This grinder is a great match for high-end espresso machines.
Positive Product Points
Heavy Duty commercial grinder that weighs 22 pounds
Grind as fine as your machine can take
Stepless grind adjustment lets you get the exact pull time you desire
Very consistent grind amount - 13 seconds puts the perfect amount of coffee in the portafilter
Large 58mm burrs
Used as a decaf grinder in many commercial shops
Looks great in my kitchen
Negative Product Points
It is 18 inches tall and barely fits under the cabinet door
I wasted a pound of coffee getting it dialed in (mostly my fault though)
I broke the spring on the removable plastic tray but the super glue is still holding
Detailed Commentary
I purchased my Mazzer Mini and Giotto in April 2001. If you are going to spend +$1000 on an espresso machine, I don't think this grinder is overkill at all. I use a Solis 166 for decaf and it works OK but just doesn't compare to what I can produce with the Mazzer. To take full advantage of a high-end espresso machine's capabilities, I feel a commercial grinder is a requirement.
Out of the box, I just couldn't resist taking it apart to check out the insides. In retrospect, this was probably a mistake because I didn't understand how sensitive the adjustment is. There are numbers (1-9) stamped on the adjustment ring and 12 "ticks" between each number. The adjustment is stepless so you can stop between ticks. I figured each number would change the pour a couple of seconds when in fact each "tick" causes a 4 to 8 second change. This rookie error cost me a pound of coffee. There is a sticker on the adjustment wheel where it appears someone at the factory already dialed it in. My second rookie error was not paying much attention to this sticker. Anyway, I have been adjusting the grind around this sticker within +- 3 ticks ever since. Live and Learn!
I don't use the doser as it was designed so I can't say how accurate the volume adjustment is. The mechanism is solidly built and I am not at all worried about it wearing out or breaking. Instead of filling the doser, I run the grinder for 13 seconds (manual on/off) and get the exact amount for a double shot. Consistently!!
The plastic drip tray is convenient for cleaning up spilt grounds, however, it has a two plastic springs that seat between the front legs and hold it to the grinder. One of these springs broke about three months ago but the super glue fix is still holding.
If you are going to purchase a high-end espresso machine, be sure to match it with a good grinder to realize it's full potential. You can't go wrong choosing Mazzer Mini for this task.
