# Mazzer ZM manual grinder



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Thought I would put a thread together to have a look at this interesting grinder, the Mazzer ZM manual. Mazzer have released this grinder in various models, this one has the manual adjustment and has been designed around brewed coffee.

Unfortunately not being a huge brewed drinker, I bought this on a whim hoping that it would be great for espresso as well, especially with the ultra low retention alla the ek43.









First impressions were really good, this is one hell of a solid grinder weighing in at close to 40 kg with excellent build quality and components more akin to mazzers premium range that they supply to la Marzocco. It has a 900w motor that spins at 900 rpm, it exceptionally quiet and has a lovely smooth start stop action. Being used to the clunk of the ek this really comes as a pleasant surprise.

It's fairly big but not r120 and ek big it's 62 cm to the top of the hopper, however only 49cm high with the hopper removed. It's 45 cm front to back and 25 at its widest.

This came fitted with the 151 f burrs with a cut specific to brewed coffee, however I thought I would give them a go at espresso settings. I had to set them just off zero point to get a pour anything like espresso and even though the pour was fast, it had a juicy sweetness to it, something I have become used to from the ek43. That said the roast level of the Coffee I was using was not particularly light and as such I feel it would be impossible to get espresso out of lighter roasted coffee using the "f" burrs.

Rather than mess around with the filter burrs I fitted a set of ti coated 151b burrs which are a straight replacement into this grinder. What a difference, slow syrupy shots are now acheivable and even at the finer settings the retention is very very low and with a little effort is pretty much zero. The adjustment mechanism although stepped, is so accurate and each step is such a minute distance that fine tuning this grinder is simple and repeatable.









Chucked some yirg through it, dealt with them with ease and the resulting espresso through a standard L1 was blueberries, blueberries and more blueberries. I am going to get the SSP burrs for this grinder which should give me a marked improvement with what is already a great flavour profile.

I intend to do a bit of a strip down to show how well this is made but for now here are a few photos.


----------



## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

....glamour pictures needed.....


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

rob177palmer said:


> ....glamour pictures needed.....


All done now


----------



## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

that sounds fantastic mate!

would be fun to try this next to the MK Guatemala (which, although repeatable, has rather big steps IMHO). Wanna come around and bring it? 

Looking fwd to its internals


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Hasi said:


> that sounds fantastic mate!
> 
> would be fun to try this next to the MK Guatemala (which, although repeatable, has rather big steps IMHO). Wanna come around and bring it?
> 
> Looking fwd to its internals


Luggage allowance is not enough! What is great though is that being the only owner on here I pretty much have the only opinion on this grinder, although I am sure others will chime in!


----------



## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

I can't help noticing a glaring omission . . .


----------



## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

MildredM said:


> I can't help noticing a glaring omission . . .


......are you meaning an omission in your grinder collection???!!


----------



## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

The finish and design are top notch - the shaped tray is a nice touch. looking forward to the seeing inside


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

jimbojohn55 said:


> looking forward to the seeing inside


Said the actress to the bishop!


----------



## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

rob177palmer said:


> ......are you meaning an omission in your grinder collection???!!


No..... it's all well and good having a super duper amazing grinder but it really deserves its own towel


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

So stripped it down a little this morning to show you some of the internal bits on this grinder. Fixed burr carrier assembly removal is simple, three hex bolts on the Dacia then a nice feature on this model is that the recessed part of the front plate doubles as a handle, a lively touch on this but not on the latest versions of this grinder☹









The tolerances on the burr carrier seem really tight which suggests that mazzer have really thought about the engineering on this grinder, the materials are excellent as is the overall finish.









Inside the burr chamber is the floating burr assembly with a really effective auger system, again mazzer tolerances here have really improved as there is a minute amount of movement when the burr is fitted ready to be tightened down.

















Burr removal is fairly easy and refitting on the better engineered part a breeze.


----------



## PPapa (Oct 24, 2015)

Interesting! The design kind of looks like a combination between Mazzer, Ek43 and Ditting.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Ok onto some of the peripheral stuff, firstly the exit chute and mechanism

Mazzer have fitted a locking device to the base of this grinder, with the added pain of the ubiquitous safety switch as well as in the hopper mechanism, this is simply overcome by removing them from the loop in the terminal block within the main body of the grinder.









This locking device allows the bag clip or grinds chamber to be fitted stubbly and ensures that everything is then contained in the Perspex collection chamber, however there is a fair bit of static produced and the grinds tend to stick to the side of the container, this is easily overcome by tapping the side of the vessel and then the grinds drop to the base. Mazzer have also fitted an anti static screen in the base, but this only reduces static not elimate it.

















