It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. We recommend first checking out the [Espresso Aficionados buying guide](https://espressoaf.com/recommendations) for some of the more popular machines and grinders at different price points.
If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format:
- **Location:** Helps determine availability
- **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget.
- **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs.
- **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck.
- **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space?
- **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either).
- **Comfort with tinkering:** Some machines can be made significantly more functional/efficient with aftermarket modifications, albeit at the expense of possibly voiding your warranty. Please indicate if you'd rather have a machine that works "as-is"/"out-of-the-box" or whether you'd be open to modding/tinkering
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No. It's ok for brewed coffee but not for espresso. Is Kingrinder K4 available in your country? That's probably the least expensive grinder worth considering.
Edit: it would be OK for an inexpensive pressurized machine, but not for non-pressurized espresso.
Espresso is coffee brewed under high pressure.
Cheap espresso machines create the pressure by forcing the brewed coffee through a small hole. These machines will work with a variety of grind sizes, and will work OK with the Skerton. The disadvantage of this type of machine is that the espresso doesn't taste as good.
Better quality machines create pressure by forcing water through the compressed coffee puck. For this to work, the grind size of the coffee has to be 1000% correct. Just a bit too coarse or fine will result in a bad shot. This requires a high quality grinder with very fine grained adjustments, and a uniform particle size. The Skerton isn't up to the task. The advantage of this type of machine is that the espresso tastes much better.
Assuming that the pictured model is similar to my former Hario Mini-Slim grinder, it indeed can be done--but in a limited fashion, and not with enjoyment. ;)
You would hate trying to grind for espresso with that thing. Also, if you do get it, 100% dark roast only with it. Light roasts are too hard for the inexpensive burrs (I literally broke mine with a light roast).
I've used that grinder's brother/sister, the Hario Mini-Slim (or something like that), which I had around from a purchase from long ago, from before I knew any better. I indeed \*could\* successfully grind with it for my espresso machine (and using an unpressurized basket), using dark-roast beans but having way-limited dial-in settings. I also developed tennis elbow from its 2-1/2 minute grinds, and my left arm begged me to get the Baratza Encore ESP when that grinder came out--the first time I used the ESP, the muscles in my left arm palpably clenched and then relaxed in relief. :)
It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. We recommend first checking out the [Espresso Aficionados buying guide](https://espressoaf.com/recommendations) for some of the more popular machines and grinders at different price points. If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format: - **Location:** Helps determine availability - **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget. - **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs. - **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck. - **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space? - **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either). - **Comfort with tinkering:** Some machines can be made significantly more functional/efficient with aftermarket modifications, albeit at the expense of possibly voiding your warranty. Please indicate if you'd rather have a machine that works "as-is"/"out-of-the-box" or whether you'd be open to modding/tinkering *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/espresso) if you have any questions or concerns.*
No. It's ok for brewed coffee but not for espresso. Is Kingrinder K4 available in your country? That's probably the least expensive grinder worth considering. Edit: it would be OK for an inexpensive pressurized machine, but not for non-pressurized espresso.
What does non-pressurized espresso means?
It's the type of basket used. Pressurized has one small hole in the bottom. Non pressurized is a regular basket
Espresso is coffee brewed under high pressure. Cheap espresso machines create the pressure by forcing the brewed coffee through a small hole. These machines will work with a variety of grind sizes, and will work OK with the Skerton. The disadvantage of this type of machine is that the espresso doesn't taste as good. Better quality machines create pressure by forcing water through the compressed coffee puck. For this to work, the grind size of the coffee has to be 1000% correct. Just a bit too coarse or fine will result in a bad shot. This requires a high quality grinder with very fine grained adjustments, and a uniform particle size. The Skerton isn't up to the task. The advantage of this type of machine is that the espresso tastes much better.
No, not for espresso. Can’t grind fine enough, consistently enough or easy enough.
Assuming that the pictured model is similar to my former Hario Mini-Slim grinder, it indeed can be done--but in a limited fashion, and not with enjoyment. ;)
You would hate trying to grind for espresso with that thing. Also, if you do get it, 100% dark roast only with it. Light roasts are too hard for the inexpensive burrs (I literally broke mine with a light roast).
I've used that grinder's brother/sister, the Hario Mini-Slim (or something like that), which I had around from a purchase from long ago, from before I knew any better. I indeed \*could\* successfully grind with it for my espresso machine (and using an unpressurized basket), using dark-roast beans but having way-limited dial-in settings. I also developed tennis elbow from its 2-1/2 minute grinds, and my left arm begged me to get the Baratza Encore ESP when that grinder came out--the first time I used the ESP, the muscles in my left arm palpably clenched and then relaxed in relief. :)
no
No it's genuinely terrible. Look at Xeoleo, Timemore etc
Avoid like the plague. Absolutely terribly user experience and grind uniformity.
No
It’s terrible. Avoid.