What is black, about 50 pounds, and 3/4 horsepower?

The answer: A Bunn-O-Matic G1 commercial burr coffee grinder. It was long neglected in storage at work, so I offered to make it disappear for 20 bucks.

I started by taking the grind mechanism and chamber apart to clean everything. I am really impressed by its construction; I imagine that every part is serviceable. The grinding burrs are solid steel and probably weigh a few pounds. Compared to my little blade grinder I used in the past, it's almost silent. I have made a few cups with it so far, and they taste a lot "cleaner," basically, there is less bitterness from uneven brewing, because the grind size is so much more consistent.

Cliff's notes: If you ever find a huge burr grinder for almost nothing, buy it!

WOW!!!

That thing rocks.

Great score!

Oh man, add another WANT to the list. I worked in a few coffee shops while in college and I forgot how bad ass those things are.

Wondering if there's some restaurant surplus available somewhere . . .

...I haz a coat

I was going to guess a kenyan.......coffee grinder is so much better though

Matt B wrote: Wondering if there's some restaurant surplus available somewhere . . .

Auctions, my good man. They probably happen weekly in a city near you. Google up your town and "restaurant auction" and you'll probably get a few hits for a couple big auction houses that pretty well cover your market. Between them, they'll have auctions on a semi-weekly basis, I'd bet, both on-site at the restaurant or at their facility.

Seriously, restaurant equipment is cheap used. I don't understand why anybody buys that stuff new (unless it's really obscure, like the brick oven I'm building).

In the early 2000's a failing biotech company where I was employed was moved from the headquarters of it's former parent company to a "tech incubator" near Baltimore. The very last thing I did on the way out the door was to rescue a non-functional espresso machine from the storage room. There was about a 100% chance that it would end up in a dumpster when they moved or shut down, and it would be a tragic loss. So I grabbed it and its matching burr grinder.

It's a Pasquini Livia 90 and the Moka 90 grinder - they look like this:

-And-

"Whole Latte Love" has parts in stock - a new solenoid pump was about $100 and it was 100% functional, and like new w/ a good cleaning.

FYI - a new L90+M90 is about $2200 delivered for the set.

The pair has produced stellar espresso for about 10 years now, and they're such a part of the family that I'd buy another one at full price if these suddenly went missing.

I scored a lot of good cast-off stuff in my years in venture-capital funded start up businesses. Some times I'd stick around a company in it's death throes knowing that when all the money was gone they pay me with stuff @ pennies on the dollar.

"The Mighty L-90" as it's known around these parts is about the best remnant of those times.

I do not drink coffee.

What other uses might it have?

Grinding spices, I suppose. Making graham cracker chunks into graham cracker crumbs. James Bond-like end to your worst enemy insects and spiders. It appears to be pretty spectalized, cutting and grinding small things into smaller things.

And that espresso machine is an awesome find. What's great about commercial grade products is that a lifespan of a few years of commercial use is a lifetime in average joe years.

I was going to guess chocolate bulldog.

+1 on used commercial grade appliances.

My wife keeps mentioning that our old boss might be looking to off load some vitamixes.

I would love to have a commercial blender... I guess that I'll have to keep my eye out for bars going out of business.

Anyway, I am in love with this grinder. I hope to get many years of service out of it!

And apparently I like my coffee a little more "full-flavored" than most recommendations... I use about 3/8 cup of whole beans per cup of brewed coffee. I see some people calling for 1 teaspoon ground per 8 oz of water. The hell? Is that just tinted water?

Gary Coleman?

I'm a respectable 5'8" thankyouverymuch!

nicksta43 wrote: I do not drink coffee.

I didn't drink coffee either. Then I had kids. Now I drink coffee.

This was my first thought, but turns out it only weighs 30 lb.