Mazzer Philos Single Dose Coffee Grinder I200D Burr| Made in Italy

Mazzer has long been renowned for coffee grinders dedicated to coffee shops. This brand is synonymous with large-sized, heavy-duty machines.

However, the Philos is specifically designed for home coffee enthusiasts. Its design is completely different, optimized for individual grinding sessions to serve customers who drink diverse beans.

MAZZER PHILOS IS A TRUE SINGLE DOSE GRINDER

While the term “single dose” is relatively common, many people are still unclear about its usage context and why this machine category emerged. Imagine this scenario:

You’re a home coffee enthusiast who drinks a wide variety of beans. Your cabinet typically holds 4-5 different coffees: Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Costa Rica, Brazil… Your main brewing equipment is an espresso machine, but you also have pour-over, AeroPress, or cold brew setups.

In the morning, you brew an espresso shot from Guatemala beans, then want to follow up with a pour-over from Kenya beans. If using a large hopper-style grinder, how do you remove the old coffee from the machine? How do you clean all the retained coffee inside before grinding Kenya? How do you adjust grind size while grounds are still stuck in the burrs? Large commercial machines that hold half a pound of coffee in the hopper can never solve these problems.

This is why single dose grinders exist: Each time you grind, you weigh exactly the amount of coffee needed and adjust the grind size. The machine will grind all the coffee with extremely low retention so subsequent brews don’t carry old flavors.

Of course, single dose grinders are only for serious users who love experiencing the complete, authentic flavor of their coffee.

The Philos is exactly this type of single dose grinder. The small hopper holds a maximum of 60g beans, features a bellows system to push out retained grounds, and includes a magnetic dosing cup for consistent positioning. The manufacturer even includes a small accessory called the “Dose Finisher” to extract all retained coffee from the machine for perfectionists.

ANODIZED ALUMINUM FINISH

Most people’s first impression of the Philos is its premium appearance. The metal frame is processed using electrochemical technology, coated with a durable aluminum oxide layer, and finished with brushed satin polish.

Since anodizing allows aluminum coloring, the Philos also comes in a Black Anodized version with an impressive matte black finish.

64MM BURR SET USED IN MAZZER PHILOS

The grinder’s burrs are mounted vertically rather than horizontally like many commercial grinders. Mazzer produces two specific burr types for the Philos: I200D and I189D. Each burr set suits different espresso styles:

• I200D burrs for modern espresso style: The design is quite similar to SSP Multi Purpose (famous for creating ultra-clean cups with distinct, separated flavors and light body). The I200D focuses on balancing cleanliness, sweetness, and coffee body. This burr set is optimal for medium and light roast coffees and accommodates diverse brewing methods from espresso to pour-over.

• I189D burrs for traditional espresso: Designed specifically for dark roast coffees. Its goal is creating traditional, rich, creamy espresso shots. Lattes or cappuccinos built on this rich espresso base will blend better with milk. The I189D is only suitable for espresso grinding and doesn’t perform well with other brewing methods like pour-over or AeroPress. Light roast coffees aren’t suitable either due to excessive fines production and reduced aromatics.

MAZZER PHILOS BURRS ARE FACTORY ALIGNED

Burr alignment ensures the two grinding surfaces are parallel to each other. This helps coffee grind evenly across all sides of the burr set, stabilizing coffee quality.

Mazzer performs serious burr alignment procedures on each Philos before leaving the factory. Testing is done using electronic measuring equipment. If any machine doesn’t meet standards, it’s adjusted until requirements are met. Finally, burr mounting screws are tightened using machinery to ensure equal pressure on all screws.

MAZZER PHILOS BURRS ARE FACTORY SEASONED

One unavoidable process when buying a new grinder is “seasoning” the burrs. Like breaking in a motorcycle engine, burrs need to grind several pounds of coffee before truly stabilizing and delivering optimal grinding quality.

Mazzer states that all Philos burrs have undergone this process at the factory. This means every coffee bean ground by the Philos will be at its best condition right when it reaches the customer.

Not many manufacturers care about this detail. Mazzer has proven they truly care about and desire to enhance user experience more than many other grinder brands.

MAZZER PHILOS GRIND ADJUSTMENT AT REAR

One of the Philos’s most distinctive design features is the grind adjustment wheel located at the rear instead of on top or front as usual.

Mazzer explains that mounting the burr assembly directly to the adjustment wheel can cause grind drift due to vibrations during grinding. Additionally, if users disassemble the machine to clean the burrs, settings will change.

Moving the adjustment wheel to the rear, separate from the burr assembly, solves three issues:

• Maintains grind settings regardless of how many times the grinder is disassembled for cleaning
• Eliminates risk of adjustment wheel shifting during grinding, causing grind size variations
• Simplifies the adjustment system for easier inspection, replacement, and maintenance

Of course, to achieve these advantages, users must make some trade-offs. You can scroll down to see the Philos disadvantages section below.

PHILOS OFFERS STEPLESS OR 6-MICROMETER STEPPED ADJUSTMENT

The Mazzer Philos can grind for multiple brewing methods through its large adjustment wheel mechanism.

