Mazzer Philos review

Sweet, heavy-bodied espresso, with clarity that depends on the burr set7.8/10

The Philos grinds consistent, sweet espresso, and grind quality is widely liked. Bon Appétit got "fuller-bodied, sweeter shots of espresso" from it than from a cheaper grinder it tested alongside.1 Bella Barista calls it "one of the most consistent single dose grinders I have tested".2

Mazzer sells it with a choice of 64 mm burr sets, and the choice shapes the cup. One set leans toward classic espresso with more body and sweetness, the other toward lighter roasts and a more modern style. Either way the grounds come out fluffy and the shots repeat at the same setting.

The caveat is clarity. Kaffeemacher enjoyed many excellent espressos but found complex and lighter roasts lost some definition.3 Filter coffee splits the same way: several sources rate it a fine all-rounder, while Wired's particle analysis found coarser settings more likely to throw "coarse boulders" into the mix.4

6 micron clicks that dial in easily, on a wheel you reach over to turn7.6/10

Dialing in is straightforward, and adjustment is widely liked. Each notch moves the burrs 6 microns, fine enough that most sources never felt the need for a setting in between. The dial can also be converted to stepless with a screwdriver, though few who tried the clicks bothered.

The setting holds when you open the grinder to clean it, and it drifts little when you switch between espresso and filter. The clicks themselves can be stiff. Our Coffee Shelter needed both hands, and going finer takes more effort than going coarser.

The position of the dial is the argument. It sits on the back of the grinder, where Kaffeemacher found it hard to see and hard to reach on a deep counter.5 Low cupboards make it worse, and bright lighting can wash out the markings on the silver model. Eric B Fit sees no problem: "You just look over the grinder and then you just turn the knob."6

27.5 lb of steel, brass and aluminum, with plastic where your hands go7.6/10

The build is the Philos's most consistent strength after the grind. It weighs 27.5 lb, the body is steel, brass and anodized aluminum, and the burrs arrive well aligned from the factory without shims. Our Coffee Shelter expects that at home "it will be for Generations".7

It is also simple to open. A magnetic front plate comes off and the burrs slide out for brushing or swapping once the wing nuts are undone. Those nuts can arrive very tight; Kaffeemacher warns that loosening them the first time carries a risk of hurting your hand.8

The complaints are about details. The chute knocker and the lid are plastic, and they stand out against so much metal. The power cable is fixed in place. Lance Hedrick also notes reports of units "drooping or leaning forward", so check that yours sits level when it arrives.9

Almost nothing left in the burr chamber, and a few chores around each dose6.4/10

Very little coffee stays inside the Philos, and that part is praised by nearly everyone. Men's Journal reports that "retention was just 0.1 g from a 17 g dose".10 Static is low as well, helped by a grounded catch cup, so the counter stays clean.

The workflow around that result is what divides opinion. The hopper has a gate and a cap to open and close for every dose, which Our Coffee Shelter found tiresome in daily use. The plastic knocker clears the chute in a snap or so, but it is loud and not to every taste. The extra tool for pushing out the last grounds means removing the front plate, and most leave it for an occasional clean.

There are smaller catches. The dosing cup has no lip, and Kaffeemacher had persistent channeling when dosing from it. Grinding is slower than on some rivals because of how the beans are fed. Retention also varies between units; Hedrick describes "a wide spectrum of the amount of retention you might get".11

A low, damped hum from a grinder that fills the counter front to back5.1/10

Noise and size are where the Philos suits some kitchens and not others. The pitch is low and the vibration is damped, which makes the sound easier to live with than a shrill grinder. Bon Appétit calls it "shockingly quiet" for something so big and powerful.12

Others hear a machine designed for a coffee shop. Our Coffee Shelter says plainly that "it's not on the quiet side", and Kaffeemacher found its unit noticeably loud while running empty, before any beans went in.13

The footprint is less debatable. The width is ordinary, but the depth takes most of a standard counter, and Wired sums up the presence it has in a kitchen.

“the sound of coffee grinding itself is comparatively diffuse, perhaps because the device dampens vibration” but “But it's also daunting, lightly industrial, and the size of a small dog.”

It fits under typical cabinets, though short ones are a problem, and the rear dial needs room for your hand as well.14

Strong value among high-end flat burrs, and a lot to spend if espresso is not the point7.3/10

At $1,595, value is widely liked, with conditions. The case for it is the build, the alignment and the burrs, at a price well under the large-burr grinders it gets compared with. Hedrick adds a practical point: Mazzer mass-produces it, so you can order one and have it within days.

The case against is that cheaper 64 mm grinders exist, some of them quieter and smaller. The Philos has no variable speed, and Men's Journal was surprised to find the stainless steel hopper cover sold separately.15

Who it is for matters most. Wired concludes that it "only really justifies its price if you're an espresso lover".16 For a household that mostly brews filter, the money buys more grinder than the cup will show.

Our verdict

Buy the Philos if espresso is a daily habit and you want one heavy, serviceable grinder to keep for the long run. Skip it if counter depth is tight, the cabinets hang low, or quiet matters more than build. Choose the burr set to match the roasts you drink, since it shapes the cup more than anything else you can change. Before ordering, measure the depth of your counter and check that you can see and reach a dial on the back.