Cool review as always ! Thanks I have the J-max paired with a Flair pro 2 for a few month now. Very new to the espresso world so I don't have much experience to compare with. But all I can say is that I love this grinder/brewer combo. Am obviously still learning, but this grinder as been a breath in my learning of dialing- in espressos. It never got in my way, to the contrary I feel it facilitated a lot my learning. And surprisingly I found myself tweaking for just 1 or 2 clicks up or down to improve a shot which I thought I would never really need nor feel the difference before I got much much more experience,. Both these device allowed me to already obtain some really unbelievble shots (I'm discovering only now what can coffee really be !) I concur that it can require a bit of force on lighter roasts (but, for me at least, it's compensated enough by the very fast grind action) I have big palms so I have no problem holding it during grinding, but my girlfriend who has small hands can only manage to hold and operate it for mocha-pot grinds (2°5°0 ~2°6°0) but not for espresso grinds (1°5°5 ~1°6°5) And I can only agree on the building and accessories quality, just stellar. Well worth it's price IMO
Thank you for watching and so eloquently sharing your experience. I had Flair Pro 2 some time ago and had some of the best shots on it. Great machine and so inexpensive. I admire your resilience in hand grinding for multiple shots every day. It would kill my arms in no time. Are you planning to upgrade to electric grinder at some point?
I originally bought the JMAX for espresso and use about the same grind setting at 1.2-1.5. I agree it is the best for espresso when it comes to hand grinders. For the pour over I grind around 2.3-2.5 which gives me a medium fine grind so I am wondering if you are going too course with over 3 revolutions. The grind setting is around a fine salt and I never get mud looking pour overs. I brew with Kalita filters and the OREA V3 so my pour overs times are around 1:30. I think it can give a unique favor profile for pour over due to the wider particle distribution. This can be debated if we want a wider distribution for pour overs and if the ZP6 is better. I will say it is not as clear of a cup with the fines but it does give it some body. Thank you for the reviews and always appreciate your love for coffee.
Thank you very much for watching. The pour over time was about 3 min if I remember correctly. You are right that I would have to grind finer for Orea. As I said in the video, I had better pour overs with other grinders but that is just my own experience. Btw I recorded a video today comparing Orea with Simplify- should be ready to upload next week.
@mycoffeeshow111 depends on the day 2 caffeinated and usually 3 to 6 decaf. I will be honest, the grinder really makes short work of the beans. I did try making a powder Turkish coffee and it was way too powdery and took 10 mins. 20g takes about 50 seconds max at perfect grind size.
@@matthewa2962 basically you set the grinder to its coarsest setting and grind out your full dose. Then you pour those coarse grounds back into the grinding chamber and set it to your espresso setting. Grind away. Makes grinding at the espresso setting easier…also increases the uniformity.
i have the j-max in addition to my df64 with SSP MP and my Timemore Chestnut c2, paired with a Bianca and a Cafelat Robot - i love the combination j-max and robot the most, also it's an awesome travel combination. i love the speed of the j-max and i personally don't think it's too strong to grind, but i have bigger hands maybe that's why. a little rdt works fine to reduce grinds sticking on the burrs
Def. espresso-centric! 1yr use tips - keep the dry silica paks that come in the cup. They eliminate need for DWT completely. If you clump still, check freshness of beans you buy. This grinder sweetspot never moves. It stays 2-3 clicks depending on barometer/moisture. The J-Max I use leans coarse and chocolate-y pulled restretto. Finer or pulling long simply thins and adds acids
Thank you very much for the tip! I already sold my J Max. Right now I use K Ultra mostly and C40 sometimes. I just ordered something new that should arrive at the end of October.
Before I bought, I went back and forth between the K-Max and J-Max, finally opting for the K-Max because the slender middle looked better for gripping, and even though 90% of the time I use it for espresso, I liked that it was also good for pour-over. My biggest worry was whether or not the K-Max would offer enough grind settings to properly dial in espresso. It turned out, however, that when paired with a Robot I have no trouble dialing in delicious sweet espresso. I’m sure I would have liked the J-Max too, but I’m very happy with the K-Max. Great little travel grinder.
Thank you for sharing. I think you made a right decision. I do prefer to use K Max over J Max and hardly ever had any issues with dialling in. The only thing I like more on J Max is the taste and texture of espresso.
1zpresso is selling their q2 grinder with the seven sides. That’s almost a complete match for the commadante. And it’s only $89. It makes amazing pour overs. I use that for pour overs and the j max for my espresso. I couldn’t be happier with them.
