The Best Conical Burr Grinder Under $AUD400
For about three years I have been using the Sunbeam EM0480 grinder and have been relatively happy with the results. There have been some issues with it that have been a little irritating but, as there was no other grinder for less than double the price that would do a similar job, I wasn't about to make mountains out of mole hills. Recently all that changed as the LeLit PL53 conical burr grinder, which retails for around $AUD275.00, came on to the market in Australia. So I decided to try one out.
The
LeLit PL53 Conical Burr Grinder
This
grinder is one of a number of small but serious domestic doserless grinders
that use the outstanding Nemox Lux conical burr set. But unlike the others
this one is not only substantially less than $400, it also has an all-metal
body which reduces clumping and almost entirely eliminates electrostatic
'scatter' of ground coffee as it exits the machine.
Manufactured in Italy, the LeLit PL53 is the epitome of elegant simplicity. Its folded stainless steel body is both handsome and functional and the design minimises the number of parts.
The hopper holds about 200g of beans and lifts out to provide access to the top of the burr set. The gutsy side plates have folded tabs that act as a rest for the portafilter. The unit has a power switch on the lower right-hand side and the portafilter-activated button, like the rest of the machine, is both robust and positive in its action.
The coffee exit schute is also made of folded stainless steel and is removed by unscrewing the slightly underwhelming plastic capped screw on the top of the schute, thereby providing easy access for cleaning the bottom of the burrs and the paddles that push the ground coffee into the schute. There is a folded stainless steel tray that fits nicely between the side plates to catch any ground coffee that misses the portafilter. However, unlike the Sunbeam EM0480, there are no plastic components surrounding the exit schute of this machine, which means there is almost no scattered coffee for the tray to catch.
The most impressive feature of the PL053 is its stepless multi-turn worm drive adjustment mechanism which allows for the smallest adjustment imaginable. My biggest single issue with the Sunbeam grinder was its crappy notched adjustment... each step representing about 8 seconds difference in shot extraction time - way too much!
So, what's not to like about this grinder? Not a lot! apart from the strange choice of fixing screw for the exit schute, mentioned above, there's only a couple of things, really. The rubber feet do not provide enough grip on the bench and when you push the portafilter against the activation button, the grinder is pushed away. Larger and/or more grippy feet would solve this minor problem.
More importantly is the one real irritation I have with this machine - its noise! It seems to me that in designing a machine that is so uncomlicated, so easy to clean and with everything so accessible, LeLit have unintentionally built a metal resonator. All of a sudden I am beginning to see what is behind the hugely complex plastic gubbins of the Sunbeam grinder - a noise filter! Not that the LeLit is much noisier than the Sunbeam, it's just a different kind of noise. The Sunbeam makes the noise you would expect - a grinding sound. The LeLit just whines! Is this going to put me off buying the LeLit? No way! Even if it was so loud that woke the neighbours I would still buy it. It's streets ahead of anything else that sells for less than $400. In comparison to the awkward-looking Sunbeam EM0480, the LeLit is the perfect companion for the La Scala Butterfly (all pictured below).
To find out where to purchase the LeLit PL53 Grinder, contact Novita Ausralia Pty Ltd. Being importers, they do not sell directly to the public. But they are happy to provide contact details of a retailer in your area. Their email address is sales@novitaaustralia.com.au
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