With so many options on the market today, and so many variants in each option, choosing an espresso grinder can be a daunting undertaking. Mazzer grinders have been a force to be reckoned with in the commercial coffee grinder space since 1948, and we thought we’d bring a little bit of our own expertise and help to break down what each of the Mazzer grinders do differently and where they would be best suited.

If you're looking for a short, simple comparison of Mazzer's espresso grinders, feel free to scroll to the end of this post. If you're interested in the details, please read on!

Doser vs. doserless grinders

Before we get into the nitty gritty of this blog post, let's take a moment to talk about the difference between doser and doserless grinders. A lot of Mazzer grinders come in both variants and so we’ll cover this just once. A doser grinder grinds coffee directly into a holding chamber and then doses the coffee into the portafilter, when you need it, at the flick of a lever, while a doserless grinder grinds directly into the portafilter, usually using a timer to measure volume (as the same amount of grind time should yield a similar volume of ground coffee).

Pros of doser grinders

Faster to use (particularly with the entry level grinders that grind slower) as you have already ground coffee on demand

Cleaner operation as you are grinding into a contained space

Generally more affordable

Cons of doser grinders

Ground coffee goes stale very quickly in the chamber

Higher volumes of waste

Inconsistent dosing leads to inconsistent extraction

Pros of doserless grinders

Hands free operation frees up precious seconds for the barista

Fresh coffee ground straight into the portafilter will yield the best tasting espresso

Measured doses can drastically reduce waste

More consistent dosing leads to more consistent espresso

Cons of doserless grinders

Grinding directly into the portafilter can lead to spilled coffee grinds

More costly

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s look at the range of grinders that Mazzer has to offer. 

Mazzer Mini espresso grinder

The Mazzer Mini is a perfect entry level espresso grinder for coffee as a side offering to compliment your main business (such as a restaurant). It is also a great option for the home espresso aficionado wanting to take their espresso to the next level.

The Mazzer Mini will perform well in most environments, serving up consistent and delicious espresso, and its compact size makes it a convenient option for operations with confined space; however the limits of its smaller burr set and lower powered motor will become apparent quite quickly under the pressure of higher volumes.

The Mazzer Mini has a 62mm flat burr set, 250 Watt motor and a 600 gram bean hopper. It is available as an on demand doserless version and a timed doser version. If you are short on space and looking to serve around 10 cups an hour, this is a perfect option for you.

Mazzer Mini pros 

Compact and ergonomic design suitable for small spaces

Most affordable option in the Mazzer range

Stepless micrometric grind adjustments allow for fine tuning your espresso to get the best tasting shot

Mazzer Mini cons

Small burrs and motor means it will struggle under significant volume

Smaller burrs and motor are inclined to wear out sooner in commercial environments

Slow grind speed (1g per second)

Mazzer Super Jolly espresso grinder

The Super Jolly is Mazzer’s most popular grinder and can be found in thousands of restaurants and cafes around the world. A step up from the Mazzer Mini, the Super Jolly is a great option for businesses that want to take coffee more seriously.

Slightly more robust than the Mini, the Mazzer Super Jolly is a perfect option for a cafe wanting to expand their offering and implement a dedicated decaf or single origin grinder.

With a more powerful 350 watt motor and a larger 64mm flat burr set, the Mazzer Super Jolly is comfortable delivering around 20 cups per hour and comes in an on demand doserless version as well as a timed doser version. If you are looking for an add on, or primary grinder to process small to medium volumes, this is the one for you!

Super Jolly pros

Stepless micrometric grind adjustments allow for fine tuning your espresso to get the best tasting shot

Reasonably priced

Robustly built for commercial environments

Super Jolly cons

Slower grind speed (1.5g per second) than some of the more heavy duty models

There is not a large window for growth as this grinder would reach maximum volume quite quickly

Mazzer Major espresso grinder

The Mazzer Major is where things start to get quite serious. This is a high powered grinder designed to deliver large volumes of consistent espresso.

The Major is a robustly built espresso grinding workhorse for commercial users that are serious about doing a high volume of coffee with quality and consistency in mind.

The Mazzer Major boasts an 850 Watt motor housing a whopping 83mm flat burr set. This allows the Major to dose up to 4g per second. The Mazzer Major is available in an on demand doserless version as well as doser version, but we recommend the doserless version as we don't feel using a doser with such a high end grinder makes sense.

Mazzer Major pros

Powerful motors and large burrs allow for fast and consistent grinding

Designed to easily serve up to 60 cups per hour

Robustly built to last in high volume cafes

Mazzer Major cons

Burrs spinning at 1400-1600r.p.m. can generate heat and may lead to inconsistencies in grind

Higher price point

Mazzer Robur premium espresso grinder

The Mazzer Robur is Mazzer’s flagship grinder, where over 70 years of expertise comes together to deliver one of the best and most consistent high volume espresso grinders to be found on the market today.

Mazzer have developed a unique conical burr set that allows these grinders to grind significant amounts of coffee over a very short period of time at a much slower r.p.m than a traditional flat burr grinder. The slower burrs generate less heat keeping the espresso and the grind more consistent through busy periods.

With a 900 Watt motor and 71mm conical burrs, the Mazzer Robur is designed for cafes doing consistently high volume throughout the day. While a doser version of the Mazzer Robur does exist, we feel strongly that if you make this sort of investment, you should be using a doserless version, so that is the version we offer.

Mazzer Robur pros

Incredibly fast grinding delivering up to 6.7g per second

Slow r.p.m.’s prevent overheating and keep grind consistent

Mazzer Robur cons

Higher retention of ground coffee (up to 12.2g) means that you would need to purge more frequently in quiet periods

Significantly higher price point than Mazzer’s other models

Mazzer Robur S premium espresso grinder

The newest addition to the Mazzer range is the Robur S: a top tiered premium espresso grinder with a sleek new design which has addressed some of the shortcomings of the Mazzer Robur.

Boasting the same performance as the original Robur, the Robur S has improved both grind consistency and grind retention, making it a more usable option during the quiet times of the day. The Robur S has also digitised a lot of the settings on the grinder, allowing grind settings to be more repeatable and allowing baristas to share espresso recipes and constantly improve the quality of the espresso.

The Robur S is designed for high volume specialty cafes that want to go down the rabbit hole of espresso making and are serious about taking their espresso to the highest possible level. The Mazzer Robur S is only available in an on demand doserless version.

Mazzer Robur S pros

Improved grind retention by 52% from the original Robur

Digitised and repeatable settings can save barista time and help to push your espresso to the next level

Sleek new design

Mazzer Robur S cons

Most expensive Mazzer grinder

Mazzer espresso grinder comparison

If you're looking for a simple summary comparison of Mazzer's espresso grinders, please have a look at the table below.

	Mini	Super Jolly	Major	Robur	Robur S
Motor Power	250 watt	350 watt	650 watt	900 watt	900 watt
Burr Type	Flat burrs	Flat burrs	Flat burrs	Conical Burrs	Conical Burrs
Burr Size	64mm	64mm	83mm	71mm	71mm
Burr Speed	1400-1600 r.p.m.	1400-1600 r.p.m	1400-1600 r.p.m.	420-500 r.p.m	420-500 r.p.m.
Avg. time to grind 18g	18 seconds	11.3 seconds	4.5 seconds	2.7 seconds	2.7 seconds
Recommended volume	10-20 cups / hour	15-30 cups / hour	Up to 50 cups / hour	Up to 60 cups / hour	Up to 60 cups / hour

 

Mazzer have an extensive range of options suited for many different purposes. If you have something in mind, or have seen something that is not listed on our website, please feel free to contact us. We would be happy to help source something for your particular needs.