Handsome “bruiser” grinder worth its weight in muscle, adjustability and consistency.
Positive Product Points
Flawless grind, infinite easy grind adjustment, fast (very fast), excellently engineered doser, great industrial aesthetics. 17 inches tall, rock solid build.
Negative Product Points
Large throat captures stray beans, adjusting grind is time consuming, stationary hopper.
Detailed Commentary
The La Cimali Junior is a superior product. Its grind is fast (formula 1 fast) and consistently superb. The coffee granules are very uniform at any setting. The adjustment is easy; you don’t need a lot of effort to move the burrs (My 5 year old would have no problem). It would be nice if there were a rapid adjusting wheel on the side of the machine, one turn of it would give you maybe; 4 turns of the fine adjusting knob. This, I believe is the main negative, adjustment. Adjusting is time consuming, 40 turns to go from auto drip to espresso (takes about 1 minute). It is very repeatable though and there is a gage conveniently located near the top to let you know where your premium grind setting is located.
The doser is very nice and well engineered, it is volume adjustable with a simple turn of a knob and is easy to access. The doser also sweeps out quite clean and drops the finely ground espresso straight down. The plastic tray under the doser removes very easily. Stray grinds that fall past the PF are a simple clean up. Remove the tray, rinse in the sink, wipe with a dishcloth and replace.
The fixed hopper could be a problem for shop owners who would like to change beans often. For home use “no big deal” I grind as needed anyway. Past the hopper and into the throat, there is room for stray beans to get caught up and hide (only if you don’t fill the hopper). This is a nuisance. Add a couple extra beans to your scoop or bump the machine with your palm while it is running to giggle all the beans into the burrs.
A heavy-duty electrical cord connects at the bottom. The grinder is on feet so that the cord can escape out from underneath in any direction.
Looks? I love the look of the thing. I call it a “bruiser” like it could beat up any of the other cocky grinders in the neighborhood. It is imposing (in my opinion) the epitome of industrial strength and beauty.
Buying Experience
I purchased from E-bay, a nice buy. Purchased originally for use in the home, the description read: “Very lightly used. Has sat on the kitchen bench for the last few years and used maybe once or twice a year. (if that)”. Once I received the unit it was as advertised
