I have just bought a new Moca grinder for single dosing, following the review of @"tompoland"#121. I thought I would start a new thread sharing some of my own experience of this grinder over the coming months. I am doing this, as other than the superb review from Tom, this is still quite an unknown grinder. It is also my first forage into SD grinding. My current grinder is a Eureka Mignon Specialita. My coffee machine is a Profitec Pro 600 DB machine. All of this has been purchased from Bella Barista. The courier (DPD) arrived today. Lead-time from ordering was quick.. 23rd Feb ordered and delivery 9th Mar. Well packaged from Bella Barista, the first box comes with beans for free [URL=https://i.imgur.com/nNbv6Tb.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/nNbv6Tb.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Then the next box from Olympia - this is their shipping box. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/fqPVftg.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/fqPVftg.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://i.imgur.com/Xh4IyL5.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/Xh4IyL5.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Within the BB box are some burr seasoning beans from BB, hidden in the foam chips [URL=https://i.imgur.com/rhRZw3U.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/rhRZw3U.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Nicely sealed from the factory [URL=https://i.imgur.com/zc4CPkQ.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/zc4CPkQ.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Another box! - Like Russian dolls [URL=https://i.imgur.com/bKlUG2s.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bKlUG2s.jpg[/IMG][/URL] The packaging is impressive. Bespoke cut cardboard layers to house the RDT spray bottle and the cap of the dosing funnel. The grind adjustment knob can be seen in the middle. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/Yz8QoNo.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/Yz8QoNo.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Machined aluminum - weighty and impressive [URL=https://i.imgur.com/maacBtb.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/maacBtb.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Here is the next layer.. again great packing. The dosing funnel, the small tray for the workspace under the grinding chute and of course the main machine. I went Red and Silver as I think the nicest contrast. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/SOqvNLZ.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/SOqvNLZ.jpg[/IMG][/URL] This dosing funnel is insane. Machined aluminium with a specific trap door in the bottom that opens as the unit is rotated as covered in Tom's video review. Really solid. Gentle smell of machined gears and oil wafts from the box like a fresh set car part. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/cheaCi1.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/cheaCi1.jpg[/IMG][/URL] And here it is.. Very weighty and compact as the other reviews have covered. Feels very solid.. but we will come onto the panels.. An area I think is ripe for a tweak.. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/bhinUey.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bhinUey.jpg[/IMG][/URL] The magnetic machined adjustment knob.. Very nice rotation and movement. As others have said.. Really this needs to have numerical markings. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/jWqyaDp.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/jWqyaDp.jpg[/IMG][/URL] The front badge [URL=https://i.imgur.com/FinfMTJ.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/FinfMTJ.jpg[/IMG][/URL] And now the unit together. This feel more like attaching a prime lens to a DSLR. The design may have changed as it seems to fit easily (compared with Tom's review). three lugs. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/GYEyIbF.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/GYEyIbF.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

And here is a quick video of the machined bean hopper. https://youtube.com/shorts/S-XxbT-JSLw?feature=share

Olympia Moca SD - UK Review

M5Sime

I have just bought a new Moca grinder for single dosing, following the review of @tompoland. I thought I would start a new thread sharing some of my own experience of this grinder over the coming months. I am doing this, as other than the superb review from Tom, this is still quite an unknown grinder. It is also my first forage into SD grinding. My current grinder is a Eureka Mignon Specialita. My coffee machine is a Profitec Pro 600 DB machine. All of this has been purchased from Bella Barista.

The courier (DPD) arrived today. Lead-time from ordering was quick.. 23rd Feb ordered and delivery 9th Mar.

Well packaged from Bella Barista, the first box comes with beans for free

Then the next box from Olympia - this is their shipping box.

Within the BB box are some burr seasoning beans from BB, hidden in the foam chips

Nicely sealed from the factory

Another box! - Like Russian dolls

The packaging is impressive. Bespoke cut cardboard layers to house the RDT spray bottle and the cap of the dosing funnel. The grind adjustment knob can be seen in the middle.

Machined aluminum - weighty and impressive

Here is the next layer.. again great packing. The dosing funnel, the small tray for the workspace under the grinding chute and of course the main machine. I went Red and Silver as I think the nicest contrast.

