Mazzer Super Jolly E

The Mazzer Super Jolly E is the electronic (on-demand) version of one of the most iconic commercial espresso grinders ever made. If you've been in a coffee shop in the last 20 years, you've probably had a shot pulled from a Super Jolly. The "E" model adds timed dosing to the classic design, bringing it into the modern cafe workflow.

I want to give you the full picture on this grinder because it occupies a unique position. It's a proven commercial workhorse that also gets bought by a lot of home baristas looking for "cafe quality" on their kitchen counter. Whether that's the right move depends on what you're actually trying to do.

What the "E" Stands For

The original Mazzer Super Jolly used a manual doser. You'd grind beans into a chamber with star-shaped compartments, then pull a lever to sweep one compartment's worth of coffee into your portafilter. It worked, but it was messy, inconsistent, and wasted coffee.

The Super Jolly E replaces the doser with an electronic timer and direct-to-portafilter chute. You press a button (or push the portafilter against the activation fork), the grinder runs for a set time, and grounds drop straight into your portafilter. No doser, no lever, no stale grounds sitting in a chamber.

Mazzer calls this their "electronic on-demand" system. You program two dose times (single and double shot), and the grinder remembers them. In a cafe setting, this means faster service and less waste. At home, it means you get a consistent dose every time without thinking about it.

The Burrs

The Super Jolly E uses 64mm flat steel burrs. These are the same burrs that built Mazzer's reputation. They're hardened, long-lasting, and produce a grind that works beautifully for espresso.

At 64mm, the burrs are large enough to produce good particle uniformity without generating excessive heat at the speeds the motor runs. Mazzer rates the motor at about 1,600 RPM, which is moderate. Fast enough for on-demand dosing without making you wait, slow enough that the beans don't cook during grinding.

The grind quality at espresso fineness is solid. Not the absolute best, as grinders with 75mm+ burrs produce tighter particle distributions, but well within the range of "makes excellent espresso." The Super Jolly E has been pulling quality shots in thousands of cafes worldwide for decades. The track record speaks for itself.

Burr Lifespan

Mazzer's steel burrs last about 500-700 kg of coffee in a commercial setting. That's roughly 12-18 months for a busy cafe grinding 1-2 kg per day. At home, grinding 30-50 grams daily, these burrs will last 10+ years easily. Replacement burr sets run about $35-$50, and they're available everywhere.

Build Quality

This is where Mazzer earns its reputation. The Super Jolly E is built like a piece of industrial equipment. The body is cast aluminum. The motor is designed for continuous duty. The internal components are overbuilt for a home setting.

Pick up a Super Jolly E and you'll immediately notice the weight. It's about 27 pounds. That's heavy for a counter appliance, but the mass serves a purpose. Heavy grinders vibrate less during operation, which means less noise and more consistent grinding. The Super Jolly E sits on your counter like it was bolted there.

The adjustment collar is stepless, meaning you can set any grind point along a continuous range. The collar turns smoothly with firm resistance, so accidental bumps won't change your setting. The adjustment feel is one of the best in the business. Small turns produce small, predictable changes, which is exactly what you want when dialing in espresso.

What Hasn't Changed

The Super Jolly design is old. Mazzer has updated the electronics and switched to the doserless format, but the fundamental grinder, the motor, the burrs, the burr carrier, the adjustment system, is essentially the same as it was 20 years ago. That's both a strength and a weakness.

The strength: it's proven. Every failure mode has been identified, documented, and addressed. Parts are available. Every espresso technician in the world knows how to work on a Mazzer.

The weakness: it doesn't have features that modern grinders include. No grind-by-weight. No digital display (just a basic timer dial). No sound dampening. No low-retention single-dose design. It's a workhorse, not a show horse.

Performance at Home

The Super Jolly E works well for home espresso, but it comes with trade-offs you should understand.

Retention

The Super Jolly E retains about 3-5 grams of coffee in the burr chamber and chute. In a cafe where shots are flowing all day, this isn't an issue because retained grounds get pushed out by the next dose. At home, where you might grind once in the morning and once in the evening, those 3-5 grams go stale between uses.

