I have a Kitchen Aid ProLine Conical grinder. It is capable of so fine a grind (powder) that all things being the (tamp and volume) that it brings my Silvia to a halt.

Please excuse my ignorance on this matter but I thought "conical" grinders are preferred over "flat"? I was thinking of a used Mazzer SJ or even a Macap M4 but would produce a significant difference?

Either the Mazzer SJ or the Macap m4 will be a considerable jump in quality from the Proline. The grind from either of these will be much more consistent than your proline, with the Super Jolly being the more consistent of the two.

Thank you, I see that you have a Macap m4, so to hear that the Mazzer SJ is the better one. I suppose it is time to bite the bullet.

Oh, don't get me wrong. The macap is a great grinder, and will be more counter friendly. The Super Jolly though has a larger burr set and is a full commercial grinder. The macap is just more of a light duty catering rig.

Either way you go would work well and will sell for a good price if you need to upgrade again down the road.

maze400 wrote:I have a Kitchen Aid ProLine Conical grinder. It is capable of so fine a grind (powder) that all things being the (tamp and volume) that it brings my Silvia to a halt.

Please excuse my ignorance on this matter but I thought "conical" grinders are preferred over "flat"? I was thinking of a used Mazzer SJ or even a Macap M4 but would produce a significant difference?

I went from a ProLine KPCG100 to a Macap M4. At the time, I had a Solis SL-90. The difference is night and day.

That said, IF you have the coin AND don't find a doser too large a PITA, be done with it and get a La Cimbali Max Hybrid. The difference in taste is well worth the difference in cost over a Macap M4 / Mazzer Mini. The Max takes up approximately the same counter space as the M4 / Mini.

BTW, what 'conical' ProLine? The KPCG100 is a planar.

I may have made a mistake. The KPCG100 has Vertical mounted Flat grinding plates so the grinds wont flatten out.

I have done the adjustments to get the absolute finest grind though. 250 microns (according to the manual)

I have been very happy with it and if I can get a re badged Mazzer SJ (
Mazzer Luigi Super Jolly) I would like to keep both and do a head to head.

As for the La Cimbali, I just got a Silvia v2 and really like it. (can not afford the other either)

The specs on the ProLine 100 were admirable :
Auger feed, 450 RPM, vertical burrs, glass hopper, easy to clean, striking appearance.

Sadly :
The burr set is very substandard compared to Mazzer / Macap.
I had a machine shop grind the back of mine to make the faces parallel, to no avail.

The vertical design is negated by the tiny exit hole.

The movable burr carrier wobbles too much and produces an inconsistent grind.

Even after making it stepless, it was not consistent.

It's a tolerable press / drip grinder, but that's it.

When I got the Macap, I was very sorry I'd wasted the time on the ProLine as an espresso grinder.

WOW, that say it all. I have a line on 3 possible re badged mazzers.

1. Mazzer Luigi Super Jolly Espresso Grinder Coffee Bunn

2. ASTORIA NORMALE COMMERCIAL COFFEE GRINDER espresso

3. BREVETTO BRAND ESPRESSO GRINDER

they all seem shall we say well used...

I think they will go for around $200 to $300

Any feedback is Appreciated.

Depending on how hard 'used' is, $200 would not be bad. I don't know that I would go to $300. Factor in shipping ($70, guessing) and a new set of burrs ($50) plus the time to clean it up, you would be getting close to the cost of a new grinder. Having said that, Mazzers are very durable and hard to wear out.