This dosing funnel is insane. Machined aluminium with a specific trap door in the bottom that opens as the unit is rotated as covered in Tom’s video review. Really solid. Gentle smell of machined gears and oil wafts from the box like a fresh set car part.

And here it is.. Very weighty and compact as the other reviews have covered. Feels very solid.. but we will come onto the panels.. An area I think is ripe for a tweak..

The magnetic machined adjustment knob.. Very nice rotation and movement. As others have said.. Really this needs to have numerical markings.

The front badge

And now the unit together. This feel more like attaching a prime lens to a DSLR. The design may have changed as it seems to fit easily (compared with Tom’s review). three lugs.

M5Sime

This grinder has had some minor criticism for the noise it makes (I have not yet turned it on).. But this video shows the how ‘biscuit tin’ the folded metal panels are and as an audio person, would seem very open to deadening with some inside material.. Listen to the case..

@DrForinor you mentioned you are interested to follow this :-)

DrForinor

M5Sime I certainly am very interested if you decide to experiment with some sound deadening, as I feel that would improve it also.

Interested to follow your longer term thoughts on this grinder! 🙂

M5Sime

And here is a quick video of the machined bean hopper.

DrForinor

Enjoying the little details that you’ve posted.

MattH

Will enjoy this - only have a hand grinder so far. Its a big expense with lots of other options - but I do like well engineered equipment !

M5Sime

MattH Glad you are.. This is a leap of faith over my £350 ish (I recall) Eureka grinder. Clearly a large amount of the cost is in the OE platform - the EK7 bought in from Ditting. Then the machined hopper is going to be a chunk of cost. The metal surround.. It could be better, but I guess budget ran out to make a solid margin.

tompoland

Following with interest. Always worthwhile having fresh eyes to discover new insights. Thanks for the effort you are going to in sharing with this community @M5Sime

M5Sime

So.. an update. I have been working with the grinder last night and this morning (yet to pull a shot). I did a mini teardown as part of a burr cleaning exercise and find some interesting aspects:

The grinder is quite shrill in noise (the motor)
The grinder leaps (twists) with the motor torque.. I believe this is exacerbated by the free mounted motor and belt pulley design. The motor hanger allows for twist (slop). It means on every power up, the motor swings a little inside the chassis and self centers when up-to speed. A bit odd really, but I assume essential to the mechanism to allow the grind setting to change (didn’t like this myself). In fact, a soft start would be nice to build RPM (but get that would have to be a small delay in workflow to allow the motor to get stable before dropping beans in).
The burr alignment was good, but to immaculate.. Touching started in a high spot (bit see more on this)
Overall nicely built..

So while this grinder seems a little ‘uncouth’ for the epitome of Swiss perfection, I find it OK.. Onto the grind setting. As covered with others - the grinder on min distance has the burrs lightly touching and yet the grind is far off from a standard espresso. I got a lot of fines also.. The already covered process of going tighter (removing the adjustment knob and re-fitting on the hex shaft a ¼ turn or so to give more of a shift in adjustment.. I find that the burrs are actively meshing (the top flat edge, the teeth).. Still the espresso setting is only just getting there.. It is almost as if the EK7 platform is meant to have some microns of burr edge removed as part of the bedding-in.. This concerns me as we are at touching point and not fine enough for espresso.. There is plenty (huge) amounts of motor torque and belt gear advantage to skim the surfaces on one another.. But this seems different to my existing grinder..

Overall.. so far mixed feelings.. Not awfully Swiss (in stereotype).. Like your Rolex watch needing the clasp operating for a month overly tightly until it beds-in..

Moca SD Owners @tompoland, @DrForinor - how does this compare with your ownership experience??

Best
S

tompoland

M5Sime how does this compare with your ownership experience

Ah the bliss of ignorance…I haven’t looked inside as thoroughly as you have. And I’m not qualified to comment on how the motor pivots and so on. I guess they know what they are doing, based on many years of experience with predecessor of the SD, being the hopper type Moca.

Noisy? Heck yes. Not exactly as quiet as a Swiss watch.

Espresso grinding? Absolutely brilliant. I also removed the grub screw though although I’m still a little nervous when I grind very fine. So far so good though. No issues with being able to grind fi e enough with either grinder though. I didn’t check the alignment but the espresso is so good I assume its pretty good.

tompoland

M5Sime This concerns me as we are at touching point and not fine enough for espresso..

