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]

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.. https://youtube.com/shorts/hLAxPDsrOTw?feature=share @"DrForinor"#772 you mentioned you are interested to follow this :-)

@"M5Sime"#p39212 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! 🙂

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

Enjoying the little details that you've posted.

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 !

@"MattH"#p39223 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.

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"#855

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: 1. The grinder is quite shrill in noise (the motor) 2. 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). 3. The burr alignment was good, but to immaculate.. Touching started in a high spot (bit see more on this) 4. 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 1/4 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"#121, @"DrForinor"#772 - how does this compare with your ownership experience?? Best S

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"#121 will be along with some thoughts.. he does have 2 of them in operation:)

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.

Olympia Moca SD - UK Review

tompoland

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

M5Sime

Update: I contacted BB and Olympia direct. I got a quick email back from Olympia. Rather than post the response (as I do not have permission). I will paraphrase/summarise:

Acknowledges that others are removing the grub screw (but rather they didn’t) - Reason - grind setting is setup for dark roasts and hence others will need to make an adjustment from factory.
Fine to adjust and there is some noise - should not happen with beans in the chamber. Grinder designed to deal with some noise (which I interpret as designed to manage burr touching/bedding)
Follow the instruction manual on adjustment of the min setting (remove and rotate the knob carrier rather than the grub screw).

So, in theory I am to pursue seasoning and see if that sorts things out and I have an effective blessing to ignore some noise. I checked the manual and the workflow is to actually open the grind chamber (rotate the hopper) - full open and only use the power switch. I had been leaving the power switch on and rotating the hopper to trigger the motor and trap door.. Will adjust my way of working.

Onwards!

MattH

Good that you got such a quick reply from Olympia !

M5Sime

I got an update from Olympia that confirms the unit is designed to bed-in (burrs facing) just use caution with doing this. Also when I commented that the adjustment knob markings were not generally seen as great from the owners, it was fully acknowledged and he said a prototype was already in-progress as a replacement with 30 markings vs the 11 or so, but not numerical based (limitation of process/ lack of robustness of printing).

I put another kg of cheap beans through the grinder and getting finer as I go.. Improving.

I noted at the end of the bean run when new, I got a lot of ‘fines’ at the end.. (QC failed beans for seasoning). This seems to be improving as things bed in (or the grind is getting tighter. I do not recall ever seeing fines in my 2+ years of using my current grinder.

I will open-up the machine later and review the burr faces (the flat outermost edge is where the touching is - not of course the cutting faces)..

DrForinor

M5Sime Take a picture of the burrs please?

M5Sime

OK.. so inspection time on the burrs with some seasoning

Case off and this is the top plate

EK-7 Platform chamber

Bottom Burr exposed and chamber

Burr edges.. (more to come on this)

I cleaned up the grind chamber and burrs and then ran it a little more with gentle applications of the surfaces together

The wear marks are very minimal and depending on how the light falls on them, makes them look greater than reality. But, the point is we have edges touching as part of this process (still seems a bit odd).

Now I remember that I have a USB microscope and decide to get it.. (and cue mocking by my wife)

So minimal actual wear.

DavecUK

M5Sime What about the upper burr?

M5Sime

DavecUK Hi Dave - similar I would say.. perhaps slightly less. I could not get a good view with my USB microscope as the burr is inside a cupped chamber, and didnt want to de-mount it.

M5Sime

Gives you an idea

M5Sime

The small trap door on the exit chute retains a small ‘wall’ of grinds as can be seen in the face of the chamber

Cuprajake

That looks like quite a bit of coffee in there,

The belt drive is different, not many grinders use those.

MediumRoastSteam

Cuprajake

https://www.ditting.com/en/product/ek-7

M5Sime

Cuprajake “That looks like quite a bit of coffee in there,” - It was extra dirty with 2KG of beans ran through quickly and in a messy way changing grind settings. There is (like other grinders in my experience) some grinds that bond into the crevices and fill up voids (like edges and screw heads). The retention really is a small wall of coffee grinds that gets stuck behind the flap in the chute.

The belt drive is different, not many grinders use those."

Agree. Hence why so compact. It does however seem to make the grinder shrill sounding as the Motor RPM is in theory around 12-14k RPM (Johnson motor).. The gearing multiples torque and reduces burr speed.

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.

DrForinor

chlorox Definitely my experience also.

tompoland

Depends on the conical. Mazzer Robur 83m conical yields a decent amount of flavor separation.

Amberale

tompoland

Do you have a spare set to whack in my HG1?
Mine are stuffed. :(

tompoland

Amberale got the original Italmill burrs but the Mazzers are a world apart. Bombora has the Mazzer for around $227+gst + shipping. Not too bad for reinvirgoring your HG1 which has one of the smoothest grinding action of any benchtop hand grinder that I’ve tied. Silky smooooth espresso AA.

Cuprajake

may have missed it but what are the burrs in this? 64mm

DrForinor

Cuprajake Yes.

Cuprajake

sorry ment brand? are they ditting to?

DrForinor

Cuprajake As far as I understand, 64mm Ditting burrs

« Previous Page Next Page »