coffee grinders : Coffee Grinder Buying Guide - LowSpeed Direct Drive
LowSpeed Direct Drive
These grinders are well represented by Rancilio's Rocky, the Mazzer Mini and the Pasquini Moka. These are all low speed direct drive grinders and are the heaviest duty grinder that we sell. They are quiet, impart little heat to the coffee and have almost no static charge build up. These are grinders that we match up most often to our prosumer (professional consumer) line of highend espresso machines. They are durable to the point of being heirlooms and the quality is second to none. One of the biggest distinctions to these grinders is the power plants. The motors on these machines alone weigh more then any of the grinders in the previous category. These are tanks that do not need a gear reduction system to build up the appropriate torque, they use a simple but overpowering direct drive system and can be used for light to medium commercial use.
The Rancilio Rocky would appear to be over matched in this category and in several ways it is, but overall it has the heart and soul to compete, but not the feature set to come out on top. Rancilio borrowed the super heavy duty motor from their commercial grinder the MD40. It makes for a die hard motor that will handle anything you throw at it. However it is runs at a very quite 77db while grinding which is about 50% quieter then the Low Speed Gear Reduction category. It also imparts 2 to 3 degrees less heat to the ground coffee as well for 1.5 ounces of ground coffee. The bean hopper is a smoky plastic with a capacity of 10.5 ounces and the doser will hold an equal amount. The Rocky's doser is not adjustable like it's competition in this category and will dose a little under 7 grams per pull. It weighs in at 18 lbs with an aluminum frame. A precision indexing system give a huge range of grinding selections with 55 settings. This is enough to go from the coarsest french press to the finest powder for turkish coffee. Changing a grind setting is accomplished by pressing the index button and rotating the bean hopper to the desired number setting, it is fast and effective. The doser will work with all commercial portafilter handles, but like the rest of the dosing grinders it does not work well with the pressurized portafilters. Fortunately, the forks used to rest the portafilter are removable - which then would then accommodate nearly any receptacle. This grinder comes in a white enameled housing or a brushed stainless steel (our most popular choice) and matches up very well to any of the espresso machine including the prosumer models.
The Mazzer Mini is our biggest grinder at 18.5 inches and 22 lbs. It is has all the bells and whistles that a grinder can have, but it does it quietly at only 76db - the interior sound level of a BMW at 60 mph. The motor runs at an unstoppable 250 watts with the largest diameter burrs at 58mm. The burrs are listed as 100% hardened Swedish Steel - which in plain English means, "stays sharper longer". The Mazzer has a stepless adjustment which means you can adjust it as little or as much as you want and are not limited by the preset steps like on the Rocky or the Moka. And unlike the Innova the settings, they are numbered so you can move coarser or finer and know where you left off. The Mazzer has an adjustable doser that allows for 5.5 to 9 grams per pull and holds up to 7 ounces of ground coffee. The housing is constructed of cast aluminum and comes in either a black or silver powder coated finish for long lasting durability. The Mazzer Mini is available in two styles as well. With a basic on/off switch or a timer - which is very much like a heavy duty Jacuzzi timer. Both sell equally well, but the timer is what we use in the office because were always running to the phone;). Finally, a grinder with a bean hopper gate! This means you can take off the hopper without spilling the beans. This comes in handy if it is time to try that new roast and you don't feel like grinding up what's left in the hopper, or don't feel like tipping it upside down. This grinder comes with a built-in tamper on the doser but I don't recommend using it and it is easily removed with a screwdriver. We advocate using a 30 LB tamp and that would tip even this grinder over! Same goes for the Pasquini Moka. For the prosumer this is as good as it gets. Because we import this grinder we can offer it for a low price which makes this grinder an exceptional deal.
Pasquini Moka grinder is a venerable favorite with our customers. It comes in black and chrome which perfectly matches the Pasquini Liva 90 espresso machines. Having a lower profile then the Mazzer Mini at 15.5 inches it is able to fit under cabinets with ease. If you are considering purchasing the Livia bar setup complete with the base please consider the additional height you will need for the base. This grinder has an adjustable doser with about the same range (6 to 9 grams) as the Mazzer and is easy to clean. It will accept nearly any commercial style portafilters with the same limitations I have mentioned before regarding the pressurized portafilters. The 10 ounce bean hopper is clear plastic and is easily removable but it is not gated to prevent the beans from spilling. It too is whisper quiet, at only 55db with no beans and 76db while grinding. Our labs also noted that the coffee's temperature from grinding was the lowest of any we tested - showing the least impact to coffee flavor. The burrs are 55mm in diameter and capable of light commercial duty. There is a thermal safety switch that will reset itself if the burrs get jammed by a rock or bottle cap. It is a great choice for any home barista looking for the ultimate coffee bar setup. I can't remember the last time we had a problem - in warranty or out of warranty - so this is an easy grinder to recommend to anyone.
by Todd Salzman
These grinders are well represented by Rancilio's Rocky, the Mazzer Mini and the Pasquini Moka. These are all low speed direct drive grinders and are the heaviest duty grinder that we sell. They are quiet, impart little heat to the coffee and have almost no static charge build up. These are grinders that we match up most often to our prosumer (professional consumer) line of highend espresso machines. They are durable to the point of being heirlooms and the quality is second to none. One of the biggest distinctions to these grinders is the power plants. The motors on these machines alone weigh more then any of the grinders in the previous category. These are tanks that do not need a gear reduction system to build up the appropriate torque, they use a simple but overpowering direct drive system and can be used for light to medium commercial use.
