I have a Fiorenzato Doge grinder with 83mm burrs. I was curious about how different it was from the Mazzer Major grinder. When a good price came up on Mazzer Major burrs, I bought a set. While the holes aren't in exactly the same place the Major burrs do fit the Doge burr holders.

The Doge burrs are 83 x 45 x 10 and the Major burrs are 83 x 49 x 9.6 so the outer diameter is the same but the inner diameter is a little smaller. The Major burr has a little steeper angle and a little more "cup" in the shape of the grind face.

Doge Burr:


Major Burr:
[EDIT - incorrect picture removed...see actual comparison picture below]

The shape definitely makes a difference in the grind. The Major burr throws the ground coffee out a little faster and with less grind retention. It also seems to make grinds that are a little stickier (same beans, similar grind setting). The setting changes seem to be a little different; the change in flow is different for the same setting change. I was surprised to see how much difference the shape made!

So, how does it taste in the cup? Well, it is different. After one sink shot and three doubles, I think the taste is a little cleaner and maybe allows better flexibility in dialing in the shot. Obviously, I need much more experience to get a better handle on the Major burrs.

There are only a couple/few 83mm burr sets so I really have few choices. On the other hand, there are a large number of 64mm burr sets that might be swappable so it might be worth some experimentation to characterize the behavior/taste of each one.

Check out this list of options!

• 63x38x9.5 Fiorenzato
  63x38x9 Wega-compak
  63.5x38x9 Cimbali-Faema
  63.5x38x9 Necta
  63.5x38x9.5 Compak
  64x34.5x10 Casadio
  64x37x8.4 Mazzer
  64x37x8.5 Aristarco
  64x37x8.5 Bianchi
  64x37x8.5 Fiorenzato
  64x37x8.5 San-Marco
  64x37x9 Cimbali
  64x38x8.5 Bianchi
  64x38x9 Cimbali
  64x38x9 Eureka
  64.6x38x8.6 Macap
  65x38x8.5 Macap

I have always wondered the same thing too - can we change the performance of the grinder by changing different burr. This seems like a prospective area.

pizzaman383 wrote:The setting changes seem to be a little different; the change in flow is different for the same setting change. I was surprised to see how much difference the shape made!

Do you mind elaborate a little more? Let's say, does a notch on Doge burr have bigger or smaller change on the flow change than the Mazzer?

Thanks for sharing your result!

Any comparison between new and used burrs is suspect until the new burrs are seasoned.
Depending on the burr, that could be 10kg.
If the old burrs are shot, it could be 100's of kg until the new burrs are also shot.

cafeIKE wrote:Any comparison between new and used burrs is suspect until the new burrs are seasoned.
Depending on the burr, that could be 10kg.

That's a good point. As I said, these were my initial observations.

I've only put about 10 pounds of coffee through the Fiorenzato grinder so they're almost brand-new. In a few months, I'll have 10 pounds worth of use on the Major burrs and I could do back to back comparisons.

pizzaman383 wrote:Do you mind elaborate a little more? Let's say, does a notch on Doge burr have bigger or smaller change on the flow change than the Mazzer?

I dialed in the grinder for this coffee about a week ago so I'm not sure there really is a difference in the adjustability. In dialing in the grinder with the Mazzer burrs, I moved 2 numbers on the gauge and I think that would have had a bigger difference with the Doge burrs.

All in all, I was surprised how much difference there was. The sound was different, the speed the grinds come out (initially, when the chute is full, and the last pulse after sweeping the chute), and how the grinds clung to the funnel. Each thing by itself wasn't much but all together the change was fairly noticeable. Understanding the difference in adjustability and taste will require some back to back testing which I did not do. I'm not sure I'm going to do that. I'm not sure the my technique and palate are good enough to ensure that it's the burrs that cause the differences. Maybe someone with better skills will do some tests.

Just a humorous observation. I would have to assume you did not take the pictures of the Major burrs you posted. Because, the ones pictured (or picture inverted) are for counter-clockwise grinder rotation rather than clockwise like the Doge and like actual standard Major.

If this was the shape would absolutely matter hugely, as in backwards!

Compass Coffee wrote:Just a humorous observation. I would have to assume you did not take the pictures of the Major burrs you posted. Because, the ones pictured (or picture inverted) are for counter-clockwise grinder rotation rather than clockwise like the Doge and like actual standard Major.

If this was the shape would absolutely matter hugely, as in backwards!

Now, that's funny! No, those are just pics I found online.

Here are pics of my two burrs. I glanced at them when I first made the switch but didn't really do a close inspection. They look pretty different so it's not a surprise to me that there is different behavior.

Mazzer Major burrs on left, Fiorenzato Doge burrs on right.