Innova grinders are designed to produce excellent espresso!
Positive Product Points
- Grinds exceptionally even and fine with little/no powder. (unless you need powder, which it is very capable of).
- VERY IMPORTANT/SELLING POINT: Stepless adjustment for the grinding mechanism thanks to a worm drive. A must have for creating a great espresso with any espresso machine. The only other home machine I could find having a similar stepless adjustment feature is a $$$ Mazzer Mini.
- Solid construction (with the exception of the bean hopper).
- Appears to be designed to last unlike similar grinders in this price range.
- Manual I received was written in Spanish, English, French, Deutche, Polish, and Italian. The most important maintenance feature that comes to mind are the grinding disks. The manual states: Grinding discs must be replaced between 400-600 kg (875-1,300 lb) of ground coffee. Thats a lot of ground coffee!!!
- For the quality of the grounds produced and money spent, I believe it is an excellent choice for great tasting Espressos, Cappuccinos, and Lattes.
Negative Product Points
- Noisier than I anticipated in a quiet environment, but not worse than many other quality grinders according to reviews on the internet.
- The Bean Hopper as of this review is made of RIGID plastic, NOT of FLEXABLE plastic. The hopper is designed to GENTLY sit on top of the machine and not wedged with any force into the bottom portion of the unit.
- The Porta Filter fork may not work with your espresso machine. I found that it was not useful for me and easily removed it with a philips and torx screwdriver.
- The grounds do get stuck in chute, not clogging the chute rendering it inoperable, but a significant amount must be removed by hand when cleaning.
- It can be messy to operate if not careful. (I came up with a simple fix to help contain the mess for the DOSERLESS model, read on to find out how.)
Detailed Commentary
After nearly a month of use I really enjoy my Innova I-2 Conical/Doserless grinder. Right off I must emphasize, ESPRESSO. I only use the I-2 for my espresso machine. This grinder is not suitable for switching between different types of grinds due its worm drive adjustment. It was designed for the ability to finely tune the grind, which is especially useful for espresso. Look elsewhere for a multi-grind machine (Rocky Rancillio, or possibly a $$$Mazzer Mini), you will be happier.
I have been shopping, comparing, and reading online grinder reviews for sometime now and finally made a decision to purchase the I-2 during a recent trip to Spain. Fortunate being able to observe the preparation and tasting of many cups of Café Solo/(espresso) and Café con Leche/(Latte) during my 4 week stay, I have learned three things: (1) you must have a professional quality grinder, (2) you must use a tamper, and (3) for a great latte use FRESH whole milk. These were the 3 constants I notice while hopping from bar to bar. Yes, the espresso machine is important, but not as much as grinding and tamping. If the grind was off, you could definitely taste it in your espresso drink. Another important observation was the espresso equipment. I can honestly say that it is a matter of preference, and I did not see the same equipment more than twice in over 60 different bars. Every bar however did have 2 grinders. One grinder for multipurpose grinding and another solely dedicated to espresso.
In the city of Soria where I stayed I noticed I was drawn back again and again to a particular medium sized bar that used an Innova I-1 Flat burr doserless grinder for espresso drinks. The Espresso and Lattes were terrific. When I discovered I could purchase a similar Innova model for under $200, I was nearly sold. After further research, I also found that although the Innova line is new to the U.S. market, Ascaso Componentes, S.A.. Barcelona/ Spain is not a new company. It has more than 40 years of experience specializing in components for espresso coffee machines and also produces the Innova line of coffee grinders.
A company with experience, producing a quality machine, capable of a quality grind, within a reasonable price, I was sold. I was so excited in fact, I placed an order for the I-2 Doserless model while I was still in Spain so I would have it by the time I arrived home from vacation.
The bars that served coffee in the providence of Spain I visited, served lots of coffee during the course of a day often to a full house with standing room only. In fact, it was common to see heaping piles of excess grinds on and around doser and doserless grinders. This may be the reason why often in online reviews you read negatives on professional grinders, with regards to chute and doser problems. It is difficult purchasing a professional quality grinder that does not create a mess in your home. I believe this is simply due to the fact professional grinders generally have not been designed with the home user in mind, until more recently. The I-2 Conical Innova I purchased is no exception, and it can be messy to use.
After dialing in the I-2 grind setting for my espresso machine for the first time, I realized I needed to find a fix to neatly catch stray/excess grinds from landing on my machine and counter top during clean up.
