First impressions of SSW

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Status: working

I finally put the current-generation SSW burrs into the KafaTek MAX3, and the first properly flowing shots have been shockingly good. Even unseasoned, they are giving me what I want for modern espresso: very high clarity, immediate sweetness, integrated acidity, and essentially no astringency, but without the thin, tea-like texture that can come with clarity-focused burrs—the cup still has a pleasing coating mouthfeel. They also seem to want a materially coarser grind than LM/SLM. This is very early, but so far my main reaction is that I should have installed them sooner.

For context, I currently have two Weber EG-1s—one with DB-2/SSP 80 HU and one with CORE—a KafaTek M98V with SCR v4, and an SDRM with LM burrs on order. I’ve previously owned an Ozik ALL and BOLD, Lagom 01, P100, earlier-generation KafaTek MAX grinders, Titus Nautilus, Nimbus and DRM, Versalab, and other machines besides, and I’ve used earlier generations of SSW and essentially every major iteration of SLM. I’m primarily using the Meticulous for these modern shots, but also own an Olympia Cremina and a Linea Mini R.

Espresso · Joshua Reese

First impressions of SSW