Mazzer Mini

What it does well

Build is the main reason people buy a Mazzer. Mazzer describes a heavy-duty die-cast aluminium body and says the Mini has 30 years of history behind it. It weighs 8.5 kg, which keeps it planted on the counter.

Adjustment is stepless. You turn the collar and the burrs move smoothly, so an espresso shot can be nudged between any two marks. That matters most at the fine end, where small moves change shot time.

The new model is quicker. Mazzer says its asynchronous motor grinds more than 50% faster than the previous Mini, at 2 to 2.5 g per second. Clive Coffee and Seattle Coffee Gear both list the stepless collar, though Seattle Coffee Gear's spec table gives the burrs as 65 mm.

Burr choice is unusual at this size. Mazzer fits its 233M bearing-steel burrs as standard and describes them as suited to cutting through milk. It offers k202D burrs as an option for sweeter, lighter-roast espresso.

The controls are simple. Mazzer lists programmable single and double doses set to a hundredth of a second, a manual mode and a dose counter. An adjustable portafilter holder lets you grind hands-free.

Where it falls short

It is a hopper grinder. Clive Coffee says that if you rotate coffees often, you should consider a single-dosing grinder such as the Mazzer Philos instead. Our page on single dosing explains the difference.

Dosing is by time, not weight. Mazzer sells grind-by-weight as a separate model, the Mini g. Timed doses drift as beans age, so expect to check weights now and then.

It is an espresso grinder first. Clive Coffee describes the new Mini as built to deliver consistent espresso, and Mazzer lists espresso as the Mini doser's extraction method. Neither Mazzer nor the retailers above make claims for pour-over.

It is not small by home standards. The Mini is compact for a café, but at 8.5 kg it is a real piece of kit beside a home machine.

Who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy it if you make espresso most days, use one house coffee, and want a grinder built to café standards. It also suits anyone setting up a coffee cart or a small bar.

Skip it if you mostly brew filter coffee, change beans daily, or want to weigh every dose. Skip it too if you want the quietest grinder on the counter; neither Mazzer nor the retailers make noise claims.

How it compares

The Eureka Mignon Specialità works the same way: stepless dial, hopper, timed doses. It is a home grinder first, smaller and quieter by design, with smaller 55 mm burrs.

The DF64 Gen 2 uses the same 64 mm burr size in a single-dose body. You weigh beans in and grind them all, rather than timing from a hopper.

The Mazzer Super Jolly is the next size up, faster and much taller. Coming from an older home grinder? The Rancilio Rocky is the stepped espresso grinder many people upgrade from, and the grinder finder lists other espresso grinders.

Owning it

Mazzer lists an easily removable chute for cleaning and an antistatic system to keep the counter clear. For the routine, see how to clean a burr grinder.

Burrs are a stock part. Mazzer says it designs and makes the standard 233M burrs in house, and it sells burrs as their own product line. When the time comes, see how to replace grinder burrs.

Because the dial is stepless, finding your zero point first gives you a fixed reference. BrewMark does not publish settings for the Mini, because Mazzer counts collar numbers from the point where the burrs touch and that point differs between units; its settings page gives Mazzer's own reference points, and dialing in a new grinder covers the rest.