Using Mazzer Major grocery for espresso?

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CoffeeBeetle
Posts: 330
Joined: 8 years ago

#1: Post by CoffeeBeetle »

Hey guys

I might be able to trade myself to a Mazzer Major Grocery(I think that is what it's called, i mean the one without a funnel that is made for brewed coffee) and from what i've read online it's in term of adjusting and grind quality exactly the same as the espresso version. I have so far been using a Lido E where i weigh my coffee before every shot and i wouldn't mind doing this with an electric grinder as well. I figured i could grind directly into the lower cup from the Lido E and use the funnel that comes with the E to dose into the basket. Basically i would just change the hand grinding to electric grinding, nothing else in my routine would change.

I imagine that most people would like the ability to fill the hopper and grind directly into the PF, but i really don't mind these extra steps. I had never considered an electric grinder before and i like hand grinding so quick and hassle free grinding isn't a criteria.

With this in mind, would a Mazzer major Grocery be a suitable grinder for me? If i find the experience annoying or i prefer my Lido in the end i assume that i could just sell the grinder after a few weeks/months without too much of a loss. All of this of course depends on whether or not i have done my homework properly. So what i'm really asking is, are the two grinders identical besides the funnel on the espresso version, and do you see any future problem that i might have missed?

pcivic
Posts: 102
Joined: 10 years ago

#2: Post by pcivic »

Or you can just modify it like this ;) Works like a charm, but you need mazzer mini anti static mesh. And I use SSR for switch activation directly with portafilter.
Keep in mind retention will be there, like in every doserless grinder... hope this photo helps.
There should be some more information in other topics from me.


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aecletec
Posts: 1997
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#3: Post by aecletec »

Will you be clearing the chute/chamber each time or are you happy with a few grams of retained/stale grounds each shot?
The grocery chute looks a little tricky to sweep out.

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CoffeeBeetle (original poster)
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#4: Post by CoffeeBeetle (original poster) »

You both mention retention so i assume that is one of the big problems with this grinder compared to my Lido E. I only have experience with a Vario, but it seemed to me that retention was greatly reduced when the grinder didn't have to stop grinding when the desired dose was reached. Keep in mind i won't be storing coffee in the hopper so i could easily let it run a few secs more than necessary without wasting coffee. Would this be a at least partial solution to the problem?
I like the smaller hopper on yours pcivic, but if i decided to keep it i was planning something like this: http://www.oehandgrinders.com/OE-Short- ... _p_57.html Since size of the grinder might be an issue there wouldn't be any need for the big hopper if i'm just going to be single dosing anyway.
I like the mod that you did pcivic. So the grinder starts automatically when you place the PF under it and stops when you remove it?

pcivic
Posts: 102
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#5: Post by pcivic »

Hopper is actually original hopper cut to my preference, and with another lid that I had at home for some food storage box... easy solution. Compak one would be nice, but check dimensions if it fits major or not...

Regarding retention you will have one huge problem with this grinder... If you don't do some restrictor for static issue, you will have great problems with static spraying, which means it is impossible to grind directly into PF... also inside the chute grinds will be statically stick to the walls of chute, which you will have to clean... and there will still be some retention...

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CoffeeBeetle (original poster)
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#6: Post by CoffeeBeetle (original poster) »

I don't think that actual hopper fits the Mazzer, just wanted to show the general idea. I won't be grinding into the PF but into the Lido E cup, which should stop the static from spraying everywhere.
I don't mind a little bit of retention, i know this isn't the perfect solution but i hope that this Major would make dialing in easier than with my Lido. That is one of the main reasons i'm considering this upgrade.

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aecletec
Posts: 1997
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#7: Post by aecletec »

The chamber stays pretty clear on my Mazzer but the chute does fill up and a purge at the start of the day might mitigate the issue but grind changes would need a purge too.
Static with single dosing can be reduced or eliminated by using a drop or misting of water over the beans prior to grinding.

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CoffeeBeetle (original poster)
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#8: Post by CoffeeBeetle (original poster) »

I completely forgot about the WDT! That is correct i use it with my Lido sometimes.
So using this Mazzer Major with single dosing sounds like it's possible? How much does the chute actually fill up, like how many grams are we talking about? I have no experience with electric grinders so i really don't know if it's 0.5g or like 5-10g.

I've also seen others post guides to modding this Major to act like the espresso version, complete with the espresso funnel and all. Would replacing the chute on this version with the funnel be an improvement regarding the filling of the chute?

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millcityroasters
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#9: Post by millcityroasters »

I use this exact same grinder for espresso wired with a time delay relay for timed dosing with a deep OE shot funnel. I single dosed for about 18 months, but for the last few years I've devolved to purging before grinding the first shot. I have a Major E at the shop and run it exactly the same way.

I've detected no difference in shot quality between the two. Most of the time pre-infusion eliminates the need for WDT, but some roasts still require it.

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CoffeeBeetle (original poster)
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#10: Post by CoffeeBeetle (original poster) »

I'm afraid i made a little abbreviation mistake. I meant the technique where you spray a bit of water on the beans to avoid static, like aecletec describes.
When you were singledosing Mill did you need any sort of modding to the timer? Or was this only necessary when you stopped? Good to hear that this is definitely doable. I look forward to having more control when i dial in, and i expect at least a little better espresso when when moving from the burrs on the Lido to those monsters on the Major.

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