The Quamar is available in different versions and under different names, but inside, the Quamar M80E, Quamar M80 Touch, and Quamar M80 Touch Plus are identical. The grinders differ primarily in their control systems. The burrs, particle distribution, and other aspects of performance do not differ significantly. In our test, we took a look at the Quamar M80 E Touch Plus. We purchased it from Pro Kaffeemaschinen in Basel.
In Germany and Austria, we have seen the Quamar M80 Touch Plus for around 700 euros. In Switzerland, the top model is available from 800 francs. The cheaper model is available for 100 euros or 150 francs less. That is quite exciting!
This grinder test is part of our test series of over 24 espresso grinders for home use. However, the Quamar M80 Touch Plus is better suited as a good entry-level grinder for the catering industry. We elaborate on the reasons in this test.
Weight and Power - Gastro Power
The Quamar M80 E has much of what a commercial grinder needs. It grinds 33.6 grams in 10 seconds, making it one of the faster espresso grinders. Even under load, the burrs barely heat up, remaining at an average of 30.5 degrees Celsius. The consistency of the grinder does not suffer from this - which is often the case with fast espresso grinders. The Quamar fluctuates within a good tolerance range from shot to shot. The 63 mm burrs do a good job.
The grinder's volume level is just as powerful. 88.8 decibels is quite loud! However, it is once again the kind of noise that is rather pleasant. Cheaper grinders reach similar levels, but they sound like they are on their last legs. The Quamar is loud, but it does not sound cheap. The burrs work powerfully and reliably.
This espresso grinder, which is 56 cm high, 29 cm deep, and 17.5 cm wide, weighs 11 kilograms. For those who find the height unsuitable, there are also smaller bean hoppers available for this heavy-duty grinder. But here, too, it becomes clear: this grinder is really intended to make small cafés happy. Accordingly, the Quamar is designed for a coffee load of up to 3.5 kilograms per day.
Retention and Single Dosing
At the end of the table is the Quamar M80 with its retention volume. 10.9 grams remain in the absolute retention during regular use of the grinder. We define this as the sum of permanent and temporary retention. This shortcoming can be rectified if the grinder's strengths are leveraged. In a busy café, the retention is regularly ground out and does not carry as much weight. Those who only make one espresso a day should use the Quamar for single dosing.
In fact, its performance as a single dosing grinder is good. Despite the large retention, the grinder is emptied down to almost 0.2 grams when run for 30 seconds. To achieve this, the grinder is used without loading the bean hopper. Instead, the coffee beans are weighed out and poured into the grinder in the desired quantity. For a double espresso, for example, 18 grams of coffee beans are put in. A good single dosing grinder will output the 18 grams put in. It delivers good performance here.
However, a truly good single dosing grinder must also deliver on a second level. What is also interesting about single dosing is switching from coffee to coffee, from recipe to recipe. In this discipline, the Quamar M80 loses points. It is not easy to switch precisely from one grind setting to another. If, for example, we pull an espresso with grind setting 8, set the grinder to 7.6 for an espresso, and then want to return to grind setting 8, the resulting output is not identical to the particle distribution of the first shot.
How does the espresso taste?
The Quamar M80 Touch Plus delivered really good espresso for us. We were almost a little surprised. To explain this, we need to digress briefly. We tested the grinder and tasted a few espressos, which were also good. Then, however, the machine suddenly clogged immediately before the flapper with every shot.
It required the assistance of a technician and a replacement of the flapper to get the grinder working again. This took a few days, which delayed the test. It is unclear to us how the defect in the flapper occurred. Therefore, we do not want to dwell on it further. If you also have a Quamar M80 model and have experienced something similar, please write it in the comments.
In a new attempt with a new flapper, we were able to adjust the grind setting without any problems and brew good espresso.
A look at the particle distribution shows a medium main peak and a medium proportion of fines. Not too many fines and also not too wide a main peak. In fact, however, the curves fluctuated somewhat and deviated from each other from shot to shot, as already written on the subject of single dosing.
Differences between the Quamar M80 models
The Quamar M80 models differ primarily in their operation. The Quamar M80 E, for instance, features a centering funnel instead of the angled coffee chute. On this model, the control system with buttons is mounted on the lid of the centering funnel.
The Quamar M80 Touch has a digital display with buttons underneath. As with all other Quamar versions, two amounts can be programmed. The Quamar M80 Touch Plus has a color touch display and no external buttons. The amounts are easy to program, although the display appears slightly slower in the age of super-fast smartphone displays. The coffee quality of the grinders does not differ. Thus, the question of whether the added value of the color display justifies the extra investment is a matter of individual consideration.
Conclusion on the Quamar M80 Touch Plus and co.
The Quamar M80 is better suited as a grinder for commercial use than for the home user. Only in this way can the grinder exploit its strengths, such as speed and low temperature under load. Only in this way can it also compensate for the weakness of the large retention.
The grinder is available for relatively little money and is therefore actually an insider tip for the catering industry. In particular, choosing the Quamar M80 Touch is very attractive with a price starting at 529 euros (seen at Espresso Perfetto).
Those who use the grinder at home will be able to compensate for the problems of large retention with single dosing. However, for optimal use as a single dosing grinder, the Quamar M80 is not precise enough when it comes to grind adjustment.
