smasha Senior Member Joined: 19 Feb 2012 Posts: 32 Location: Cambridge Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2012, 7:46am Subject: grinder selection Mazer mini or Mahlkönig VARIO home or ....
Hi
I have just purchased a second hand HX espresso machine (iberital) from ebay and am expecting delivery latter this week. So next off I need a grinder.
From what I hear grinders are more important the espresso machines and I have come up with either the Mazer mini or Mahlkönig VARIO home grinders as decent home machines.
I am interested in the physically smallest home grinder (the HX espresso is big enough and my wife wont like me getting a huge grinder) that will do quality consistent grinds.
I would like to say money is no object, but it is .... but I do understand that I need to spend money to get a descent grinder so I am hoping for something circa £300 new or £150 second hand and then I can fit new burrs.
Once again size is important and the smaller the better.
If money was no object and size was still a constraint what other models should I consider ....
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,678 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2012, 7:54am Subject: Re: grinder selection Mazer mini or Mahlkönig VARIO home or ....
The Vario is smaller than the Mini and a lot of people here have the Vario and compare it's grind quality to that of the mini's bigger brother, the Super Jolly. I have not used the Vario so I can not say but I respect the opinion of the many here that like their Vario grinders so I can advise the purchase of one due to the opinions of those who I respect.
The Vario was designed as a home gridner and the Mazzer mini is, in my h.o. made stronger as it is all metal and there is a fair amount of plastic on the Vario. In the long run the mini may last longer but it has been several years now and some of the first buyers of the Vario are still happy. YMMV!
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
it has swayed my to the mazzer mini. The only issue with that is there are no second hand ones (without the doser) on ebay at the moment and a new one is £500 squid ....
also looking at the side by side pictures on the last page of the pdf shows it bigger but not too much bigger.
dorkroast Senior Member Joined: 3 Oct 2012 Posts: 78 Location: CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Classic Grinder: Mazzer Mini Roaster: Popcorn Pumper
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2012, 8:39am Subject: Re: grinder selection Mazer mini or Mahlkönig VARIO home or ....
Dunno if it sways you or not but I was in the same predicament until last night. I found the mazzer mini on 1st-line for $500 shipped. I'm not sure if that would work out for you internationally but I found it impossible to pass up.
I've never personally used either grinder but I have fondled the Varios and they seemed like a very nice but cheapo home grinder where the Mazzer's seemed more like a machine to be used. I guess I'm a big old fashioned that I prefer plain metal over fancy plastic.
I guess I'll find out soon. Good luck to you, it's a big $$$ purchase to make without every trying one.
**EDIT- I just realized you were posting regarding the Mazzer mini without the doser. I obviously purchased the doser model. I have yet to figure out why the doserless version is so much more expensive.
smasha Senior Member Joined: 19 Feb 2012 Posts: 32 Location: Cambridge Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2012, 8:47am Subject: Re: grinder selection Mazer mini or Mahlkönig VARIO home or ....
yeah the solid construction from the Mazzer (what I have read anyway not seen - lol) is a bonus. Similarly the vario with its plastic construction is a negative.
Also the Mazzer holds is value very well and replacement parts (burrs, hopper and funnel) seem to be readily available.
I am located in the UK and believe I would get slugged by customs for VAT and duty importing from across the atlantic. boo :(
best price here I have found is from caffe italia at £449 .....
oh and I want the doseless model so no left over grinds. I believe the cost is cos of its electronic timmer.
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,718 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2012, 9:17am Subject: Re: grinder selection Mazer mini or Mahlkönig VARIO home or ....
Doser/Doserless is a matter of how you like to work, rather than dose sparing. You can easily use doser efficiently, so if that's your only reason for doserless, you should reconsider...and base your decision on how you like to operate the "bar".
The price is very good and your grinder (Mini Electronic MOD. A) is a different category to Mazzer Mini because it has 64mm burrs (similar size to Super Jolly) in comparison to 58mm of the simple Mini.
smasha Senior Member Joined: 19 Feb 2012 Posts: 32 Location: Cambridge Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2012, 10:36am Subject: Re: grinder selection Mazer mini or Mahlkönig VARIO home or ....
greekespresso Said:
The price is very good and your grinder (Mini Electronic MOD. A) is a different category to Mazzer Mini because it has 64mm burrs (similar size to Super Jolly) in comparison to 58mm of the simple Mini.
so the bigger burrs is a bonus I guess .... but from what I can tell on the Mazzer website the mini and mini electronic mod A are the same physical size.
To that extent getting the electronic mod a has two benefits - doser less and bigger burrs. Is that correct or am I still missing something.
P.S. There are also reports that in Europe due to higher voltage the burrs can be changed with those from Super Jolly but I do not know how much of improvement that can be.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,678 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2012, 2:24pm Subject: Re: grinder selection Mazer mini or Mahlkönig VARIO home or ....
Doser or doserless is a function of how you like to work and really, this is a personal choice. One is not better than the other, they are different. I have both and in the manual grinders, I tend to use the doser MUCH more than not. Then again there are a lot of people who LOVE their grinders without dosers, a personal decision but if you are worried about grind retention, that really isn't a big deal. You do NOT fill the doser and use it in the way it was intended to be used in a commercial establishment. We grind by dose so it is a handy holding place for our next shot while pulling a shot, and it is not used to measure the quantity of grounds for the shots. YMMV!
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
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