I have one and what I can say. I mostly use it for a back up, travel or whenever want to make aeropress. On daily basis for espresso I use Eurika Specialita. But every time I want to do Aeropress I use my hand grinder just because I don’t like to play at the grind setting on my specialita. It’s a nice grinder and it does the job well, but like you mentioned if you have to pull 3-4 shots in the row then my hand are going to look like Popeye’s.
Eyyyy I see you got Ron’s beans! I was hanging with him the other day and got some to try, letting them sit for a few days but he pulled me some shots on his EK and it was glorious
I've had similar results. I bought the J-max because I needed an espresso grinder and it is great for that. I love the shots I get with it, and it is easy to dial in, but find I prefer my Timemore slim for pour over. The J-max has slightly better clarity, but there is just something lacking when I use if for pour over. The Timemore produces more full and balanced results in the cup that I enjoy more. It seems kind of backwards, since the higher clarity should be better for pour over and worse for espresso, but there is just something that makes the J-max taste balanced for espresso, and kind blah for pour over. It makes me realize that the whole topic clarity and amount of fines is not everything when it comes to flavor profiles of grinders. There is clearly a lot more going on than that. Unfortunately, those are the only two grinders I have for comparison except for a Baratza Encore, which doesn't get any use anymore (both hand grinders produce better results than the Encore).
Thank you for sharing your experience. We also have to consider what kind of coffee we use as that would determine the amount of fines and influence clarity as well. For pour overs I mostly use C40 or K Ultra but for daily coffee I go for DF83 as it takes few seconds to grind.
Jack, do you have a hydrometer in your coffee laboratory? I mean maybe you've noticed the differences in taste and preferable recipies in different conditions
Hmmm. Not 100% sure as I haven’t tried to grind for turkish. J will be faster but harder to grind. K slightly easier but it will take longer. Get an electric grinder instead 😛
Thank you for your answer. Following your suggestion I tried a compromise with tha Kingrider K4 which has the possibility of using an electric screwdriver to grind and a theoretical possibility to adjust for Turkish at around 0.10-0.30. Unfortunately enough that grinder is not able to catch the grains below 0.30 and I had to return it. What electric grinder would you suggest then, being wallet-friendly? Congrats again for your great reviews
@@christianpristipino2197 Thank you for sharing your experience. For most cases DF64 works really well. As I said b4, never tried to do turkish so can’t say for sure but it should work well.
Yeah for Turkish you may be better off getting an electric grinder as you have to grinder finer than espresso. Really depends on how offer your brewing for Turkish.
First class presentation Jack,as I only wanted a grinder for Espresso this is definitely it or me personally.I was also deliberating between this and the K Max but the J max wins on it being purely for Espresso,so I'm going with the J Max.Thank you for helping me choosing my grinder,I like countless others I'm sure,really appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos.Bravo Sir !
@@mycoffeeshow111 As I use this purely for Espresso(I only ever have Espresso) it is fantastic.....I thank you so much for making my mind up,I couple this with a modded Gaggia Classic Pro and I am now finally getting superb Espresso 👍
Nice review as always! I am using a j max as my daily driver for espresso everyday, for 3 months now and I am really happy about it. There is retention, but one knock on a table or even on my hand and there's no more. My only complaint is for some really dark roasted coffee for espresso, sometimes I can't keep the momentum and stop. But as I was applying so much strength to grind this light roasted coffee, all the force goes to the wooden nob on the handle and he pops out. And it's annoying, you have to pût it back on before continuing grinding, etc. Not a big deal at all for me, I'm more of a medium roast enjoyer. But something I come across on my unit and to keep in mind
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Cool review as always ! Thanks
I have the J-max paired with a Flair pro 2 for a few month now. Very new to the espresso world so I don't have much experience to compare with.
But all I can say is that I love this grinder/brewer combo. Am obviously still learning, but this grinder as been a breath in my learning of dialing- in espressos. It never got in my way, to the contrary I feel it facilitated a lot my learning. And surprisingly I found myself tweaking for just 1 or 2 clicks up or down to improve a shot which I thought I would never really need nor feel the difference before I got much much more experience,.
Both these device allowed me to already obtain some really unbelievble shots (I'm discovering only now what can coffee really be !)
I concur that it can require a bit of force on lighter roasts (but, for me at least, it's compensated enough by the very fast grind action) I have big palms so I have no problem holding it during grinding, but my girlfriend who has small hands can only manage to hold and operate it for mocha-pot grinds (2°5°0 ~2°6°0) but not for espresso grinds (1°5°5 ~1°6°5)
And I can only agree on the building and accessories quality, just stellar. Well worth it's price IMO
Thank you for watching and so eloquently sharing your experience. I had Flair Pro 2 some time ago and had some of the best shots on it. Great machine and so inexpensive.
