Mazzer Philos Review (2026): Sweet, Zero-Retention Grinds
What I didn’t expect was how forgiving this grinder would be with light-to-medium beans, in terms of coaxing out excellent flavors without harsh bitterness, even when I ground finely and pulled very long espresso shots. Particle size analysis with the Difluid Omni showed that on fine espresso settings, the Philos was significantly more precise than grinders in the $200 to $500 range, with fewer fines and pretty much no coarse boulders—as one would, of course, have every right to expect. This gave me blessed room for error, with less risk of harsh off notes. It’s long been a saw of espresso nerds that grinders matter as much or more than the machine you use to brew the coffee, and so I tested this. I used coffee ground with the Philos to pull shots on machines ranging from Breville’s top-line dual-boiler to a semiautomatic from Ninja and an entry-level De’Longhi. Not only did I achieve syrupy-rich results on the Ninja I’d never seen before on that machine, at least one of the Ninja shots I pulled …
