I'm trying to narrow down which IZpresso grinder to buy, from their very long list. I will be grinding for both espresso and pour over, while away from home. A few questions:

Has anyone used or tried a model with their magnetic catch cup? Does it stay in place or is does it easily fall off, when grinding? As you obviously cannot hold the grinder in that area, does this cause any grinder operation problems?

What about the burrs? They have a proprietary stainless steel burr, an Italimill burr and a "coated" burr, if I have their burr list correctly. Their burrs range in size from about 34mm to 48 mm. Any experiences or comments on their burrs? Any recommendations?

What about adjustment fineness, which ranges from 8.8 microns per click (on the J-Max) to 12.5 microns per on the X-Pro to 20 to 22 microns per on other models. What do I need?

What about capacity? Do I need the 35 to 40g capacity size or is 25 to 30g sufficient? I am leaning towards greater capacity, so that I can grind sufficient coffee for 2 espresso shots or a larger pour over at once.

I am at this point leaning towards the J-Max, which has 35 to 40g capacity, a coated burr, external adjustment and 8.8 microns per click. So apparently it is great for espresso, but also good for pour-over. Thoughts?

IZpresso will be a definite improvement from my current Orphan Espresso Lido-E beast, which is just to heavy and large for travel. Its a great home grinder and still is portable enough if you do not have luggage capacity or weight concerns.

I have the K-plus it works great for both espresso and filter. It has the magnet catch cup and the catch cup can be modified to be 20g, 40g or 40g with a blind shaker. The magnets are quite strong and I've never had an issue with it not staying in place.

The K plus doesn't have the finest adjustment range of their line but it's plenty good for espresso.

I have a Monolith flat so the 1zpresso doesn't get regular espresso use, but it's taken over as my daily pour over grinder over the Vario with steel burrs. It's really a great grinder and very easy to use.

Another vote for the K-Plus. It's fantastic for both espresso and pourover and is my favorite manual grinder.

The magnetic cup is an option that I prefer. I've never had an "oops" experience with my K-series

I have the jmax and recently bought a zp6. I only do pourover so I cannot speak on espresso but I do have some definate opinions.

I had only used the jmax for about a year, prior to the ZP6 and I was satisfied with the taste and liked the workflow. I never had any bad experiences with the magnetic cup and it was clean and easy to use. Very little retention (.1), and I usually used a cordless drill on it.

ZP6 - after I got the ZP6, I no longer use the jmax. The taste is better for me on it. The workflow is much worse. I do not like the smaller, screw on cup and the retention is worse, with alot more mess. Despite these issues, I continue to use it because it tastes better to me. It does crank easier than the jmax, but is much slower. The jmax is very quick to grind your dose. They are both built well, but the jmax does seem nicer, especially with the magnetic cup. It also comes with a blower.

BTW, the jmax burrs are coated as you know. No issues with them. They did break in. The taste didn't change, but the setting did tighten up, probably after 5-8lbs. Not a problem, I just had to rezero it. Because of the fast speed of grinding (and the larger diameter) it is a little more difficult to grind the light ethiopian bean. But don't get me wrong, it is not difficult to do, the ZP6 just feels much easier to turn, and it takes, longer too)

*sigh* wrote:I have the K-plus it works great for both espresso and filter. It has the magnet catch cup and the catch cup can be modified to be 20g, 40g or 40g with a blind shaker. The magnets are quite strong and I've never had an issue with it not staying in place.

Thanks for your reply and advice.

Fyi, I am approaching age 70. I currently have a Lido-E and find that grinding is easiest when I brace the bottom cup edge of the grinder against my stomach, as distinct from holding it away from my body. This is due to the fact that there is a significant amount of resistance on the handle when the bean hopper is full; the braced position provides leverage. I am concerned that if similar force must be applied to the IZPresso handle, and I cannot brace the bottom of grinder against my stomach (as that might cause the magnetic catch cup to come loose), that I will have challenges using this grinder. Should I be concerned?

quote="*sigh*"] It has the magnet catch cup and the catch cup can be modified to be 20g, 40g or 40g with a blind shaker. [/quote]

Re the catch cup, how can this be "modified" for 20g vs 40g

To AnotherADDiction: Thanks for your reply and advise. Please see my reply and questions to forum member *sigh* of a moment ago. What has your experience been, relative to my questions? Should I have concerns?

PS
Is the handle easily removable and re-installable, for travel, without risk of eventual wear or damage? Or should I get the S version with the collapsible handle?

Has anyone had any experience with the S version handle? Is it as good as a standard handle, for efficient grinding?

Yes, the handle is readily removed. Have you tried to use a drill on it? I do and usually don't even take the handle our of the case.

I don't think that it would address your issue fully (using a drill) as it still needs to be prevented from turning, but it may allow for a different grip.

I would imagine that if your hold is using the catch cup to add a sideways force, there may be some issue with the magnetic hold.

Bear in mind, there is a substantial recess to have the cup fit into the grinder. This is based on the jmax, which I am assuming is the same design as the 'K' series.

I also think that any screw cup will be smaller and that will effect your ability to modify any change in cup to have a larger recepticle.

Personally, I use multiple fills and dump the grinds into a small Ball jar for my daily use (about 80g). I found with the magnetic cup, this was a simple and clean process (coupled with a cordless drill). Changing to a threaded catch cup has complicated things, as well as making it much more prone to having grounds everywhere.

AnotherADDiction wrote: I would imagine that if your hold is using the catch cup to add a sideways force, there may be some issue with the magnetic hold.

I would brace the bottom of the K-Max cup against my stomach, but hold the grinder in the middle. But there would be some movement. Is the magnetic cup likely to come loose?

FYI, using a drill is not an option as I will be using this grinder while visiting family or travelling. I have a Niche Zero at home.