The chamber has a rotating top which means getting the grinds out is fairly simple, simply spin the lid and tip out the grinds out.









I simply prefer to hold a metal cocktail shaker lid up against the exit port, which eliminates a process


----------



## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

This is cool thanks for sharing the info Chap.

Would be great to hear more about it for brewed some time .


----------



## dev (Jul 28, 2017)

It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the B burrs with something roasted light.

Seems like an awful waste to run this with Major burrs. 

I've got my eyes on this as an EK43 alternative for brew and single origin light roasts but the price is pretty crazy as it's more expensive than the EKK43.


----------



## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

coffeechap said:


> So stripped it down a little this morning to show you some of the internal bits


Oh my gosh, you naughty, naughty boy.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

jlarkin said:


> This is cool thanks for sharing the info Chap.
> 
> Would be great to hear more about it for brewed some time .


The brewed burr look great, and am happy for you to come and have a mess about with it, I think the fitting of the SSP burrs is going to take it to a new level. Not sure it is as good overall as an ek, which let's face it actually costs less!


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

dev said:


> It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the B burrs with something roasted light.
> 
> Seems like an awful waste to run this with Major burrs.
> 
> I've got my eyes on this as an EK43 alternative for brew and single origin light roasts but the price is pretty crazy as it's more expensive than the EKK43.


You are almost right, but not quite, the burrs in it are the royal burrs, design to run with the more powerful motor. I have already put some collanna lighter roast through it , still almost no retention and great shot definition, however really feel it will benefit from the SSP burrs


----------



## dev (Jul 28, 2017)

I'll wait for your EK43 comparison once the SSP burrs arrive.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

dev said:


> I'll wait for your EK43 comparison once the SSP burrs arrive.


Will have to work on memory as I don't have an ek anymore, if it were based on standard burrs then ek wins every time


----------



## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Makes the EK look like its been nocked up from leftover parts - I think they are going to have to raise their game design wise and build quality, admittedly the EK does the grind quality and fantastic TDS but I expect this is pretty close with the right burrs. Its about time we saw some healthy competition at the EK level of grinder.


----------



## dev (Jul 28, 2017)

At some point you have to factor in the price. An EK43 with multiple burr sets might be cheaper than a stock MZ.

On a small budget you could buy an old MK Guatemala or a Ditting and fit all sorts of custom made burrs.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

dev said:


> At some point you have to factor in the price. An EK43 with multiple burr sets might be cheaper than a stock MZ.
> 
> On a small budget you could buy an old MK Guatemala or a Ditting and fit all sorts of custom made burrs.


You could feasibly do that with any grinder, whether they can single dose is another thing. I agree with the price point of the mazzer though as it's pricey and an ek can be had for similar money (manual versions) however a lot of folk are still fitting SSP burrs to the ek! Also the ek is a bit f a tractor in terms of build quality.

At the money I paid for this ZM I don't mind forking out the additional cost for SSP, might be a different story had I bought brand new.


----------



## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

This is my problem with Mahlkoenig, right here. They sewed up the market with the EK so well and don't have any competition so they don't even bother tryinng to improve their product (which is incredibly flawed straight out the factory, by the wayyyyyy)

This grinder could have been so good. SO SO SO SO good, but look at it this way:

*HUGE investment in a basic model

*Needs new burrs to even come close to comparing with an EK

*INCREDIBLY heavy

*Took all of the time iin the world to develop and put into production (so much so, that every shop considering a grinder would already have an EK and had it pay for itself in use by the time this had come to market)

*Ugly as sin

Now, don't get me wrong, it's a good grinder and with the right upgrades it is a very capable contender to the EK. The shots and brews you can get from one are sexy as and taste amazing. But I certainly wouldn't want one in my shop. Not with the EK being so affordable, in comparison.


----------



## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

What price range are we talking about, anyways?


----------



## dev (Jul 28, 2017)

Around 3000.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Scotford said:


> This is my problem with Mahlkoenig, right here. They sewed up the market with the EK so well and don't have any competition so they don't even bother tryinng to improve their product (which is incredibly flawed straight out the factory, by the wayyyyyy)
> 
> This grinder could have been so good. SO SO SO SO good, but look at it this way:
> 
> ...


Although I agree with many of your pints, I personally think it looks better than an EK having owned both! Totally with the "a bit late to the party" stuff, however they have pulled their finger out of their arse, the electronic variant offers stuff the mahlkonig doesn't come close to and this innovation will drive the future of grinders.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

dev said:


> Around 3000.


