Sweet Pablo,

I want one! Nice set up. How is your frothing going with that monster?
I called today and they have one in silver which would be perfect.

Hey Zin and others....

I just upgraded to a CMH from a Macap M4 stepless and have found it to be very much as described here on HB...Nice fluffy grinds, a bit of a PITA to clean, but a definite upgrade from the Macap....I also found that the CMH seems to accent the fruitier, flowery, sharper aspects of the beans I grind....mainly Klatch Belle and WBC and Ecco Northern Italian, as opposed to accenting the lower, chocolate, caramel flavors.....I do miss the cocoa in my cup and was wondering if the Mahlkonig favors or accents a particular flavor type...

I can return the CMH to Chris' and trade for a Mazzer Super Jolly....which I have read grinds out a mellower, more chocolate forward aspect of the bean...or I could sell the CMH and possibly upgrade to the Vario....Any ideas, impressions or thoughts about this?

Thanks,

Kirk

Kirk, Let god preserve your exquisite palate. I really envy people like you that can discern so many different aromas from a cup. My thing is different; I taste coffee... sometimes good and others very bad. One time I think I thought I tasted like a burnt transistor when I had an Ascaso dream that had the tendency to overheat...

If money and space are not objections to the Vario, I would recommend it over the Super Jolly. It's much more fun to use, and seems to share the same basic characteristics of a super jolly in terms of grind quality and taste. Certainly, the burrs are about the same size. It grinds much faster, and is much less messy. I would say that the dosing mechanism on the Vario is the current state of the art, a marginal improvement over the Mazzer Electronics. You might also consider the Mazzer Major Electronic, which would be even faster than a Vario, and I believe in a similar price range--about $1800. It boasts 83 mm flat burrs, and is probably the fastest grinder out there.

All in all, you can't go wrong with any of these choices. The Super Jolly is a superior grinder, but it is clearly (IMO) bested by big conical grinders, if you like the brighter and sweeter flavors in the cup. With the Vario/Major E, you are looking at marginal (if any) upgrades or even changes in the cup, but big time convenience upgrades. Whether that's worth it to you is up to you.

I had an opportunity to play with forum member pjones' Robur E, and while I don't think it helps the cup at all, it's certainly more fun to just push a button, tap the portafilter down a couple of times, tamp, and go. With the regular Robur (somewhat like the SJ), you get best results if you brush the chute and the top of the doser vanes. I still like dosers for declumping, but they require more work to keep clean, that's for sure.

Thanks Nick,

Good summery!

3 phase Robur E for me (just kidding)

I cannot comment upon the high(er) end grinders like a Robur, or even a Mini-E, as I've never had a chance to "play" with one myself.

Without trying to be boring and repetitive, but no doubt being both, the jump in quality gained by switching from the Mazzer Mini (regular, not the "E") to the CMH was the single biggest improvement I ever made to my espresso. The switch from the CMH to the Mahlkönig K30 Vario is much more "minor." In other words, after using the Mahlkönig daily for 4.5 months, I have not noticed a significant increase in quality -- certainly nothing like the "Mini-to-CMH" leap. The Mahlkönig, as Nicholas has already said, is a lot faster, a lot neater/easier to clean, and a lot quieter than the CMH, but also compared to the Mazzer SJ. And it IS a lot more fun!

The combination of the Mahlkönig Vario at home and the CMH in my office has totally cured me of any lingering "upgrade-itis" . . . although I do find myself following the discussions surrounding the Baratza Vario rather closely to see it I can replace my secondary espresso grinder (a Quick Mill Doserless I use for the occasional decaf and small batches like an SO, etc.) and my French Press grinder with a single one.

Cheers,
Jason

Lockman wrote:Sweet Pablo,

I want one! Nice set up. How is your frothing going with that monster?
I called today and they have one in silver which would be perfect.

Hey Jeff. I plugged two holes with toothpicks... I'm going to buy an extra tip and solder them or something.

What's in silver; a Mahlkönig? I wish I had a red to match the Enova

Yeah , the red and the black looks cool as well. They will probably have these on and off so I wouldn't sweat it too much.

zin1953 wrote:
[snipped]
Without trying to be boring and repetitive, but no doubt being both, the jump in quality gained by switching from the Mazzer Mini (regular, not the "E") to the CMH was the single biggest improvement I ever made to my espresso. The switch from the CMH to the Mahlkönig K30 Vario is much more "minor." In other words, after using the Mahlkönig daily for 4.5 months, I have not noticed a significant increase in quality -- certainly nothing like the "Mini-to-CMH" leap. The Mahlkönig, as Nicholas has already said, is a lot faster, a lot neater/easier to clean, and a lot quieter than the CMH, but also compared to the Mazzer SJ. And it IS a lot more fun!

Cheers,
Jason

Jason...I just went to the Mahlkoenig Website, and observed the "movie", and the 3 short clips of the K30 Vario in action.
I need a cold shower!
What a dream grinder.
I believe you, or perhaps someone else may have mentioned the taste profile of the K30 Vario would be closer to my former SJ than a large conical? That is, more of the lower end chocolate spectrum, as opposed to the brighter taste profiles of a Macap Mk7R or it's like?
That would suit me fine, as my Cremina allows lots of those fruit essences to pop through.
I'll need a MAJOR economic upswing to manage to acquire the mega-bucks, though. The Baratza Vario is probably closer to reality. I really want an electronic doser. I especially love the Mahlkoenig's ability to pause in mid-grind for a quick PF tap down.
For now, owning one of these is at best a pipe dream, though. (Sigh)

Rob, you have only to come west for a visit . . . and we'll pull shots until even I think I can sing!