64mm Flat Burr Grinder - Which One Would You Buy?

[Warrior372]

They are incredibly popular in Australia and must be for some reason. I would not worry too much .

[mp]

They are incredibly popular in Australia and must be for some reason. I would not worry too much .

I wonder if the Mazzer is popular down under ... or are all their interests different than ours being in the southern hemisphere?

 

[Warrior372]

They are incredibly popular in Australia and must be for some reason. I would not worry too much .

I wonder if the Mazzer is popular down under ... or are all their interests different than ours being in the southern hemisphere?

 

Yes, they are popular there too. They are into a lot of equipment that is not seen in NA a whole lot. When I was trying to find reviews / commentary on the Has Garanti roaster before I bought it, almost everything I could find was in Australian coffee forums. You rarely hear or see anything about them here, but they are absolute tanks.

[mp]

They are incredibly popular in Australia and must be for some reason. I would not worry too much .

I wonder if the Mazzer is popular down under ... or are all their interests different than ours being in the southern hemisphere?

 

Yes, they are popular there too. They are into a lot of equipment that is not seen in the NA a whole lot. When I was trying to find reviews / commentary on my the Has Garanti roaster before I bought it, almost everything I could find was in Australian coffee forums. You rarely hear or see anything about them here, but they are absolute tanks.

They must be more coffee savvy than us then.

 

[EricBNC]

They consider espresso to be coffee from what I read - so yes, likely more espresso savvy.  Any one know if the Importika/WWL description on ROASTe is a cut and paste error or are these grinders only available in 220v - deal breaker there and I know a phone call tomorrow could clear it up but this is a knowledgeable group.

[Warrior372]

Wow. Great question and at this time I do not have an answer to it. When I originally emailed all of the manufacturers that is a question I asked, because in the US it would obviously create a lot of problems if 110v was not available. I went back and looked at my original communication with Ceado and they never answered the question.

[Sherman]

At this level (64mm flat burr, commercial grinders), I'd suggest skipping new altogether and buying used. The build quality of any of these machines would survive a first or second owner before landing in your hands, and the price for replacement burrs, at least for the SJ, are a pittance compared to the grind and build quality.

If you're bent on buying new, the Ceado is a steal. Manufacturer/distributor support would be a minimal concern as long as the thing ships in good condition.

That said, I'm curious as to why you're limiting the selection in this way. The 64mm flats are great grinders, but for home use, they're overkill. (I'll ignore the K10 and SJ sitting in my own kitchen... ) Knowing what I know now with the current grinder offerings, I would go with a B-Vario instead of any of the 64mm flats. It's got a similar flavor profile, is more versatile, has a smaller footprint, has multiple distributors and has direct involvement from the manufacturer on several well known forums (CG, HB, etc.) so support isn't an issue.

Good luck on your decision!

[EricBNC]

At this level (64mm flat burr, commercial grinders), I'd suggest skipping new altogether and buying used. The build quality of any of these machines would survive a first or second owner before landing in your hands, and the price for replacement burrs, at least for the SJ, are a pittance compared to the grind and build quality.

If you're bent on buying new, the Ceado is a steal. Manufacturer/distributor support would be a minimal concern as long as the thing ships in good condition.

That said, I'm curious as to why you're limiting the selection in this way. The 64mm flats are great grinders, but for home use, they're overkill. (I'll ignore the K10 and SJ sitting in my own kitchen... ) Knowing what I know now with the current grinder offerings, I would go with a B-Vario instead of any of the 64mm flats. It's got a similar flavor profile, is more versatile, has a smaller footprint, has multiple distributors and has direct involvement from the manufacturer on several well known forums (CG, HB, etc.) so support isn't an issue.

Good luck on your decision!

I am sure this is overkill for home use but I have some credits I want to use and this selection has me the most interested.  When paying cash would look for used too.  I considered the Vario (also available) but the build and noise level of the Ceado plus the ability to clean the burrs without changing grind settings has me leaning in that direction.

I called WholeLatteLove/Importika and confirmed their inventory is 110v for the Ceado line but they do not have pricing for the burr replacement set in their system so likely none on the shelf wither - not feeling warm and fuzzy about that.

[farmroast]

I'm leery of machines with lots of circuit boards/electronics, plastic used in the wrong place and long term accessibility of parts. Hit a stone and chip a burr with a Mazzer and no problem finding a new set. I spent a few mins. looking up the Ceado, couldn't find parts for them. Are parts/burrs for these available yet?

[Warrior372]

Burrs in general are only made by 2 or 3 companies worldwide, outside of the companies that make their own versus outsourcing,  so I am sure they can be found. Do the makers put prints / marks on the burrs? For as many burrs as I have seen and touched I cannot say I have ever looked.

[Sherman]

I'm leery of machines with lots of circuit boards/electronics

You mean like the electronics found on the DreamRoast? 

Kidding aside, I get your point. There is something to be said for build quality. Not to be an apologist, but I had a Maestro+ for 5 years, and while it doesn't have the circuitry of the B-Vario, there were no problems with the grinder. I got rid of it because I got a steal on a used Bunn LPG.

To EricBNC's post, he's spending credits, not cash, so talking new vs. used is moot. While burrs may be manufactured by only 2 or 3 companies, there's something to be said for being widely and readily available, as farmroast illustrates.

[jbviau]

Eric, I see you don't think you've accumulated enough grinders yet?! I'd vote Mazzer here, but personally I'm leaning toward a Vario-W. Some of what I've read suggests they're hit-or-miss, but if you're patient you're guaranteed a hit from Baratza, it seems (by taking advantage of that warranty, as you know). I like my Preciso + Esatto combo., but the Vario-W strikes me as a more elegant (less klugey) weight-based grinding solution.

[EricBNC]

Eric, I see you don't think you've accumulated enough grinders yet?! I'd vote Mazzer here, but personally I'm leaning toward a Vario-W. Some of what I've read suggests they're hit-or-miss, but if you're patient you're guaranteed a hit from Baratza, it seems (by taking advantage of that warranty, as you know). I like my Preciso + Esatto combo., but the Vario-W strikes me as a more elegant (less klugey) weight-based grinding solution.

My Preciso is working as a back up grinder, but I have concerns long term - it has more going on under the hood than the Virtuoso which I like a lot. Maybe I should skip one of these larger grinders and look hard at the Vario-W instead, but the SJ and E7 both speak to me more.

True short story - not long after I first started blogging over there they began carrying the Mazzer line.  I never thought I could build up enough points to get one, but this grinder was my motivation to try.  I found my K30 so upgrading the grinder was no longer the first priority so I went after a new machine - your Gaggia Classic acquisition was a strong motivator too - but I never lost site of the Mazzer. I considered the Ceado since it compares favorably over on the H-B review with the Mazzer.

I know I won't wear out the burrs but a rock causing damage is a possibility and not having a replacement while a set is sourced from the old country would bother me. The SJ scores major points in this category.

[EricBNC]

So six votes for Mazzer, two (one is mine) for the Ceado, and two for none of the above (likely for the Vario) - you guys like that Mazzer around here.

[mp]

So six votes for Mazzer, two (one is mine) for the Ceado, and two for none of the above (likely for the Vario) - you guys like that Mazzer around here.

It's pretty much the industry standard that others are always compared to.