A Review of the Solis Maestro - A Brief Treatise on Grinding for Espresso

by Don Smith

After reading all the positive hype on Solis's new machine, "The Maestro," I decided to have a go and get one. It's been in daily use now since November of 2001. It is a very good grinder, indeed, but with use limited to grinding for drip until recently, following the arrival of a brand-new Rancilio "Miss Silvia."

Before looking at the espresso angle, a few comments about the make-up of this machine:

There are 18 dots on the adjustment rim ranging in size from largest to smallest, beginning on the right as you face the machine (it would be nice if these were the more desirable click stops to permit small corrections between dots!). Dot number four, reading from right to left has a drip coffee-pot symbol directly below; this setting is no doubt intended to deliver the right grind for drip, but I find a better grind by moving two more dot-intervals to the left.

It seems these machines vary in their settings; a friend of mine has to move his four dots left of the drip symbol to get the same grind that my Solis cranks out on two-moves left. You set the desired grind by moving the entire hopper assembly with a firm grip of the hand. Move it with the machine running and NO coffee beans in the hopper to avoid damaging the innards. Solis is quite specific about this procedure of not turning the hopper with beans inside. Although the instructions tell you not to run the grinder without beans "in-the-bin," you really need the motor turning when moving to the "espresso-position;" it's way over to the left, as we'll see later. If you try to move the hopper assembly without the motor running, one gets into forcing as you approach the espresso-setting "arena;" this is not good, so run the motor.

The ON/OFF switch is a clicking, rotary affair on the right side of the machine. There are no marks to provide visual cues here, something Solis should add on a next-generation product. Comments about this negative are seen in most posts on the web concerning "Mr. Maestro." A really nice touch, on the other hand, is the handy little triangular mini-switch on the front of the machine that adds a desirable element of control to the grinding process.
Moving to that "sweet-spot" for ESPRESSO: Dot number 11, reading from right to left, marks the front edge of the coffee-scoop symbol. Starting on that marker, count four dots more to the left. Almost exactly between that dot and the next, still moving to the left, is the "Miss Silvia magic-grind-spot." This will no doubt vary from machine to machine, but should serve as a starting point. It took me quite some time to figure this out, even though it may appear "easy." So be it! Now, if only this machine will hold that magic point! I’ve found that you can get the settings to hold by using a piece of masking tape stuck to the outside of the hopper and the base. This shouldn’t be necessary; it’s something Solis needs to address in the next iteration of this grinder.

Although the grind is not 100% uniform when doing the "old finger-rub test," I think the machine is doing the best it can in this fine range, even though I was able to choke the Silvia on a setting one dot away from number 18, between numbers 16 and 17,favoring number 17, to be more precise.
No question that a Rocky or Mazzer-Mini will improve upon the Maestro when it comes to producing a consistent grind for that ultimate "shot." For the money, I think the Solis a very good machine, certainly head-and-shoulders above any grinders in the under-$200-range that I'm aware of. I'll be using the Maestro exclusively for drip after I get the new "Mazz," hopefully soon. (NOTE: The Mazzer Mini has arrived, but that’s a story for another time)

Incidentally, static has not been much of a problem. The Maestro is at least a quantum leap above a Braun KMM-30 in this regard.


Biographical Sketch
Don Smith is a native of San Diego currently residing in Flemington, New Jersey. He's been "messing around" with coffee blending for over 15 years and began serious home-roasting last January with the acquisition of a new "Hearthware Precision " roaster and an "AlpenRost'. He readily admits to being a confirmed "coffee-geek," already having roasted in excess of 25 varieties of green beans over the last two years. Although happy with the excellent espresso produced with "Miss Silvia," Don is looking to upgrade to a rotary-pump machine later this year. He's on the net at dbsphoto@yahoo.com.