Is Mazzer Major doser overkill for first time E61 owner?

[Grummer]

Im in New Zealand , already a proud owner of a Bacchi, has recently acquired a used but good E61 machine, it haven't arrived yet though...right now I'm eyeing on a Mazzer Major which had a rebuild and a new set of burrs (not installed in) for reasonablly good price - about same as would a Superjolly might go for.

Now for home use, grinding probably 250-500gm a week at the most....even though it says 8 kg a week, its the burr, grind quality and robustness of the machine im after..but is this an overkill?
what i mean is, if i grind only group head's worth twice or four time a day , will the Major spin too fast, making more waste??
I 'd love a Mahlkonig K30 but wow PRICY!! thing is i like the idea of dosserless, not much to clean and waste...
have i got my priority all wrong there??

looking forward some suggestions, or even better alternatives, but i'm also hoping for encouragement to get the Major,

one thing though....why everyones on SuperJolly, and some Mini's not so much on Major then the Robur?? do i sense that Major as not such a popular model if so, why?

Thanks

btw for the bacchi i use the hand grinder hario (with glass screw on jar at bottom, not bad...)

[kwantfm]

The Major is awesome. If you can afford it (and it sounds like it's a great deal) then it is by definition NOT overkill. Common knowledge, but the grinder is the key component in any good coffee set up. Go the Major and don't look back.

[muppet_man67]

It's overkill compared to a super jolly for a home environment. It will grind faster, waste a little more, take up more space in your kitchen and taste very similar to a super jolly. It costs more than a super jolly because it can make more coffee's in a day. The price difference doesn't really have much to do with the quality of the grind.

People like Roburs for home because they are conical, but also because they want to have the same grinder that all the best cafe's seem to have, just in case thats the difference between the coffee they make and the one at the cafe. Personally I think they are total overkill. We have two at work, its great as a house grinder but the wastage on our single origin grinder is appalling. 60+gm of ground coffee retention. We are stepping down to a major now, if you really want conical get a kony.

[TOK]

...I'm eyeing on a Mazzer Major which had a rebuild and a new set of burrs (not installed in) for reasonablly good price - about same as would a Superjolly might go for.

Now for home use, grinding probably 250-500gm a week at the most....even though it says 8 kg a week, its the burr, grind quality and robustness of the machine im after..but is this an overkill? ...have i got my priority all wrong there??

looking forward some suggestions, or even better alternatives, but i'm also hoping for encouragement to get the Major,

one thing though....why everyones on SuperJolly, and some Mini's not so much on Major then the Robur?? do i sense that Major as not such a popular model if so, why?......

A major will be "good for" 10kg per day, all dependent on the spread of coffees through the working day, not per week as in your quote. If you want a robust grinder, it certainly is that, but its total and unnecessary overkill at home. This is a volume cafe grinder and I doubt you would pick the difference in any "quality" in the coffee between either of mazzer mini VS super jolly VS major, in the cup on a blind cupping.

Try not to let what you read on the www make you insecure about buying a grinder that will be more well suited and matched to your type of home use, for no particular loss of discernible quality in the cup.

If you want it buy it, but dont be fooled into thinking that the coffee you get out of it will somehow be "better" than more suitable home use equipment. just because it is a big heavy commercial use machine.

Hope that helps.

[chokkidog]

If you want a Major ..... buy it. If you want to come down in size/$$$ then buy a Macap M4D. You will struggle to notice any difference in the cup.

You mention burr, grind quality and robustness as your priorities. They are good priorities ... it's just that they will all be fulfilled with a Macap.

The Macap M4D is my grinder of choice, in a commercial, setting for decaf and would be acceptable for more um...'noble' duties.

Prior to my Robur-E a Macap M4D sat happily on my bench and would have stayed there ad infinitum if my vocation hadn't changed.

[cirrus]

IMHO you are better off with a smaller grinder sometimes, for reasons of less grind retention / coffee wastage. That is, unless you can get a Mazzer or another great grinder that doesn't hold the coffee in with that little screen thing that some Mazzers have.

[Grummer]

Thank folks, I agree - its too big, as I have just been down to my favourite espresso shop, they have 2 Mazzers which i recognise, a Mini right next to a Major, right away i knew 'this is way too big- they're right'. So Im now looking at either a Macap MC4 (dosserless) or a Mahlkoenigh Vario which grinders straight to the PF, but upon reading some their newer (slightly upper range - a PROM...then read its bad, and messy...also suspect the Vario might be similar, except that K30...

So it looks like the Macap stepless (good for fine tuning, but bad for when you change beans then fiddle settings then its hard to find back to where you were before) so its like you can't win!...grrr im so confused right now

[TampIt]

Thank folks, I agree - its too big, as I have just been down to my favourite espresso shop, they have 2 Mazzers which i recognise, a Mini right next to a Major, right away i knew 'this is way too big- they're right'. So Im now looking at either a Macap MC4 (dosserless) or a Mahlkoenigh Vario which grinders straight to the PF, but upon reading some their newer (slightly upper range - a PROM...then read its bad, and messy...also suspect the Vario might be similar, except that K30...

