Macap packages this item very securely in its carton with "Sealed Air" protection above and below the grinder body and the lighter items in a separated compartment, so safe shipping should be assured. Mine arrived in perfect condition.
The weight of this grinder defies its size. Next to an ATOM it really is compact, but close to 5kg. Macap have done a great job of construction – alloy body is nicely executed and fit and finish top notch. The base is a solid plastic moulding with IEC power socket built in. Very neat. The hopper is not made from the heavier duty plastic that say the ATOM offers, but is quality never the less. The lid could be a little tighter in fit, but this is a minor quibble.
The flat steel burrs have a standard design and 50 mm in diameter. The top burr carrier is lowered or raised using a very slick micrometric adjuster. As this unit is really designed for espresso only, once you've found your desired grind setting, adjustment for finer or coarser is simple. I removed the toothed grind adjustment collar (3 screws) and turned the carrier by hand until the burrs contacted (remember this is a left hand thread), then backed off approx 1/6 turn. This proved a good starting point with first grind being a little too fine with a bit of clumping. A little tweaking and grind was what I wanted. You grind on-demand directly into your portafilter and the metal dispenser button has a neat hook on it to support the portafilter (along with the adjustable forks) – I've always used a chopstick to stir the exiting grind from the chute, so getting your portafilter at the correct level is not guess work.
In summary, the Macap is every bit as good as the ATOM in grind quality but without the hand holding that these higher level Eureka machines offer. Bought mine for decaf - it may not suit a first time buyer however because it assumes you have some basic barista knowledge.
The weight of this grinder defies its size. Next to an ATOM it really is compact, but close to 5kg. Macap have done a great job of construction – alloy body is nicely executed and fit and finish top notch. The base is a solid plastic moulding with IEC power socket built in. Very neat. The hopper is not made from the heavier duty plastic that say the ATOM offers, but is quality never the less. The lid could be a little tighter in fit, but this is a minor quibble.
The flat steel burrs have a standard design and 50 mm in diameter. The top burr carrier is lowered or raised using a very slick micrometric adjuster. As this unit is really designed for espresso only, once you've found your desired grind setting, adjustment for finer or coarser is simple. I removed the toothed grind adjustment collar (3 screws) and turned the carrier by hand until the burrs contacted (remember this is a left hand thread), then backed off approx 1/6 turn. This proved a good starting point with first grind being a little too fine with a bit of clumping. A little tweaking and grind was what I wanted. You grind on-demand directly into your portafilter and the metal dispenser button has a neat hook on it to support the portafilter (along with the adjustable forks) – I've always used a chopstick to stir the exiting grind from the chute, so getting your portafilter at the correct level is not guess work.
In summary, the Macap is every bit as good as the ATOM in grind quality but without the hand holding that these higher level Eureka machines offer. Bought mine for decaf - it may not suit a first time buyer however because it assumes you have some basic barista knowledge.


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