Mazzer Super Jolly with questionable burrs... confirmed

[quar]

*sigh*

Over the past few years, I've always felt that I could make good espresso, but truly great espresso often eluded me. Want to know why?

I was one of the purchasers of the Tagex surplus Mazzer SJs. First thing that I did after I cleaned it up was to replace the burrs. However, there were several of us who bought them from a supplier whose price was too good to be true. It'd always bothered me that my burrs arrived loose in a plastic bag instead of on card like I'd seen elsewhere, but life intervened and I soon forgot about it. Insert months of good to pretty good espresso...

Finally, after all of this time, I finally decided to get a new set of burrs. Hmmm...Big difference. Haven't even dialed things in yet and I just drank a shot with more clarity in the cup than I have since buying the SJ. Grinds quieter, faster, less dust. Yep, looks like I had reason to suspect those burrs. Too bad I didn't do something about it sooner.


Edit:

Had a request for a pic of the old burrs...Sorry, digicam is on the fritz. However, the burrs looked virtually identical. However, now that I've handled a new set, I don't remember the questionable burrs being quite as sharp feeling as the new ones, nor did they have as bright looking of an edge on them.

Mike

[darrensandford]

I bought some burrs for my Major from ebay after reading the many threads warning about non-OEM burrs, and went for these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI....&item=350035967294


I received them today, and can confirm that they are original Mazzer burrs still in the blister pack, just as in the picture.

I thought I would post, just so people know that good burrs can be had on ebay, if you get them from the right place!

[quar]

The ones that I bought when I purchased the grinder weren't from ebay. They were from what looked like a legitimate store front. The price was too good to be true (much, much less than ebay). Shoulda known better...However, the first few people to order were happy with them. I have the feeling that it was a pricing mistake, that once they caught it, the honored orders with used or non-OEM burrs.

Your burrs came from the same seller from which I bought my new ones, Owen O'Neill. He's been selling on ebay for quite a while, great guy to do business with. Used to post on Coffeegeek

Mike

[cannonfodder]

I remember that discussion. The burrs had rough cutting edges like they had been milled with a Dremel not a CNC machine.

[quar]

Yep, those are the ones...At the time, I figured they weren't new Mazzer burrs. Meant to replace them, just forgot about it as time passed. Around the time I bought the Mazzer, I also bought my Anita and changed my roaster. I'd blamed the roaster for my uneven results, but it was so obviously the burrs now.

Moral of the story, if one buys a used grinder, replace the burrs and shop at a reputable source.

Mike