The practical impact: your first shot of the day includes a few grams of stale coffee mixed with fresh. Some home users deal with this by "purging," running the grinder for a second to push out old grounds before grinding their actual dose. This wastes beans but keeps shot quality consistent.

If retention bothers you, a single-dose grinder like the Niche Zero or DF64 (both under 0.5 grams retention) is a better fit for home use.

Noise

The Super Jolly E is loud. No sugar-coating this one. Without any sound dampening, it hits about 75-80 dB during grinding. That's louder than a conversation and roughly the same as a garbage disposal. If you grind early in the morning in a shared living space, people will notice.

Modern home grinders from Eureka (with their "Silent Technology") and Fellow are noticeably quieter at 60-68 dB.

Size

At roughly 8 inches wide, 12 inches deep, and 23 inches tall (with hopper), the Super Jolly E is a large countertop appliance. The hopper adds significant height. Some home users swap the standard commercial hopper for a shorter single-dose hopper to reduce the profile.

Buying Used vs. New

A new Mazzer Super Jolly E costs about $800-$1,000. But here's where things get interesting for home buyers: used Super Jolly grinders (both doser and doserless versions) are everywhere.

Cafes upgrade their equipment regularly, and old Mazzers flood the used market. You can find a Super Jolly E in good working condition for $300-$500 on eBay, Craigslist, or specialty coffee forums. Doser models (non-E) go for even less, $150-$300, and can be converted to doserless with aftermarket kits.

When buying used, check these things:

1. Burr wear. Remove the burrs and look at the cutting edges. Worn burrs have rounded edges instead of sharp ones. Replacement is cheap, so don't let worn burrs scare you away. Just factor $40-$50 into the price.
2. Motor noise. The motor should run smoothly without grinding, clicking, or squealing sounds. Bad bearings are the most expensive repair on a Mazzer.
3. Adjustment collar. It should turn smoothly with consistent resistance. If it's loose or gritty, the threads may be worn.
4. Clumping. All Mazzer grinders produce some clumps at espresso fineness. This is normal. A quick stir with a WDT tool before tamping breaks them up.

For a full comparison of home espresso grinder options, see our best coffee grinder recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Super Jolly E good for pour-over?

It can grind at pour-over coarseness, but the adjustment range is optimized for espresso. You won't get the same precision at coarser settings. If you brew both espresso and filter, you'll spend beans re-dialing every time you switch. A dedicated filter grinder or an all-purpose grinder like the top coffee grinder picks would be better for multi-method brewing.

What's the difference between the Super Jolly and the Mazzer Mini?

The Mini uses 58mm burrs (vs. 64mm on the Super Jolly), has a smaller motor, and is lighter. The Super Jolly grinds faster and produces slightly better particle uniformity at espresso settings. The Mini is better suited for low-volume home use. The Super Jolly is better if you want maximum quality or plan to entertain and pull lots of shots.

How do I clean the Super Jolly E?

Remove the upper burr (it lifts out after loosening the adjustment collar) and brush both burr surfaces with a stiff brush. Vacuum or brush out the grinding chamber. Run grinder cleaning tablets (Grindz) through the machine once a month. Full disassembly and deep cleaning every 3-6 months if you use it daily.

Can I convert a doser Super Jolly to doserless?

Yes. Several companies sell doserless conversion kits for the Super Jolly. The most popular options are from Mazzer themselves (the E kit) and third-party manufacturers. The conversion involves removing the doser and attaching a direct-to-portafilter chute. It's a straightforward swap that takes about 30 minutes.

The Verdict

The Mazzer Super Jolly E is a proven, reliable espresso grinder with decades of commercial service behind it. It makes excellent espresso and will last practically forever with basic maintenance. For home use, the main downsides are noise, retention, and size. If those don't bother you, especially if you can find one used for $300-$500, it's one of the best values in espresso grinding. If you want something quieter and more home-friendly, look at modern alternatives designed for that purpose.