# Ceramic Burrs



## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

I was browsing the La Marzocco site (as you do!) and I came across their grinders. It seems that they have ceramic burrs!

I was surprised because (a) I've never heard of anyone here having any opinions good or bad on the LM grinders and (b) I was unaware that any commercial grinders had ceramic burrs.

They are around £2,400 so not at all cheap!

Anyone got any thoughts?

David


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

wonder if there is a reason why no one else uses them commercially then! They were a blinding success in the Vario, or should I say Mahlkonig have stuck with them when no one else seems to e attracted to whatever attributes they have!


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Maybe the ceramics bring the advantage of temperature stability . Ie : eliminate expansion and contraction issue related to heat, I am guessing if its the same calibre of their machines its going to be a decent grinder.

ceramics , sometimes you have to ask yourself How do they do that? LOL


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

Hmmm... interesting. No idea why they'd use ceramic flat burrs - but for the conicals: I was talking with Peter (of Knock infamy) at LCF, and we were discussing why the Hausgrind (steel burrs) is much faster to grind than a Porlex (ceramic).

IIRC, what he said was that the ceramic material is obviously not as strong when thin as steel and needs to be thicker at the extremity of the outer conical burr - and hence the ceramic conical burrs of a given size need to be more aggressive (thicker walls) initially which limits the amount of beans that can be within the initial burr section (slicing, or whatever it is). Whereas with steel burrs the initial path can be less aggressive (thinner walls) and hence more beans can be within the initial section.

What this apparently boils down to, is that (as with a Hausgrind vs Porlex) much faster grinding with steel conical burrs than with ceramic conicals. With beans spending less time in the grind path it probably also means a cooler grind.

Obviously none of this has any significance with flat burrs, and the benefits of them remain a mystery (at least to me!)

[Now awaits CC to rip this logic apart and come up with something else entirely ;-) ]


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

I thought that it was just the LM Swift that had the ceramic burrs and that the Vulcano was a variation on the Mazzer Stark.


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## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

Charliej said:


> I thought that it was just the LM Swift that had the ceramic burrs and that the Vulcano was a variation on the Mazzer Stark.


You may be right Charlie. I'll have to look into it. They certainly do not seem to be at all popular here! Is that due to price or performance or both perhaps?


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## CallumT (Aug 23, 2013)

Vulcano is a kony in a hideous body kit, no ceramics.

The ceramics are from the swift , that will be a variation of a royal / stark


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