Plastic bean hopper gets ugly over the years and breaks easily, needs to be modified for stepless adjustment, large residual grounds, relatively loud.
Detailed Commentary
The Isomac Macinino Professionale Inox replaced my old grinder as a stand-in until I get a knew one. It had been modified for stepless adjustment.
The stainless steel body looks good. It is heavy and makes a solid impression.
It works fine with my Poccino Opus One, which is identical in construction with the Isomac Milleunium exept for a bigger boiler and a bigger water tank. Once dialed in I've been able to pull excellent espresso shots.
It grinds on demand directly in the portafilter. There is a main power switch on the side of the body, and the grinder is activated by a micro-switch when you press the portafilter on it. The bean hopper holds up to 250 g of espresso beans.
The grounds are very consistent, but come out rather clumpy. Because all the parts, besides the plastic bean hopper, are made of steel, there is virtually no static involved. Still it makes a mess. The one thing that annoys me most is that there is a large amount of residual ground coffee left in the rectangular shoot. At the end of the day or when you change the setting you have to remove it by tilting and shaking the grinder. It adds up to almost a single shot basket full of coffee.
The grinder is a few years old and you can see it by all the fissures and discoloration of the bean hopper, which seems to be made of sub-quality plastic.
Buying Experience
Because my old grinder broke down beyond repair, I got the Isomac Macinino on loan from my brother in law until I'll get a new one. He, on the other hand, bought the grinder at a garage sale.
Three Month Followup
In the meantime the grinder has been replaced by a Eureka Mignon Istananeo M/T (aka Nuova Simonelli MCI). It served pretty well for making espresso. The Isomac Macinino Professionale can be recommended as an entry level grinder. However, I wouldn't buy one, because it's too loud and not stepless, at least not ex factory. Also, there's too much waste coffee.
