Have you ever wanted to get an espresso grinder, but worried you didn’t have enough space for it on your countertop? There are many reasons why someone might be deterred from an espresso grinder, even if they’re a coffee lover. Aside from cost, size is definitely one of the more prominent reasons.
If this is a concern you’ve had in the past, then you can rest assured that there are still grinders out there that will work for you. Grinders like the Mazzer Mini have been designed specifically to fit into small spaces, providing options for those short on room.
In this Mazzer Mini review, we’ll be taking a detailed look at the grinder and its features. That way, you can decide if it’s a good option for you.
Here is what you will discover:
- The Mini’s most impactful features and how they’ll affect you.
- Other configurations the Mini is available in, as well as how they’re different from each other.
- Possible alternative grinders to the Mini.
- Situations in which the Mini is a particularly great fit.
- The prices of the grinders mentioned in this guide.
Let’s get started…
Quick Summary
The Mazzer Mini’s greatest quality is that it combines so much power in such a small package. With its remarkably compact design, it’s the perfect grinder for small businesses and homes that simply can’t afford much room for another appliance. Thanks to its accurate stepless grind adjustment system and low blade speed, you’ll get to enjoy cool grinding and flavorful drinks without having to completely reorganize your kitchen space for it.
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Important Features and Why They Matter
Stepless Grind Adjustment
The best baristas in the world love stepless grinders like the Mini. That’s because, in short, they give you more options when it comes to the texture of your ground coffee.
Compare them to the alternative, stepped grinders, to see what we mean. Stepped grinders have a premade number of fineness settings you can choose, which oftentimes restricts you to choosing the closest fineness setting to what you need rather than the exact one.
Stepless grinders eliminate these restrictive options. You get complete control over the fineness settings, making adjustments as small and precise as you need.
Read Also: Baratza Forte vs Mazzer Mini
Compact Design
Not everyone has an abundance of space in their kitchens. These days, most people have several appliances cluttering up their counters, leaving little room to add more.
If this sounds like you, then one of the most important draws to the Mazzer Mini will be its small size. As the name implies, it was created to squeeze into tight spaces, so it’s a great pick for those with limited room in their homes or businesses.
To give you an exact picture, the Mazzer Mini measures at 6.25 inches wide, 13.25 inches deep, and 16.50 inches tall. This makes it one of the smallest high-end grinders you’ll find.
Color Options
It might seem like an unimportant detail, but the Mazzer Mini is sold in two different colors: black and silver. While the appearance of a grinder isn’t going to be vital to everyone, it’s undeniable that it is a game changer for some.
For instance, those who have a specific kind of décor in their homes or businesses will look for things that fit in with that décor. That can include appliances like your coffee or espresso grinder. The right grinder can tie together an aesthetic, impressing guests in your home or customers in your establishment.
Additional Resource: Ceado E37J vs Mazzer Mini
Doser Hopper
The Mazzer Mini is what’s called a doser hopper. You can see the doser hopper in its pictures; it’s the metallic container fixed onto the front of the grinder.
You can think of the doser hopper as a sort of second step in grinding. Instead of distributing coffee grounds directly into your portafilter, the grinder deposits them into the dosing hopper. Later on, when you need coffee grounds, simply pull the lever on the side to disperse them into your portafilter.
This is an excellent design for coffee shops or restaurants that will go through the grounds in the dosing hopper fast. It’s essentially having a stock of ground coffee ready to go in advance without having to use pre-ground bags that will never be as fresh.
Low Blade Speed
At first, the phrase “low blade speed” probably sounds like a bad thing when it comes to coffee and espresso grinders. You might think it means that the grinder will take a long time to produce a shot of espresso.
The truth is, low blade speed is an advantage in grinding. A low blade speed like the Mazzer Mini’s 1600 RPM prevents the grinder’s internal temperature from overheating, therefore protecting your beans from being singed and the flavor destroyed.
It’s one of those things that, when it works well, you won’t notice it. Instead, you or your customers will be able to savor the good taste of freshly ground coffee and espresso without the risk of any burnt taste encroaching on the experience.
