MACAP M4 Stepped grinder review (part 2)

Well I have had the MACAP for the better part of six weeks. And there is not a lot I can add to my original assessment. One thing is for sure, it is a much better grinder than the Rancilio Rocky Doserless. The grind is much more even and I would say the resulting coffee is smoother, and this is most evident in the drip coffee I prepare. Also it has changed the tone of my espressos. One thing to note is that despite other issues, and it has them, I send far fewer shots to the sink with the MACAP – not sure how much a role the grinder plays in this, but I think that the better grind might help to smooth out my inconsistencies when I am pulling a shot. In general the grind is much more even and the resulting grounds are fluffier.

So what keeps this from being the perfect grinder for me. It has to do with a mismatch between what the grinder was designed for (presumably light commercial espresso, where you are grinding a decent amount of the same coffee all at the same time) vs what I am using it for. I drink a mixture of drip and espresso and grind on a per shot/cup basis and usually change the bean type for each cup – diversity is the spice of life right. The process of grinding the beans and getting the grind out of the grinder isn’t optimized for the single cup user. This means that I have put in a little extra work to get the grounds out for each cup I make – not a ground breaker, but noticeable after 6 weeks of use. It adds about 30 seconds worth of extra effort for each cup. Of course this isn’t the grinder’s fault; it is mine for the purchase.

My earlier comments hold. The sliding trap door at the bottom of the hopper is a pain. When retracted (allowing access to the grinders), there is a small ledge which beans collect on. And the bottom of the hopper also has a small ledge all the way round that collects beans, so one has to find a way to nudge them all into the grinding chamber. You can’t use your fingers due to a safety guard fastened about midway in the hopper. A small paint brush is perfect for the job. A couple of quick sweeps and all the beans are pushed into the grinding area. Getting the grinds out of the dosing chamber also requires extra work. Again, the paint brush comes in handy to sweep out the path from the grinders
to the dosing chamber, and to generally remove all the grinds that cling to
the central pillar and ledges of the dosing chamber.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the grinder is good, just that it isn’t a perfect match for my coffee routine. At some point I will sell this one and find one better suited to my needs.