Ultra Fastgrind wet grinder
In this post I will be reviewing my latest Kitchen Gadget, namely a wet grinder. During my recent trip to India I purchased the latest from Elgi Ultra “Ultra Fastgrind Wet grinder”. My old table top Ultra wet grinder was slowly showing signs of wear and tear after servicing my kitchen for 18 years hence it was time to replace.
Above all, I don’t have access to service here in Switzerland therefore it seemed to be the right choice to buy a new one. I had been casually browsing on the internet since some time to see what would be the best option in terms of durability, quality and flexibility and was inconclusive which model to get. Finally, we decided to opt for their latest technology and model called “Fastgrind”.
Where you can buy Ultra Fastgrind wet grinder
You can buy this product here:
Benefits of wet grinder for healthy eating
Wet grinding of food is very common in the Indian cuisine, especially in South India. Their main staple being rice and lentils, South Indians make a variety of healthy recipes with wet grinding. South Indian cuisine is predominantly gluten and diary free and it suits our palates for healthy, steamed and fermented food.
What is wet grinder?
An electric wet grinder is a kitchen appliance common to South Indian kitchen. The appliance is used extensively for grinding soaked food grains to produce a batter or paste. The amount of dishes made from this paste is very popular especially in India. Some of them are idly, dosa, vadas, chutneys and appam to name a few. You can also grind masala pastes with a wet grinder.
I have not yet seen wet grinding in western cuisine so far.
Idlys and dosas are world famous breakfast dishes since there is big population of South Indians all over the world. Idlis are made by soaking rice and dhals for about 8 hours and grinding them wet using a wet grinder. Traditionally all this was all manually done. With technology and mechanization innovators mechanized this laborious process a few decades back.
These tasty preps were part of my growing up. I was craving for them ever since I moved to the west. I had no way to grind grains into a fine paste without affecting the food quality and the bacteria necessary for food fermentation with a blender.
Ultra Fastgrind Wet grinder
The older wet grinders were very bulky and I couldn’t transport them here. So I used a good blender with a stronger motor which I purchased on one of my trips to India. The Idlys and dosas were a 50-50 success. This was because the grains got very hot during the grinding process thereby killing all those beneficial bacteria and it destroyed the fermentation of the batter. In 2001 we saw this new sleek and light Ultra Wet grinder. Elgi Ultra have been pioneers in manufacturing Wet grinders since decades. They brought out the most sleek and innovative table top wet grinder models decades back. They had the smallest size too with 2 Liter capacity bowls. This was just perfect for me and we bought one immediately. We used this machine on a regular basis probably once a month for the past 18 years.
Ultra Fastgrind Wet grinder features
” The new Ultra fastgrind wet grinder is designed with improved conical stones for better grinding, unique counter rotating mechanism for faster grinding and a compact shape that saves 33% space. Ultra Fastgrind wet grinder had the same 2 liter capacity as my old one. This was what interested me. There were a lot of other features which I will list below.
1.COUNTER ROTATING CONICAL STONES FOR RICE AND DAL GRINDING
Both the drum and stone assembly rotate in opposite direction and hence reduces batter grinding time by half
2.SEPARATE MODE FOR COCONUT CHUTNEY AND WET MASALAS
2-Way counter rotating conical stones for effective grinding of tougher ingredients like grated coconut and masalas
3.COMPACT DESIGN
Occupies 33% less space than a regular 2L wet grinder
4.PATENTED CONICAL STONES
For effective grinding without high batter temperature rise
5.LIGHTER STONE ASSEMBLY
Stone assembly weighs 1.75Kg compared to 2.50Kg in a regular 2L wet grinder
6.STALL CONTROLLER
Automatically senses and switches to the required grinding mode to correct load imbalance of ingredients in the drum
7.AISI 304 FOOD GRADE STAINLESS STEEL DRUM
Rust-resistant food grade stainless steel drum for healthy food
8.LID HOLE
This is very convenient to add water while grinding without having to open the lid
9.LID WIPER CUM BATTER SAMPLER
Pushes the batter on the upper wall of the drum back to the stones for effective grinding. This also be used to take out batter sample during grinding to check texture and consistency
10.DIGITAL TIMER
Beep alert and auto switch-off at preset grinding time
150-WATT MOTOR
Powerful 150W motor for better grinding
ABS BODY
Lighter weight, longer life and great looks
HOOK-TYPE POWER CORD
Easy to plug, easy to remove “
YEAR WARRANTY (2 YEAR WARRANTY ON TIMER)
You can take a look at their Manual in the PDF format. https://www.elgiultra.com/manuals_data/Fastgrind-manual.pdf
My Review on Ultra Fastgrind Wetgrinder
After reading the whole specifications and features of this wet grinder, we ordered one from amazon.in. The only mistake we made was we didn’t look at the machine in a showroom before hand due to time constraints.
