Spice Grinder for large quantities

[thegreatdane]

Can anyone suggest a good grinder for making spice rubs? I want to go the next step, or two, up and the ol' coffee grinder isn't cutting it.

Thanks!

[dougal]

What coffee grinder are you using?

Serious coffee-heads seem to get MUCH more fussed about grinding than do spice-lovers ...

[thegreatdane]

What coffee grinder are you using?

Serious coffee-heads seem to get MUCH more fussed about grinding than do spice-lovers ...

←

Just a consumer model. Too small. Any suggestions for grinding spices in quantity?

Thanks.

[dougal]

...

Just a consumer model.  Too small.  Any suggestions for grinding spices in quantity?

Thanks.

←

I was wondering exactly what you were comparing against.

Just how small is "too small"?

Because things like

http://1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/capresso/560565.htm

ought to be able to handle quite a lot of volume for you.

I'm sure there are heavier duty machines available at a higher price,

EDIT for example http://www.1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/mazzer/index.htm

but any adjustable conical burr grinder would be a huge step up from any whirling blade type grinder.

Edited May 6, 2009 by dougal (log)

[thegreatdane]

...

Just a consumer model.  Too small.  Any suggestions for grinding spices in quantity?

Thanks.

←

I was wondering exactly what you were comparing against.

Just how small is "too small"?

Because things like

http://1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/capresso/560565.htm

ought to be able to handle quite a lot of volume for you.

I'm sure there are heavier duty machines available at a higher price,

EDIT for example http://www.1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/mazzer/index.htm

but any adjustable conical burr grinder would be a huge step up from any whirling blade type grinder.

←

Thanks for the links. Have you any experience with these, features you like, or a preference in model? What does "doserless" mean?

[dougal]

...  Have you any experience with these, features you like, or a preference in model?  What does "doserless" mean?

←

No. After looking at such things a couple of years ago (here in the UK), I decided to continue enjoying my less committed coffee-making! The Capresso was recommended on an eGullet grinder thread in the Tea and Coffee section. Mazzer is a known make from cafés, etc.

But I can tell you that a 'doser' is a ground coffee portion dispenser. You don't want one! You probably want your ground spices to exit directly into your own chosen container (or into a simple hopper).

I'd expect that you might be concerned about ease of cleaning if you were grinding individual spices or multiple different blends. Coffee people don't like old coffee bean bits going nasty in their grinders - they should be designed for simple cleaning!

I hope this is a fruitful direction for you to explore!

Sadly, I can't tell you about throughput rates or duty cycles.

[emsny]

Among the options for the Vita Prep blender is a container designed for dry ingredients; this might work. Take a look at their web page (http://www.vitamix.com/foodservice/products/vita_prep.asp) and see if this is true.

[OliverB]

Would a simple kitchen machine like a kitchenaid work? I've never tried it, but it might be worth a try. Might use a dedicated blade as it'll probably get too dull for other things, but I'd guess it'll work with spices?

[JAZ]

Have you looked at the various Sumeet grinders? I've used the multi-grind before -- I'm not sure if it's big enough for your needs, but it's great.

[nickrey]

If you are doing it commercially, I'd second the burr grinder. You can set the size of the grind with extreme precision and they are mostly industrial strength machines.

Moreover, they do not heat up the spices like a blade grinder will.

Don't buy a doser model. This is used purely to assist in delivering coffee into a filter basket for pouring espresso.

My coffee grinder is a Rancilio Rocky Grinder, a rugged beast that gives an exceptional grind.

As is the case for rotary coffee grinders, if you use this for grinding spices you can say goodbye to using it for coffee.

[mr.baconhead]

If you're considering the Rocky, I highly recommend the Lelit instead:

http://www.1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/lelit/PL53.htm

Keep in mind that I've only used mine for espresso, and haven't tried spices. If you do go for a burr grinder, you'll have to figure out how to deal with large items like cinnamon sticks.

[thegreatdane]

You guys are great! Thanks for all the leads. I'll start doing research and may look for local used items. (I saw a Bunn on Craigslist yesterday.)

[thegreatdane]

One other question came up today...

If I grind cocoa beans, which are oily, in a burr coffee grinder, will it gum up the works? (get gooey instead of powdery)

[andiesenji]

I missed this topic until now. I can tell you from personal experience that the Capresso will NOT grind some spices satisfactorily. I ruined one trying to grind star anise and cinnamon (the real, big bark chunks and the smaller "quills").

I have one that I use for coffee - a replacement of the one I destroyed.

I have used the dry container with my Vita-Mix but I broke the spices up quite a bit in a mortar (big brass one) first.

The other grinder I have used is a hand-cranked one made for cracking corn and it produces a coarse grind that can then be fined in a smaller spice grinder but as you want volume, I doubt that will fit your need.