The New Arrivals

Discussion of coffee grinder hardware. How to get the most out of specific grinders. Cleaning and maintenance issues with grinders. Comparison of different grinders.
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JohnB

The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

Bought these two yesterday at my favorite "Mazzer Store" One will get tarted up to replace my espresso SJ & the other gets a cleaning & heads for Ebay. If anyone is looking for a nice late model SJ send me a PM.
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michael
God Shot
Posts: 214
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:30 am

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by michael »

what do you do with the ground coffee in the doser when you are only making a shot or two 8)
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

Nice.

These are some big gumball machines!! (too big for my kitchen). If I get a second grinder I'll be downsizing to a Vario.

I'm curious to see how the taste compares. From what I hear the taste of the Major is pretty similar to the SJ, but you get a much faster grind that clumps less and piles up nicely in the PF without much distribution.

How much?
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

Endo wrote:Nice.
I'm curious to see how the taste compares. From what I hear the taste of the Major is pretty similar to the SJ, but you get a much faster grind that clumps less and piles up nicely in the PF without much distribution.
How much?
I get zero clumps with the SJ/doser & do no distribution other then moving the basket around when I'm dosing. If the Major gives me nicer grinds then the SJ I will be a very happy camper. If I told you what I paid for these two grinders you would cry yourself to sleep every night for a week! :cry:

Ordered a set of new burrs, new feet, a replacement doser window & a grounds tray which should be here Monday. My Major is already torn down & cleaned. I'll get it prepped tomorrow & painted over the weekend.

The Major is quite a bit different inside then the SJ. It uses a BIG starter switch that mounts to the bottom cover & has a fan built in above the field winding driven by the burr shaft. Those 83mm burrs are something to behold! :shock: If you think the SJ can pack some grounds under the burrs you should look under the upper burr of a Major. I bet I could make a large double or triple with what fits into the casting under there. I expect to add 16g of beans & have nothing come out the chute the first time I run it. :lol:
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

michael wrote:what do you do with the ground coffee in the doser when you are only making a shot or two 8)
I weigh my beans & grind per shot so everything that goes in the doser gets used. I use a small antique glass canning funnel for a hopper on my espresso grinder. Just bought an aftermarket hopper for my vac pot SJ to replace the cheapo Mazzer unit. Dave over on H-B is making me Cocobolo doser & hopper covers so the new Mazzer set up should look pretty sweet. He's also making me a Cocobolo steam knob/pf set for the S1 although we are still playing with the knob design.
michael
God Shot
Posts: 214
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:30 am

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by michael »

so you can use a doser with only one shot of coffee in it? 8)
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

michael wrote:so you can use a doser with only one shot of coffee in it? 8)
Basically what you are doing is dosing into the basket/pf while the grinder is running. This way the grounds do not pile up in the doser sections & form clumps.

My procedure:
1/ Weigh beans & add to small funnel or grinder throat
2/ Place spare tamper upside down in funnel neck or place spare basket containing spare tamper directly in grinder throat if not using the glass funnel to control popcorning.
3/Holding the warm basket under the plastic funnel in my doser output hole I turn on the grinder & start thwacking the doser handle.
4/ When all the beans are ground I turn off the grinder, brush down any bean chips stuck in the grinder throat, brush out the chute, buzz the grinder once or twice to clear the burr chamber & dose what is left in the doser into my basket.
5/ Tamp & place basket back in hot p/f which was left in the grouphead while dosing.
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

JohnB wrote:Dave over on H-B is making me Cocobolo doser & hopper covers so the new Mazzer set up should look pretty sweet. He's also making me a Cocobolo steam knob/pf set for the S1 although we are still playing with the knob design.
Ever calculate your "eco footprint" owning two Mazzer Majors with rain forest Cocobolo covers? Bet you're off the scales dude! :grin:
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

Endo wrote: Ever calculate your "eco footprint" owning two Mazzer Majors with rain forest Cocobolo covers? Bet you're off the scales dude! :grin:
I figure I'm doing an ecological service by buying some of those exotic woods the natives keep cutting down so they can plant crops. If they want to turn the rain forset into an arid wasteland someone should at least make use of the by product. Besides I drive a 19 year old BMW with a straight six designed in the mid 70s. No Hybrid "smug" cloud hovering over my car! :lol: I also heat my 250 yr old home strictly with wood. Guess I'll be heading for ECO Hell one of these days. :twisted:

I will only be keeping one of the Majors as the other will go on Ebay to recover my expenses. One of my "little" SJs will be wearing those purdy covers.
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

I must say, at times I feel pretty guilty considering how much machinery I have invested in producing 1.5 oz of temporary pleasure.
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

So it's been a few weeks now. Time for a Major vs SJ taste comparison.

Any noticeable difference in taste or is it mostly just a difference in grind time and and a slightly better distribution?
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

Endo wrote:So it's been a few weeks now. Time for a Major vs SJ taste comparison.

