!!!SOLD!!! - FS: As New Macap M4 stepless

[alex87]

Hi Everyone,

I have a Macap m4 which is just a month old for sale, have only put about 2kg of coffee through it.
Was purchased on the 8th of April from Chris @ Talk Coffee (Fantastic guy btw). Chris has indicated that he will transfer the balance of the warranty to the new owner, and I will supply the receipt for the new owner as well.
It has been a huge step up from the Sunbeam EM480 i had, and the stepless wormdrive really helps you dial in the grind setting. As to why I'm selling it I came across a Super Jolly E that I couldn't pass up, so I have 3 grinders and one has to go.

Am asking $550 for it, i believe retail is $840 and they are selling for $710 after discount, so I think that is a fair price for an essentially new unit.

I would prefer local pickup (Melbourne) at this point, but will open it up to people from other states if not sold by the end of this week.

[Journeyman]

Sure is pretty...

I've pretty much blown my upgrade budget for this year according to SWMBO, but I am curious as to how it is a step up from the EM0480? What have you found to be better with it?

[TC]

I am curious as to how it is a step up from the EM0480? What have you found to be better with it?

Surely you jest? If they were even close, nobody would choose anything other than the appliance.

[Journeyman]

No jest. Just curious to hear what the difference in experience is. Many people slag off at SB machines but very few give details. Mostly they come across as prejudiced for some reason, yet many others make very good coffee from SB's.

So here was a chance to hear from somebody upgrading directly from an SB to a brand machine. I'm interested in hearing actual experience, rather than abreaction because I dared to ask.

[burr]

I noticed a very clear improvement in flavour going from an em0480 to flat burr grinder. I'm not sure how to explain it... perhaps the 0480 had the basic coffee & choc tones, while lacking in fruit and other subtleties. Aside from that, the sunbeam is a loud and messy beast!

That said, it can't be beaten at its price point and is a great stepping stone for people to get into coffee. My coffee journey might have been much slower if I hand't seen a half-price sale on 0480's a few years back.

[alex87]

Sure is pretty...

I've pretty much blown my upgrade budget for this year according to SWMBO, but I am curious as to how it is a step up from the EM0480? What have you found to be better with it?

Taste wise definitely was clearer, with fruits that were more prominent, yet not overshadowing the chocolate tones.

Operation wise much much quieter, and I have confidence that the macap is going to last forever, the sunbeam even though is good for it's price, just isn't the same quality as the Macap.

[Journeyman]

Thanks both of you. The 'fruits' you mention, are they in lighter roasts? Do either of you use dark roast? I've been trying some med roasts recently, and have noticed significant differences in the flavours that come through.

[alex87]

Most of the roasts I drink tend to be on the darker side, so if unbalanced they can seem a bit heavy/unbalanced/sorta towards the back of the tongue. It was only after I learnt to appreciate espresso straight up that I realised that the tasting notes you see when roasters describe coffee can actually be achieved.
With the Sunbeam i wasn't quite tasting the fruits clearly, meaning the chocolate notes seem to be more prominent? It was only after I brought the Macap home that the same blend of coffee started tasting more similar to what I had at the cafe I buy my beans from.
Another advantage of the Macap is that through the week when the coffee beans 'age' slightly I can adjust the grind just a tiny bit finer with the stepless adjustment. On the Sunbeam one setting was slightly too coarse and the next was slightly too fine.

I guess that about sums up my thought

[Ben@McLaren]

Having upgraded from 0480 to M4D, I thought I might share my experience. (Also purchased from Chris)
The SB is about 20dB louder and about half the speed of the Macap. And the sound is a lot less like a cat getting run over too.
Though I did used to be able to keep a soft drink lid on the 0480 spout to keep the moisture out between daily grinds.

[EspressoAdventurer]

Hi Alex
Pm'ed you re interstate option
Regards
EA

[alex87]

Thanks to those who have expressed interest. Due to most of them coming from interstate, I have decided that if no one local(Melbourne) contacts me by the end of today(14/05), it will be sold to the interstate buyers waiting in line.

[timdimdom]

No jest. Just curious to hear what the difference in experience is. Many people slag off at SB machines but very few give details. Mostly they come across as prejudiced for some reason, yet many others make very good coffee from SB's.

So here was a chance to hear from somebody upgrading directly from an SB to a brand machine. I'm interested in hearing actual experience, rather than abreaction because I dared to ask.

i moved from the 480 to a kony-e. the 480 was actually easier to manage with the small kitchen footprint, but taste did differ greatly. most obvious difference was the stepless grind settings which allowed finer tuning to the right shot. i also noticed less clumping and channelling. most importantly it just tasted better- i wont say it was brighter, but the taste was less 'muddy'. almost as if grind consistency was not as great on the 480 than the kony. sound was not that much of an issue - the version of the 480 i got was one of the slower RPM ones (but was still louder than the kony)

the kony also performed much better than the 480 on coarser settings with more clarity in the brewed coffees.

cleaning the kony was also much less of a hassle and felt more 'complete' (for lack of a better word). no more stray grinds falling out the chute every now and then when the bench got a big knock while chopping next to it.

[Journeyman]

First Alex, sorry for the off-topic posts...

Thanks guys for the info re upgrades. Very helpful.

Some Q's though... @Ben - isn't a slower speed better than faster? I think I've seen posts stating that, & that it's because the slower speed keeps the grind cooler in heavy use.

Also, the soft drink lid thing - was that to fit on the rubber add-on spout or did it fit on the built in bit. Screw top or one of those rubber types for keeping the drink bubbly once opened??

@Tim - I don't get channelling at all but I know the clump issue, as well as the random bits falling out.

[ArtW]

isn't a slower speed better than faster? I think I've seen posts stating that, & that it's because the slower speed keeps the grind cooler in heavy use.

I think the speed you are referring to is the speed of the burrs measured in RPM. Yes, if this is too fast the grinds can heat and this will have a negative effect on the coffee. The speed which Ben is referring to is the speed it takes to grind a shot (or throughput). This is the amount of time it takes to produce the requisite ground coffee. A grinder with larger burrs will (all things being equal) grind coffee faster for the same RPM or alternatively, can operate at a slower RPM for the same throughput. From memory the Sunbeam has a 35mm burr-set whilst the Macap definitely uses 58mm burrs (as does its Mazzer and Compak competitors), so a significant difference.

I've just moved from the Sunbeam to the Macap and I think the Macap produces more even and fluffier grinds as well as being much easier to adjust. I can't however comment on the difference in the cup because whilst I have noticed a huge improvement, I have also upgraded my Espresso machine at the same time so I don't know how much is attributable to the grinder upgrade. I can say that whilst its early days, I'm loving the Macap.

[Ben@McLaren]

Thanks ArtW, exactly what I meant to say re speed.
As for the cap/lid, it was just a soft drink lid that fitted on the existing spout. Not especially air/moisture tight, but a convenient way of slowing what I believe to be the ingress of moisture. I noticed that as a result I didn't have to adjust the grind so much towards the end of the load and assume it was moisture levels being better maintained. Just a tip if anyone wanted to try for themselves.