I'm on my way to pick this up:



All I know is that it's a Bunn and it's bigger than my MACAP. I'm hoping I didn't get burned. Unfortunately the place I bought it from can only identify it as a Bunn ESJ, for which i can find no info.


UPDATE & Recap:

Ended up being a rebadged (can you call a cheap BUNN metallic sticker a badge? Geesh, could they have been any cheaper?) Mazzer Super Jolly. The asking price was $275 at a local restaurant supply. I went out, looked it over and new I wanted it. After checking it out and proclaiming it would need new burrs, I offered them $175. They took it.

So here it is after clean up, new burrs, new short hopper and a PROPER badge on the back!

I have to thank everyone, this thing is fantastic. It's probably just my imagination, but it seems more consistent than the M4. I used to get channeling fairly often (most of the drinks I make for the family are lattes, so I'm not too finicky), so far I've had none with this. I should say that those results are with the old burrs as the new set just arrived today (just installed and ran 2 lbs of garbage beans through them), so I expect even better with the new set. I also love the speed and the quietness of the doser.

New pics:

Looks like a rebranded Mazzer to me.

Jim

I'd agree. I'd say it's a super jolly from the looks of the size/proportions. Measure the burrs to confirm. Mini = 58mm, Super Jolly = 64mm, Major = 83mm

Here's a link to a Bunn ESJ manual: http://www.bunnomatic.com/pdfs/commerci...3.0000.pdf

Judging from the specs I'd say you've bought a rebadged Mazzer Super Jolly.

mazzer super jolly

Thanks everybody.

OK, I picked it up. It's in good condition and I only paid $175. How'd I do?

My question now is:

- is it worth refurbishing? The paint is chipped, I'm tempted to tear it down and have it repainted (is it a powder coat?).

- is it going to be quite a bit better than my MACAP Stepless? I assume it will be faster and probably quieter.

- It needs burrs. Are any better than others?

I went from an M4 Stepless to an SJ & noticed a big improvement. $175 is a good price, factory pack burrs run around $40 a set & I liked them better then the more expensive Duranium burrs. I've refinished 3 Mazzers & never found it necessary to strip the factory finish. Paint stripper didn't even faze it so it won't lift under rattle can paint. I wouldn't pay someone to paint it but you can do a very nice job yourself for a few $$. Degrease, wet sand the edges, thoroughly scuff the finish, fill the chips, spot prime, silver paint, clear coat. Around $10 in Dupli-Color primer & Wheel Color paint.

In general, $300 for a good condition Super Jolly is a fair price. $175 is a great price. Granted, yours is the older model, which has a slightly different body shape and the somewhat annoying cord placement, but you still got a really good deal.

Several people on HB have completely refurbished their grinders. Whether or not it is worth it depends on how much your care about aesthetics. I've run mine for a year now with chips and scrapes. Use the search function for the forums - people have tried everything from blasting to hand sanding to chemicals to strip the paint. I think it will be A LOT of work no matter which method you choose.

Glance through The High-End Espresso Grinder Review. It pitted some Mazzer Minis against MACAP. Almost everyone will say the Super Jolly is a big step up from Mazzer Mini or even the Mazzer Mini E. You can draw your own conclusions. I love my Super Jolly.

When I bought new burrs, there were 3 options: OEM (factory produced), "knockoffs", and Duranium. I've never read anything saying that burrs not labelled as OEM were inferior in any way, but I chose OEM burrs for my own piece of mind. Other burrs are just manufactured in different places - all the SJ burrs from reputable dealers will be high quality and nearly identical. Duranium burrs are made of a different metal and have slightly different geometry. They are more expensive but grind much faster and supposedly will never wear out in a home environment. Many people have reported problems with their grinders "stalling" at the start of grinding, though. Again, do a bit of research.

Congrats on your purchase!

John,

Thanks for the painting tips. I have a friend in autobody. Maybe I'll just tear this thing down and take him the casing for a repaint then.

Matt,

I think I'll just order some OEMs. I'm not terribly fanatical about speed (this obviously will be much faster than my MACAP, stock or not). I'm also stuck as what to do for the rear Mazzer badge. My grinder has two threaded holes for the plaque. It seems however that a replacement one has smooth studs. I'm certainly not leaving the rebranded BUNN sticker on there!


Finally, I was shocked to see how much my MACAP stepless has gone up in price. Cripes! Now I'm not sure if I should sell it or not. It's nearly $600 in chrome, I only about $400 4 years ago.

Based on the wiring schematic and mentions of automatic grinding - both in the manual, and the appearance of the black switch knob on the side - I think this may actually be a Major. Super Jollys are available in an Auto model but that variation is extremely rare on the used market. What's the overall height (not including hopper) and weight? Any way you slice it - $175 for an SJ or Major in good working order with okay aesthetics is a great price. If you want to get rid of the black plastic block that prevents easy access to the chute where grounds come out - it's a very easy process. Just pull that block loose, unscrew and remove doser, jumper together the wires that go up to that block at top of doser and then disconnect the wires that go to microswitch under base of doser. I filled in the empty holes that were left over by using a bit of JB Weld but it won't hurt to leave them empty.