I’m looking to get an electric coffee grinder. Taiwan has some very specific models, that aren’t widely available on the international market, so information/reviews in English is quite limited. I’m hoping that someone can give me recommendation based on their experiences.
I only ever do Aeropress and V60, so espresso capability is not a concern.
Absolute Max budget is NTD 15K.
For reference, currently using a Knock Feld2. No complaints with the Feld2, just tired of grinding by hand.
The ones that stand out so far are:
Tiamo 700S - At around 4000NT, by far the cheapest one that has caught my eye. On paper this seems like a solid upgrade over the Feima 600N. I believe its the same body, but with itallian burrs. Might be ‘good enough’?
Kalita Next G - Ceramic burrs, which means less static and less mess.
Fuji Royal R220 - Right at the top end of my budget. Worth the price?
I know that the Baratza line is now widely available in Taiwan, but they seem less robust than other options, so less appealing.
I had seen one at Costco that was very good. My old office had one and it worked well. I don’t remember the price at Costco. I think it was this one https://24h.pchome.com.tw/prod/DMAT06-A90068V55. I bought a cheapo burr grinder at RT mart for 2000 and I wish I had bought the Tiamo. It sounds like a jet engine but at least I have decent coffee. Did I mention the columbian medium roast coffee at Costco?
You should be able to find reviews on Home-barista.com for some of these grinders, but probably not the 700S.
As an option, you could consider the Feima 610N, which has “ghost burrs”, if I’m not mistaken. Should be an improvement over the 600N, but probably won’t compare to the Fuji Royal.
I too have been pleased with my Baratza Encore. I bought mine as a factory refurb (from the States; brought it via luggage), and have had no problems yet (less than a year’s worth of daily use)
For over 10 years, I’ve used the same Krups fast touch coffee and spice grinder. It’s reliable and takes up very little space. A little practice is needed to get the timing for the right grind. Just right for small batches.
I’ve read that Baratza customer support is top notch for their US based customers. Do you know what the support is like in Taiwan? The sales base isn’t that big here, so not sure how good the support will be.
A good thing about the R220 & 600N style machines seems to be that they are so simple that there’s not much that can break.
It was 16,500NT. I sprung for the Taiwanese 110V version rather than the grey import 100V version, which I’ve seen for about 13K.
I’d actually made my mind up on the Next G, which is only available in 100V. But my wife didn’t like the idea of a 110 to 100V transformer taking up more space in the kitchen. So, in a round about way, she chose the Fuji.
I’ve never tried the Feima 610N, which would be the locally made equivalent to the Japan made Fuji R220.
However, I have no doubt that coffee ground with a Fuji is not 4 times as good as that ground with a Feima.
My ground is good, I only use it for French press, drip or siphon. Not for espresso. The only thing I had is a blown fuse once or twice when I did like a whole pack of coffee beans. Probably overheated.
The Fuji Royal would taste better, but not four times better. It will last longer, and the burrs shouldn’t need replacing as often. It may even be quieter for all I know. Japan has a higher cost of living, too.
Either way, both are decent grinders at their respective price points.