It has the reputation of being THE beginner grinder in the world of espresso. The Graef CM800 is often touted as an affordable entry-level machine, but how good is it really? What can you expect for 130 euros and is it really suitable for beginners? We tested the Graef thoroughly and were frustrated after the first few hours! The coffee didn't taste good. But we didn't give up on it; instead, we continued testing and tinkering to get something out of the machine. Our two-year journey with the Graef is summarized in this report.
Why we test this way and why we test at all?
Our goal is to bring you closer to machines and tips on how to achieve a great coffee experience with simple means and a limited budget. That's why we at Kaffeemacher:innen operate our own coffee farm, a roastery and cafés, as well as a coffee academy.
When we recommend a machine, it's because we're convinced by it and know that you can make good coffee with it. If operating tips are needed for a good result, you'll get them too. For transparency: We don't earn anything from this machine or our tips, so we can be completely honest from the start!
Overall Impression Graef CM 800
The price and size are the big plus points of the Graef. At 13.5 cm deep, 23 cm wide and 39 cm high, it fits into any kitchen. Its build quality at 2.6 kg feels solid.
Another plus point: It CAN produce espresso-fine coffee powder, unlike other grinders in the price range up to 200€. So if you find the right setting for your beans, you can actually brew a real espresso.
Our Conclusion up Front on the Graef CM 800
So you can grind espresso-fine. But finding the right grind setting is extremely difficult. Operating the machine is not easy. You should even be able to handle a screwdriver to get everything out of the grinder. In our opinion, the Graef is suitable for sensory beginners and technically advanced users.
Grinding Espresso Fresh with the Graef CM800
Just 15 minutes after grinding, coffee loses aroma extremely fast. This is due to the large increase in surface area and the reaction of the powder with oxygen in the air. That's why pre-ground coffee is always worse than freshly ground. Espresso grinders can grind finer than coffee grinders. This is necessary to build appropriate resistance when preparing espresso. If the powder is ground too coarsely, the espresso flows too quickly and the coffee is not extracted enough (under-extraction), it tastes sour. So the Graef can make a big difference in taste, a quantum leap from pre-ground to freshly ground espresso.
Can Something This Cheap Taste Delicious?
We spent many hours with the Graef to master the elaborate grind adjustment and brew a perfect espresso. So our negative points wouldn't be due to the espresso machine, we pulled the espressos with a La Marzocco GS3, which is in the price range of a small car.
Our espressos were bitter and had aggressive acidity at the same time. Despite our usual brewing ratio (18 grams of coffee to 45 grams of espresso) and optimal flow time of 25 seconds, the espresso didn't taste good.
To keep our perceived taste experience more objective, we used the so-called triangle test. Three espressos are blind tasted. Two are from the same pull, one differs. We also asked the taster to name the worst espresso. In 6 sets, the Graef CM 800 was always determined to be the worst espresso.
Grind Distribution as the Reason for Poor Espresso
During the grinding process, coffee beans are ground into pieces of somewhat different sizes. This results in somewhat larger particles and somewhat smaller particles. This is called particle distribution. The greater the spread of these particles, the more difficult it is to pull a balanced espresso. During extraction, the large coffee particles are under-extracted and the small ones are over-extracted. Thus, instead of a balanced cup, you get a mixture of bitter and sour components. In the Graef, the particle distribution is too widely scattered. Using a laboratory sieve, we determined that of 50 grams of espresso powder, only 20 grams were ground to the perfect size. About 10 grams are too fine, about 20 grams are too coarse.
Grind Analysis by Laser and Image Capture
With the help of Benjamin Schütz, roaster and coffee expert, and the company Symphatec, we were able to compare the grinding of different grinders. I set the grinders for a perfect espresso (18 grams of powder to 50 grams of drink in 25 seconds). We tested the following grinders:
Anfim Practica as a professional benchmark, Eureka Mignon Perfetto, Macap M2D, Sage Smart Grinder Pro, Sette 270wi, Graef CM800.
The Graef CM 800 showed the lowest peak. This means the grind is scattered significantly and has no truly uniform grind size. The amount of coarse particles is also higher than in the other grinders tested.
Lowest Strength and Extraction Analysis with the Graef CM800
Additionally, we tested the "strength" of the coffee, i.e., the amount of dissolved coffee particles in the espresso. The Graef was significantly behind the other grinders. There were only about 17.9% dissolved coffee particles in the cup. Other grinders achieved up to 21.5%. In terms of taste, this manifested itself in an espresso that tasted rather watery.
Grinder Test 2022 - Graef CM800 Under the Microscope Again
The tests we conducted in 2022 also support the above results. In another laboratory analysis, there was again a very broad distribution of particles and a high coarse peak. It's simply difficult to precisely grind coffee particles to a specific size.
Operation and Grind Adjustment of the Graef CM800
The grind adjustment is the most important setting option for a coffee grinder. Here you set how coarse or fine the powder needs to be to achieve the perfect flow rate during extraction.
The Graef has an adjustment range of 0-40. Unfortunately, even at the finest setting, the espresso shot through in just 12 seconds. So it was still too coarse. That's why we had to make an internal adjustment of the grinding burrs instead of using the outer setting.
To do this, the grinder had to be opened and two small screws on the upper grinding burr loosened. Then you could make a coarse adjustment to get into the right range for espresso grinding. You can best see this in our Kaffeemacher:innen video.
This type of adjustment is possible, but very cumbersome and really a no-go. Especially beginners who are attracted to this cheap grinder will really be put to the test here. There's a risk that instead of an entry into the espresso world, you'll be deterred by the complexity.
Grinding is done by an on and off button. The amount of powder must be weighed manually as there is no timer function.
You can find suitable grinder cleaning powder here.
Dead Space for Coffee Powder
By dead space we mean hidden places in the coffee grinder where old coffee powder remains. The larger the dead space, the more "old" coffee flour you get in your portafilter when grinding. The dead space of the Graef is about 8 grams. That's quite a lot!
Conclusion on the Graef CM800 and Who is This Grinder Suitable For?
The biggest pro is that the Graef is the only grinder in its price range that manages to grind espresso-fine. However, precise adjustment is very cumbersome if adjustment of the grinding burrs is necessary.
The particle distribution of the ground coffee is so widely scattered that the ground coffee is incorrectly extracted despite correct adjustment. There are then too many under- or over-extracted coffee particles.
Many beginners use the Graef together with the Delonghi Dedica EC 685. With both machines you can brew espresso cheaply, but whether it hits the right taste remains questionable. Especially for beginners, it's important that your equipment works reliably so you can quickly identify setting errors. That's why we wouldn't really recommend the Graef. If you don't mind wasting ground coffee powder and sweating over the settings, you can give the Graef a try.
This article is a short blog. You can find the detailed blog article here on our Swiss site.
