My ideal J-Max would have the little stopper to allow me to drop the grinds into the basket directly. I really like that feature in my JE-Plus.

Is the diameter of the J-Max smaller than that of the JE-Plus? Thanks.

kalo925 wrote:Could you comment on transfer of the grounds from the grinder catch cup to the basket? Which is easier pro or Max? I've been using the jx pro and find I like inserting the cup threads into the basket and it's pretty easy to transfer all the grounds. With the max I'm not sure if it will be more difficult to do a similar way as there are no threads on the cup. Any feeling which is easier?

I've been using both the J-Max and JX-Pro for the past week now and have a few follow-up comments: 1) the J-Max does produce less static than the Pro. I didn't think it was much better when I used it on very dark roasted decaff beans, but in fact it produces less "static cling" than the Pro for equivalently roasted beans. 2) It is smoother than the JX-Pro to grind equivalent beans to the same degree of fineness and maybe just a tad slower. I find that grinding 18g of the same beans takes about 67 turns with the Pro and 3 or 4 more turns with the Max. 3) The magnetic grind collector attachment is very nice, but requires that you keep a firm grip on the grinder body and avoid applying any pressure to the collector while grinding. The first time I used it I didn't do that and the cup flew off. Hasn't happened since. The Pro has a more secure screwed on collector, which means you can crank it while sitting and holding the grinder between your thighs for better leverage (which ought not be necessary unless you're grinding extremely light roasts). The threads on the Pro collector and Pro body are attractive to static charged grounds and a minor pain to keep clean. 4) If you've got a 58mm portafilter, it's easy to dump grinds with either grinders collector, but the lack of threads on the Max collector make the process cleaner. 5) The Max doesn't have the Pro's problem of beans getting hung up on the dial mechanism. A minor Pro inconvenience, but it seems that dumping beans into the Max is a bit easier than with the Pro...I charge both grinders by weighing the proper amount of beans into the collectors and then just inverting and dumping the beans into the grinder. Very quick and easy and in the case of the Pro allows you to use a quick shake of the grinder while you dump the beans to clear any that would hang up on the dial. 6) The external grind adjustment ring is solid and much easier to adjust than the internal dial on the Pro. I was worried the Max adjustment mechanism would be flimsy, but it's quite solid. 7) The finer steps on the Max are useful and I've already noticed this already in the ability to make finer changes in extraction timing...all other things being equal. The Max is easier than the Pro to disassemble for cleaning and maintain calibration when reassembled.

Finally, regardless of which grinder you get from them, I recently contacted 1-Zpresso for assistance with their products and I have to say their customer support is 2nd to none.

Based on my impressions so far, the Pro and Max are both extremely good hand grinders for espresso. In comparison, each has its pluses and minuses. In terms of the quality of espresso in the cup for equivalent beans, I can detect no significant difference in extraction or taste. Which one is better would be up to you, and the 8 points I've made above could help you decide. In any case, I'm extremely impressed with the grinders produced by this company.

Pressino wrote: Based on my impressions so far, the Pro and Max are both extremely good hand grinders for espresso. In comparison, each has its pluses and minuses. In terms of the quality of espresso in the cup for equivalent beans, I can detect no significant difference in extraction or taste. Which one is better would be up to you, and the 8 points I've made above could help you decide. In any case, I'm extremely impressed with the grinders produced by this company.

Not totally surprising as I think they both use the same burrs if I'm not mistaken. Fine tuning is easier on the Max with its 8.8micron steps between clicks.

Pressino wrote:I've been using both the J-Max and JX-Pro for the past week now and have a few follow-up comments: If you've got a 58mm portafilter, it's easy to dump grinds with either grinders collector, but the lack of threads on the Max collector make the process cleaner. 5)

Thanks for your details! I ended up getting another Jx-Pro as the price was discounted and decided I really liked that the Pro grounds cup (threads) fits just perfectly in a 49 mm basket. (Cremina, La Pavoni). For me I just wasn't sure how I would handle transferring grounds from the Max cup to my 49mm basket. I pop the grinder on a towel before opening and pop my hand on the top opening (creates pressure) to release and/or push out the little bit of grounds that holds on around the bottom of the grinder. I end up cleaning that area and the threads with a brush some after about 6 grinds. Just feel great about the overall experience with the grinder.

I also saw mentioned somewhere that one person took off the clear plastic handle shield on the Jx-Pro. I ended up giving it a try and like it. I still take the handle off to help clear grinds by cupping my hand and popping the top to push out grounds, but put the handle on (with no plastic shield) prior to pouring in beans and it prevents the small problem of a bean getting stuck in the dial area. For me that never really happened much though because one can change the way beans are poured in to prevent it fairly easily.

I have the JX Pro. I have ground as fine as I can, but my Breville Dual Boiler just blows right through the puck--it needs something finer. However, the Flair works well with JX Pro.

That is very hard to explain. The JXPro should be able to grind fine enough to choke any machine. Have you been able to use any other grinder to grind fine enough for your BDB? The only explanation that makes any sense is that your JXPro needs cleaning and adjustment or is just plain defective, in which case you should contact 1-Zpresso for warranty service.

I'm tempted to upgrade from my JX-Pro for some of the improvements here, but am concerned about this being an espresso-centric grinder. Will the quality of pour-over coffee be downgraded moving from the JX-Pro to the J-Max? That's my main use case for a manual grinder. For espresso I normally use my Sette 270Wi.

From what I've read the design of the in-house burr set in the Max is probably OK for pour over. What the Max offers for espresso is finer adjustments to dial in the grind to optimize espresso extraction but its sorta irrelevant for coarser grinds. I think you'll be fine.

Pressino wrote:That is very hard to explain. The JXPro should be able to grind fine enough to choke any machine. Have you been able to use any other grinder to grind fine enough for your BDB? The only explanation that makes any sense is that your JXPro needs cleaning and adjustment or is just plain defective, in which case you should contact 1-Zpresso for warranty service.

OR the brew pressure is a bit high which can require a much finer grind...

boren wrote:I'm tempted to upgrade from my JX-Pro for some of the improvements here, but am concerned about this being an espresso-centric grinder. Will the quality of pour-over coffee be downgraded moving from the JX-Pro to the J-Max? That's my main use case for a manual grinder. For espresso I normally use my Sette 270Wi.

I'm a little confused over this as well with reviews even leaning toward an espresso focus and the JX-Pro a better option for brew. The burr geometry to me looks very similar to the JX-Pro, if not identical, and I get the MAX is designed for espresso but why is the JX-Pro apparently a better grinder for filter and the J-MAX not a better choice for filter? if it's just usability features and not a difference in the cup then I can get over that. I get too many steps for filter can get annoying but in the cup what really is the difference? a YouTuber I watched reviews the J-MAX and his findings (here and here) are the same that it's better for espresso and the Pro is better for filter, albeit a close finish. But I feel there may be some confirmation bias happening cause I'm not really seeing a whole lot that would separate these if the same grind was chosen for filter I don't see a coated burr set causing a negative impact.