Flat Burrs
A grinder is built solely as a house for your burrs. Remove the burrs, and you won’t have anything capable of grinding your coffee beans. For that reason, it’s absolutely vital for a discussion on any given grinder to focus on the burrs, including this Mazzer Mini review.
The Mini has 58mm flat burrs. If you’re looking for consistency and reliably balanced extractions, flat burrs are the best you can get. Because they create coffee particles that are all the same size, they’re great at promoting an even extraction and chocolatey flavor.
Size is key, as well. As we mentioned above, the Mini’s burrs are 58mm in diameter. These are decently sized burrs, enabling the grinder to produce grounds at a quick speed.
Read More: Compak E5 vs Mazzer Mini
Portafilter Holder
You don’t want using your grinder to take up too much of your time. If you were required to hold your portafilter beneath the spout whenever you used it, the grinder would become frustratingly time-consuming. This is doubly so in a business, where employees must often multitask in order to meet customer demand.
The Mazzer Mini was created to help make multitasking possible. Its portafilter holder will hold your portafilter basket in place for you whenever you need to grind a quick batch, allowing you to focus on other things while the grinder does the work.
Different Configurations
If you’re looking for an improved version of the Mazzer Mini, there’s always the Mazzer Mini E. You can tell with just a look that a few changes were made to the Mini’s already solid design.
For one thing, the Mini E is available in three rather than just two colors. Those colors include polished, silver, and black, so you can enjoy this sleek grinder in three possible refined color combinations.
Looks aside, electronic dosing has also been implemented in the grinder. This helps you guarantee you’re getting consistent doses of espresso or coffee whenever you need them, regardless of who’s using the grinder.
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Comparable Alternatives
Nuova Simonelli is one of the most luxurious brands we have in the Majesty Coffee store, but this doesn’t mean that all their equipment is impossibly out of reach for you if you’re on a budget. The MCF Doser grinder is proof that Nuova Simonelli can produce affordable grinders for everyone.
Despite being incredibly affordable, the MCF manages to pack a range of must-have features into its design. It has a die-cast aluminum body that was created to endure for years. It also has robust 50mm stainless steel burrs that will make short work of your coffee beans and last you for a long time.
Here are some other amazing MCF features:
- Spatially economical design, so you can fit it in anywhere you need to.
- Versatile stepless grind adjustment to support your most ambitious baristas.
- Hands-free grinding so employees can multitask when necessary.
Related Article: Nuova Simonelli MCF Grinder Review
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About the Brand
If you were to ask a knowledgeable barista what some of the oldest and most experienced espresso and grinder manufacturers in the world were, they’d probably list classics like Nuova Simonelli or Mahlkonig.
What they might not know is that Mazzer is another company that deserves a spot on this list. This manufacturer has been around since the 1940’s, making them almost as long-lived as the oldest espresso and coffee grinder manufacturers in the world.
They excel at mechanical engineering. Each grinder they create is built with innovation in mind.
What Customers Say
The Mazzer Mini is one of our most popular Mazzer models. Because of its popularity, we’ve received some feedback about it, and we’re pleased to report that what we’ve heard is good.
Our customers who purchased it have all said it’s a great deal – a powerful grinder for an amazingly inexpensive price. We’ve even heard that it’s fairly quiet, which may make it a good option for you if you’re concerned about a grinder being too loud.
Ideal Grinder Applications
The Mazzer Mini, with its small size and short hopper, is best for those who simply don’t have much room to spare for a larger commercial grinder. For that reason, we think it would work especially well for small coffee shops and offices, as well as potentially for home baristas who go through quite a bit of espresso on a regular basis.
Pricing Information
Majesty Coffee’s espresso grinders are priced at the most competitive points online. We carefully consider the price of each grinder in our store because we’re conscious of all budgets on the spectrum.
We have the Mazzer Mini in our store for $695. You can also purchase the Mazzer Mini E in our store for $1,195 and the Nuova Simonelli MCF grinder in our store for $607.50.
Have any questions about the grinders featured in this review? Give us a call at 888-978-5224 or reach out to us in our store chat for further information. Our team will be happy to help you find the best grinder for your home or business.
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Tony Barlow, with over a decade of experience in the coffee industry, is the go-to technical sales expert at Majesty Coffee. He's passionate about helping businesses find the right espresso equipment for their needs.
