The Rancilio Rocky
There are actually two models of the Rocky available: the “original” Rocky and the doser-less version. I first purchased the “original” version from WholeLatteLove but promptly returned it. WholeLatteLove let me return the unit and refunded me the entire price (less shipping), albeit they did take over a month to refund my credit card. The reason why I was so quick to return the original Rocky (I had it in my possession for less than 72 hours) was the doser. It just sucks. Honestly, it was completely my fault, as I chose to ignore the numerous reviews that highlight the faults of the doser. It is very cheaply made. The plastic fan the sweeps up the espresso grinds leaves a lot of waste in the doser chamber. Espresso grinds get stuck in the chute. All of this is quite unfortunate because the build quality of the grinder components are top notch. The burr grinder is the same used in Rancilio commercial grinder the MD40.
So I then purchased the doserless version of the Rocky hoping all the faults that I had with the original version would be eliminated, and for the most part they were. The doserless version has a metal bar which perfectly fits a Rancilio portafilter handle. Since I have the Silivia, this was great as I could grind right into the portafilter. I have no idea; however, if other companies portafilters will first as snugly as Rancilio’s. Nevertheless, the metal bar is removable and you can grind your beans directly into a tin or some other receptacle.
Interestingly, grinding into a can turns out to be the cleanest method. Although I no longer have the problem of the espresso grinds being stuck in the doser (since there is none), the grinds get everywhere when grinding into the portafilter. The reason for this when the coffee beans are ground, the conical burrs creates static charges between the tiny coffee grounds and they clump together and do not leave the chute as smoothly as one would desire. After about a month of usage I mostly grind into a metal tin as it make cleanup much easier and facilitates making multiple shots, since you don’t have to regrind every time. I still only ground a little at a time though so as to retain the benefit of using freshly ground espresso before I brew.
There are a few other quirks with the Rocky that are present in both versions. The hopper, which houses the espresso beans, has a guard with recessed screws that wind up catching about 2 or 3 beans. While this really doesn’t pose any problems, it is a cosmetic annoyance that could have been solved by about 15 cents extra in parts. I have heard of some people using rubble balls to fill these holes. Additionally, each time you grind coffee a decent amount of grinds remains in the chute. I wind up disposing of the first 2 or 3 seconds of my grind since it is mostly the remains from my last grinding. Using an espresso grinder brush helps remove most of the grinds, but I have found it impossible to get completely clean. This last quirk applies solely to the doserless version. There are two switches on the unit: a power switch and an grind on/off switch. In order to grind coffee you must continuously depress the grind switch. While this my not seem so bad if you are just grinding enough for one espresso, it gets quite tiresome the more you grinding (since each 14g shot takes about 10 seconds).
Despite all these anoyances, the Rocky grinder preforms wonderfully. You will notice a considerable difference in the quality of your espresso over the store bought preground version. In my experience, after about four days, the preground espresso begins to produce very weak crema and lacks the robust taste you get from a newly opened can. This is not a problem with using bean, since I am able to grind only when I am about to pull a shot Although a pound of coffee rarely lasts more than 5 days, I imagine that leaving the beans exposed to air for extened period of time will eventually leave you with the same problems as pregound coffee. The ability to adjust how coase or fine a ground should be has helped a lot with my consistency. I am able to figure out which setting will help maximize the bean roast (such as corses for darker oiler roasts versus finer for roasts such as “City”).
After using the Rocky for about 3 months now, I am sold on the necessity of a good grinder. However, I think that if given the oppertunity to do it over again, I would have waited a month or two more so that I could have affored a grinder such as the Mazzer Mini. Having a actual doser would eliminate many of my problems and leave my counters a lot cleaner as the Rocky makes quite a mess!
Michael Petnuch is a graduate math student who enjoys walking on his hands, drinking diet coke, solving math problems, and being silly!
