COFFEE
Overview
We were very excited to receive our shipment of the Zenith Club-E; a grinder that on paper looks like it could rival more expensive grinders on performance and also price.
We were not disappointed - with the team at Machina agreeing that it matches the Mazzer Super Jolly-E in performance, whilst being much better value at £499; around £300 less than the SJ E which is a considerable saving.
One of the best grinders out there for the money? We certainly think so.
Initial Impressions
The Zenith Club-E is new on the market from Eureka. The build quality is good – very solid aluminium body, adjustable height portafilter fork and adjustable-direction grind chute to suit the style of portafilter you’re using. The control panel on the front is made from plastic and is coloured to suit the grinder. The screen is clear to understand, and there is a work light that illuminates the basket to allow you to see the ground coffee more clearly, an inspired design feature.
First Grind
The first time using the Zenith was made very easy by the LED screen. The initial double dose was programmed to 10 seconds (as an estimation) and only needed to be increased to 13.5 seconds to get around 17g in the basket. The work light makes it easy to see the consistency of the coffee produced, which has some small clumps, but no more than a Mazzer Super Jolly. Our first shot poured a little slowly at 34 seconds, however the stepless adjustment mechanism is fairly sensitive, and only required turning around 0.5cm coarser to produce a thick, delicious espresso in around 27 seconds.
In contrast to doser grinders, on demand grinders require the grind to be set first before programming the timed dosing system.
Timer Setting
The timed dosing system is remarkably easy to set up, and is in fact the easiest system we have ever used. There are 4 buttons on the control panel; single and double doses, and +/- buttons to increase and decrease the grind time. The time can be changed in 1/10th second increments at the touch of a button without any other actions required. Pressing both single and double buttons simultaneously illuminates both buttons and activates the continuous grind function, disabling the dose buttons and allowing you to fill the basket manually by holding the grind activation button behind the portafilter fork.
Distribution
The Zenith Club-E offers good distribution thanks to the shaped metal chute and straight grind path. As mentioned there are some small clumps but nothing of any great significance. The chute is adjustable to suit the portafilter you are using, ensuring that the grounds fall perfectly into the centre of the basket.
Portafilter Holder & Activation Switch
The portafilter holder is adjustable, and the grind activation switch above the portafilter holder is a black circular button which feels very positive and responsive to the touch. One touch of the button delivers the selected dose with no need to keep the button pressed down.
Conclusion
Overall, the Zenith Club-E is a winner in our books. It rivals the Mazzer Mini-E (in performance, not size) and we would say a head-to-head competitor to the Mazzer Super Jolly-E in terms of price and performance. For £499 we can't find anything to beat it. Contact us to arrange a demo or for more information: info@machina-espresso.co.uk / 0131 629 0998