That’s a real concern. Definitely ask for support from the retailer.

DavecUK

M5Sime The grinder leaps (twists) with the motor torque.. I believe this is exacerbated by the free mounted motor and belt pulley design. The motor hanger allows for twist (slop). It means on every power up, the motor swings a little inside the chassis and self centers when up-to speed.

This is quite common if you spin the grinder up “empty”…with beans in, it probably won’t do that. Eureka Atom 75mm does the same if empty, but not once there’s beans in the chamber.

DavecUK

M5Sime The grinder leaps (twists) with the motor torque.. I believe this is exacerbated by the free mounted motor and belt pulley design. The motor hanger allows for twist (slop). It means on every power up, the motor swings a little inside the chassis and self centers when up-to speed.

This is quite common if you spin the grinder up “empty”…with beams in, it probably won’t do that. Eureka Atom 75mm does the same if empty, but not once there’s beans in the chamber.

MattH

It does seem very odd - especially as Olympus seem to have stated they recommend not changing the setting on the machine. but then it sounds like its not set out of the factory to be able to grind espresso properly ?

I guess a email to them might help clear this up one way or the other ?

Sure @tompoland will be along with some thoughts.. he does have 2 of them in operation:)

DrForinor

Motor being shrill ,I agree, it’s not a “nice sound” IMO.

As far as leaping, I’m not able to determine one way or another.

Burr alignment, I didn’t take it apart enough to be able to see.

I hated the grommet in place which means you can’t rotate the grind dial fully so I have completely removed it. I’m no engineer but I wish they could have designed something better to “protect” the burrs.

As my initial shot, I seasoned with at least 3-4kg through it before pulling my second shot and there was a huge difference in grind size after the seasoning. And I would suggest the seasoning still isn’t complete from what I’m seeing in mine.

Mixed feelings: I totally agree!! I love it because of what I get in the cup, but is that because it’s a flat burr? I knew before going into this that flat burrs would suit me much better than conical (and after using 3 conicals, 2 of which were good quality hand grinders) I can wholeheartedly say that flats are for me. I have no experience with any other flat burr grinder so cannot compare, I may have loved any other flat just as much. As far as the “Swiss-ness” goes, I am not impressed I have to admit. It feels bomb proof for sure, but the user experience as a whole isn’t excellent - for this price (and being Swiss) and did anticipate better.

tompoland

DrForinor I love it because of what I get in the cup, but is that because it’s a flat burr?

I think more specifically it’s because of the geometry of the Ditting burrs.

chlorox

DrForinor

Same here with conical vs flatsSince I got the df64 with ssp burrs, I have barely used my compak. Apart from the much more involved purging and brushing and Mr puff routine to get rid of excess grinds, the taste of the conicals are just bland When compared to the flats.

M5Sime

Hi - thanks for the quick replies.. By the looks of things, I need to season some more and then do a definitive test. It does seem odd indeed. I shall report back in due course..

M5Sime

FYI just a comment on the Grub screw as both you Tom and Dr Forinor have said you did this. This isnt essential in so far as if you remove the knob with the screw it sits on a hexagonal shaft. So rather than remove the grub screw for ‘infinite turns’ - it is possible to place the knob back on the shaft with a rotation of just the knob and allow more travel before the grub screw hits the stop point again.. Might be a safer option for the min distance setting..

tompoland

M5Sime I think you are right. May put them back in.

Ernie1

Thanks for posting. I’d been following with interest since hearing about this grinder but I must say I have been put off sadly.

At the price point, this really should be completely refined. I’ve also owned a number of Swiss watches over the years and I think the analogies here are fair. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect the same level of finish and thought here. At a third of the price, sure you’d expect some quirks, but not in a grinder costing well over £1000.

DrForinor

Ernie1 At a third of the price, sure you’d expect some quirks, but not in a grinder costing well over £1000.

My sentiments also.

M5Sime

Ernie1 Agree! I believe the team is very small. a LOT of cost went into the machined bean hopper with rotating base plate that drops the beans and triggers the grinder.. The EK7 platform is bought in and the rest is some metal work and assembly.. In theory the EK-7 should be off the shelf tested in volume.. Seems odd quirks.