I know this isn't the first Monolith unboxing thread, but I thought I'd add some contrast to my EG-1 unboxing thread: Let's Unbox an EG-1!

I've been using the EG-1 with a Dalla Corte Mina for about 5 months. It's an absolute masterpiece, though, like anything else, it's not perfect. I have been very happy with it, however.



I somehow managed to get pre-orders in for Monolith Flat and Conical. Monolith Conical shipped early and arrived today. I expect Monolith Flat to arrive in April. My intent here is just to share some pictures of the unboxing experience as well as a few initial thoughts from someone a few hours into a Monolith experience. I do hope to put all three grinders side-by-side in April or May and do a subjective comparison. Socratic has already handled the objective part.

The Pre-Purchase Experience

I think everyone knows that it's not easy to get your hands on a Monolith. Like the EG-1, it costs an absolute fortune. For those of us who think it's worth the price of a decent car, the next problem is actually getting a pre-order in. I'll admit that I found myself frustrated with the ordering system, but Denis really doesn't owe anyone anything. He sells as many grinders as he can make and clearly prioritizes quality over volume. I do appreciate that, as frustrating as it was to get my hands on one.

I found Denis to be extremely responsive. I never had to wait long to get an clear answer to a question, and never felt as if anyone was doing me a special favor. Service is very good here.

Communication was also very good. I was kept informed of any changes, the most important of which was the early arrival of parts resulting in early shipment. How often does that happen? I also received a full breakdown with test results for my grinder. I won't share that here to avoid any spoilers for future Monolith owners, but it's pretty cool that each unit is dialed in and tested.

Arrival

UPS delivered the package in a couple of days from Seattle to California. It came in a brown box with no signature required. The unit was well-packed and didn't contain a lot of nonsense, such as peanuts and messy foam.







WIth the Monolith comes a few very useful tools:

• -RDT/WDT sprayer
  -Stirring tool
  -Distribution tool
  -Funnel
  -Bag of Caffee Lusso beans (Fantastic)

Unfortunately, I have a 54mm portafilter and can't use funnel or distribution tool.

We'll get to RDT and distribution in a bit, as I do have some things to say about this. The coffee is fantastic and appreciated, though I burned through most of it trying to dial-in for my goofy espresso machine. Denis dials in for a Slayer, and my machine pressure profiles, so it was one of my more interesting dial-ins.





Denis wants you to run 5lb of coffee through the grinder to season. I had a two-month old bag of Vivace Dolce that I ran through, which brings up an interesting point. Why is Denis no longer testing with Vivace? Vivace was among my favorites, but we've recently moved on to others. It's very messy and tends to pull less consistent than others. I was reminded of this after pouring a pound of it into my new Monolith. It was a greasy mess.

First Impressions

I'll never say if the Monolith is "better" than the EG-1 as I'll never be qualified to make that assessment. Frankly, I think anyone who asks the question should consider their goals, as the answer is going to be different depending on who you ask. We're also comparing a flat to a conical, so that doesn't really work. I will say that they are both built incredibly well. The EG-1 is a bit more solid and quieter, though my Monolith isn't seasoned yet.

For me, I've noticed a few obvious things:

1. The Monolith is significantly smaller than the EG-1. It also doesn't come with a large power supply, and you can't adjust RPMs (to my knowledge).

2. The Monolith makes almost no mess. The EG-1 can be an absolute disaster; especially with Vivace. Grounds fly everywhere and stick to everything around the grinder, RDT or not. I've got the blind shaker pushed up against the outlet, so I do pretty well, but there is no question that the Monolith is far less messy. I clearly have a lot to experience with my new Monolith, but I'm not sure that RDT is going to be necessary with this grinder.

3. I've probably pulled 20 shots while dialing in and noticed a far more consistent grind. Matt Perger posted an article on Barista Hustle about the need for a distribution tool. He talked about your PF looked like a putting green. I've never had that with my EG-1. I get a lot of pebbles and boulders which aren't really a big deal but, with the Monolith, I get a silky tundra that feels like cotton candy under my tamper.

All of this said, I have a long way to go before I'm qualified to make even a personal statement about this amazing grinder. So far, though, it's very good. I'll do a proper comparison when I get my flat and have all three in front of me.

I'm going to share some pictures that I hope you'll enjoy. Thanks for looking!

Oh boy...keep the evaluation coming, and congrats on owning another great grinder!!

My goodness, you should sell those pictures to Denis to put on his site, not that he needs help marketing grinders. Thats fantastic!

BaristaBob wrote:Oh boy...keep the evaluation coming, and congrats on owning another great grinder!!

Thanks!

gocanes wrote:My goodness, you should sell those pictures to Denis to put on his site, not that he needs help marketing grinders. Thats fantastic!

You're too kind, thank you. Great subjects make decent pics.

Beautiful photography. Thanks for the thread!
I don't suppose you'd be willing to part with that funnel?

Congrats! My first day with the Monolith Conical resulted in some definite late in the day over-caffeination! Enjoy the buzz!

aecletec wrote:Beautiful photography. Thanks for the thread!
I don't suppose you'd be willing to part with that funnel?

PM your address and it's yours.

Congrats. Looks incredible in all black. My Monolith Conical went from grind of 8 to a 2 after breakin, Which took a couple months (even with a 5lb initial seasoning), so it will be a while before you can accurately assess it.

Thanks. Right now, I'm counter clockwise almost to the Monolith logo. The shipped dial-in (Slayer/VST) resulted in a 1:30 shot.

I was initially going to use this for pour overs, but it's looking like EG-1 is getting that role.