Any noticeable difference in taste or is it mostly just a difference in grind time and and a slightly better distribution?
So far just the time & distribution but the burrs are new & I really haven't done a back to back. My vac pot SJ has the Duranium burrs which for whatever reason never did as nice a job as the stock SJ burrs for espresso so I can't do a fair comparison. If I hadn't already cleaned up the late model SJ for "the sale" I'd run a test but I did so that isn't likely unless I feel ambitious. Taste difference or not I like the Major better as those big burrs just blow the grounds out quick & clean & nothing gets hung up in the throat. As the Major now sits with new burrs, feet, doser window, power cord, grounds tray, paint & CocoB covers I've got the cost of a used Rocky invested in it so I'm a happy camper.
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

JohnB wrote:As the Major now sits with new burrs, feet, doser window, power cord, grounds tray, paint & CocoB covers I've got the cost of a used Rocky invested in it so I'm a happy camper.
For me, I'd need to factor in the price of the counter top real estate. That price is very high these days. :lol:
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

I forgot to add that with the SJ (stock burrs) & the Major I have no need for the WDT or leveling in the basket. I just dose so that I end up with a nice centered pile, tamp & pull the shot. If I have the grind dialed in I get a nice, centered, channel free pour.
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

JohnB wrote:I forgot to add that with the SJ (stock burrs) & the Major I have no need for the WDT or leveling in the basket. I just dose so that I end up with a nice centered pile, tamp & pull the shot. If I have the grind dialed in I get a nice, centered, channel free pour.
I often do the center pile method as well. But I still occasionally do the level method if I overdose the PF. I could do the same dose each time if I weighed, but I like tasting and watching the difference the dose size makes in the naked PF. I don't get a bad shot if I dose 16g or 18g, just different. My only bad shots are almost exclusively from stale coffee (more than 2 weeks old).
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

I'm thinking about moving the doserless conversion from the Vac Pot SJ to my "spare" Major. :roll: Is a Vac Pot Major over the top? I like the espresso Major so much I hate the idea of selling the spare. Besides, the old style SJ looks tiny compared to the Major. A Major on either side of the S1 would add balance to the coffee counter & a little Feng Shui to the kitchen. Or am I nuts?
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

Sell one of the Majors and get a new Vario for the Vac pot. I want to see a real "head to head". :grin:
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

Endo wrote:Sell one of the Majors and get a new Vario for the Vac pot. I want to see a real "head to head". :grin:
If the SJ looks small next to the Major what would that little Vario look like?? Why in heck would I drop $400 + on the Vario when I can have a Major with new burrs for $132.50?? The decision was made several hours ago & the spare Major is prepped & ready for paint tomorrow. The funnel conversion from the SJ fits right on with a couple small mods so I'll have one of each. The Major is powerful enough that I can probably use the anti clump grid over the chute without it getting blocked. It's worth a try as its easy to remove if I'm not happy with it.
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

Hey, you asked.

Owning a Major is great. But two of anything the same is kinda boring in my opinion. Besides, the Major is an ESPRESSO grinder. It produces too many fines for a good drip.

I'd sell it for $500 (and your 2 SJs too) and put the profit towards a Dittting or a super nice classic grinder from Orphan Espresso that would match the style of your classic older house.

I think you'd have better Feng Shui too!
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

Endo wrote:.
Owning a Major is great. But two of anything the same is kinda boring in my opinion. Besides, the Major is an ESPRESSO grinder. It produces too many fines for a good drip.
Not true, try it with your SJ. They don't do a great coarse French Press grind but for Vac Pot I grind slightly finer then drip & get an excellent grind with no noticeable fines. I've been brewing wonderful coffee in my Harios for months using the SJ set 2 whole numbers coarser then the Espresso setting & I expect the same or better from the Major. You will have to be the Vario Boy as I have zero interest in that grinder. Sell your SJ & buy one. You could probably fit it over next to the Mini!!

As for t/o/a being boring the quiet, hypnotic power of the Major at work is never boring. :twisted:
Endo

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by Endo »

JohnB wrote: Not true, try it with your SJ. They don't do a great coarse French Press grind but for Vac Pot I grind slightly finer then drip & get an excellent grind with no noticeable fines. I've been brewing wonderful coffee in my Harios for months using the SJ set 2 whole numbers coarser then the Espresso setting & I expect the same or better from the Major.
I see what you're saying. I thought it was for your FP.

I have a SJ for espresso and use my PeDe 435 hand grinder for the occasional Aeropress or French Press. Sometimes if I'm lazy I use my old Solis 166 conical grinder for drip.

I'm planning on getting a Hario soon and I thought I would need to use one of these cheap concials, but if the SJ works, that would be another nice option. Byt he way, which size Hario did you get in terms of cups?

Still, I don't like changing settings on the SJ once dialed in, so I may eventially junk all the grinders except for the SJ and get a Vario as my second grinder (and besides, I just find the Vario to be a very new and interesting design that I'd love to play with)......and Yes....it will sit next to the Vivaldi.
JohnB

Re: The New Arrivals

Post by JohnB »

I bought the last known nib NCA 5 cupper(replaced by the TCA 5c/20 oz) & the still available NCA 3 cup versions along with the Rekeow butane burner from Raymond at Avenue 18 Tea. http://www.avenue18.ca/TEAPOT/HAR.htm A very nice guy to deal with but it looks like he is low on stock right now except for the NCA 3c (12 oz). The 3 cupper is my personal brewer, you can get the 2C but its a lot of work for 1 8 oz cup. Cute though. :grin:

After all the nice things you've posted about the Vario you should definitely own one once they get them fully sorted.
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