I made 3 videos on Ultra Fastgrind showing the unboxing, assembling and demo of both the features of grinding dhal and chutney in my Youtube channel. The videos were a great success as there have been not many reviews out there. I myself was looking for some demo and review but found none therefore made one. The link for which is below.
Full Manual in PDF Format
Positives:
One of Amazon’s dealers fulfilled my order on time and the Ultra grinder arrived in a excellent condition. The packaging was also great. We just had to cling wrap at the airport and despite a small dent to the carton the machine arrived undamaged here in Switzerland.
I tried it once in India already and was completely satisfied with the way the batter turned out. All the rice and dhals were ground in less than the time the manufacturer claimed. Probably because we used lesser quantity of the grains than the tested values used by the manufacturer.
We were amazed at the quality and consistency of the batter and we also got much more volume in contrast to the older Ultra models and everything was ground within 10 minutes.
I have also used the Chutney and Masala feature in this model and the consistency was very satisfactory.
The timers is an additional bonus. I just have to set the grinder and can do some other chore and the grinder switches off by itself once the program is done.
Negatives:
Despite the lesser counter space Ultra Fastgrind occupies it compensates for with the height. It looks very bulky and difficult to handle. For one thing the grinding bowl is big in circumference and very bulky to handle.
This machine is heavier than my present older model. I will have to first dismantle the upper body of the stones, bowl etc to be able to lift it easily.
You cannot store this Fastgrind machine in the kitchen cabinets. Where as with the older model I could easily store in one of the cabinets.
The conical stones are a little difficult to clean.
The chutney Chutney function works well, but not suitable for my small family. I would have to grind a large quantity.
Conclusion
Would I still buy Ultra Fastgrind wet grinder?
Certainly despite this one small disadvantage regarding its bulky size.
Above all, Ultra Fastgrind is a really efficient and energy saving machine hence its worth its weight in terms of cash and its functionality. Ultra fastgrind wet grinder ground the soaked rice and dhal to a butter like consistency in less than 15 minutes due to the fact that I had soaked them longer than the recommended time. The timer function and the special features make it attractive. With my previous Ultra Pride, I used to grind the same quantity for more than 30 min despite the usual soaking time of 24 hours.
The only negative is the size and bulkiness of the wet grinder.
Recipe Suggestions using Ultra Fast Grind
South Indian Breakfast : Idly
Snack : Medu Vada
Ultra fast wet grinder screwing is very difficult for me now and also it occupies a lot of space on my counter top .Apart from this it’s so quick and fast.
I have the same problem. I was first shocked at the monstrosity of the size,but it was too late to return as we had not much time. I didn’t even see the grinder physically, just ordered online. The screw is not like the regular screw I figured, so I guess we should not try to tighten it completely. I am hiding it on one corner in the kitchen. Yes, its fast. If you have access to a service center, try to get it checked regarding the screw. I don’t have access, so I have to live with it, but it works well.
Hi,Chitra,
How do you do ? I love to watch your limited edition videos.
Indeed your video in comparing ultra fast grind with older table top model is very unique and helpful.Still I am hesitant to go for fast grind due to more plastic parts in it like central shaft ,batter wipers screwed with stones etc due to which contact surface with batter is more.
what do you think? Is it insignificant ?
