Grind quality of Mazzer Mini E vs. Super Jolly?

#1: Post by **PJDiez** » July 24th, 2008, 8:54 pm

The Mazzer Mini Electronic and Super Jolly seem to have the same 64 mm burr set. Therefore, I'd expect them to have the same grind quality. Is this the case? Does anyone have experience with both?

I prefer the size and doserless configuration of the Mini E, and assume I wouldn't need the SJ's larger motor in the home environment. Can I expect similar performance w/ either grinder?

#2: Post by HB » July 24th, 2008, 10:10 pm

PJDiez wrote:The Mazzer Mini Electronic and Super Jolly seem to have the same 64 mm burr set.

They are both 64mm, but have different cutting surfaces; see Difference between Mazzer Mini E burrs and Super Jolly burrs. I used both on-and-off for months, but did not do an exhaustive side-by-side blind test. However, my impression is that the Super Jolly produces rounder espressos with deeper bass notes than the Mini E. To put it another way, in terms of taste profile, the Mini E reminds me more of the Mini than the Super Jolly.

July 25th, 2008, 7:14 am

Very, very interesting. I'll have to look into a doserless SJ. Thank you for the response.

#4: Post by **atao** » August 24th, 2008, 10:18 pm

anyone with experience with super jolly burrs in a mini-e? i realize the mini-e motor's a little lower powered, but i've heard of people doing this. i would hope that you'd get comparable grind to a regular super jolly?

#5: Post by **shadowfax** » August 25th, 2008, 2:25 am

That's an interesting question. I talked to Sebastian at Great Infusions when I got my SJ from him, and I remember he mentioned that people put Duranium burrs in their Mini Electronics without too much trouble. In that thread you will note that the cutting surfaces of the Duranium burrs is much more tangential to the rotation of the burrs than the stock Super Jolly burrs, and hence requires a lot more torque to move them (the same will be true going from Mini-E burrs to stock SJ burrs). While it appears that there are some guinea pigs out there that have tried this with apparent success, I would be hesitant. The Mini-E is not a cheap grinder, and I imagine that the motor is probably the most expensive part to replace. I would echo Dan Kehn's caution: There is a reason why the Mini-E has those gentler stock burrs in it, and I am sure that it has to do with its weaker 250W motor. On the other hand, SJ users (myself included) have had good luck with the duranium burrs, which may signal that you would be safe with stock SJ burrs in the Mini-E. However, that would be very much at your own risk.

I'd love to hear about it if you try it. It would be fun to compare the results between a stock SJ and a Mini-E with the same burrs. I would guess that the SJ would still best it--I suspect something is lost with the weaker motor, sort of like trying to tow a boat with a Toyota Corolla.

#6: Post by **Sonne** » August 25th, 2008, 3:29 am

shadowfax wrote:There is a reason why the Mini-E has those gentler stock burrs in it, and I am sure that it has to do with its weaker 250W motor.

Very interesting thread.
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the previous Super Jolly model also featuring a 250W motor?

#7: Post by **gyro** » September 2nd, 2008, 10:03 pm

Just swapped the Mini E burrs with the Super Jolly '33D' burrs. No grinder stalls as yet - using fresh coffee, light-medium roast, espresso grind. Seems alot faster, 'fluffier' and certainly less clumping than before.

#8: Post by **shadowfax** » September 3rd, 2008, 1:43 am

Sonne wrote:Very interesting thread.
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the previous Super Jolly model also featuring a 250W motor?

I bet you're right. Those older SJ's had noticeably smaller bodies compared to the newer ones. Good point.

Chris, glad to hear things are going well mechanically and visually. have you noticed any improvement in taste/evenness/consistency?

#9: Post by **atao** » September 3rd, 2008, 11:01 am

i've swapped sj burrs into my mini-e as well. agree with the previous post: it grinds about 2x faster, is fluffier, and based on my short experience using a real super jolly, its getting a bit more of the clarity and smoothness that i remember from the super jolly than the standard mini-e burrs. right now, pulling de-la-paz misty valley so espresso on my silvia and its got great blueberries, nice body. compared to my rocky, the mini-e + sj burrs is great. with the rocky, you tend to get a fairly narrow taste spectrum (lack of clarity?) and a bit of a harshness/bitterness in the finish. the additional flavors and smoothness of the new grinder is really nice.

it is no more consistent than the standard burrs however: you get a few little clumps and if you just put the portafilter in the holder and grind into it, you seem to get uneven extractions with more flow near the front of the portafilter. i remember teme reported this a long while back. not really a problem. the doserless design with pushbutton controls are pretty slick, and i'm definitely liking the grinder. getting lots more static with the super jolly burrs than with the mini-e ones. not sure why that is. not a big deal for me either.

andrew

#10: Post by **gyro** » September 18th, 2008, 2:03 am

I've been running the SJ burrs now for 2 weeks and no instances of stalling at all. I have noticed an increase in clumps as the burrs settle in a little, but still less than what I had before with the stock burrs. Having said that, they weren't two week old burrs, so its not apples with apples.

To me, it seems more consistent and results in a more stable pour. I'm not generally a straight espresso drinker, so to be honest with a bit of milk I can't detect much of a taste difference that I can attribute solely to the new burrs, rather than my ability (or not) to accurately temperature surf!

After much 'internal' debate, I've ordered a Speedster which should (hopefully) address the temperature variable. Once I get it all sorted, I'll have a play with changing the burrs to see what differences I can perceive.