So it looks like the Macap stepless (good for fine tuning, but bad for when you change beans then fiddle settings then its hard to find back to where you were before) so its like you can't win!...grrr im so confused right now

Hi Grummer

As an owner / user (previously) of far too many grinders (ranging from $50 whirling blade horrors to way beyond the Major) I now have two Mahlkoenig/Mahlkonig Vario gen2's at home (plus some others, however the Vario is my main home grinder).

Not perfect, however if you live with one for a week I reckon you will be permanently smitten.

Instead of repeating myself, http://coffeesnobs.com.au/grinders/3...a-preciso.html is a recent post of mine along the same lines. A later post (same thread) has a potted history of them as I understand it.

If you run naked p/f / VST baskets which require a finer than "trad espresso grinds", feel free to compare the Vario's coffee quality to ANY traditional commercial grinder including the top Mazzers. Even after a A to Z clean & calibrate of the trad grinder and then ensuring that you are not getting any stale coffee (retained grounds) out of them (not easy if a doser is involved) it is still a major embarrassment for the trad grinder.

Have fun with your toy, whatever you decide...

TampIt

[mmmcoffee]

Hi Grummer I have my mini Mazzer and love it. I took the finger guard out and with a quick brush (1 second) there is very little grinds retention. Due to the doser it is clean/very little wastage. Size wise is perfect with my a Domobar Jnr.

Grind consistence great and grinds easily fine enough for my VST baskets. No complaints my end.

I agree with Cirrus in size and grinds retention. Majors are HUGe.

[hotshod]

Mazzer Major "Over kill".....

NEVER

Because size matters........

[Yelta]

When it comes to most home environments, particularly if you cohabit with a member of the feminine gender, size certainly does matter, installing a Mazzer Mini is quite likely to see you lose kitchen privileges, Mazzer Major = divorce, overkill and totally unnecessary, leave em for a busy cafe.

However, if your male, single and get off on the bigger is better philosophy, then perhaps something like this would be the go . McCloskey International C50 Jaw crushing a big feckin rock!!!!!!! - YouTube

[Gavisconi007]

Im in New Zealand , already a proud owner of a Bacchi, has recently acquired a used but good E61 machine, it haven't arrived yet though...right now I'm eyeing on a Mazzer Major which had a rebuild and a new set of burrs (not installed in) for reasonablly good price - about same as would a Superjolly might go for.

Now for home use, grinding probably 250-500gm a week at the most....even though it says 8 kg a week, its the burr, grind quality and robustness of the machine im after..but is this an overkill?
what i mean is, if i grind only group head's worth twice or four time a day , will the Major spin too fast, making more waste??
I 'd love a Mahlkonig K30 but wow PRICY!! thing is i like the idea of dosserless, not much to clean and waste...
have i got my priority all wrong there??

looking forward some suggestions, or even better alternatives, but i'm also hoping for encouragement to get the Major,

one thing though....why everyones on SuperJolly, and some Mini's not so much on Major then the Robur?? do i sense that Major as not such a popular model if so, why?

Thanks

btw for the bacchi i use the hand grinder hario (with glass screw on jar at bottom, not bad...)

Based on my experience, having gone from Mini to Major and now a Nino, I would definitely say a Major is excellent for home use and offers superior consistency and a much quicker grind time than a Mini. Is it overkill? Perhaps. But when they are available for several hundred dollars or in some cases less, I say Why Not?

[samuellaw178]

Based on my experience, having gone from Mini to Major and now a Nino, I would definitely say a Major is excellent for home use and offers superior consistency and a much quicker grind time than a Mini. Is it overkill? Perhaps. But when they are available for several hundred dollars or in some cases less, I say Why Not?

+1 Especially on the last sentence.

Mazzer Mini is smaller, but not that much smaller (sans hopper). If you have enough space for Mini I'm sure Major could fit. It may depend on to how you use them too ( single dose or run with column of beans in the hopper).

Taste aside, for the extra consistency & faster grind time (25sec vs 5 sec), why not? I wouldn't buy it at the new retail price of course, but for a used and possibly same/lower price as a new Mini, hell yeah!

I have had both but not simultanously. Retention is about the same, if not better, on the Major. On the Mini, the grind is oozing out from the chute (chute is 100% filled), whereas the Major just shoot them out due to the fast grinding speed(maybe 30% filled or less in the chute). A joy to use the Major but not as much on the Mini.


Mazzer Major: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz9PlH5MuA8
Mazzer Mini : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVTxw9NVzsI ---->Skip to minute 0:45

Wonder how many had used one before commenting on the retention/waste department. :P

[dumiya]

Over kill! Why not. We bought a new Mazzer Kony-e, took two years to run it in (@170gms a week!) worth the wait. We make as good a coffee as the very best local coffee places. Awsome grind, Awsome texture and taste. Using a giotto rocket.

[mwcalder05]

Hey, if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing! Go for it. I'm sure you won't regret it!