The Macap Leo 55 Essential presents itself as a solid espresso grinder in the mid-price segment. With its stepless grinding mechanism and robust construction, it promises to be a reliable companion for espresso enthusiasts. In our review, we compare it with similar grinders and examine its characteristics in detail.
External Facts about the Macap Leo 55 Essential
At a height of 38 cm, a depth of 18 cm, and a width of 12 cm, the Macap Leo 55 Essential takes up little space next to the espresso machine and impresses with its compact design. The grinding discs have a diameter of 55 mm. Very nice and a real plus compared to grinders from Eureka in the same price range are the grinding discs screwed from the back. This is also reflected in the homogeneous particle distribution, which we'll get to later.
Performance in Detail
The noise level of the Macap Leo 55 Essential at 75.7 dB is pleasantly below the threshold we classify as quiet. It is therefore one of the quieter models in comparison. Regarding retention, the coffee that remains in the grinder after grinding, it shows itself in a good light at 2.4 grams.
The speed at 16.9 grams per 10 seconds is not the fastest, but absolutely reasonable for home use. For example, it is faster than an x54 (13.7 g) or Rocket Faustino (11.5 g).
With a constant grinding temperature of 36.5° Celsius and a low temperature increase of 3.4 degrees over 6 grinds at 30-second intervals, the Macap Leo stays in a range that has no negative impact on the taste of the espresso.
However, a larger drawback is the consistency of the grinder. Here we measure a standard deviation of 0.48 g over 10 shots. At a target of 18 grams of coffee, we sometimes got more or less grams ground (17.7 - 18.0 - 17.1 - 16.9 - 17.0 - 17.9 - 18.0 - 17.9 - 17.9 - 18.1).
Ease of Use and Espresso Quality
The ease of use of the grinder, on the other hand, is simple and intuitive.
Grind setting repeatability is not easy to achieve when adjusting and resetting the grinder. In our test, we pull an espresso shot at precisely the target setting. From this shot, we take a grinding sample from which we measure the particle distribution. We carefully note the position of the grind dial and then adjust the grinder to ristretto, café crème, and then try to return to the same grind setting. In the case of the Macap Leo 55, returning the grinder to exactly the same grind setting is difficult.
There are no precise notches on the dial, and since the grinder is stepless, this reference point is also missing when setting the grind. Therefore, we were not able to set the recipe exactly again. However, if you stay at one grind setting and only make gentle adjustments to the grinder, it is precise and delivers consistent results.
The espresso quality we achieved with the Macap Leo 55 Essential using accurately weighed coffee amounts is sensational. Many delicious, creamy, and sweet espressos impressed us. The relatively narrow main peak of the particle distribution certainly contributes to this. The somewhat higher proportion of fines supports the body of the espresso shots.
Single Dosing and Recipes
The Macap is not designed as a single-dose grinder and cannot convince in this discipline either. Even if we grind for a long time, some coffee residue remains in the grinder, which we weigh on average at 0.48 grams. For a single-dose grinder, that is too much. And since adjusting and resetting recipes is not easy and precise, we would not recommend the Macap Leo for this discipline.
Price and Availability
The Macap Leo 55 Essential is available for a price of around 500 euros (see for example here*) or just under 500 francs and is thus in the affordable range for a high-quality espresso grinder.
Conclusion
The Macap Leo 55 Essential proves to be an espresso grinder with overall good performance, although the consistency of the grinding output and grind setting repeatability are among its weaknesses. The retention at 2.4 grams is relatively low, and the grinder is truly quiet. However, the most important thing for an espresso grinder is coffee quality, and the Macap Leo 55 really convinced us here. If you learn to estimate the grinding amounts or quickly check with a scale, you will enjoy the Macap grinder.
*Affiliate link: if you order through this link, we receive a small commission, but the grinder will not be more expensive for you.