Not quite but hey ho, £2840 for the electronic version not the manual


----------



## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

coffeechap said:


> Although I agree with many of your pints, I personally think it looks better than an EK having owned both! Totally with the "a bit late to the party" stuff, however they have pulled their finger out of their arse, the electronic variant offers stuff the mahlkonig doesn't come close to and this innovation will drive the future of grinders.


yep, the electronic version looks veeery promising


----------



## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

coffeechap said:


> the electronic variant offers stuff the mahlkonig doesn't come close to and this innovation will drive the future of grinders.


Yeah, the micron burr distnace read is cool. Repeatable settings are sweet. The display oh my lord yes. Ultra-exact settings to dial in YUSS!

BUT

I'd happily forego all that and have a new EK and laptop. And a half decent car to move both of them about in. Oh and tastier coffee from this setup too.


----------



## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Scotford said:


> Yeah, the micron burr distnace read is cool. Repeatable settings are sweet. The display oh my lord yes. Ultra-exact settings to dial in YUSS!
> 
> BUT
> 
> I'd happily forego all that and have a new EK and laptop. And a half decent car to move both of them about in. Oh and tastier coffee from this setup too.


Ahem . . . And a coffee towel too


----------



## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Wonder if Matt Perger gets commission on EK sales? Prior to him using one in his WBC routine, Mahlkonig were going to discontue making them.

As Scotford says above, Eks are everywhere. Why change something radically that's still selling well? New EKs have some tweaks - switches have been updated so are less prone to failure due to heavy shop use switching on and off repeatedly. Remember, the EK was designed as a bag grinder chewing through a kilo in one go. New EK tolerances are reportedly better out of the box meaning you don't have to shim or sand.

But this thread is about the ZM. If it could deliver espresso and pour over equally well, it's in EK territory apart from the price. Crying out for throw down with SSP burrs, could be very interesting.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Scotford said:


> Yeah, the micron burr distnace read is cool. Repeatable settings are sweet. The display oh my lord yes. Ultra-exact settings to dial in YUSS!
> 
> BUT
> 
> I'd happily forego all that and have a new EK and laptop. And a half decent car to move both of them about in. Oh and tastier coffee from this setup too.


I will refrain from tastier until after the SSPs arrive! As it is now, I can't deny the tastiness of ek brews


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Wonder if Matt Perger gets commission on EK sales? Prior to him using one in his WBC routine, Mahlkonig were going to discontue making them.
> 
> As Scotford says above, Eks are everywhere. Why change something radically that's still selling well? New EKs have some tweaks - switches have been updated so are less prone to failure due to heavy shop use switching on and off repeatedly. Remember, the EK was designed as a bag grinder chewing through a kilo in one go. New EK tolerances are reportedly better out of the box meaning you don't have to shim or sand.
> 
> But this thread is about the ZM. If it could deliver espresso and pour over equally well, it's in EK territory apart from the price. Crying out for throw down with SSP burrs, could be very interesting.


Totally agree Patrick, anyone that knows me will know that I won't coo about a grinder unless it is good, I don't need to say it's the best because I own it, in fact at the price I stole this for it really doesn't matter as I would be able to sell it as a door stop if I had to. I really hope that the ssp burrs deliver like the ssp burrs do on the EK ( there is a reason why people are buying them for their eks!) as if that is the case then imagine the capability of this grinder with the electronics and ssp burrs. Will make the ek look and feel like the 60s grinder that it is


----------



## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

One of my friends had an early version in their shop up here and the electronic adjustment kept failing. Had to go back a couple of times.

Makes nice brews and has some innovative features but think I'd still rather have a Guatemala.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> One of my friends had an early version in their shop up here and the electronic adjustment kept failing. Had to go back a couple of times.
> 
> Makes nice brews and has some innovative features but think I'd still rather have a Guatemala.


Yes I heard there were issues with early models, mine is the manual so no such issues, I recon this will be better than the guat with the ssp burrs in it! If it wasn't so heavy and worth so much I would gladly send it up to you for a play will


----------



## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

coffeechap said:


> View attachment 39294


Those two grinders look like they're getting ready for a fight. Any chance of a grind-off? 

*Moved pic here so as not to clutter up your for sale thread.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Yes once I get the burrs to put them on a more even playing field


----------



## Torbj0rn (Nov 4, 2019)

Necroposting: did you ever get those SSP burrs and where able to play with it?


----------

