The Mazzer Omega is the long-awaited answer to whether Mazzer would ever dip their toes into the world of hand grinders.
The Mazzer Omega hand grinder has been highly anticipated almost exclusively on the industry trust in the brand. Mazzer has long been a giant in the grinder-producing world, and their coffee grinders appear in premium-grade cafes and roasteries worldwide.
So the million-dollar question is, in an already over-saturated market of premium hand grinders, does the Mazzer Omega bring anything new to the table? Is the omega grinder an example of genuine innovation or simply a token offering? Let’s find out.
Mazzer Omega
The Mazzer Omega is a premium-grade hand grinder with impressive 47mm Mazzer burrs. It is highly aesthetic, carefully designed, and shows all the quality we would expect of a Mazzer grinder. It is an excellent grinder but is arguably inferior to comparably priced grinders.
Mazzer Omega Review
Specs
General
Let’s start with the name. As you are probably aware, Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. It often carries the connotation of last or final. As such, it is presumably designed to be a definitive grinder in the specialty coffee world.
The Omega grinder is the very first hand grinder ever produced by Mazzer in the 73 years since the company was established in Italy. For the whole of that 73 years, Mazzer has focused on commercial grinders, many of which are now household names like the Superjolly, Mini, and Kony.
‘At Mazzer, we wanted to design an iconic hand coffee grinder for a long time.’
Christina Scarpe, Marketing Director
As such, it is beyond disputation that Mazzer understands grinders and the importance of grind consistency. However, the design of a hand grinder is significantly different from that of an electric dosing grinder.
Build Quality
As expected, the Mazzer Omega shows superior build quality in construction and the chosen components. The grinder’s body is made of stainless steel and anodized aluminum. The burrs have been designed specifically by Mazzer for this grinder and show all the usual strengths of Mazzer burrs. These are no burrs to be laughed at.
Quite uniquely, there are two different burr sets available with this Mazzer grinder. This is a similar setup to the Kinu, where one set is preferable for espresso and the other for soft brewing. The Fast Grind burrs grind more quickly, while the Soft Grind burrs are more comfortable and smooth to use.
As with an increasing number of premium hand grinders, the Mazzer Omega uses magnets heavily in its design. The carbon fiber handle connects to the knob via neodymium magnets and, when not in use, can be magnetically connected to the side for a compact size.
The use of carbon fiber for the handle does seem a rather inspired choice as it significantly decreases weight without compromising strength. In short, you don’t need to worry about this baby breaking down. Like all Mazzer grinders, it is a beast built with the long view in mind. It is constructed using high-grade materials and has all the elegance and quality we have come to expect of premium hand grinders.
Grind Adjustment and Consistency
As mentioned above, it is a rather daring time for Mazzer to try their hand at hand grinders. The premium hand grinder market is oversaturated. A few years ago, it was just the Comandante, Hario, and maybe a Lido. Now, it is Timemore, 1Zpresso, Kinu, and Helor. In fact, it seems there are Kickstarter campaigns for new premium hand grinders every other month.
And so, to stand out in a saturated market is certainly not a given. Two key components for evaluating premium grinders are grind adjustment scope and consistency. Does the chosen adjustment system fit the need, and where does its grind consistency sit?
The final verdict on grind consistency is still in the air as the grinder is relatively new to the market. So there have been few definitive comparisons with, say, the Kinu M47, the Comandante, or the JX Pro. However, early reports are promising. As expected, with the Mazzer burrs, the grind consistency is excellent. There is no burr wobble.
However, the grind adjustment system has already come under some fire. The adjustment system itself is fine and works well, although you can accidentally bump it when grinding. However, each click of the ‘micro stepped’ adjustment system changes the burr gap by 1/30mm, which equates to about 33 microns.
This is a very large step compared to many other hand grinders on the market. For example, the 1Zpresso JX-Pro has gaps of 12.5 microns, while their J-Max is a mere 8.8 Microns. Admittedly, the Comandante does have gaps of a comparable 30 microns, but their system can be supplemented by the red clix to bring it down to 15 microns.
Basically, 33 microns per click is far bigger than ideal for dialing in espresso. It is acceptable for almost all forms of soft brewing, but for espresso, it is a very large gap. This seems to be an oversight on Mazzer’s part, but as mentioned, this is only a potential issue for espresso users.
Ergonomics
The Mazzer Omega is a pleasure to use. It grinds smoothly, looks and feels premium to the touch, and has been designed with great care.
One particularly thoughtful addition is that you can completely dismantle and reassemble the Mazzer Omega hand grinder without losing grind settings. Because of the True Zero on this grinder, you will never need to worry that by cleaning your burrs and interior, you will have to dial back in. This is a feature that should really be on all premium hand grinders. In line with that, the Mazzer hand grinder is very easy to disassemble for cleaning purposes.
The Mazzer Omega has also been designed with a concern for size. As mentioned above, the handle comes off completely and is stuck to the grinder’s body by powerful magnets. The knob similarly can sit on the top of the grinder to reduce space requirements. So, the Mazzer Omega might not be a bad choice for those who travel. In fact, you can also buy an Omega travel kit which contains a rainproof case, scratch-resistant brush, and dosing device.
Price
The big off-put for many potential buyers will be the cost. Put simply, this isn’t a cheap hand grinder. It comes in at a similar price to the Kinu M47 or the Comandante. But in this market, there are simply a lot of rather excellent options at a good couple of hundred dollars less.
In particular, various Timemore and 1Zpresso models are superb hand grinders with impressive grind consistency but are just a lot cheaper. So certainly, the Mazzer Omega is a good, even a great hand grinder; however, it comes at a hefty price. Especially considering you could get the highly trusted Kinu M47 Classic for a comparable price, potential buyers will have to seriously weigh up different options.
Who is the Mazzer Omega For?
Without a doubt, the Mazzer Omega is an impressive hand grinder. It comes with Mazzer-worthy build quality, excellent burrs, and a well thought out design. The clincher really is the price.
The Mazzer Omega is for Mazzer followers, I would say. If you already know, love, and trust Mazzer, then the Omega won’t disappoint. As mentioned, the Mazzer Omega will struggle to dial in for espresso and is better suited to manual brewing methods. Certainly, it can grind fine enough for espresso, but dialing in may be a challenge.
This is a very good grinder. However, it is competing with a lot of very good grinders. Does it stand head and shoulders above comparable competitors? No, it doesn’t. It has some nice design decisions, and I like it a lot. But I also like a lot about many of the competitors.
So it will come down to personal preference. Will you regret buying this grinder? I seriously doubt it. It is a very good grinder that looks good, works well, and will last a lifetime. If this seems like what you are looking for, you won’t be sad to invest in this beauty.
