Before the Mini, I used to use an older Braun Burr grinder, and was hoping to find a grinder the size of the Braun, but of top performance. As a huge fan of Olympia, I have been on a hunt for a Mocca Express Grinder and finally found a brand new 1984 one complete in the Original Packing. My first reaction to the Mocca's box was that it was smaller than I expected. While I knew the dimensions of the machine, you really have to have one in front of you to fully appreciate the size. Indeed, its size was very similar to the Braun. My first impressions were even better than I expected. What a beautifully made grinder. Although it is stepped, it allows very small rotational increments. The glass bean hopper is hand blown in Venice. The hopper lid is of stainless steel. The ground coffee is deposited in a polished stainless steel bin with a flip up lid.
The instruction say that "the grinder leaves the factory ready set for fine grinding suitable for espresso" at the zero mark on the ring. I filled the hopper half full of Ambrosia and turned the grinder on until the bin was about half full. I used two spoonfuls measured with the new Cremina spoon and tamped with my Torr tamper. Now I put the portafilter on the Cremina, preinfused for about ten seconds and pulled the lever. Wow, the grind is right on with perfect lever resistance just as the instructions said. I pulled a shot glass full of crema and it was excellent.
This is one special little grinder. The grind is of excellent quality. There appears lots of resolution to dial in the grind, though it was right on out of the box. While I prefer the Mini's doser to scooping from a hopper, it is a fine tradeoff for a little jewel like grinder that can go with you easily and does not compromise quality in any way.
Compare this to the size of my Mini:
