The La Marzocco Swan next to a La Marzocco Linea espresso machine. Images courtesy of La Marzocco unless otherwise noted.
At long last, The Swan commercial coffee grinder from Italian coffee equipment maker La Marzocco has taken flight.
Designed to support espresso preparation in busy commercial environments, the Swan features innovative components and electronics for precise dosing, low retention, cooler running temperature and particle consistency.
The machine’s case and logo are aesthetically in sync with La Marzocco’s commercial espresso machine models, particularly its KB90 and Linea lines.
As opposed to grinding by weight or by time, the Swan monitors the revolutions of its burrs as the metric for a high-precision automatic dosing process. Those proprietary 83-millimeter conical burrs can grind an 18-gram dose of espresso in approximately 4.5 seconds, on average, while also spinning at relatively low user-selectable speeds ranging from 150-250 RPM.
The La Marzocco Swan. 2023 Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
While lower speeds generally result in reduced heat, the belt-driven burrs’ offset motor further prevents heat transfer to the grind chamber, according to the company. Combined, these features are designed to result in cooler operation and improved grind consistency, which becomes particularly important during busy times.
Electronics monitoring the motor speed exist to ensure consistent performance, regardless of resistance from beans and roasts of varying hardness. That consistency also reinforces the precision of its dose-by-revolution system.
“More important than adjustable speed is the precision of the speed,” the La Marzocco team told Daily Coffee News via email. “The variable speed motor on the Swan is designed to have consistent torque, so even if the Swan hits some very dense coffee, the grinding speed doesn’t change, delivering a more exact grind particle size every time you grind.”
The La Marzocco Swan. 2023 Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
The exit path from the grind chamber to the portafilter is kept free from atmospheric interference by a patented electronic static neutralizer, designed for tidy and thorough dosing with minimal retention.
“We’re very excited for the Swan to showcase La Marzocco’s dedication to all things espresso — not just espresso machines,” La Marzocco Global Head of Product Scott Guglielmino stated in a press release. “There is no other espresso grinder like it designed to operate at high volumes for busy cafes.”
Florence-based La Marzocco first revealed its working concept for the Swan in 2019 as the culmination of a project whose roots date back over a decade. The company, which has traditionally focused on high-end commercial and home espresso machines, released a home-focused grinder called the Pico last September.
La Marzocco has maintained friendly relationships in recent years with other commercial grinder manufacturers, namely Mazzer and Mahlkönig, including product collaborations and exclusive offerings. The Swan represents La Marzocco’s first standalone branded commercial grinder since the launch of its long-running Swift two-hopper auto-dosing and tamping grinder.
The La Marzocco Swan will be on display at the SCA Expo this week in Chicago, with sales launching at a retail price of $4,200. See DCN’s complete 2024 SCA Expo coverage here.
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Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
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