Mazzer Mini Electronic B – My Endgame Grinder

This probably may spark a few questions, but Iā€™ll try to explain to those who wonder why I went with the Mazzer Mini. Some may disagree, but this is from my perspective based on my needs, requirements and opinion absolutely an endgame grinder. It wonā€™t be a surprise to those, who understand what this grinder or Mazzer in general represents. My goal was to end up with a small basic commercial grinder rather than a top-end domestic model. 

And this just happened, I chose the Mazzer Mini. I want an on-demand grinder, not a single doser, that is build by a manufacturer with solid reputation for quality and longevity of their grinders, a grinder that will last for the rest of my life. And Mazzer Mini Electronic B is that grinder. 

Right out of the box, the grinder felt rock solid on the first touch – the quality is very impressive. Everything feels so sturdy and heavy duty, also the design is absolutely stunning. Not to mention the beautiful 64mm burrs, long lasting motor, super solid interior/exterior components and overall heavy duty professional build. Iā€™m so impressed, that I truly wonder why I didnā€™t buy the Mazzer right at the beginning, before the Mignon. At least now I know the difference. 

After I dialled in the anaerobic beans from Guji that iā€™m very familiar with, I was yet again mind-blown. Same recipe, same beans, but aroma way more pronounced, the taste much more complex – I really didnā€™t expect such difference. Honestly, I didnā€™t know this coffee can taste even better. I love the flavour profile these burrs produce, Mazzer did an excellent job with these. Iā€™m yet again very happy with the choice I made.Ā 

The Mazzer Mini is to my surprise also pretty quick. Some reviews said that it would grind 18g in about 20+ seconds, but it really takes only about 11-12 seconds for the (pretty dense) high altitude, light-medium roasted beans I’m currently using and the current grind setting. People often speak of retention – itā€™s 2-3g initially if that means anything to you. Once the gaps fill out, the number drops to negligible figures. The burrs are still new and need breaking in, but Iā€™m not seeing almost any clumps at all. Definitely less than with the Mignon at the beginning. The grinds are very fluffy.

Grinding on the Mazzer Mini Electronic B is time based and as accurate as I dial it to be. I get 18g output most of the time once everything is set correctly. Dose accuracy depends on how good I calibrate the time according to the grind size. Occasionally, there’s a 0.1g difference between doses – nothing tragic. The grinder has two programmable doses – single press for single, double press for double. I can of course choose to set the parameters as I wish – single press can serve for a double dose as well. Holding the button will grind continuously. Grinding time can be adjusted by five hundredths of a second (0.05 seconds). If I want to stop grinding, pressing the button will stop the grinding cycle – easy. Some reviews say the grinder needs to be switched off in order to stop grinding, which again isn’t true. I really like the functionality of these features – really useful and easy to adjust.

Some owners upgraded their burrs to Super Jolly or SSP burrs. Youā€™ve probably heard of motor stalling after upgrading to one of those more aggressive burrs, but I havenā€™t heard of it ever happening to anyone I know. So it perhaps really doesnā€™t happen that often. 

These are the everyday cons youā€™ll hear, but I assure you that these arenā€™t as much of a deal as you may or may not think. Getting past them rewarded me with a grinder that is by far superior to most in itā€™s class in both grind and build quality. It feels like a grinder that will serve the way it did on day one for the rest of my life. I really wish I could describe this experience better, but I canā€™t – it needs to be experienced.

If you have any questions about the Mazzer Mini (or any other comments), please let me know. 

Jaroslav

36 Comments

  1. Guszi
    August 30, 2021

    it makes the coffee taste so much better, agree! šŸ˜Š

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      August 31, 2021

      Yes ā¤ļø

      Reply
  2. Julian
    September 1, 2021

    Congratulations!

    Really want to try the difference you described cause I thought my current Mignon Silenzio is good enough. Canā€™t imagine Mazzer has that much improvement. It make me want to upgrade my grinder now as well! lol.

    Though I was told by a retailer that Mazzer is not ideal for home use because it can spill coffee and has relatively more retention than Mignon, also not very consistent on output. Do you see those problems?

