Mazzer - Philos

Philos if you want to single dose, you can change burrs if you want. Or Fioranzato All ground (or All ground sense but more expensive) if you don't change often coffee, don't care about single dosing, and you don't want to spend all of your budget. I wouldn't buy any of those Turin or whatever, I get the hype, but you can buy something build better all around. That you can use for espresso and others technique. And most important, with warranty and good customer service in your area. Light roast espresso, is hard to do and not for everyone, as another said. And yes, is a drastic difference. Like day and night.

Mazzer Philos if your budget allows

I ended up getting the philos with I200D. Ran two shots just to get somewhere with the setting and already tastes amazing. There is enough body to keep this burr set instead of experimenting with something like SSP cast V3. Of course, acidity and sweetness are amazing on this thing, I feel I finally reached the speciality cafe level product I was looking for for years. I recommend anyone to buy a better grinder instead of the machine, I probably could have kept my modded gaggia classic.

This. Absolutely fantastic grinder. And you’re getting a Mazzer product. My Philos came with a little handwritten note by the person that made it in Italy. I found that a really cool little touch.

Regular hopper (Ceado) and Philos for decaf and messing around with single doses

For a different conical, gbw: Etzingeg Etzmax LM Built like a brick to last a lifetime, but not sure how good for dark roast: Philos with 189d burrs, it bests Ceado in grind quality with the 200d for medium roasts

Have owned all the grinders on your list, at one point or another. Agree that Duo might be your best bet. Ability to play with other 83mm burrs is a good hedge against future curiosity. Recommend getting second (filter) burr option, because having the extra carrier for fast(ish) swaps is nice. Cannot recommend the Eurekas. Good build, very pretty, but burrs are proprietary and the grind chamber/chute design is antediluvian. Fine for hopper base on-demand grinding, but crap for single dosing. Even with the mods (tilted base, bellows), retention is terrible. Eureka’s attempts at single-dosing focused grinders are not honest efforts. Just a new model name and superficial accessories. And their new dial is just…stupid. Still not enough ratio to overcome the thread lash in their adjustment screw. The rev counter is nice enough, but a big dial like [this](https://www.amazon.com/ARO-EspressoTM-Eureka-Mignon-Adjustments/dp/B0CLCB8VQ6/ref=asc_df_B0CLCB8VQ6) is much more effective (and not stupid looking, imho) Libra portafilter contact sensor was unreliable. I heard they fixed it, but I had given up already and moved on. When it worked, it was…ok. Weight accuracy wasn’t bad, but irrelevant because it was a hot mess of sprayed grounds. RDT absolutely necessary in my environment (20-50%RH over the year), but the extra moisture caused caking/clogging in the chute. From a taste perspective…it’s ok. Blendy, decent body, not a lot of clarity. Little unkempt and harsh. Good in milk drinks. Niches — good workflow, probably among the best, even compared against titan grinders at 5x the price. Personally, not a fan of Mazzer burrs. Harsh and bitter finish. The Zero doesn’t have any options for their 63mm conical, so you’re kinda stuck. The stock Duo espresso burr was, to me, a cleaner version of Zero profile. Other options: Mazzer Philos. The grinder itself is a bit pricey, and rumor has it that the i200D and 189D burrs are big improvements over Mazzer traditional flavor profile — but it’s a good platform for 64mm burr space, where you are spoilt for choice and the burrs are cheaper than 83mm. Hope that helps

Best "around" $1000 - Mazzer Philos IMO

This list seems somehow outdated, and is missing some important items, that are popular and offering a great value. Hand grinders: **Kingrinder K6, K2, K0, Timemore C3S, C2S** Electric: **Zerno Z1**, soon also **Z2** (80mm, now in a prototype stage), **Mazzer Philos, DF64V, Sculptor 078s,064, and Lagom 01** (although grinders with burrs larger than 83 mm is a rather niche ultra-high-end, so not sure really, if EK43, P100 and L01 make sense to be included in such a list) Also: In this list, the **Fellow Ode2** is placed in "budget-friendly", while **Fellow Opus** in "mid-range/prosumer"?? :) Ode costs almost twice as Opus, and while Ode is rather popular for manual brews, Opus is not that popular neither for brew, nor for espresso, although technically "it can do both". (edit to add) Also missing, the **DF54** low-cost electric grinder.

