Viewed from the side, the Mazzer Philos coffee grinder looks a little bit like a laser blaster made for the hands of a giant. Its 400-watt motor purrs like a clothes dryer when I flip the switch. It is elegant in its way, maybe even handsome. But it's also daunting, lightly industrial, and the size of a small dog. It announces seriousness. Its $1,500 price tag announces similar seriousness.
From its inception in 2016, ZURIGA was driven by the idea of creating a home espresso machine, designed to be compact, fast, durable, and above all, easy to use. The resulting ZURIGA E2-S strips away any unnecessary complexity, featuring just two buttons: one to power the machine, and the other to start the espresso shot. This focus on the essentials also ensures speed, making it ready for the first espresso in just 90 seconds. Countering the market of oversized, elaborate devices, the compact design is small enough to fit on an A4 sheet, proving that high-quality design can perfectly fit any kitchen countertop.
The DC motor-driven conical-burr grinder offers eight RPM speed settings and 70 steps of adjustment within the espresso range, accessible through a dedicated touchscreen. Its three modes of operation include manual, grind-by-weight and grind-by-time. The brewing system includes an insulated dedicated brew boiler and a scale in the receptacle platform for brew-by-weight features. Dual 15-bar Ulka pumps and multiple needle valves enable rapid-response pressure profiling within a 3-to-15-bar adjustment range, with up to four flow modes assignable per phase of stable pressure.
Pair this machine with the right beans and you'll have everything you need to create the perfect cup of espresso each and every morning-and speaking of beans, you can buy pre-ground coffee beans, of course, but to get the freshest, tastiest coffee, you're best off grinding at home. Pair the Breville Bambino Plus with a Baratza machine like the beloved Sette 30: a well-made, durable burr grinder.