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      September 1, 2021

      Hi Julian, thank you!

      I think the Silenzio is good enough, but you can definitely get more out of coffee with a better grinder. Improved grind quality from the bigger and well designed Mazzer burrs combined with slower rotation and less heat on the beans results in a better cup. While some notes were pretty subtle with the Silenzio, those flavours really punch through now – same coffee, same recipe but much bolder taste. It’s mind-blowing just how much better coffee can taste.

      I’ve read this typical retailer cons talk, but I haven’t heard of spilling coffee – that’s new! Haven’t noticed any spilling. I’ve heard some negative things about the Mazzer Mini as well and was worried about the choice I made – I’d probably send the Mazzer Mini back if it wasn’t good. But it’s really, really good. It’s very consistent. The initial retention is 2-3g, about the same range as Silenzio. Exchange (once the gaps fill out) is also pretty much the same. It definitely clumps less than the Silenzio and it’s pretty fast compared to what some reviews say.

      Please, let me know if you have any other questions about the Mazzer Mini. Many people said things about the grinder that simply aren’t true.

      Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Jaroslav
      September 1, 2021

      Julian, I just did some testing to give you some numbers – Emptied the hopper and grind chamber, threw 9,9g in and got 9,8g out. Then pushed out another 1,5g with bellows, meaning thereā€™s about 1,5g exchange between doses. Iā€™ve had worse numbers with the Silenzio. Iā€™m not going to be single dosing, but these are good numbers.

      I hope that helps!

      Reply
    3. Ardy
      September 18, 2021

      I gotta say, it is surprising that there would be such a significant taste difference from the minion. That is one thing that constantly surprises me about this hobbyā€¦. There are so many apparently inconsequential details that wind up making consequential differences

      Thanks for sharing
      Ardy

      Reply
      1. Jaroslav
        September 28, 2021

        Hi Ardy,

        absolutely and well said, espresso is very finicky.

        Jaroslav

        Reply
  3. Julian
    September 2, 2021

    Cheers mate for the quick and detailed response as always.

    Thatā€™s some good numbers. Iā€™m not using Silenzio for single dose either. Kind of regret I didnā€™t get the Specialita cause the manual timer on Silienzio isnā€™t really user friendly. Itā€™s hard to find the exact point to get the precise output.

    Thatā€™s the main reason Iā€™m planning to change it. Mazzer does look like a good choice, especially it normally comes with Mini as a combo. I donā€™t have the mini now but really tempted to get it at some time point.

    Though read a few comments about the Mazzer so Iā€™m not sure if itā€™s a good choice. Before reading your article and responses I was more interested in Mignon XL. But yeah now Iā€™m more confident to get Mazzer instead of XL.

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      September 3, 2021

      Anytime!

      I actually considered getting XL as well, but I felt like going from Silenzio to the XL isn’t enough of an endgame upgrade for me personally. It is faster than Silenzio, quiet, with allegedly lower exchange between doses than Specialita or Silenzio, bigger burrs – these are some really good selling points. Depending on how the prices are where you live, I’d go with the Mazzer Mini instead. Everything about it is so proper and solid, you wouldn’t regret it. If you have any doubts or would like to know anything about the Mazzer, let me know. Just don’t get the combo with Lux D from La Marzocco, get the Mini from Mazzer. Lux D has smaller burrs and doesn’t have a timer.

      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. Mark
    September 27, 2021

    May i ask if you also considered the very popular Niche Zero? If yes why did you decide against it?

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      September 27, 2021

      Hi Marc,

      Iā€™m not a fan of the Niche Zero, but I have considered that grinder while I was still single dosing my Mignon some time ago. The one and only good thing about it for me are the Mazzer burrs. Yes, itā€™s very low on retention, which is really crucial for single dosing (and changing brew methods) and also the selling point/why itā€™s so popular for most home users. I think itā€™s also really ugly. I was decided that I didnā€™t want to buy a single dosing grinder, but it definitely wouldnā€™t be the Niche Zero if I really wanted one. If youā€™re in the EU, the price getā€™s closer to a proper grinder really quickly. I only drink espresso, so for my needs and from my perspective the Mazzer Mini Electronic B is by far a superior grinder.