Baratza encore for pour overs and aeropress. Mazzer philos for espresso. Its not necessary to have two as long as you are fine fiddling with grind size regularly. I wouldn't have two if I had bought the mazzer first, but I had the baratza for a decade and I know exactly what settings for what coffees I like. Edit: i dont have a separate decaf grinder because I dont really care if 1g is mixed in from retention when I switch beans. But i only drink decaf espresso like once per week.

I purchased a Mazzer Philos and it shipped from within the US so no tariffs.

Mazzer philos. Only the knocker, small piece on the dosing cup positioner, some parts of the grind adjustment contraption and hopper lid is plastic. None of these parts touch the beans or grinds.

It is very hard to say there is one “best” as different grinders really do cater to different needs For your price range of approximately 1k - I personally own the mazzer philos. It is single dose, and has a large variation in grind sizes to where it can easily accommodate pour over or espresso. It comes from a reputable company, and is built well Again though it is hard to say if there is a “best”

For light roasts , at that price personally I’d consider the Philos with i200d burrs. That said , light roasts espresso is not for everyone and a new grinder may not fix your dislike of them. You may still find them too sour or acidic. In fact a flat burr grinder may emphasize the acidity even more.

You have a very reasonable setup in mind. The Philos is a wonderful grinder for your use case and I can’t stress how easy it is to dial in / how forgiving it is. I’m sure the technical reason for it has to do with the burr set and the particle size distribution as a result but what I can tell you from my experience is that it made a deeply satisfying Americano for us on our first try with new beans. The machine is secondary in my view and as long as it is aesthetically pleasing for you and the quality seems to be aligned with your goals (I am confident you’ll get 10+ years out of it if you treat it properly and most importantly use the right water) then you can be confident in your choices. A decent tamper (buy what you can afford but consider a self leveling model) and a decent scale are all you really need. I think a tamp box is a great addition and you may want to add a WDT tool but don’t feel the need to be extravagant on it. I have a relatively inexpensive norm core WDT and it works perfectly. With the Philos you may not even need it but it is a satisfying part of the ritual.

If you don’t have joint issues / carpal tunnel then a self leveling one is fine. You can get a fancy one with spring pressure if you want to invest in great consistency. I bought a Puq Press because I have someone in my household with carpal tunnel and I am insane about consistency and it’s an amazing but very expensive solution. You can test the water that the machine produces through the filter with a simple kit (you can order them on Amazon) and make sure it meets the manufacturers specs. I can provide the specs that I got for my coffee machine if it is helpful but it is a very easy process and worth doing annually or so. If you ever see scaling in your machine you have done something wrong and it’ll kilt the machine and hurt the result in the cup. Getting your water solid will also help with pour over in a major way.

A Mazzer Philos works well for this (200 model burrs), particularly when returning to fine after coarse and holding the pull time. But it is pricey.

I like the Vario+ a lot, but recently traded mine up for a Mazzer Philos. My biggest gripe with the Vario is the workflow: the grind size adjustment is weird (there’s a coarse and fine adjustment that you can adjust independently), and the levers can lose their settings easily. Baratza sell shims to prevent the levers from moving easily, but that feels like a design defect. The grounds catch bin is enormous (relatively speaking) and a little awkward compared to a catch cup for transferring to a brewing funnel.  Retention was an issue for mine, too. I frequently had 0.3 to 0.5 g retention on an 18–20 g dose. That was perhaps my biggest annoyance. There are tricks you can find online (like inverting the flap on the exit chute, but again, those feel like hacky workarounds for design defects.  That said, when it performs well, the grinder is capable of making great coffee. The steel burrs in particular make for really yummy pour overs. 