I am doing well,thanks for asking. Also thanks you for taking the time to watch my videos and reading my blog post. Regarding your doubts- The screw top of the central shaft is the only one with plastic, but the remaining body below is stainless steel and looks durable. I agree to your doubts regarding the plastic batter wipers screwed to the stone, its either that or the good old batter wiper which is again plastic. In my old Ultra model,the batter wiper broke completely after years of usage a couple of years back,that too just by accidental touching on a pot while transferring the batter. I don’t know if you can see it in the video, I couldn’t find a replacement, and it was time to replace the whole machine anyway. I didn’t even look at Fastgrind machine before buying, I ordered it online a few days before leaving India and had no time to look at it properly. With all these wet grinders I see another problem-like the stone and the metal are glued together with some very heavy duty glue definitely not healthy either. I don’t know how good is that when it comes in contact with the batter. A couple of years back the stone in the mixing bowl fell off from the stainless steel bowl. We had to stick both with Araldite after much deliberation and doubts. I was not happy grinding with the mixie due to noise and the heating up of the batter.
Best would be what our grandmother’s and mothers had, no plastic and manual grinding. Kept them fit but now who has the time for all that. The fastgrind has some features which makes it attractive, but please consider it is a little bulky to handle otherwise, it looks very durable,has no sharp edges and very good finish. Try to go to a showroom and look at it physically before making your decision. Of all the grinders I could see in some showroom, Elgi Ultra is good quality, but they didn’t have Fastgrind on display. I got used to this one now and its features won me over, my only dissatisfaction is that they could make it slightly smaller and aesthetically pleasing. The mixing bowl is lighter to handle and I wash the stones with the batter of late by adding some water and run 2 cycles so the batter is not wasted. I hope my reply was helpful to you. Let me know if I could answer your doubts sufficiently.
Yes ,Thanks for the prompt reply. Ofcourse I do agree Elgi Ultra is the ultimate in the wet grinders segment in terms of motor life and durability . Fully convinced & I’m going for it.
Hi Chitra,
Thanks for your wonderful explanation abt elgiultra fast grinder. I hv seen it at a time where I was confused to take a decision. I would like to enquire whether it comes with coconut scraper and atta kneeder? And how is it’s performance?
Yes, it now comes with both these attachments. I didn’t see the need to buy it 2 years back and still have no need for these 2 attachments. I am so far satisfied with the performance. First take a look at the machine before you buy it physically, it also helps in making a decision. I bought it blind due to time constraints.
The masala in my ultra fastgrind grinder splashes everywhere above the lid and to the walls and floor. Please guide. This should not happen. My earlier tilting grinder was very good. There were no such hassles.
The only reason I can think of is maybe the lid doesn’t sit properly. I think this system is a little complicated. The lid is quite at a loose end, and doesn’t sit properly if we are not taking extra attention, that is what I noticed. Maybe help it little by pushing the ingredients closer to the stone. It hasn’t happened to me so far. But I never ground masala only chutney with it and it works. Does it also happen for idly and dosa ?
Thank you for details explanation. it helps to clear the doubts. I am having one questions. what will be bare minimum quantity of rice or dal required to operate the machine? or making chutney or kneading dough.
Mine is a family of four. i am concern if its too big for us.
Actually, the 2 liter capacity is ideal for a family of 4. I was using it for 3 of us and made idly batter for a week because we don’t eat so much of Indian breakfasts. Vadas were really perfect consistency compared to a mixer.Chutney was remaining fresh even after a couple of days in the fridge. It all depends on how much you grind. I usually ground 5 cups for idly/ dosa batter. 1 cup of dhal and 4 cups of rice. I had a booklet which gave measurements, but I lost it to give you the exact amount. I now have a mini grinder and its not as good as Fast grind. Many features are not there but its ok for our needs. I don’t use it as much. Ultra had an online user manual, but its not there in the link anymore. I hope my reply is useful for making a decision.