Quick intro: I'm still relatively new to espresso, but I'm consistently pulling good shots with the Breville Barista Express that I've had for a couple of years. I came across an ad for a used Macap M4 stepless and doserless grinder, seems to be in good shape with new burrs, and the seller is asking $200.

From the reviews I've read, the Macap is a good machine, and this looks like a good price. My question is whether it's worth buying, or if I'd be better served waiting a bit and getting something a bit nicer later.

macap is an italian brand and they are solid, this model is pretty almost the same in performance as a mazzer mini.. I had one myself and it worked well and was able to sell it quick for what i paid for.

I've had a Macap M4 doser model for around 14-15 years now, according to my (somewhat rusty) memory. It grinds around 1 to 1.5kg of coffee a month and has given fantastic service - never one issue in that time. And replacement burrs are dirt cheap.

It is, however, slow and noisy. Noise is subjective, however, grinding time is around 30+ seconds for 15-18 grams of medium to darkish roast. 23g takes ~45 seconds. Light roasts take longer again. For comparison purposes the Niche Zero I had took around 10-15 seconds for the same beans and weights.

If the noise and slow grind don't bother you, the M4 is a very solid grinder.

splashalot wrote:For comparison purposes the Niche Zero I had took around 10-15 seconds for the same beans and weights.

Thanks for the feedback. Funny enough, the Niche is something I've had my eye on, but it's obviously a bit more of an investment at this point.

I have had my Macap M4 Stepless, Doserless for about 13 years, still going strong. I'm very happy with the grinder overall. I like the stepless adjustment to fine-tune an espresso grind. As for cons, in addition to the above comments on noise and time, it can be a big hassle going from espresso to french press and back again. There is a thread out there (maybe here or coffee geek) discussing a custom modification to make it much easier going back and forth between fine and course grinds. Best of luck with your decision.

tylerm713 wrote:Thanks for the feedback. Funny enough, the Niche is something I've had my eye on, but it's obviously a bit more of an investment at this point.

The Niche has conical burrs like your Breville, which I expect will be closer to what you're used to. Just a thousand times better.

The Macap will also be a large step up from the grinder in your Breville, but the taste profile will likely be different.

I've found this video to be best at explaining the differences. At least, his findings correlate exactly with my personal experiences, even if they are against existing conical vs flat burr beliefs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n806rql4sp4

I expect either grinder option would result in a massive improvement in your cup, though.

And as mentioned above, going from espresso to pour over in a Macap will drive you nuts and likely result in RSI from the eleventy-million turns of the very precise worm adjuster required. It's one or the other.

I picked up a Macap M4 (Stepped) locally for an outrageous deal, very lightly used. This sort of kicked off my "Better Coffee" journey. Can't comment on how it performs with espresso since I don't use it for that, but its a sturdy device, much more quiet than my Baratza Encore and miles faster.

I think that's a fair enough price for a solid grinder that is made with quality parts made to last a long long time.

milehi wrote:I have had my Macap M4 Stepless, Doserless for about 13 years, still going strong. I'm very happy with the grinder overall. I like the stepless adjustment to fine-tune an espresso grind. As for cons, in addition to the above comments on noise and time, it can be a big hassle going from espresso to french press and back again. There is a thread out there (maybe here or coffee geek) discussing a custom modification to make it much easier going back and forth between fine and course grinds. Best of luck with your decision.

I'm not particularly interested in espresso and mostly use it for brewing (Drip, Pourover, French Press). Changing between settings is a real pain...and quite honestly I have a real difficult time with determining if it can even grind for these well. I have a Baratza Encore and I've been trying to grind at the recommended settings with that and compare to my markings on the Macap for the equivalent brew type and I find there's so much more fine grind/dust compared to my Encore.

I know that each grinder is different but could you share maybe your # settings for brew types? Like drip, pour over, french press? Because I have to turn my french press far past the #9 setting to get useable press results.

I'm really thinking about selling and getting a grinder better suited for brew but I just really like how fast, quite, and durable it is compared to my Encore.

splashalot wrote:The Niche has conical burrs like your Breville, which I expect will be closer to what you're used to. Just a thousand times better.

The Macap will also be a large step up from the grinder in your Breville, but the taste profile will likely be different.

I've found this video to be best at explaining the differences. At least, his findings correlate exactly with my personal experiences, even if they are against existing conical vs flat burr beliefs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n806rql4sp4

I expect either grinder option would result in a massive improvement in your cup, though.

And as mentioned above, going from espresso to pour over in a Macap will drive you nuts and likely result in RSI from the eleventy-million turns of the very precise worm adjuster required. It's one or the other.

I actually watched the video the other day. Love his content. Decided to go ahead and pick the grinder up, and actually got the price down a bit.

I really like the stepless adjustment system on the Macap, and I don't do anything other than espresso all that often, but I still may look into what DIY fixes there are for easier adjustments between espresso and pour over/french press.

On a side note, I noticed that you're in Hobart. We spent a few days down there back in 2018. Such a beautiful town.

I know that each grinder is different but could you share maybe your # settings for brew types? Like drip, pour over, french press? Because I have to turn my french press far past the #9 setting to get useable press results.

Hi Hovi, I think it may be different for each owner's preference and coffee, but for me my drip is close to the 5 marker, french press is closer to 8, and espresso is below the 1 setting by several teeth.

I mark off with a small strip of blue painter's tape for each of the above and for my current setting. Aeropress I am still experimenting but seem to prefer past the 5 marker. I would say 80% of the time I am using it for espresso because I don't like spinning back and forth

tylerm713 wrote:...Decided to go ahead and pick the grinder up, and actually got the price down a bit.......On a side note, I noticed that you're in Hobart. We spent a few days down there back in 2018. Such a beautiful town.

Great to hear. I'm sure you'll love the Macap - they're such a solid,dependable grinder.

Yes, Hobart is a good place to be anytime, but especially at the moment with the virus. Being surrounded by a huge moat (AKA ocean) has it's advantages