Thanks! It’s a great grinder and it works for my workflow, but I get that it’s not for everyone, especially those who want a hopper and weight-/time-based grinding. Have you looked at the Mahlkoenig X54? That might be up your alley. [https://www.mahlkoenig.us/products/x54-allround-home-grinder](https://www.mahlkoenig.us/products/x54-allround-home-grinder)

I’ve had a Baratza Virtuoso+, a Baratza Vario+, and now a Mazzer Philos, and I’d rank them in Bottom, Mid, and Top Tiers, respectively. 

Mazzer Philos with i200d burrs. I think it’s slightly above the price point, but does both filter and espresso very well…

Consider the Mazzer Philos. I was on the same hunt recently (MaraX and Eureka grinder) and went to the Philos with I200 burrs straight from Mazzer for 995€. It’s a night and day difference for anything medium roasted and lighter. Gone is the harshness of acidic coffees and the flavours feel more nuanced. Another big pro is the massively improved workflow: Changing the grind size is pleasant and the numbers don’t change even after disassembling for cleaning. It feels very well built. I don’t feel an motivation for upgrading anymore…

I have the j-ultra, and I also have a Mazzer Philos for an electric grinder (~$1000). For medium roast espresso shots, the taste was indistinguishable. So if you’re willing to put in a little work, it’s totally worth it.

from what I’ve read the philos i200D aren’t going to be better than a zp6 when it comes to clarity. I have them (189) and am going to pickup a zp6 purely for filter instead of swapping the burrs out 

I agree. Add the 50 bucks and get that. It's a tank. And it's precise. And it looks wonderful

Second this. It is really good. Great range of adjustments and built like a tank

I have a DF64ii, a Philos, a Gevi, and an Ode 2 for electric grinders. I've brought the DF64ii into work. At home, for pourovers, I almost always use the ZP6 hand grinder.

I own both and i200d has better clarity than zp6. Quite noticeable IMO, but at the expense of florals. i200d tends to highlight a dominant flavor note whereas zp6 is more balanced presentation.

I second the Philos. Don't think it has a peer at that price point, and all by all accounts the i200's are phenomenal with lighter roasts. And yes, you'll notice a pretty significant difference from your Sette. Also would be sure you're very comfortable with a DF in general if you go that route. Yes, large burrs sound great and the taste is definitely there, but there are hundreds of posts on here from DF owners complaining about build quality, grind consistency, and forget it if you ever need support.

Love my Philos! :) Chunky but great! Anyways, just look for something that has a good workflow. IMHO variable speed doesn't make a big difference, only causes confusion. For the money you're willing to spend, just get a professional model with bigger burrs. Maybe ...

I bought the Mazzer Philos ($1000) about six months ago. It’s pretty impressive. Watch one or two of the Utube videos on it. It’s not as big as people make it out to be but does command attention. I doubt I’ll need to buy another grinder.

Haven’t pulled the trigger yet but after all that I think I’m going with the Philos. Not as worried about its size or aesthetic anymore and seems to be most reliable/highest quality without stepping up to P64 price point.

It depends on how you like your coffee. For traditional espresso or milk drinks, I still use my Kinu M47 Simplicity to grind my slightly darker beans even though I have a Mazzer Philos on my counter. Flat burrs give you a different taste experience. The Kinu may rival the quality that electric burr grinders that over 3x it's price offer but it's a different story when you compare it to flat burr grinders. I'm sure that more manual flat burr grinders will start appearing but for now, the Pietro seems like a really good bang for your buck if you can live with it's workflow.

Mazzer Philos is the way - get the 200d burrs for nice clear filters. This thing is massive but Features great build quality and a really great cup, if you want great clarity.