      I hope that helps and thank you for asking!

      Jaroslav

      Reply
  5. Ashleigh
    May 6, 2022

    Glad to have come across this review, as I’m upgrading from my Rancilio Silvia + Baratza Sette 270 grinder, to a Linea Mini and have my eye on the Mazzer Mini B. I’d love to hear how you’re still finding this grinder months on?

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      May 6, 2022

      Hi,

      I stand behind what I said in the article, Iā€™m really happy with the Mazzer and wouldnā€™t change it for anything else. Iā€™ve had my eyes on the Super Jolly V Pro, but decided against it as itā€™s quite large. Even though the 64mm Mazzer burrs really are of a high quality, Iā€™ve upgraded mine with SSP High Uniformity burrs recently and Iā€™ll be updating this article shortly. This upgrade took the grinder even further above itā€™s pricetag. The grind time dropped from around 12s to 8.50-9s for 18-18.5g of light/light-medium beans, I havenā€™t experienced any stalls, the grinder sounds totally different while grinding with the SSP burrs and the coffee tastes from my perspective better. Just bear in mind this isnā€™t a single dosing focused grinder and never will be, only consider buying it if youā€™re absolutely sure youā€™ll be running it with beans in the hopper.

      I hope this helps!

      Jaroslav

      Reply
  6. Shane
    August 7, 2022

    Hey there! Thanks for your review. After reading, Iā€™ve decided to go with the Mazzer Mini as my first espresso grinder. Mainly because it looks beautiful and I know that itā€™ll produce a good cup of espressoā€”at a very reasonable price.

    Iā€™ve also read that itā€™s hard to clean, as it must be recalibrated once itā€™s taken apart. What are your thoughts on this?

    I make 1-2 cups a day, and I donā€™t foresee myself cleaning it every weekā€¦ but this is my only concern before hitting the buy button.

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      August 18, 2022

      Hi Shane,

      I’m glad that my article helped you choose a Mazzer as your first grinder, it’s a classic. I suppose you’ll be buying the most recent model and I think you’ll like the latest redesign as well. Cleaning it is easy, but make sure to buy some food safe vaseline to lube the threads after cleaning. I’ve cleaned mine only once when I upgraded the burrs, I don’t think I’ll be cleaning the grinder for another year from now. Cleaning it that often would be perhaps required more in a commercial environment, not at home.

      I’ve posted a review about the new 2022 Mazzer Mini A as well, have a quick read if you’d like.

      Thanks for asking!

      Jaroslav

      Reply
  7. Joe D.
    November 27, 2022

    Between the Mazzer Mini model A and B, which of the two models do you prefer and why?

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      November 27, 2022

      Hi Joe,

      Design-wise, I very much prefer the cleaner and more modern look of the Mini B, especially the ā€œfaceliftā€ 2022 version. Usability-wise I prefer Mini A, mainly due to itā€™s ability to manually dose 0,1g just by pulsing the manual grind (middle) button. The minimal manual dose time on the Mini B is one full second, this usually grinds out 2g, where the Mini A letā€™s me grind out the tiniest amount when needed, resulting in less waste.

      From the two, Iā€™d probably get Mini B again. I prefer the minimalist user interface and the grinder is consistent enough for me to sacrifice the shorter manual dose pulse.

      Thanks for asking!

      Jaroslav

      Reply
      1. Shaun
        January 14, 2023

        Hi Jaroslav,

        How would you purge grinds/top up a dose on the Mini B?

        I love the look of the B but Iā€™m not sure if purging would be as easy as pressing a button on the A.

        Thank you
        Shaun

        Reply
        1. Jaroslav
          January 14, 2023

          Hi Shaun,

          Purging on the B works by pressing and holding the button for a second, it purges one whole second (around 2g). Topping up the dose works better on the A, you can pulse even 0,3g with the purge button.

          Jaroslav

          Reply
          1. Shaun
            January 14, 2023

            Thank you for your reply! Can you programme the double shot mode to half a second so it does 1g on a double tap?

