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Video: How to Choose a Mazzer Espresso Grinder

Video: How to Choose a Mazzer Espresso Grinder

Aug 25th 2014 Written by steve.rhinehart

If you’re hunting for a new espresso grinder, you’d do well to set your sights on Mazzer. These classic and time-tested machines are both legendary and ubiquitous in the coffee world - and for good reason! These are sturdy, solid machines, built like a tank and designed for precision. But with so many options, how do you know which model is right for you? Let’s take a closer look at Mazzer’s line of grinders and set you on your way to espresso nirvana.

If you’re hunting for a new espresso grinder, you’d do well to set your sights on Mazzer. These classic and time-tested machines are both legendary and ubiquitous in the coffee world - and for good reason! These are sturdy, solid machines, built like a tank and designed for precision. But with so many options, how do you know which model is right for you? Let’s take a closer look at Mazzer’s line of grinders and set you on your way to espresso nirvana.

To start, there are two basic flavors to Mazzer: the doser version, and the doserless, or electronic version. Dosers are designed to store a few hundred grams of ground coffee. With a few sweeps of the lever, grounds are then dispensed directly into your portafilter. All Mazzer dosers are adjustable, so you can customize how much coffee you dispense with each “thwack” of the lever. This is a great setup for cafes that need to have a bunch of coffee ready to go for dosing, and it has the added benefit of de-clumping your grounds so they fall nice and neat into your basket.

With stepless adjustment, you've got near-infinite grind size control at your fingertips.

The electronic grinders are more precision-oriented, doing away with the dosing chamber in favor of a cone to dose directly into your portafilter. The electronic versions offer customizable timed dosing, so you get the same amount of coffee ground fresh directly into your portafilter every single time - and within 1 gram of accuracy, according to our own tests. The timers are easy to adjust as well, so you won’t feel like you’re wrestling with a VCR just to dial in every morning - just hit a few buttons and you’re good to go!

All Mazzers also feature stepless adjustment. What this means is that rather than using distinct increments, you’ve got near-infinite adjustment at your fingertips. So, when you’re dialing in your espresso, you won’t find yourself stuck between steps. Instead, you can just make a fine tweak or two and be well on your way to syrupy and flavorful coffee goodness. That being said, let’s check out these grinders!

Mazzer's espresso grinders: consistent, precise, and rock-solid

Right at the beginning of the line, we’ve got the diminutive Mazzer Mini. This little guy is perfect for low-volume cafes, or as a side grinder for your decaf or guest espresso. Putting out about 1 gram per second with its 64 mm flat steel burrs, the Mini is also popular with home espresso enthusiasts. Petite but powerful, the Mini is also built to last, and an optional short hopper can make it even more attractive for home use.

Moving along, we’ve got the Super Jolly. Though more powerful than the Mini, it’s still rather compact (and also compatible with that short hopper, home users). Churning out over 1.5 grams per second, the Super Jolly will be at home in a cafe doing light to medium duty, or as a single origin espresso grinder set beside your main unit. When you think of Mazzer, you may just be thinking of the Super Jolly, as it’s one of their most popular models, and can be seen in many a cafe worldwide.

The Mazzer Major is essentially the industry standard espresso grinder. Nearly twice as powerful as the Super Jolly, and capable of serving medium-to-high volume cafes, the Major sets the bar for performance and consistency. Its 83 mm flat burrs and powerful motor will spit out a 20 gram dose in just 5 seconds. But with great power comes great….grind retention. In our tests, we found a Major will retain right around 6.5 grams in between grinding sessions. As a result, you’ll have to purge when things slow down, or you may be left with sad little espresso shots. Freshness is key in any cafe environment, so a little purge will ensure your coffee is tasting its best whether the line is out the door or just barely to the pastry case.

Next up we have the Mazzer Kony; where espresso really starts to get serious. On paper, the Kony is much like the Major in almost every way, with similar grinding speed and retention.The key difference is in the burrs: the Kony uses 63 mm conical steel burrs, rather than the flat burrs found in models up to this point. Those burrs also spin more slowly, powering through the same amount of coffee as a Major, but also keeping it cooler. Slower burrs contribute less heat buildup due to friction, which translates to more consistent shot performance for you. Coffee is a little like wood, as it’s made up mostly of cellulose, a fibery plant material. Like wood, coffee will expand and contract with heat, which actually can lead to differences in your espresso’s flavor. A flat burr grinder with big burrs will spin quite fast, and contributes a good deal of heat over time to the coffee being ground, and your baristas will have to fiddle with the grind to keep things consistent. With conical burrs, you can spin the motor more slowly while maintaining a speedy grind output, which will lead to less heat buildup when your cafe gets busy. That being the case, the Kony is a great choice for medium-to-high volume cafes who want even better consistency with their espresso. Just remember to purge when things slow down!

Revered for their quality, performance, and the fact that they’re darn near indestructible.

Finally, we have the Robur, an absolute beast of a grinder. You want 20 grams in your portafilter, stat? The Robur’s got your basket filled in just 3 seconds. Like the Kony, it features conical burrs that spin at lower RPMs while performing with aplomb. But the Robur is stacked with a more powerful motor, big 71 mm burrs, and a hearty appetite for chewing up beans and spitting out fluffy grounds. Beans seemingly free fall through this machine into the portafilter, which is why many of the busiest shops in America have chosen the Robur - there’s nothing it can’t handle. Because of it’s size, this grinder retains a substantial amount of grounds between cycles. In our tests we found that an average of 12g were left behind. As enticing as it sounds, the Robur is not going to be for everybody. It’s best suited to only the busiest cafes, with regular high-volume periods and little downtime. If that sounds like you, then the Robur is about to be your new best friend.

Calling Mazzer’s line popular in the coffee world would be a vast understatement. They’re ubiquitous for espresso service, revered for their quality, performance, and the fact that they’re darn near indestructible. If you need espresso to be done right, you want a Mazzer, and our team at Prima can help you find the model to best suit your needs. And believe us, your Mazzer will be working hard for a long, long time.

Name Mini Super Jolly Major Kony Robur
Models Doser / Electronic Doser / Electronic Doser / Electronic Doser / Electronic Doser / Electronic
Motor 250 watt 350 watt 650 watt 350 watt 900 watt
Burrs 64 mm flat 64 mm flat 83 mm flat 63 mm conical 71 mm conical
RPM 1400 - 1600 1400 - 1600 1400 - 1600 420 - 500 420 - 500
Grind Speed 1 gram/sec 1.6 grams/sec 4 grams/sec 3.8 grams/sec 6.7 grams/sec
Avg. Grind Retention 3.1 grams 4 grams 6.4 grams 6.5 grams 12.2 grams
Hopper Capacity 1.3 lbs 2.7 lbs 4 lbs 2.9 lbs 4 lbs
Dimensions 6.75" x 13.5" x 18.5" 9.5" x 16.5" x 24" 9.5" x 18" x 25" 9.5" x 16.5" x 25.5" 9.75" x 18.5" x 28.25"
Weight 22.5 lbs 31 lbs 44 lbs 44 lbs 62 lbs
Suitable for: Light duty commercial, mobile espresso carts or catering, decaf or guest espresso. Home use (1.1 lb short hopper available). Medium duty commercial, main or alternate espresso grinder, mobile espresso carts or catering. Home use (1.1 lb short hopper available). Medium to high volume commercial, some mobile applications and catering, main espresso grinder. Medium to high volume commercial, some mobile applications and catering, main espresso grinder. High to very high volume commercial, not recommended for mobile service, requires significant purging in slow periods.
Aug 25th 2014 steve.rhinehart

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