I know there has been many threads out there about Cremina. This is probably another of them, but slightly different as the main focus here is the Major.

So here's 7.30 in the am:

Yeah yeah, I know I am still using the cheesy plastic tamper. But budget is pretty tight for now so that will have to wait. And the temp is on the low side. I guess that's inevitable because of I was filming just 10 minutes away from waking up.

My procedure:
i) Fill in the water
ii) Warm up for 7+- minutes, until the false pressure build up.
iii) Bleed off false pressure
iv) Weigh your beans & get your cup ready.
v) By the time I put my beans into the hopper throat, the Cremina is fully up to temperature.
vi) Pull a few blank shots to warm up the group.
vii) Grind, thump and level. Not many fancy moves.
viii) Load and preinfuse. Pull away!
ix) Enjoy the espresso and don't forget to clean up.

I love how the routines are becoming so simple and quick because of the Major+Cremina combo. I used to do WDT (way back with Capresso and Super Jolly) and take minutes to prep the basket but I find that this doserless Major is making them (kinda) obsolete. That's because Major is producing even grind at least as fluffy as a Vario but is way superior than it in certain aspects. So I am spending more time enjoying the espresso and less time in prep. But of course, I am eager to get a bottomless pf or get my pf bottomless to check how's the extraction going. That would be a waste though to cut away the bottom and throwing away the nice double spout.

Usage:
As I am making 3-4 shots maximum daily, I am a strong advocator of single dosing. Loading the hopper with beans and dial in with time (with the Vario) just doesn't cut it for me. It takes beans to dial in and by the time I am getting it dialed, the beans start aging and needed more adjustments. It's just not worth the effort for me (mainly because of my usage pattern). But I know for others it's a valuable tool. I am a cheap person and would try to avoid wasting beans as much as I could. So I don't purge the grinder for the first shot nor normally sink my shots (only when I am dialing in and they are way off, tasting like total crap ). This Major is able to suit my usage pattern very well because of its very negligible ground retention and doesn't require much dialing in. Been staying around 7 on the collar even with different beans.

Grind retention:
Honestly, I am really surprised(pleasantly) with this. Without sweeping, the chute averagely holds about 0.1-0.3 gram worth of grounds. I was expecting more like 10-12g retention that I am hearing with titan grinders. With a quick brush in the throat, it's down to <0.1g retention most of the time. Pretty impressive in my book. Beats the Vario if you ask my opinion. With the doser, you have to sweep the doser body too to get the sticking ground. So, with dosered Super Jolly, it's "grind, sweep the chute, grind, sweep the chute, sweep the doser, sweep the vane, thwack thwack thwack". With major, it's more like "grind, quick brush, purge,done!" Huge difference there. Not to mention that Super Jolly's grind do have little clumps and is oozing out from the chute most of the time. Not with Major, at all. So Major is definitely not just simply an ordinary SJ on steroid.

Grind quality:
Visually, the grind into the portafilter is fluffy, even and no clumping. As for the taste in the cup, I am not a great taster but my espressi experience has all been pleasant with it. And guess what, Major has 83 mm flat burr (biggest diameter espresso flat burr, correct me if I am wrong) and what's more it's Mazzer. That should mean something even if it's not reviewed in the titan grinder project, doesn't it? Haha.

Static:
Normally, there are very little static. Not enough to bother me. But I did tried wiring the funnel to the ground plug at the bottom of the plate. I am not sure whether it's a placebo effect or it has really been working. But recently I has been getting no static. Or could it be due to the more humid weather?

Grind time:
One word, quick. Two words, fantastically quick!

Adjustment:
I would say as compared to Vario it's more intuitive. I was always confused whether I should move the micro or macro lever first. I had also always accidentally touched and moved the lever cam. No such issue with Major. But notice, this is 99% due to the user (me) issue, not the grinder, because I am new to using Vario. Another point is that the Major's adjustment doesn't need that much of fiddling once you find your range.

How it looks. Being a poor student, I always make my mod from cheap things available in/around my apartment. Allen key for easy adjustment, aeropress funnel, funnel from spoiled lamp.cost=0. If only I had more money, I would get a aluminium plate or even the OEM plate to make it more elegant. A paint job would be a good idea too.

Inside the funnel and chute:

My setup that I have settled with, no more upgraditis.


Conclusion:
Mazzer Major is a great grinder that suits my usage patterns. It might not suit everyone but it's the perfect choice for me. Low beans waste, low retention, low maintenance, fluffy high quality grind and long lasting, what more can we ask from a grinder for home use? One thing I learned is that when you get over the decent espresso grinder price range, it's very difficult to notice the slight difference/gain in the taste, especially for a beginner like me. So, I think after the threshold, it's all down to the convenience factor that suits your usage pattern. In that sense, Major is the one for me. I am just curious that there hasn't been that many reviews for such a great grinder. Just sharing my two cents albeit a long one. =P

Nice mod - That Major is fast - how many grams did you weigh out?

Your Cremina looks sweet too! You should sign up for the lever roll call.

Thanks Eric! It was 13g. The maximum the stock basket takes is about 13g, unless I cramp it really hard. I believe your K30 is a fast grinder too right?

It is very sweet indeed, especially the sweet shots that it produces.

Yes, the K30 is fast too. These finish close enough to not even matter from what I can tell in the video. I am not opening a coffee shop in my house so a second one way or another does not matter.

Considering that not too long ago we both were starting out with used Gaggia's and Virtuoso/Infinity type grinders, I would say we have made some serious hardware upgrades in a pretty short time - amazing considering my limited budget and I know as a student yours is not yet where it will be some day soon.

We should give each other a virtual high five - we deserve it!

EricBNC wrote:Yes, the K30 is fast too. These finish close enough to not even matter from what I can tell in the video. I am not opening a coffee shop in my house so a second one way or another does not matter.

Considering that not too long ago we both were starting out with used Gaggia's and Virtuoso/Infinity type grinders, I would say we have made some serious hardware upgrades in a pretty short time - amazing considering my limited budget and I know as a student yours is not yet where it will be some day soon.

We should give each other a virtual high five - we deserve it!

Yay! *high five* I still remember I was started out with a <$100 budget and now looks what I've ended up with I guess we both never thought how blood-sucking this hobby could be Haha. Anyhow, it's for the good and I(we) really enjoyed it.

What did you make your funnel from? I made one using plastic, then a stainless conical fry cup, and finally rolled up a stainless sheet. I kept mine inside the doser.

pizzaman383 wrote:What did you make your funnel from? I made one using plastic, then a stainless conical fry cup, and finally rolled up a stainless sheet. I kept mine inside the doser.

It's from a damaged desk lamp that my housemate was throwing away. I think the fuse or something got burned so even a new bulb doesn't do any good and thus got cannibalized by me. The lamp I believe was from Walmart and cost around or less than $10. Be creative, just try to look for anything that could be used.

The funnel itself is made from aluminium so it's pretty soft and I could easily use a pliers to make the "hole" to connect to the chute. With stainless I guess it's probably harder to work with since it's a much harder material. I've never come across stainless sheet though so I am just guessing there I thought of putting the funnel inside the doser too, but this funnel is too small for that and it looks good on its own so I made it a stand-alone funnel. But if the stainless steel funnel is working well for you, that's good. Don't worry about the look. Functionality triumph the look anytime.