          2. Jaroslav
            January 14, 2023

            The least you can set it to is one second, which will grind around 1-2g. I just went to measure exactly how much comes out in 1s with SSP burrs – 2.3g. I have the double-push set to 2.5s for the morning purge of around 4.5g and single-push to give me 18g. This 1s doesnā€™t bother me all that much however, I get 18g out very consistently. If anything, it overshoots by 0.2-0.3g, so itā€™s fine. A small sacrifice for prettier user interface, haha.

            Anytime!

            Jaroslav

  8. Joe
    November 27, 2022

    Thank you, Jaroslav! This is precisely the answer I was seeking. Very helpful. I share a similar preference for modern and minimalistic design.

    A few other quick questions:
    (1) Is the model B currently on Mazzerā€™s site the new ā€œfaceliftā€ 2022 version?
    (2) What scale and cup are you using in your videos when grinding the beans?

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      November 27, 2022

      Yes, this is the newest version.

      Iā€™ve been using the Felicita Arc over 2 years now, and the dosing cup is from Acaia (medium).

      I hope that helps!

      Jaroslav

      Reply
  9. Wolfgang
    February 12, 2023

    Hi Jaroslav,

    I’m surprised you can stop the timed grinding by pushing the button on your Mini B.

    I have two B’s, and they both toggle back and forth between time 1 and time 2 when the button is being pushed during grinding.

    Perhaps there is a hidden setting to determine the button’s funcionality?

    BTW, in terms of the serial #, your grinder lies between mine (2012xxx and 2202xxx, built in 2020 and 2022).

    Other than that, thanks for the nice article. I like the Mazzers for their workhorse abilities, simplicity and looks, too. Have had no other grinders since 2000 (back then, there was only the “Manuale” which served me well for 20 years ā€“ and still looking and working as new, after a single burr replacement).

    Wolfgang

    Reply
  10. Wolfgang
    February 12, 2023

    Sorry for adding another comment right away.

    I have a theory why you can stop your Mini B by pushing the button during grinding, while I can’t:

    As you’re writing in the comments above, you set your “t2” preset to 2.5 seconds only. So, when pushing the button while grinding, it might still switch over to t2, but the 2.5 secs will most likely have elapsed alreadyā€”so the grinder stops immediately.

    Maybe you can test my theory by setting t2 to a higher value. My guess would be that the extra push would just switch between t1 and t2, as it does on my Mini B’s (I have set t1 at ca. 6 s and t2 at ca. 11 s).

    The question seems to be rather academic to me, since I’ve hardly ever missed the option to stop the timer. And if so, the mains switch certainly works … šŸ™‚

    Wolfgang

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      February 12, 2023

      Hi Wolfgang,

      Thank you for reading and thanks for the compliment. I agree with your views on Mazzers, if I ever get another grinder it will be a Mazzer.

      Youā€™ll find two demo videos in the article – have a look at the video titled ā€œGrindingā€. Stopping the cycle requires a short, maybe one second long press and rather than a short quick press (as demostrated). Shorter press will switch between single and double, a longer press and release will stop the cycle.

      Iā€™ve just tested this with my 2020 Mini B (with double set to 6 seconds) and also quickly rang my dad to confirm whether this works on his 2014 model – and it did.

      I hope this helps, and thanks for asking!

      Jaroslav

      Reply
  11. Wolfgang
    February 12, 2023

    Aah, got it, thank you!

    – Short push during timed grinding toggles between t1 and t2
    – Longer push during timed grinding cancels the timer and switches to manual mode (circling segments on LCD). Then letting go stops the grind.

    Thanks again, definitely good to know! šŸ™‚

    Wolfgang

    Reply
  12. Nick
    June 22, 2023

    Hi Jaroslav,
    Love the article and the Mazzers! I have a Mazzer Mini Doser that I’ve modded to be a single dose – now there’s a grinder that has a retention issue! Don’t think that will ever die.
    I’m about to upgrade but struggling to choose a replacement. I’ve noticed the internet/YouTube is awash with single doser love – Niche, df64, etc. Am I missing something – what happens if I leave 150g of beans in my hopper for a few days? Does it go stale immediately? We consume 2-4 coffees a day and find the single dose workflow annoying – love the on-demand process; so smooth and seamless. Plus, these reviewers are rotating between 4-5 different beans, which I don’t. I buy a bag, finish it and get another. Who can afford to spend $100 on single-origin beans each week?? Now I’m NOT dumping a kilo of beans in the hopper, but assume I can top up the hopper with fresh beans every few days without the risk of stale beans? Is this idea that beans must be locked away in vacuum bags until used BS – are they just trying to push cool new, Chinese-made single dose machines, or is hopper dosing bad for beans?

