Now that preorders for Monoliths are around the corner I'm curious to get opinions on the upgrade that makes the most sense. I currently have a Major that I've used for quite a while with both a Bezzera and now a Linea Mini. My routine of single dosing, sweeping, and thwacking is growing tiresome so I'm looking for a workflow upgrade as well. Either Monilith grinder is on my short list, the question is which one would be best. I've never used a conical and most shops around me are using a Mythos or K30 grinder so I don't have a reference for any taste differences between a flat and conical grinders. Any thoughts? Some questions, would the Conical be more robust to bean aging and minor daily grind adjustments, would the Flat be an upgrade in the cup?

I have a Monolith Conical, a Mazzer Major and a Mahlkonig EK43s at present. I have always been pleased with my KMC, it works very well and is extremely consistent on daily grinds. However I do slightly prefer the tastes from my big flats with my beans of preference. The flats are both a little bit more "fiddly" on a day to day basis than the conical (the EK43s a bit less so), but when they are "on" I prefer the espresso from them by a slight margin. I hope to get in line for a MAX when they become available but really am quite happy with what I have. I plan on divesting my Major down the road as I seldom use it anymore. For ease of use on a daily basis go with the Conical but if you are willing to put up with the minor adjustments the flats can be rewarding. They can also be frustrating if for some reason you get off the mark.

There a quite a few members on HB that have paired their LMLM with Monolith Flat.

If you are happy with the taste of the flat grinder but annoyed with retention, stay with flat since the Monolith flat will solve your retention issue while still maintaining your taste preference.

youre definitely looking at a different flavor profile between the flat and the conical (or at least between my mazzers and the monolith)

I purchased the flat because I already had the conicals so maybe youd want to try the new monolith conical

fwiw, I find my monolith doesn't require much (and in many cases any) adjustment day to day

Is there any taste difference between a Major and Monolith Flat? Is it more consistent? I don't want to spend the money and feel like it wasn't an upgrade...

Monolith Flat with the normal burrs will be very much like the Mythos you experience in shops, but with convenient single-dosing workflow and better alignment, which may give it a bit of improvement in the cup. You will likely find it an improvement compared to your Major as well.

Maybe there is an HB locally that has a Monolith Flat, that you can visit and bring your Mazzer. That would be a great way to compare. Taste is so subjective. But if you are lucky enough to score a Monolith Grinder, either one, during the preorder and decide you don't like it, you will have no problem selling it on HB.

I went from a Vario to a Monolith Flat and the big improvements were the consistency day to day, better defined flavors and being able to switch from espresso to pour over and back to espresso without having to dial in a shot. Not many grinders can do that.

What swayed me to the conical was that feedback pretty consistently indicated that if you like more acidic very light coffees, the flat is the way to go, and also that when absolutely spot in, the flat will produce a shot that some might prefer by a tiny margin over the conical's. On the other hand, feedback also seems to indicate that the conical is easier to dial in and will more consistently deliver a shot in the "very high quality" zone easier, even if it may get outgunned once in a while by a flat that's dialed "on the money".

Basically, my rationale was that "consistently outstanding" "achieved more easily" was just what I needed.