By default, the machine is designed with micro-stepped adjustment, meaning users hear “click…click” sounds with each turn. Each step has a 6-micrometer spacing that changes espresso extraction time by approximately 0.4 seconds.

The stepped adjustment wheel has 145 total steps with 6μm increments. This means the Philos has an 870μm adjustment range supporting various brewing methods.

The machine can be converted to stepless adjustment by removing 3 detent balls near the rear adjustment gear. Users can then fine-tune by individual micrometers. Those truly obsessed with grind size control (or simply personal preference) might choose this option.

CLEANING THE MAZZER PHILOS REQUIRES NO TOOLS

Cleaning a typical grinder is relatively complex and requires various mechanical tools like screwdrivers, wrenches… Cleaning the Philos only requires your fingers!

• The machine face is magnetically attached for quick removal
• Remove the upper assembly by turning two butterfly screw clamps

These two steps are sufficient to start cleaning the internal burr assembly. Machine cleaning doesn’t affect the current grind size setting, so simply reassembling returns the machine to its previous state.

EVALUATING COFFEE RETENTION ON MAZZER PHILOS

The criterion for a single dose grinder is retention levels should approach zero as closely as possible. Neither the Philos nor other market grinders achieve this absolute number.

However, the Philos reaches retention levels of 0.1 to 0.2g. This is sufficient for each grinding session to achieve 99% freshness.

The machine integrates a bellows system to expel retained grounds from the grinding chamber (which may remain due to static electricity). Always pump 2 to 3 times to extract maximum coffee from the machine.

Additionally, the machine’s front panel includes a small accessory called the “Dose Finisher.” This accessory is typically used for thorough deep cleaning of coffee retained inside the grinding chamber. It’s not necessary for every grinding session, but if you want to ensure all old coffee is removed, this is essential (can be done weekly, when switching to new coffee types, or when grinding expensive coffee and wanting to extract 100% from the machine).

OTHER FEATURES OF THE MAZZER PHILOS COFFEE GRINDER

• High build quality: To ensure long-term usage, Mazzer always prioritizes machine manufacturing quality. The steel frame is solid and weighs 12kg. Machine edges are smoothly rounded without any roughness.
• Relatively quiet during grinding: Measured volume is approximately 80 decibels – not silent but not uncomfortable for users.
• Anti-popcorning mechanism: Eliminates coffee beans bouncing back into the hopper during grinding.
• Integrated power cord storage: Keeps the machine area tidy without dangling cords like grinders with fixed cord lengths.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE MAZZER PHILOS COFFEE GRINDER

• No variable motor speed (RPM): Considering the Philos’s price point, lacking this feature could be considered a drawback. Mazzer surely recognizes this. However, their philosophy might be avoiding cramming in features that affect long-term operational reliability. We can understand this as a trade-off for Philos durability.
• Silver model sometimes makes grind settings difficult to read: In environments with overhead lighting, markings can glare, requiring users to lean forward for better visibility.
• Adjustment difficulty when machine is placed high/against walls/corner tables or for shorter users: All because the grind adjustment wheel is at the rear and typically requires two hands. The solution is positioning the machine sideways if users have sufficient operational space.
• Somewhat crude power switch: The Philos uses a plastic rocker switch instead of metal push-button switches. Aesthetically it looks less premium, but for durability, this switch type is unmatched.
• Plastic bellows handle: The shallow design means inserting your finger always feels somewhat inadequate. If grinding 10 consecutive cups requiring bellows use, users might associate it with gaming controller button mashing (PS, Sega, NES…), meaning possible finger soreness until accustomed. However, the bellows works very effectively.
• Machine is somewhat large for 64mm burr size: First-time Philos viewers probably assume the machine has at least 83mm burrs with fast, powerful grinding. Small, compact home coffee machines tend to look diminished beside the Philos (while this machine targets the home segment).
• No anti-static feature, so some coffee grounds always scatter outside the dosing cup during grinding: Mazzer designed the Philos in 2020. When COVID suddenly emerged, deployment was delayed. At that time, no home grinders had anti-static features, so it didn’t exist in the design. By 2022, anti-static became a basic feature, but the Philos hadn’t caught up because changes would extend research time. We can hope Mazzer releases a V2 version addressing this.

MAZZER PHILOS COFFEE GRINDER DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: Width 153 x Depth 351 x Height 361mm
• Machine weight: 12kg
• Power consumption: 400W
• Adjustment capability: Stepless or 6-micrometer stepped
• 64mm diameter hardened steel flat burrs, model I200D or I189D
• Housing material: Anodized aluminum-plated steel
• Grinding speed: ~1.3g/s for espresso and 3.3g/s for pour-over
• Motor speed: 1400 RPM
• Bean hopper capacity: 60g
• Voltage: 220V/60Hz
• Made in Italy

EXPLORE OTHER COFFEE GRINDERS

iCup is honored to bring customers the world’s finest coffee brewing equipment.