I have been busy doing some research on how to make better coffee. I am a newb to gourmet coffee, my information is really condensed and overly generalized so please take it with a grain of salt and do a more thorough research if you are interested.
Under-extracting -> Sour. Over-extracting -> Bitter.
A lot of people say that the order of importance goes to, Hand of Barista, Grinder, Coffee bean, and last is the Espresso machine. GRINDER, GRINDER, GRINDER is the most importance piece of kit to achieve maximal results.
There isn't a best espresso grinder that beats all, only what suits your needs, your wallet, and your tastes. Because there isn't objective evidence for us to go on, I think we are left with theory and personal style, more than purely empirical.
Consistency (in other words, the same flow rate for the same dose), is the holy grail of espresso and all the tools in the world are a waste of time if you do not adjust grind and dose to match the coffee. That is, by far, the single most important adjustment in espresso making. If, at a given setting, your grinder can't produce the same particle distribution from the same coffee shot after shot after shot then it's incredibly difficult to dial in and even more difficult to learn how to dial in. That's the kind of frustration that really drives newbies nuts.
Originally the intent of the term "Titan" seems to be to call out a group of grinders that hit a surprising level of consistency bean to bean, machine to machine, basket to basket, etc. It wasn't an issue of grinder metrics or flavor perception. It was about how the grinder handled as it was used and how it compared to the handling of other grinders.
“Titan” has evolved into almost any grinder with burrs 63mm or larger, under 400 rpm, burrs whether hand-driven, motor driven, fanned-cooled motor driven, doser'ed, doserless, etc.
I. Espresso Grinder Characteristics
A. In the Cup
1. Top End Sparkle
a. Fruits
b. Spices
c. Florals
2. Bass Note Comfort
a. Chocolate
b. Nuts
3. Nuance
4. Separation
5. Clarity
6. Mouth feel
B. Use
1. Grind Quality
a. Fluffiness
b. Static
c. Clumping
2. Convenience
a. Grind Adjustment
i. Suitability for Single Dosing by Weight
b. Electronic or Manual Controls
i. Timer dosing accuracy: weight/time
c. Dose or Doserless
d. Dose delivery
e. Direct to Porta Filter
3. Grind retention
a. In the chute
b. In the chamber
c. In the burrs
d. Above the burrs
4. Burr type, size, rpm speed.
a. Planar aka. Flat, needs to be 80mm or bigger for titan class and less than 400 rpm.
b. Conical, 63mm is the lowest for titan class and less than 400 rpm.
5. Messiness
6. Build Quality
7. Machine Dimensions
8. Maintenance
9. Noise
II. Grinder "Grades" and Examples
A. Inadequate
1. Wide variation in particle shapes and sizes, with a poor range of adjustment.
2. Examples
a. Baratza Virtuoso and Breville Smart
b. Capresso Infinity
c. *Hario Skerton
B. Adequate
1. Produces recognizable espresso with enough range of adjustment to manipulate extraction
qualities to some extent.
2. Examples
a. Baratza Preciso
b. LeLit PL53 and other TreSpades
C. Good
1. Meaningful control
2. Examples
a. Baratza Vario
b. Mazzer Mini
D. Very Good
1. Entry level commercial grinders
2. Examples
a. Baratza Forte, for its better build quality
b. Mazzer Super Jolly
c. Everything else in the SJ class
E. Excellent with a wide range
1. Titan Class
a. Like a Titan but not necessarily a Titan; grinds like a Titan, but not necessarily large,
motorized, or designed for commercial use.
b. Examples *manual grinders
i. *Pharos, portable
ii. *Lido 2, portable
iii. *Knock Hausgrind, portable
vi. *HG One, 83 mm flat burr, weight 30 lbs.
2. Titanhood
a. Large, motorized, designed for commercial use
3. (Merely) Titan
a. Flat burrs
i. Anfim Super Caimano
ii. Mahlkonig K30 Vario
iii. Mazzer Major class big flats
b. Hybrids burrs
i. La Cimbali Max and Junior Max
ii. Versalab M3
c. Conical burrs
i. Mazzer Kony
ii. Compak K10 (both flavors)
4. Uber-Titan
a. Ceado E92
b. Mahlkonig EK43
c. Mazzer Robur (both flavors)
d. Nuovo Simonelli Mythos
e. Elektra Nino
In my Rok espresso machine the flavors stand out. They are not as tasty as they were from the coffee shops because of the crema but I can still taste the same flavors at home. I have yet to use them in my moka pot or press but I will probably agree with you.