I admire your resilience in hand grinding for multiple shots every day. It would kill my arms in no time.
Are you planning to upgrade to electric grinder at some point?
I originally bought the JMAX for espresso and use about the same grind setting at 1.2-1.5. I agree it is the best for espresso when it comes to hand grinders. For the pour over I grind around 2.3-2.5 which gives me a medium fine grind so I am wondering if you are going too course with over 3 revolutions. The grind setting is around a fine salt and I never get mud looking pour overs. I brew with Kalita filters and the OREA V3 so my pour overs times are around 1:30. I think it can give a unique favor profile for pour over due to the wider particle distribution. This can be debated if we want a wider distribution for pour overs and if the ZP6 is better. I will say it is not as clear of a cup with the fines but it does give it some body. Thank you for the reviews and always appreciate your love for coffee.
Thank you very much for watching. The pour over time was about 3 min if I remember correctly. You are right that I would have to grind finer for Orea. As I said in the video, I had better pour overs with other grinders but that is just my own experience.
Btw I recorded a video today comparing Orea with Simplify- should be ready to upload next week.
I have a J Max and Flair 58 combo and its phenomenal. Love it to bits.
That is one of the best value for money setup for sure. How many shots per day do you make? It can be a proper workout.
@mycoffeeshow111 depends on the day 2 caffeinated and usually 3 to 6 decaf. I will be honest, the grinder really makes short work of the beans. I did try making a powder Turkish coffee and it was way too powdery and took 10 mins.
20g takes about 50 seconds max at perfect grind size.
I’ve got the KMax and love it. When grinding for espresso I always coarse grind then 2nd grind at espresso setting. Makes for an easier time grinding.
I like K Max as well and it is easier to operate. Interesting idea with double grinding- kinda hand held Kafatek MC5.
Can you elaborate? I'm new at this
@@matthewa2962 basically you set the grinder to its coarsest setting and grind out your full dose. Then you pour those coarse grounds back into the grinding chamber and set it to your espresso setting. Grind away. Makes grinding at the espresso setting easier…also increases the uniformity.
i have the j-max in addition to my df64 with SSP MP and my Timemore Chestnut c2, paired with a Bianca and a Cafelat Robot - i love the combination j-max and robot the most, also it's an awesome travel combination. i love the speed of the j-max and i personally don't think it's too strong to grind, but i have bigger hands maybe that's why. a little rdt works fine to reduce grinds sticking on the burrs
Thank you for sharing. You must be very strong if you can grind on J Max without any effort. Or maybe I am so weak 😛
Def. espresso-centric! 1yr use tips - keep the dry silica paks that come in the cup. They eliminate need for DWT completely. If you clump still, check freshness of beans you buy. This grinder sweetspot never moves. It stays 2-3 clicks depending on barometer/moisture. The J-Max I use leans coarse and chocolate-y pulled restretto. Finer or pulling long simply thins and adds acids
Thank you very much for the tip! I already sold my J Max. Right now I use K Ultra mostly and C40 sometimes. I just ordered something new that should arrive at the end of October.
Before I bought, I went back and forth between the K-Max and J-Max, finally opting for the K-Max because the slender middle looked better for gripping, and even though 90% of the time I use it for espresso, I liked that it was also good for pour-over.
My biggest worry was whether or not the K-Max would offer enough grind settings to properly dial in espresso. It turned out, however, that when paired with a Robot I have no trouble dialing in delicious sweet espresso. I’m sure I would have liked the J-Max too, but I’m very happy with the K-Max. Great little travel grinder.
Thank you for sharing. I think you made a right decision. I do prefer to use K Max over J Max and hardly ever had any issues with dialling in. The only thing I like more on J Max is the taste and texture of espresso.
1zpresso is selling their q2 grinder with the seven sides. That’s almost a complete match for the commadante. And it’s only $89. It makes amazing pour overs. I use that for pour overs and the j max for my espresso. I couldn’t be happier with them.
Maybe I should try Q2 next then. Thanks for watching!
I have one and what I can say. I mostly use it for a back up, travel or whenever want to make aeropress. On daily basis for espresso I use Eurika Specialita. But every time I want to do Aeropress I use my hand grinder just because I don’t like to play at the grind setting on my specialita. It’s a nice grinder and it does the job well, but like you mentioned if you have to pull 3-4 shots in the row then my hand are going to look like Popeye’s.
Thx for sharing your experience. What is your go to setting for Areopress?
