Mazzer Mini Grinder

Next up is the Mazzer Mini Coffee Grinder. This version we will take a look at the timer version. It also comes in an Automatic version and an Electronic version. 

The timer version has a timer knob on the side which if you turn fully on will grind coffee for up to 1 minute. To end the grinding process early just turn the knob back towards you.

As with all Mazzer grinders it well boxed and packaged. Hopper and grinder in their own separate housing and well protected.

If you've worked on or seen a Mazzer Super Jolly first thing you will notice is how much smaller it is. But you straight away notice the Mazzer body which is pretty standard shape for Mazzer.

Out of the box it will take a little work to get it dialled in. With the Super Jolly you can pretty much set it to the mid-point  and it will produce something close to 50mL is 25 seconds. With Mini it took a little while longer and while with the Super Jolly you only need to move the adjustment collar a few minutes on the collar the Mini took a turn of about 5-8 minutes.

Once set up and locked in its is a great little grinder. It would work perfectly as a quality home grinder or for a small restaurant or a low volume location that wants to add coffee to their menu.

Its a very strong, solid grinder that will withstand years of abuse. Parts are easy to come by making it a great investment.

See the Mazzer Mini grinder at Coffee Hit.

Grindenstein Coffee Knock Box

The Grindenstein is knock box for home espresso enthusiasts. 

It is designed and produced by Australian company Dreamfarm.

First thing you notice out of the box is the colour. Strong, durable looking colours.

The next thing you notice is how compact it is. Or should I say small..!

But it is very sturdily built. It feels like you could drop it from a tall building and it would still survive. 

When using the bar to knock out your puck the sound is deadened by the use of heavy rubber and thick plastic walls. it will hold about 4-5 pucks before you will need to empty it. Which may not sound like a lot but for home use it will probably last a day and then just empty the contents into your compost.

The Grindenstein is dishwasher proof and it comes out looking like new every time. The other thing with it being compact is that it can sit on your drip tray, out of the way.

The Grindenstein is the perfect knock-box for home users. A good investment that will last a long time.

See our range over on Coffee Hit.

Coffee Taste from Different Regions of the World

In this blog I will highlight the different coffee producing regions and try to describe what the coffees taste like from these regions. 

This will of course be a very general overview and taste will differ from farm to farm and crop to crop. But it will arm you with a general overview of what tastes to expect when you purchase coffee from a region, you can then explore the region country by country, farm by farm and discover all the taste's available in coffee.

First of all lets discover what makes a coffee growing region. Coffee trees like a moderate amount of sunshine and steady reliable rain. They like the temperature to stay around 20c - 30c. They also like the soil to be rich and porous. 

Most coffee growing occurs around the equator and between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. These area's provide the rainfall and rich soil needed. But often these areas are too hot so most coffee growing is done at altitude, mostly above 1000ft. This moderates the temperature and gives good rainfall.

Africa

The two biggest producers of coffee in Africa are Ethiopia and Kenya. Most coffee producing nations occur on the East coast of Africa.

Coffee from Africa tends to have a wine like flavour, also some citrus and floral fragrances. They have good levels of acidity which leave a lingering taste in your mouth.

Central and Southern America

Coffee from this region are mild, smooth and easy to drink. Most people will be familiar with coffee from these parts. They have low to medium acidity levels so they lack the floral and wine punch of the Africans but they are smooth in your mouth.

Indonesia & Surrounding Islands

Coffees from this part of the world are very heavy bodied and very low acid levels. The major taste characteristics are of earthy flavours, like mushrooms and strong dark fruit flavours.

India

The famous coffees from India are the Monsoon coffee's. These are full bodied with low acidity. They give a big mouth feel. They have woody flavours with some having spicy notes.

As with most things the best way for you to discover the different tastes of coffee from different regions is to buy some and get brewing!!

For our range of specialty coffee visit Saints Coffee page on CoffeeHit.co.uk