What are the burrs options available for Lagom P64?

At present, there are four burrs options to choose from:

1. SSP - Unimodal Espresso (UM) /Multipurpose 

These are burrs with unique geometry that we think highlight flavour characteristics that are treasured in modern espresso. In October 2020, SSP has made a slight modification to the original Unimodal Burrs (Option 4 as described below) to make them more forgiving and adaptable for espresso usage. The Unimodal-espresso burrs (sometimes refered to as V2 inofficially in the community) work well both for filter brews and light roast espresso. The burr geometry was originally inspired by Mahlkonig Kenia & Guatemala Lab bulk grinders. 

In our experience the SSP unimodal-espresso burrs tend to excel in highlighting flavour clarity and brightness in lighter roast coffees. They can also work for darker roasts but we think their potential is best used for the lighter roasts. If you are someone who don’t mind experimenting and are chasing delicate flavours in high-quality light roasted coffees, we recommend trying EKpresso-style shots (or Turbo shots) with these unimodal burrs. The high (and fast) extraction of SSP Unimodal burrs tend to play well with higher-acid coffee (ie light roasts).

When the unimodal burrs will be a less optimal choice : As the unimodal burrs can be a new experience for many, these behaviours may not be apparent to a new user - i.e. techniques that worked on conventional burrs may not be directly applicable on the unimodal burrs. For example, as the unimodal burrs are already producing extremely fine grind at normal espresso flow rate, it is not neccesary to use additional techniques that encourage finer-grinding, and doing so may be counterproductive. It also benefits from using a lower brew pressure (6-7 bar). If you often do three or more of the following in combination, and would like to keep the way how you currently pull the shots, the unimodal burrs may be less suitable for your application : (i) using very lightly/under- developed roasts, (ii) using low doses in double basket (e.g. <14 g), (iii) using modern baskets with larger total hole area (VST basket, particularly the lower capacity 15g basket), (iv) flow profiling (blooming-espresso or Slayer-style), and/or (v) making shots of low brew ratio (<1:2). The Unimodal Espresso burrs may also produce lesser mouthfeel compared to traditional burrs. Although it may sound like the unimodal burrs has less flexibility in these cases, the reward is that you can get shots that are extremely sweet, balanced and with high flavour clarity out of light roasts not achievable with conventional burrs.

2. Mizen - 64mm Omni 

This is the new burrset that we’ve created based on our desire to come up with an all-purpose burr set (hence the name Omni) that excels in both espresso and  pour-over grinding (e.g. V60, Kalitta, Chemex etc), with tasty cup profiles in all use cases. By fine-tuning the popular cast burr teeth profile and incorporating our improved Moonshine process, we believe we have created a unique burr set that we’re proud to share.

When used for espresso, the Omni burrs provide enhanced flavour separation and clarity in the cup, showcasing the flavours of the coffee terroir and processing, without sacrificing the body/mouthfeel you would get with traditional flat burrs. The cup characteristics are extremely clean and sweet due to the unique surface finish as a result of Moonshine process. The Omni burrs are suitable for all roast levels, and are especially suited for those who enjoy medium roast level and/or lighter.

When used for coarser grinding (e.g. pour over or immersion brew), the Omni burrs produce high-quality coarse grind with relatively low fines (which can be notorious for clogging up paper filters). The grind size distribution of the Omni burrs is slightly broader than unimodal-style burrs, but is still rather focused when compared to traditional flat burrs – this combination lends itself to achieving brewed coffee with cup characteristics that are complex, juicy, and have satisfying mouthfeel and with little astringency.

These Omni burrs are what we envisioned to be high clarity, all-rounder burrs that deliver a cup profile that can please most users (e.g. as opposed to Unimodal Espresso which can be a polarising experience sometimes).

3. SSP High-Uniformity (HU) /Espresso 

These are SSP-improved version of traditional 64mm espresso burrs, by offering a higher grind uniformity in espresso compared to traditional 64mm flat burrs. This is also the same burrs style used in Socratic Coffee’s test where SSP’s burrs provided a higher uniformity grind at espresso grind (hence the name).  

It offers results close to the more-traditional espresso experience but is an overall improvement over the standard 64mm burrs. It is best suited for those who prefer making espresso at a tighter brew ratio - i.e. if you frequently make espresso or ristretto with brew ratio between 1:1 to 1:2.5, this will likely be the better burr for you. This is an espresso-focused burrset that can work relatively well with roasts of all spectrum. Compared to conical burrs, we feel the high-uniformity (HU) burrs can offer a better flavour clarity experience. Compared to the Unimodal Espresso burrs, the HU burrs offer a more textured shots for those who value mouthfeel slightly over flavour clarity, and yet with a reasonable level of flavour clarity. For milk drinks, the HU burrs usually offer a punchier flavour in our experience. 

4. SSP Brew (Unimodal V1) 

These are the original Unimodal burrs (known as Brew burrs by SSP) that we offered at the launch of Lagom P64 back in 2019. Our goal then was to share this unique style of espresso with our fellow coffee enthusiasts. While they can be worked to pull espresso, the 64 mm Brew burrs can be more demanding to use and hence based on our experience its usage may not be suited for everyone. When used for espresso, the puck may quickly lose its structural integrity over the course of extraction and hence channel more easily. This is a normal behavior for the grind of this burrset but as we learned it can be a suboptimal experience for those who are used to seeing well-behaved extractions. Hence, to achieve the Unimodal-style espresso more easily, a modified version SSP-Unimodal Espresso (Option 1, described above) was later developed. We recommend the SSP Brew (Unimodal V1) only if you’re planning to use the Lagom P64 mainly for pour over or coarse grinding, or for high brew ratio turbo-Shots. While the Unimodal V1 can be used for traditional-style espresso (9 bar, 1:2 brew ratio, 30s), it is not recommended if that’s the main intended usage. 

To decide which burrs are more suitable for your use case, see: https://option-o.freshdesk.com/a/solutions/articles/51000328997