If you are thinking about opening a coffee shop, choosing your equipment is one of the most important things. Next to the espresso machine itself, the espresso grinder is the most important thing.
After working in the specialty coffee industry for many years, I have discovered a godsend-electronic dosers/grinders by Mazzer. To know what makes Mazzer grinders good, you have to know what makes other grinders not so good.
Many coffee shops don’t like to pre-grind the espresso in order to ensure freshness, but when you grind random amounts of espresso and fill up the portafilter without knowing how much coffee you’re using, you’re defeating the purpose of the doser, which is to give the correct measurement (or dose) of espresso.
Another problem is that shop owners who are on a budget or simply don’t know much about coffee equipment often get whatever they can. Mismatched portafilters and dosers can make it hard to get the correct amount of espresso that is needed to pull a shot. I’ve seen mass quantities of espresso fall to the counter and go to waste because the portafilter didn’t fit properly underneath the doser. Why buy top quality coffee then literally sweep it away each day?
The key to pulling great shot of espresso lies in getting the right amount of coffee in the portafilter (along with the correct grind, tamp, etc. which is another topic.) Mazzer electronic dosers/grinders eliminate waste by using a doser which is cone-shaped on the bottom. The cone forms a spout and the coffee goes directly into the portafilter instead of flying in all directions.
Mazzer electronic dosers/grinders can be programmed to dose the correct amount of espresso with the touch of a button. Through the menu button on the top of the doser lid, you can set how much coffee comes out by the number of seconds it grinds. There are two buttons that can be programmed for single or double shot, depending on how your establishment is set up. If you have to adjust the grind at any time, the buttons make it super easy and all you need to do to dose the coffee is push a button.
Mazzer electronic dosers/grinders are more expensive than some other commercial espresso grinders, but money will be saved in the long run by eliminating coffee waste. In addition, baristas will also be more productive because there will be less time spent cleaning up espresso grinds after each use, and most importantly, espresso drinks will taste their best because the proper espresso dosage was used in creating the drink.
Sources: Working in the specialty coffee industry.
