Etzinger ETZMAX LT

chlorox

One of the best cafes I have had coffee from bucks the trend of using big flat burr grinders as they use the Etzinger ETZMAX, the LM Swift and the LM Pico, all of which are small sized conical burr grinders. However the level fo complexity and nuance in the shot is considerably beyond anything I ever experienced from my compak k10. I understand that all three grinders are very similar to each other and use a similar type of Conical burrs where etzinger even makes the swift for LM and the pico has been noted to look very similar to the ETZMAX.

Has anyone on this forum ever used or owned an etzinger ETZMAX? It would be helpful if you would share your thoughts and experiences on the etzinger if so

MWJB

chlorox Not used an Etzmax, but owned & used a Baratza Sette, it was a fast, tidy, but noisy grinder. I enjoyed the espresso, but not really noticed any increase in ‘nuance’.

The Etzinger burrs are used in a few grinders, but I suspect the ones that spin the ring burr (Sette, Etzinger & LM) grind differently to those that spin the cone burr.

tompoland

chlorox what style of coffee did you drink from the cafe?

MediumRoastSteam

MWJB but I suspect the ones that spin the ring burr (Sette, Etzinger & LM) grind differently to those that spin the cone burr.

Why would that be?

chlorox

It is pricey given the size of its motor and burr set, so I wanted to make sure it was worth checking on, so thanks for the info

MWJB

MediumRoastSteam Just does, compared to the same burrs in more traditional grinders. Don’t know whether it is specific to the Sette (speed, alignment, runout).

MediumRoastSteam

MWJB fair enough. Suppose from a physics point of view doesn’t make much sense which one spins I don’t think. I’m sure there’s more to it.

So, based on that, would you say that if there was a Niche Zero where the outer burr spins, at the same speed, the taste would be different?

MWJB

MediumRoastSteam Honestly, I think that you would have to build it to see, taking into account alignment, runout, burr wobble, maybe speed? The fixed cone burr in a Sette is quite wobbly, not sure tolerances are that great.

There is also the MxCool Aries grinder that spins the ring burr, seems well reviewed.

Note, that as I said before, I enjoyed the espresso from the Sette, it was easy to get a ball-park result from, fast to grind, I’m not saying it was bad in any way for espresso (only for your ears). It wasn’t good/normal for filter though, but I think that is well documented on forums & Baratza’s site.

chlorox

The Aries seems to be based on the etzinger based on the way the burrs rotate and how they are designed to be easily taken out without tools for cleaning. Except that their burrs are much larger than the etzinger.

I had the idea that such small burrs should mean that it isn’t attractive given its price and the fact that it’s a conical but having tasted the results in a cafe the other day, that upended my understanding of what is capable from a conical burr set. I will certainly be trying it out again but this time with espresso to assess it.

chlorox

tompoland

I t was a latte. Not ideal of course and I plan 5o visit them again at the next opportunity to have an espresso with.a light roast beans instead. Have u tried an etzmax before? If not, may I encourage you to add it to your grinder shootout! )

tompoland

chlorox yes tried one for a medium light espresso and it was pretty stunning.

As someone suggested here (somewhere) the ZP6 has Etzinger burrs which produce a remarkably clear filter brew.

I was about to buy one of their small conical espresso grinders a couple of years ago but an ex-distributor friend told me horror stories about burnt out motors and Etzingers refusal to replace them under warranty. All second hand information of course so I wouldn’t be nailing Etz to a cross just yet.

chlorox

tompoland
That doesn’t sound encouraging…i hope that there was another side to those stories, all the more as their grinders arent cheap…another option is also the lamarzocco pico that appears to be operating on the same principles as the etzmax though LM insists they made it in house.