The Rancilio Rocky would appear to be over matched in this category and in several ways it is, but overall it has the heart and soul to compete, but not the feature set to come out on top. Rancilio borrowed the super heavy duty motor from their commercial grinder the MD40. It makes for a die hard motor that will handle anything you throw at it. However it is runs at a very quite 77db while grinding which is about 50% quieter then the Low Speed Gear Reduction category. It also imparts 2 to 3 degrees less heat to the ground coffee as well for 1.5 ounces of ground coffee. The bean hopper is a smoky plastic with a capacity of 10.5 ounces and the doser will hold an equal amount. The Rocky's doser is not adjustable like it's competition in this category and will dose a little under 7 grams per pull. It weighs in at 18 lbs with an aluminum frame. A precision indexing system give a huge range of grinding selections with 55 settings. This is enough to go from the coarsest french press to the finest powder for turkish coffee. Changing a grind setting is accomplished by pressing the index button and rotating the bean hopper to the desired number setting, it is fast and effective. The doser will work with all commercial portafilter handles, but like the rest of the dosing grinders it does not work well with the pressurized portafilters. Fortunately, the forks used to rest the portafilter are removable - which then would then accommodate nearly any receptacle. This grinder comes in a white enameled housing or a brushed stainless steel (our most popular choice) and matches up very well to any of the espresso machine including the prosumer models.
The Mazzer Mini is our biggest grinder at 18.5 inches and 22 lbs. It is has all the bells and whistles that a grinder can have, but it does it quietly at only 76db - the interior sound level of a BMW at 60 mph. The motor runs at an unstoppable 250 watts with the largest diameter burrs at 58mm. The burrs are listed as 100% hardened Swedish Steel - which in plain English means, "stays sharper longer". The Mazzer has a stepless adjustment which means you can adjust it as little or as much as you want and are not limited by the preset steps like on the Rocky or the Moka. And unlike the Innova the settings, they are numbered so you can move coarser or finer and know where you left off. The Mazzer has an adjustable doser that allows for 5.5 to 9 grams per pull and holds up to 7 ounces of ground coffee. The housing is constructed of cast aluminum and comes in either a black or silver powder coated finish for long lasting durability. The Mazzer Mini is available in two styles as well. With a basic on/off switch or a timer - which is very much like a heavy duty Jacuzzi timer. Both sell equally well, but the timer is what we use in the office because were always running to the phone;). Finally, a grinder with a bean hopper gate! This means you can take off the hopper without spilling the beans. This comes in handy if it is time to try that new roast and you don't feel like grinding up what's left in the hopper, or don't feel like tipping it upside down. This grinder comes with a built-in tamper on the doser but I don't recommend using it and it is easily removed with a screwdriver. We advocate using a 30 LB tamp and that would tip even this grinder over! Same goes for the Pasquini Moka. For the prosumer this is as good as it gets. Because we import this grinder we can offer it for a low price which makes this grinder an exceptional deal.
Pasquini Moka grinder is a venerable favorite with our customers. It comes in black and chrome which perfectly matches the Pasquini Liva 90 espresso machines. Having a lower profile then the Mazzer Mini at 15.5 inches it is able to fit under cabinets with ease. If you are considering purchasing the Livia bar setup complete with the base please consider the additional height you will need for the base. This grinder has an adjustable doser with about the same range (6 to 9 grams) as the Mazzer and is easy to clean. It will accept nearly any commercial style portafilters with the same limitations I have mentioned before regarding the pressurized portafilters. The 10 ounce bean hopper is clear plastic and is easily removable but it is not gated to prevent the beans from spilling. It too is whisper quiet, at only 55db with no beans and 76db while grinding. Our labs also noted that the coffee's temperature from grinding was the lowest of any we tested - showing the least impact to coffee flavor. The burrs are 55mm in diameter and capable of light commercial duty. There is a thermal safety switch that will reset itself if the burrs get jammed by a rock or bottle cap. It is a great choice for any home barista looking for the ultimate coffee bar setup. I can't remember the last time we had a problem - in warranty or out of warranty - so this is an easy grinder to recommend to anyone.
by Todd Salzman
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