The quick fix is a smooth flexible flap easily attached to the Innova. The flap when shaped to fit into a small container serves as a half funnel to catch excess grinds. Materials needed: - Philips screwdriver - (Torx screwdriver, only if completely removing the porta filter fork) - Post-it notes (rectangle not square) - Pencil - Scissors - Single hole paper punch - Smooth, thin, flexible plastic cutting/chopping mat. (this is not a specialty item and is found in most stores that carry kitchen tools) - Small container for catching stray grounds (I use a round, decorative, ceramic, wasabi dish for sushi)
Loosen the 2 philip screws that attach the porta filter fork. (I removed the fork completely which additionally requires a torx screwdriver for removing the 4 rubber feet at the base of the grinder.) Use the long side of a post-it note as a template, to mark on center, the 2 screws fastening the porta filter fork. With the hole punch create two slightly opened holes at the center marks, along the edge of the post-it note. The holes should have a shape of the letter ......U..... allowing the post-it note to slide under the porta filter fork mounting screws without removing the screws completely. Attach the post-it note to the grinder and place your small container in position to catch the excess grinds. Neatly shape the post-it note to fit your container, use scissors if necessary. (Remember, the Post-it note is only a template that will be transferred to the plastic chopping mat after you have the Post-note shape correct). Test your Post-it note funnel by grinding some beans. When you are happy with your funnel transfer your Post-it note pattern to the plastic chopping mat.
This fix may not be perfect for everyone but I hope it generates ideas for catching stray grounds for your grinder.
IN CONCLUSION:
At the time of the review the next step above the Innova is possibly a Mazzer Mini for creating great tasting espresso drinks by allowing you to make the same exacting grinding adjustments for any espresso machine. I ONLY make espresso drinks, so the Mazzer Mini would be over kill costing me an additional $210.00 on top of the Innova.
04/28/03
This is not my 3-month review, but I believe the following is VERY important in order to remain happy with your INNOVA grinder.
The Bean Hopper as of this update is made of RIGID plastic, NOT of FLEXABLE plastic. The hopper is designed to GENTLY sit on top of the machine and not wedged with any force into the bottom portion of the unit. After pulling the hopper off to clean the inside of the machine for the first time today, I discovered the bottom portion of the hopper was shattered.
04/30/03
WOW!!!
After describing my problem with the I-2 bean hopper, PM Zanetti, Caffè Solo Customer Support had a replacement hopper in the mail. I was told it might take a couple weeks to receive the hopper because they were out of stock and they needed to contact the vender. Instead of keeping me waiting, Caffè Solo had the part sent from EPNW! Thank you for the terrific service Caffè Solo. I will definitely keep you in mind when shopping for my future espresso needs.
****************************************************** I will follow up with this review again in 3 months.
Buying Experience
Leery of online buying and related internet scams I carefully reviewed Caffe Solos website. The primary deciding factor for shopping with this online store was in part because they are a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB). I also did a follow up check on SOLO ENTERPRISES at www.bbb.org. Other deciding factors at the time was the great price and free shipping.
Three Month Followup
After 3 months of use, pulling 2-3 shots a day, 7 days a week I must say the I-2 works great! I was a little disappointed with the Hopper being so fragile. As of this followup there is buzz on coffeegeek discussion board of Innova correcting the issue. I hope Innova also reviews the chute. It is also made of the same fragile plastic. Aside from "Fragile Plastic" issue, the rest of the machine appears rock solid and performs equally as well.
On a final note, if you are using the Innova doserless model without a timer I have come up with a do-it-yourself hopper that has proved to work excellent. To find out more search coffeegeeks Discussion Board, Author Search, Youngberg.
Please feel free to rate my review and post Feedback on this article. Your constructive comments will help others in their decision on purchasing a grinder.
I am still pulling 2-3 shots a day 7 days a week and my I-2 is working the same as the first day .......... great with excellent grind results!
***Additionally, The do-it-yourself hopper has held up beautifully over 1 1/2 years and has still proven to work excellent. To find out more search coffeegeeks Discussion Board, Author Search, Youngberg
***Final suggestion: you may also find that the chopping mats I describe above in funneling excess grinds are a near perfect work mat for tamping out DRY spent grinds from a porta filter, used under your grinder, and under your espresso machine.