Tseg

Well, I have had a Baratza Setti 270Wi for several years, paired with a PID Rancillio Silvia v6. After multiple years of making multiple espressos and milk drinks daily I’m confident my attraction to this hobby will be sustained. As a result, I am going all in, having just ordered a black La Marzocco Linea Micra and a New Black EtzMAX LM (grind by weight). I may find the EtzMAX to be pretty redundant to the Setti, but I understand it is much more quiet, made with higher quality materials, and The New Black look/design I think will go better with the black Micra. I originally planned for an EtzMAX LT (time based) with single dose adapter because my Rancillio output still has a fair amount of variance with an 18g dose (and 25 second PID controlled flow)… and originally assumed it was beans-in-hopper related, but after more research I think it is related to the Silvia vibratory pump. Many Micra owners swear there is very consistent output by it’s rotary pump. I know the EtzMAX burrs are similar, but different, to the Setti, and I can get additional Etzinger burrs specifically designed for filter coffee that reduces fine creation, if I ever have that need. The EtzMax LM is designed for 700-1000 KG of throughput, so should last me 30-40 years, and is very modular and repairable. The LM is designed to be slightly less durable than the Plus version that costs $500-$600 more and grinds more around 3g per minute than 5g per minute, but I think will still be outstanding for home use. I love the fluffy conical burr delivery into the portafilter and I believe the EtzMAX portafilter holder is even better designed than that of the Setti. I’ll provide an update when I am able to use both.

DavecUK

Tseg Welcome to the forum

Tseg

I’ve now had the EtzMAX LM for several weeks. On one hand, it is similar to the Setti 270Wi. It’s accuracy for weighing is similar and I’m not talented enough to define a different flavor profile from the different burr profile. On the other hand, everything about it oozes quality. I used a decibel app and determined it is ~11 decibels lower than the Setti… so sound of dishwasher vs. sound of lawnmower, which sounds about right to me. I also think it is better looking and pairs very well with my espresso maker. Add in Mode 5 with the Acaia Lunar scale, which auto-tares, beeps, then starts counting, and my work flow has become extremely efficient and my drinks are excellent and repeatable. It all was very pricey, but if I’m still using it decades from now, like I anticipate, the hundreds of dollars more than the alternatives will be a distant memory. I’ve had multiple hobbies over the decades and I am now pretty good at knowing what my end game acquisitions are to enable me to move on to the next hobby. I don’t see me all of a sudden craving some single dose large flat burr uber-pricey grinder as a move “up”. I’m extremely happy with the taste I’m getting out of this setup here. Is a high end GbW grinder for everyone? Definitely not. But if the same coffee routine daily is your thing, versus a lot of “experimenting”, and you tend to enjoy “heirloom quality” items, you may like this grinder a lot.

MediumRoastSteam

Tseg - nice coffee corner! I also like your Behmor roaster there, in white. 😉🍿

Jony

MediumRoastSteam yup that is in the way 😂 wife where you want me to put microwave 😎

Tseg

OK, better view of the setup, minus the Behmor. Now that I have been using all this for a few days, what I know is a lot of my Silvia shot variability was caused because I was using pre-brew/pre-infusion. Now I make a 17g dose in the LM VST basket with Medium roast beans and no pre-brew and my Micra will produce 33-34g output between 25 and 27 seconds every time. Since the grinder and espresso maker were changed about the same time I’m not sure what impacted what, but with the Silvia/Setti I could never get out an espresso shot without sugar that didn’t have me pucker one way or another. Now I don’t add any sweetener to my espressos… I still do flavor my milk drinks. While the EtzMAX is crazy expensive, it stays very clean with the PF tube in use, it weighs output very well, almost always within .1g, it is very quick, grinding in about 5 seconds, I think it visually goes well with the black Micra, and at my 3-4 drinks a day, should last me well over 30 more years based on the 1000kg+ durability rating. It feels very high end. At the same time I also changed from using tap water through a Brita filter pitcher to now using my water distiller and potassium bicarbonate to make rpavlis water. Now I am curious about getting the Etzinger Filter package…. burr alone is around $70USD, with scale platform and Etzinger cup, the filter package is about 3X that. I just have not found an Etzinger Filter burr review, that supposedly produces a lot less fines. I really would like to know how that burr would be for pour-over coffee?

JHCCoffee

My first decent burr grinder was a Bartaza Sette. It actually ground good coffee and was very easily adjusted. I liked the taste from those burrs.

But it broke down easily: 1 replaced under warranty, two failed after warranty. Yes, over a number of years but generally very short lived units. When the last one failed I bought a Eureka, hated it, sold it and bought a Niche Z. Night and day. Still love my NZ and it just keeps chugging along (with regular TLC).