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      June 25, 2023

      Hi Nick,

      Iā€™m not against, but really dislike the idea of single dosing. Iā€™ve tried it, but donā€™t see a benefit in going through all the faff anymore.

      I used to single dose, then I started leaving maybe 100g of coffee in the hopper, Iā€™d fill just enough for a day. Then I started dumping the whole 250g bag, still havenā€™t noticed slightest degradation in flavour and aroma. Now I put literally half a kilo into the hopper, all I need to keep an eye on is the grind setting as I need to tighten it up a tiny bit every other day.

      I do the same – I have a few coffees Iā€™d like to try in my drawer but use them bag after bag. If you arenā€™t drinking 5 different coffees daily, thereā€™s very little benefit to single dosing the same coffee all the time. Iā€™ve settled on an on-demand grinder (SJ V Pro), I compelety stopped caring about what new single dosing grinder just came out/will come out.

      Thanks for asking!

      Jaroslav

      Reply
  13. Yovko
    October 22, 2023

    Would you recommend this grinder for lighter to medium roasted beans? I have an Eureka Oro Mignon Dolce Vita (the more modern Specialita) with 55mm burrs, and I have to grind at the edge of its capabilities sometimes (which I don’t like at all), and yet the coffee is not fine enough, but it starts to form clumps as well.

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      October 28, 2023

      Hi Yovko,

      Iā€™d recommend the grinder, but Iā€™d also recommend looking into other burr options for lighter beans. The stock burrs will produce better results than Eurekaā€™s 55mm burrs, but the Miniā€™s burrs are also medium to dark oriented. I had a Silenzio (50mm) and the coffee always tasted better with Miniā€™s stock burrs.

      Jaroslav

      Reply
      1. Yovko
        October 28, 2023

        Thanks a lot, Jaroslav!

        Reply
  14. Leigh
    October 29, 2023

    Great article Jaroslav. We have just bought the Mini Mazzer electronic B grinder. My question is – I donā€™t understand why the number on the electronic dial keeps going up. Is it recording each grind? Or is it saving a new program each time I adjust the dial? Iā€™m confused as up to 15 now!

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      October 29, 2023

      Hi Leigh,

      Thank you! Sounds like youā€™re holding the button pressed, thatā€™s for grinding manually. Youā€™re supposed to press it once (for single dose, twice for double). I suggest you read the manual šŸ˜Š

      Jaroslav

      Reply
  15. Jamie
    December 9, 2023

    Just about you purchase a LM Mini (after many years of wanting one). I was going to pair with a Mazzer Mini v2 as that was my intent way back. I see many other options out now and wanted to check if you were buying today would this still be you pick? I was looking at the Eureka Mignon Libra as the weight dosing seems cool, but also something that could break.

    Reply
    1. Jaroslav
      December 9, 2023

      Hi Jamie,

      Iā€™d always choose a Mazzer over anything from Eureka, even if itā€™s Libra vs Mini. If I had to make the choice between these two today, Iā€™d still go with the Mini.

      However, I remember that the Super Jolly V Pro just came out around the time I bought my Mini B and I thought it would be overkill for home, even though I really liked/wanted it. Having own both now, Iā€™d always choose the new Super Jolly V Pro over the Mini, even if it meant that Iā€™d be saving/spending more. Itā€™s really worth it. If you can, skip the Mini (and the whole Eureka Mignon range) and go right away for something that wonā€™t make you feel like youā€™re missing out. The Mini has itā€™s drawbacks that were addressed with the Super Jolly V Pro.

      Jaroslav

      Reply

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