I have a Mazzer Mini that I need to ship but I don't have the original box.
I've been told that they are very delicate and can even be damaged by vibrations in transit.
Is this true?

I was in a group buy for six ex-Starbucks Mazzer grinders from TagEx. They had every appearance of having been dropped and kicked around a warehouse floor several times. All of them except one worked without issue; the one that did have problems needed a new $6 bearing. A good packing store can double-box and pad it with bubble wrap to assure a safe delivery. The only caution is the hopper: If you want to be certain it arrives undamaged, ship it separately. Otherwise you risk the "egg and bowling ball" shipping dilemma.

PS: See other responses to Chris' cross-post on Coffeegeek (link).

I'll double the suggestion to ship delicates separate from the work clothes. Strip of anything that you think you could break off with your hand, and put all that in a whole 'nuther box. I know, I know, that will really increase your shipping costs. Think of it this way; You're going to have to pay to ship the new ones again, anyways, and you're going to have to wait, AND you're going to have to pay for the parts again! So, think of it as saving the wait time and the cost of new parts! ; >

Yes, mechanically the grinder is very simple: a motor and some burrs. It will not get damaged during shipping. The issue is the hopper. The grinder is very heavy and the delicate plastic can take the brunt of a dropped package and crack. When I bought a used grinder, I explicitly told the seller to remove the hopper before shipping. He didn't do it, and the hopper cracked. So, I would just remove the plastic bits and put them in one box. Put the grinder in another box. Then put both boxes in a larger box and fill all the spaces with bubble wrap. Don't use packing peanuts which can shift during transit with such a heavy item.

I'll second a few comments here. Always ship the hopper in a different box. Remove adjustment pin if it has one. Wrap up electrical cord in a bit of bubble wrap including the plug to prevent it from rubbing on and damaging the body of the grinder. Wrap the body in alot of layers of bubblewrap then put wrapped cord close and then wrap a few more times in bubble wrap.
Place into a box just slightly larger and fill space with styro peanuts. Place this box into a larger box with a good 4-6 inch cushion of styro peanuts along with some cardboard spacers between the boxes. The spacers keep the inner box from moving. You are not guaranteed anything during shipping but this will give you a better chance at it arriving in the same condition. I have shipped alot of grinders this way and never had a problem.
A little more work but so much easier than dealing with a damaged grinder and an unhappy person on the other end.

ccfore wrote:IPlace into a box just slightly larger and fill space with styro peanuts. Place this box into a larger box with a good 4-6 inch cushion of styro peanuts along with some cardboard spacers between the boxes. The spacers keep the inner box from moving. You are not guaranteed anything during shipping but this will give you a better chance at it arriving in the same condition.

+1 on double boxing. This is less critical for grinders than espresso machines, but I always try to double box heavy espresso gear for shipping.