Yes indeed just wait until the burrs are fully broken in because it'll get even better. Those new generation high-end grinders (like the Monolith's or EG1 etc.) do give superb results over the more home oriented grinders. When comparing my Commandante against the EG1 I can taste like 4 out of 7 tasting notes with the Commandante and 7 out of 7 with the EG1. That's also what you've experienced here and it's indeed a lovely experience.

In these cases you really get what you pay for. Cry once and be happy for a very long time.

I have a 2017 model Flat and I love it. Only trouble I have ever had with it was I needed to replace one of the magnets that holds the spout on. Still using the original mythos style burrs. I will probably upgrade to shuriken some day, but I'm in no huge hurry as I am happy with what I've got. Mine was "only" $2500 when I got it, not sure what current price is. There was no such thing as the Max when I got mine, but I feel no need to upgrade as the Max is larger, more expensive, and again I'm happy with what I've got. Funny how the line for "too much to spend on a grinder" is always just above whatever you've got.

GorchT wrote:Could you maybe go a bit more into detail. I totally understand it, now being blessed with a different beast of a grinder.

It's a little hard to explain, but it feels like I'm tasting every flavor the bean has to offer. I'm using coffees I'm familiar with, and I'm tasting more complexity, with some hints of berry mixed in with the normal chocolate notes. The mouthfeel is also extraordinary. Every shot I've got wonderful crema and thickness mixed in with the taste

I own both shuriken Max and Niche. I do notice difference between them. Max definitely has more flavor separation, super repeatable but Niche has more mouthfeel and thick texture. But to each of his own, I don't think the large price gap is worth the difference

I am still waiting for my Flat LM to be delivered, hopefully mid next week. Let me join the party, before I even try it. A year and a half ago I bought Lagom P64. It appeared on the market as a thunder and I thought if it's what is promised to be, my desire for Monolith will soon die, and I'll still be happy. It's also not cheap but I will "save" some money to spend somewhere else. Hm, but it didn't turn out for me as expected, as I was told. I didn't see any improvements in general from Malwani. I gain something from it (HU burrs), but lost too (Malwani's 83 mm conical burrs).

Let's get back to Monolith, and that's what happened...I wanted one. Since my life is deeply involved with visuals, Monolith is the one that I just wanted to have. Besides its quality, I just like the way it's designed, the way it looks. So the story isn't always is it worth the money. There are different things that people could look for. And after all, how bad can it be that I'm not satisfied with it in comparison with my previous grinder(s) in which I couldn't find anything special (P64 with HU burrs).

Is it worth the money? What does that even mean, that would be the question. I wouldn't take NZ even for free, because I just don't like the design. Is it expensive (Monolith)? For me that's a hell lot of money. But I am paying a product that I like (design). I am not obsessed with the name or brand or quality (which is obviously on the top of the list). Just like Lacoste. A lot or most people will buy it because of the brand, or maybe quality of the product, but me...I just love that little croc, I love it since I was a kid and when I even didn't know what brand (I don't care about it at all) means.

And Mr. McPickle, I love your cynical comment, I really do, am I the only one? I was always a big fan of Monty Python and Woody Allen, so I completely get you.

I could hardly afford (literally) used Gaggia Classic when I started with "Making espresso at home...thing". And that wasn't decades ago (and I wasn't quite young), but after, things have changed, fortunately got better and I am happy I am not in that kind of a situation, and I am happy with my lady spending ridiculous amounts of money (for me) for the things in life that we don't really need.

I am just excited that Monolith is coming I really don't have any kind of emotional relations with these objects, it's just a thing, but it's fun, and fun is good!

Cheers!

I have an SSP Flat from 2018 and have never looked back. My upgradeitis ended completely and it's a joy to use every single morning, three years later.

And yes, once the burrs are well seasoned, it gets even better.

I have a 2018 Flat with SSP and a Max on the way with Shuriken LM burrs. The prices are on the high side, but not outlandish. Denis makes them in small batches and tests them meticulously. He could choose to charge way more or outsource manufacturing overseas, but he chooses not to. I support his business because not many of these are left.

Congratulations on your new Monolith. I have a Flat MD due any day now. For me the purchase decision had a lot to do with supporting Denis' business and passion. So many of the items we buy today can be delivered in 24 hours and have maybe a 2-5 year life span; for me there is something reassuring about a product that is designed and manufactured to maximize quality rather than minimize cost.

Enjoy!

Legend_217 wrote:I own both shuriken Max and Niche. I do notice difference between them. Max definitely has more flavor separation, super repeatable but Niche has more mouthfeel and thick texture. But to each of his own, I don't think the large price gap is worth the difference

I wonder if this difference has mostly to do with flat vs. conical (Niche) burrs?

I was enjoying a fabulous Ethiopian Natural at The Foundry in Tyler, TX last weekend, pulled as espresso on their pro equipment. I bought some of the beans and not surprisingly getting lesser results at home. But then I realize, the shop is using a flat burr grinder, so I am getting that "bimodal" conical distribution. Which, if I understand correctly, is basically giving me two different portions of ground coffee mixed together and extracting at different rates.