Rancilio Rocky

I’m using a 30 year original Rancilio Rocky grinder and Nancy espresso machine (Silvia v0.0). Same thing here, most parts are still available. I’m not so sure about temperature stability these days, but it still makes decent drinks and steams milk like crazy. The grinder is still in great shape with no issues dialing in a shot.

I've spent a lot of time with this grinder, yes the coffee grinds are great quality, but the grinder it's self has some big flaws. I would have returned it, but the company I bought it from Spags Espresso on Amazon has a ridiculous return policy, that I did not read until it was too late. For the pr...

Buy a used gaggia or rancilio; the market is flooded with them with various upgrades at very reasonable prices.

I was surprised to open the box and find no documentation of any kind, except a little note explaining why the unit was covered with a light film of coffee (they say it was tested before being shipped). OK, but what are all the parts? Especially the little steel spirally thing? I finally watched a v...

So I switched from my Rancilio Rocky to the Niche Zero. It is easier for me and I prefer the larger conical burrs of the Niche (64mm) and profile to the smaller flat burrs of the Rocky (50mm). Also to note, it was a lot of work to keep maintaining the Rocky, as with flat burrs you need to get into the grinder and clean it out pretty regularly.

The threads on the housing of the burrs have chipped away and thus I can no longer adjust the coarseness of my grinds or even move the dial at all. It took a lot of effort to finally get the product apart. I clean the item regularly so that's not the issue. I have two very detailed pictures I'd atta...

A couple months after I decided to get myself a grinder (Rancilio Rocky) and it made all the difference. Some beans require different grind sizes which isnt really possible to adjust without a grinder at home.

UPDATE 1 Year Later: There's a design flaw with the Rancilio Rocky, grinds can get into a threaded part that controls the grind setting. Every few months, the grind setting is completely frozen up and can't be changed, and requires a complete tear down and deep cleaning to remove the lodged grinds. ...

You get what you pay for. I have a Rancilio Rocky I’ve used every day for 15 years. Granted, it’s a $500 grinder, and I take good care of it. Cheaper grinders will have cheaper burrs that will wear over time, or cheaper motors that will burn out over time.

Full disclosure: I consider myself an amateur home barista with enough knowledge to get myself into trouble. I use a variety of methods, from French Press, to AeroPress, to espresso and Turkish. I use a manual lever La Pavoni EPC-8 for espresso. I am acutely aware of bean quality, and bought my gear...