds.
Noise isn't a real issue. I wouldn't call it noisy, especially when compared to a blade grinder. But it IS a grinder, so a little noise has to be expected.
ON THE DOSER:
-First, there is no mechanism on the machine to catch the grounds deposited by the doser, only a FILTER HOLDER. This is essentially two "arms" below the doser meant to hold an espresso filter in place while you fill it (and most espresso filters should fit).
If you do not own an espresso machine, this may be a hassle. For making my French Press coffee, I have found that my half-cup measuring cup fits perfectly in the filter holder. This is fine for small amounts, but to grind enough to make larger amounts of coffee (like a pot), you would need to grind until you fill the doser, then dose over and over until you have enough grinds. It can get a little messy, but you're working with coffee grinds, so a little mess isn't unexpected.
NOTE: The doser is NOT removable.
-Another note about the doser is the possible effect on quality/taste.
Leaving ground coffee in the doser exposes it to air, which over time will reduce the quality of the flavor of your coffee.
This issue is not restricted to this brand/model, but it should be a consideration of anyone willing to spend $200 on a grinder.
To deal with this, you either have to: 1) grind just as much as you need, then dose until the doser is empty, or 2) leave some grinds in the doser. Option #1 will require some experimentation in grinding time, as there is no timer. Option #2 may not be a big deal, but if you spend this much on a grinder, then you should be getting your money's worth in fresh cups of coffee. (This hasn't been a concern for me, as I grind several days' worth of beans at a time, then vacuum-seal and refrigerate. If this is available to you, I highly recommend it.)
ON THE GRIND:
I've had my model for about 2 weeks, and I've had excellent results. I've taken the time to research the acutal burrs used in various grinders, and have found nothing but good things about the ones used in this machine. The ground is uniform each time, and works very well for my French Press (setting #32, a little more than one rounded tablespoon per 4 ounces of 200 degree filtered water, brewed for 4 minutes. I've noticed an immediate difference in taste with grinding my beans immediately before brewing, and static in the grounds has been negligible.
If you're reading this, then chances are you haven't convinced yourself to shell out $250 for a Rancilio Rocky (or even more for a Mazzer Mini), but you don't want to deal with the issues of the Solis Maestro and the like. As someone who values a balance between cost and value, I figured that the quality was worth the extra money. Thusfar, I've been having some great coffee, and I'm sure it will only get better with more experimenting. Aside from the workarounds required by the doser (dropping the rating to 4), I've found this to be an excellent product.
Update - 8/2/2006: Regarding grinding time, I've found that grinding roughly one second per ounce of water of coffee for my French Press has given me great results.
Description of Gaggia 8002 MDF Burr Grinder with Doser, Black
The Gaggia MDF Grinder is a commercial grade burr grinder equal to those found in Europe's espresso bars and restaurants. Automatic dosing allows a premeasured amount of ground coffee to drop directly into the filter holder. Pull the lever once for one cup espresso, or twice for 2 cups. Precision-machined grinding burrs can be easily adjusted for 39 different degrees of fineness. The large hopper holds 10 ounces of coffee beans. Easy to use and perfect results are achieved each time.Grinders & Roasters
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