Ceado’s an Italian grinder and small equipment maker that has been making prosumer and industrial grade espresso grinders for the reason that Nineties. Based by Egidio Girardi – who apprenticed at Mazzer earlier than staking his personal declare to the grinder market – Ceado didn’t make its option to the North American market till the early 2000s.
We first examined Ceado grinders again in 2010, once they have been principally lever doser kinds (the E7 and E10 fashions) and so they supplied first rate worth for the cash, however weren’t significantly modern or distinctive.
However uniqueness did come to Ceado quickly after, as they have been one of many pioneers in direct chute (no dosing lever chambers) which they known as “digital dosing” grinders. The E37 mannequin was one of many earliest. It had programming, digital timers, and output the bottom espresso instantly into portafilters. Many grinders adopted, however Ceado (together with Mazzer) have been a few of the first. Ceado additionally pioneered the thought of “single dosing” grinders by promoting ultra-small hoppers with their grinders.
These early Ceados weren’t with out their issues. The unique E37 specifically output a really clumpy and static-filled grind. It was very messy. The grinders additionally retained a variety of grinds between makes use of, requiring a variety of purging and waste. It additionally “threw off” the thought of single dosing as a result of if the grinder was clear and empty, placing 18g in may lead to one thing like 15.5g popping out.
It obtained in order that, for a very long time (proper or improper), Ceado grinders had a fame as a clumpy, retention heavy grinder, requiring a variety of barista hands-on work after to even issues out for a correct extraction.
Grinder know-how moved on, and different corporations borrowed, advanced, and superior a few of the issues Ceado pioneered. Ceado themselves additionally improved their grinder design, together with a variety of completely different makes an attempt to take care of the clumping, static, and retention points. The corporate introduced out the E37S mannequin, and up to date it a number of instances in its lifespan to repeatedly tweak and decrease these deficiencies. The grinder did get higher, and the huge 83mm burrs have been actually nice for quick and even espresso grinds.
Subsequent got here the E37J, which had smaller burrs, and slower grinding pace, however a greater worth for the prosumer market, at round $1,000.
Then Ceado launched the E37Z in 2019, claiming it was “the world’s greatest single dose espresso grinder”. It definitely was a radical departure for Ceado, an angled grinder based mostly on the success of the Area of interest Zero (launched in 2017). It went for type factors with wooden accents, and so they claimed it was a real zero-retention grinder. The corporate put quite a bit into this grinder, together with DLC coated tremendous customized burrs, variable pace, and a 1 HP (!!!) motor. It was additionally $5,500.
Ceado realized quite a bit from these grinders and their journeys. In addition they realised the vast majority of the house market wasn’t going to spend $2,000, $3,000 or extra on a grinder. So within the early 2020s, they took some classes realized, and developed the Ceado Life grinder, introducing it on the 2021, COVID restricted HOSTS Expo in Milan.
At a MSRP was $650, the Life was Ceado’s least costly grinder (except you discovered an E5P on sale), and the grinder promised a variety of issues: low noise, pace, simple change burrs, close to zero retention, and no static. Based mostly round a 50mm flat screw-less burr set, the Life got here each with a single dose hopper with bellows, and a small on demand bean hopper. It had a grind vary masking ristretto espresso via to Chemex. The grinder additionally got here in a wide range of cute colors.
Similar to their E37S grinder, Ceado listened to {the marketplace} and determined to do a reasonably quick improve to the Life, introducing the Life X this spring on the 2024 SCA Expo in Chicago. The grinder began transport barely two months in the past.
The Ceado Life X is priced $50 greater than the unique Life Grinder, and now $699 USD within the US, and $960 in Canada.
That is our First Have a look at the Life X, which was despatched to us by Ceado, by way of Canada’s Eight Ounce Espresso. I’ll element the grinder’s options and capabilities, and what upgrades it has over the unique (and now discontinued) Life mannequin.
