Buy it, you won‘t regret it. It‘s big, but next to a machine, it is just right. Quality, workmanship, quiet, easy operation--Moka has it all.
Positive Product Points
Workmanship is first rate, heavily chromed. Easy to use and even easier, for me at least, to clean. Quiet, nice doser.
Negative Product Points
none
Detailed Commentary
Please read Carl‘s fantastic review. He is certainly much more of an adept than I and quite discerning in his critique. I have far fewer qualms and he does give this a very fine overall score, deservedly so in my opinion. I cover this in my Livia review in some detail so I suggest you check it out if interested.
The workmanship is absolutely first rate; the fork is substantial and can almost hold a portofilter by itself. The quality is so far superior to my second choice, the Rocky, that I didn‘t hesitate to purchase despite the price ( a package deal with base and Livia for under $1300 including shipping from Electacraft of NJ. Nice people to deal with.) It takes a while, less than 1/2 hour and less than 1/2 pound of beans to dial it in to perfection. The tamper, as noted by Carl, isn‘t perfect, but I‘ve never yet seen one on a grinder that is--but it is servicable for its purposes and ergonomically well-designed--with a built in handle to hold while tamping. A nice touch. I found it extremely easy to clean, load and gauge. But I had been using an early Starbucks burr, a Saeco, and just the static alone would scatter grounds about the kitchen leaving quite a mess. This is a blessed relief to use and clean. I found just a minute is necessary to get everything cleaned in the hopper and chute. The loading mechanism is first rate with a substantial doser handle and a good clean dump into the basket of portofilter. A snap to use. It is amazingly quiet compared to my earlier grinder experiences with Rocky and Saeco. It is also extremely consistent, once you dial it in it stays there, and personally (Check Carl on this issue) I found that in my limited use of just under two weeks thus far, I haven‘t had to change the grind at all for different beans. I tend to use an almost powdery grind and there are a goodly amount of grind stops in that range. Is it worth the money? Absolutely. This is a worthwhile investment, and the differential between the price of the Moka and the Rocky is negligible considering the huge difference in quality. Mark‘s advice to spend at least a third as much on a grinder as an espresso machine is good, but in this case I would adjust the bottom line to include the Moka. It is at least as important as the machine. Plus, it is even better looking at home than the pictures, and that‘s saying something. A beauty and perfect mate for your Livia.
