I bought the Mazzer Mini as an upgrade from a Gaggia MDF.
The MDF is a very good grinder at its price point-- nice grind, no static. Its shortcomings, in my mind, are that it is loud, has widely stepped adjustment, has a plastic body, has an inaccessible doser (it is very difficult to sweep out old grinds, and it is virtually impossible to clean out the chute without extensive disassembly), and of course it slides around on the kitchen counter as it lacks rubber feet (!).
The Mazzer Mini is at a substantially higher price point, but you do get what you pay for. It is relatively quiet. It is a heavy piece of steel-bodied equipment that does not slide around on the counter. Grind adjustment is stepless and intuitive. If you remove the fingerguard in the doser, sweeping out the doser and keeping the chute clean are a breeze. The doser lever has a very fluid action, and I have discovered that as I have developed a 'touch' for the lever, the left-throw issue has become not much of an issue.
It is a pity that the hopper and trap-door are chintzy-- I am not sure what Mazzer was thinking here. Also the electric cord does come out of the side, not the back, of the body, as everyone knows (I route the cord beneath the grinder and back to the wall outlet to keep it out of the way).
All in all I am very happy that I purchased the Mazzer, and I would have no problem recommending it to those looking for a grinder in this price range. |
