Fiorenzato F4 Nano E Coffee Grinder Review

The fact that you’re reading this shows that you already know how much a good grinder affects your espresso’s quality.

We’ll save you months of trial by telling you that grinders like the Fiorenzato F4 E Nano are designed to work in tandem with top-class espresso machines. Find one of these, and you might never have to beg your espresso machine to give you a friggin break.

Keep reading for our in-depth review of this killer grinder.

Summary: The Fiorenzato F4 E Coffee Grinder

• Stepless grind adjustment for precise control
  
• Timed electronic dosing for accurate grinding
  
• Can be used in a commercial setting

Touchscreen display with CapSense technology, now with a bigger and more intuitive full color display and virtual keys.

– Fiorenzato

see on chris coffee

The Fiorenzato F4 Review

We strive to showcase the good and the bad in all of our reviews because it helps you make an informed decision on whether to purchase the item or not. In this case, the challenge was that we struggled to find anything bad to say about the F4 E Nano espresso grinder.

Even if we nitpick on the details while comparing it to other grinders, the F4 E Nano makes a solid case for itself with its tremendous pricing. This grinder truly delivers on all fronts.

Fiorenzato F4 Coffee Grinder

• Design
• Durability
• Ease Of Use
• Grinding Capability
• Value For Money

4.4

• see on chris coffee

Design – 4.5/5

Commercial-grade burrs, a sleek aluminum body, and touchscreen controls on the front mark this “made in Italy” grinder as a true thoroughbred.

Burr & Motor Design: With 58 mm flat steel burrs, this machine is capable of matching the grind quality of machines twice its price. And to drive these top-class burrs, Fiorenzato fitted the F4 grinder with a 250-watt motor that spins the burrs at 1400 RPM. With all those big numbers, it might seem that this grinder would make a racket when grinding beans. But surprisingly, it is one of the quietest machines in its class.

Additional Features: As with most grinders in this range, the F4 comes with thermal overload protection to prevent the motor from overheating.

Since this prosumer coffee grinder is also designed for use in a commercial setting, you will want to know in advance if your burrs are getting worn out and need to be changed. The “Mills Replacement” warning light flashes on the color display on the front of the machine to indicate that your burrs need replacement.

Hopper & Grounds Bin: By default, the F4 grinder is available with a one-pound bean hopper, which indicates its commercial capabilities. However, Fiorenzato also sells a half-pound bean hopper as an option.

You won’t get any grounds bin with this machine as it is an espresso grinder that grinds directly into a portafilter and comes with an electronic dosing function. Fiorenzato also makes F4 Nano (without the “E”) model that comes with a manual doser.

Aesthetics: No matter which angle you look at it from, there’s only one word to describe the Fiorenzato F4 E Nano — beautiful. Its Italian heritage is evident in its contoured hopper, polished adjustment ring, and sleek body panels. With the option of 5 colors (black, white, red, silver, chrome) to choose from, this elegant machine is guaranteed to spruce up your kitchen or cafe.

Storability/Portability: If you are looking for a compact, portable machine, the F4 is not for you. Sure, you could find space for its 6 x 8 x 16.75-inch body, but you’ll need large cabinets for it. And at 22 lbs, you wouldn’t want to lift it every day. The best place for this gorgeous grinder is going to be on your countertop, right next to that fancy espresso machine.

Ease Of Cleaning: For the ease of day-to-day cleaning, you can simply wipe off the coffee dust from the stainless steel portafilter holder and the large catcher tray. However, unlike other home grinders, the F4’s internals are not meant to be cleaned daily. It can grind through a lot of beans before it needs any kind of maintenance. This is clear from the fact that it doesn’t come with removable burrs. You’ll need tools and expert knowledge to get into the inner workings of the machine. Unless you have prior experience and are confident of handling its parts, we’d recommend calling an authorized technician.

Durability – 5/5

There is no question about the epic build-quality and longevity of the F4 grinder. Its steel chassis, encased by cast aluminum body panels, make sure that it can handle the workload of a small cafe. And the steel burrs will chew through at least 1,500 lbs of coffee beans before needing to be replaced. If you’re going to use this machine at home, you can rest easy knowing that it will probably outlive most other gizmos in your kitchen.

Ease Of Use – 4/5

On the surface, it seems like the Fiorenzato F4 is an easy grinder to use. Load your beans into the hopper, and turn on the side-mounted switch. The control panel will light up and gives you the option of dispensing a single shot (top button), a double shot (bottom button), and manual dosing (middle button).

There’s a color-LCD display above the controls that shows the date and number of shots dispensed “today,” in the “week,” and “total.” And the stepless adjustment ring makes the task of fine-tuning your grind effortless and precise.

However, you will probably want to customize the dose based on your requirements. And that’s when you run into a bit of confusion. The process of customizing and navigating the settings is not quite intuitive. You need to use the three touch-sensitive buttons to do everything. But with a little bit of practice, you could get used to it. On the plus side, you can adjust the dosing time, for single and double shots individually, in 0.1-second increments.

Grinding Capability (Settings, Range, & Consistency) – 4/5

The Fiorenzato F4 E Nano is a dedicated espresso grinder. So if you want to pull espresso shots, you can grind for anything from a pressurized filter basket to a bottomless portafilter. This machine is regarded highly in the espresso enthusiasts community for its ability to produce a nice, fluffy grind, without any clumping. The quality and consistency are on par with machines almost twice the F4’s price. And with a stepless adjustment ring, you get an infinitesimal degree of control over the grind. This is a priceless feature because, according to Perfect Daily Grind (1):

You might even be able to brew coffee in an Aeropress or Moka pot using the coffee grounds from the F4 E Nano. However, this grinder is incapable of producing a grind coarse enough for Chemex or French Press. If you want more versatility in your grinder, consider one of these instead.

The F4 is also slower than other comparable grinders, which might be a concern if you intend to use it in a busy cafe. But for home use, it doesn’t make that much of a difference.

Value For Money – 4.5/5

You might be wondering why we’ve given the F4 E Nano such a high rating despite that fact that its sticker price is over $500. Well, you’ve got to realize that this machine is a dedicated espresso grinder. Any other decent espresso grinder will cost you well over $1,000.

So, for almost half the price of those expensive machines, Fiorenzato managed to make a grinder with similar grind quality and fine level of control. If you’re obsessed with making great espresso at home, this grinder is a bargain.

Don’t Buy The Fiorenzato F4 E Nano If…

• You don’t care about the price tag – then go all the way and get the Mazzer Mini. It’s one of the most popular espresso grinders on the market. It has just about all of the features of the Fiorenzato, and then some. It’s a favorite of baristas and cafe owners worldwide. It is almost double the price of the F4, though, and that’s a significant step up.
• You want to grind for different brewing styles – The Baratza Vario is another solid option. It might not be as well-built as the F4, but you can use it to grind for espresso and all the way up to French Press.
• You want something compact – As the trendiest coffee grinder yet, the Niche Zero, has caught the attention of young coffee enthusiasts. This compact grinder is perfect for single dosing and has been designed for zero retention.

The Verdict

We understand that choosing a grinder is a daunting task, especially if it’s your first one. But if you know what kind of brew you’ll be making or if you’ll be experimenting with a few different brewing styles, it can help you make a better decision.

We have no hesitation in recommending the Fiorenzato F4 E Nano as a dedicated espresso grinder on a budget. Even if you’re a seasoned barista, the F4 E Nano will be perfect for your homebrewing needs. Heck, it could even stand in as a backup grinder for your coffee shop!

see on chris coffee