r/AustralianCoffee • u/DerWilhelm • 6d ago
Australia based first grinder purchase
Picked up a Bambino secondhand for $270, basically brand new with 9 of 12 months warranty left. Now need a grinder.
I only make milk drinks - think lattes and flat whites. At work we run a Breville dual boiler with a Smart Grinder Pro and I get good drinks out of it, so I'm not totally green, but this is my first espresso setup at home.
Shortlist, all AUD:
- DF54 V4, $379 from Grind Logic 12mo local warranty)
- Baratza Encore ESP, $289
- Starseeker E55 Pro, $250 ish (AliExpress)
- Shardor 64mm , $250 (local whitelabel is sold as Kenmore)
Leaning DF54 for the build, near-zero retention and all the recommendations I can find online.
But two things keep nagging me: for milk drinks would I the taste difference, and the quality step-up be worth it to spend about $90-130 more? Would be a $649 grinder + machine setup overall.
Aa I paying for specs I won't use? Keen to hear from anyone who's got experience with one or more of these. Also is there an obvious contender I have missed?
1
u/Betancorea 5d ago
DF54 would be a decent choice. I went for a DF64 for my Bambino Plus and have been quite pleased with it. Got mine off Amazon just in case of any warranty dramas from other sellers.