Eyyyy I see you got Ron’s beans! I was hanging with him the other day and got some to try, letting them sit for a few days but he pulled me some shots on his EK and it was glorious
Yeah, he sent me some awesome beans. We will be dialling them in in the next videos. His ultra light roast Kenya next
If you put the Rubber band where your index finger sit, its a little easier to hold without slipping while grinding from my experience.
Thank you for the tip!
I've had similar results. I bought the J-max because I needed an espresso grinder and it is great for that. I love the shots I get with it, and it is easy to dial in, but find I prefer my Timemore slim for pour over. The J-max has slightly better clarity, but there is just something lacking when I use if for pour over. The Timemore produces more full and balanced results in the cup that I enjoy more. It seems kind of backwards, since the higher clarity should be better for pour over and worse for espresso, but there is just something that makes the J-max taste balanced for espresso, and kind blah for pour over. It makes me realize that the whole topic clarity and amount of fines is not everything when it comes to flavor profiles of grinders. There is clearly a lot more going on than that. Unfortunately, those are the only two grinders I have for comparison except for a Baratza Encore, which doesn't get any use anymore (both hand grinders produce better results than the Encore).
Thank you for sharing your experience. We also have to consider what kind of coffee we use as that would determine the amount of fines and influence clarity as well. For pour overs I mostly use C40 or K Ultra but for daily coffee I go for DF83 as it takes few seconds to grind.
Should do an update comparison with the j ultra.
Who can afford to buy every single model? I already sold my J Max anyway.
🤩Thanks Jack! It makes me very happy to hear that you like the beans, I put my soul into them. Love the look of the grinder too, very slick.
Thank you again for sending them. In next video we will dive into dialling in your ultra light Kenya. I had lots of fun with it.
Jack, do you have a hydrometer in your coffee laboratory? I mean maybe you've noticed the differences in taste and preferable recipies in different conditions
I’m not really sure how and what would I use it for. How would that improve my coffee experience? I only have refractometer at the moment.
Hey Jack! Love your content. Did you get a new camera? :)
Hi, thank you. I got a new camera last December but still struggle with the settings 😛
@@mycoffeeshow111 Turning off autofocus may help, let's dial in the focus manually just like you do espresso!
@@paweluramowski thx. I fixed it almost completely by now.
What would you suggest between KMax and Jmax for Turish coffee? Also keeping in mind grinding time... 😅
Hmmm. Not 100% sure as I haven’t tried to grind for turkish. J will be faster but harder to grind. K slightly easier but it will take longer. Get an electric grinder instead 😛
Thank you for your answer.
Following your suggestion I tried a compromise with tha Kingrider K4 which has the possibility of using an electric screwdriver to grind and a theoretical possibility to adjust for Turkish at around 0.10-0.30. Unfortunately enough that grinder is not able to catch the grains below 0.30 and I had to return it.
What electric grinder would you suggest then, being wallet-friendly?
Congrats again for your great reviews
@@christianpristipino2197 Thank you for sharing your experience. For most cases DF64 works really well. As I said b4, never tried to do turkish so can’t say for sure but it should work well.
Yeah for Turkish you may be better off getting an electric grinder as you have to grinder finer than espresso. Really depends on how offer your brewing for Turkish.
First class presentation Jack,as I only wanted a grinder for Espresso this is definitely it or me personally.I was also deliberating between this and the K Max but the J max wins on it being purely for Espresso,so I'm going with the J Max.Thank you for helping me choosing my grinder,I like countless others I'm sure,really appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos.Bravo Sir !
Thank you very much for watching. Please let me know how you like it when you get it.
@@mycoffeeshow111 As I use this purely for Espresso(I only ever have Espresso) it is fantastic.....I thank you so much for making my mind up,I couple this with a modded Gaggia Classic Pro and I am now finally getting superb Espresso 👍
@@lostboy8814 I’m always happy to help. Enjoy your coffee!
Nice review as always!
I am using a j max as my daily driver for espresso everyday, for 3 months now and I am really happy about it.
There is retention, but one knock on a table or even on my hand and there's no more.
My only complaint is for some really dark roasted coffee for espresso, sometimes I can't keep the momentum and stop.
But as I was applying so much strength to grind this light roasted coffee, all the force goes to the wooden nob on the handle and he pops out.
And it's annoying, you have to pût it back on before continuing grinding, etc.
Not a big deal at all for me, I'm more of a medium roast enjoyer.
But something I come across on my unit and to keep in mind
Thank you for watching. It only happened to me once, with K Max, when the knob came off. I guess you must be much stronger than myself.