Pico Perfection: Part One: David Schomer on La Marzocco’s Latest Home Grinder

The longtime coffee veteran shares how, with the release of the Pico grinder, “espresso perfection” is finally possible.

BY DAVID SCHOMER
SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Earlier this year, my longtime dream of pushing espresso into a consistent, repeatable culinary art form came true with the little Pico grinder from La Marzocco. After 37 years of frustration, for the first time in my life, the available equipment is not blocking me completely—or making it very difficult—to seduce the gorgeous fragrance of the bean into a cup. 

When I began making espresso in 1987, the espresso machines available were incapable of maintaining stable temperatures during the extraction of the shot. This was a firm barrier to capturing the fragrance of the roasted coffee to savor as a taste and aroma experience. (That is the holy grail: espresso that tastes like the ground coffee smells.) Drifting temperature made that fragrant promise virtually impossible. That barrier fell on February 28, 2001, at La Marzocco in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. With the help of Kent Bakke, John Blackwell, Mark Barnett, Roger Whitman, along with John Bicht of Versalab, the first PID-controlled espresso machine came into existence. (See “Brewing Water Temperature ‘Italy Meets Omega,’” in LucidCafe, May 2001, authored by David Schomer; and “A Brief History of the PID,” by La Marzocco.)

Within a few years, PID control was a standard offering worldwide in modern espresso machines.

Espresso equipment, however, still needed help. The truly long slog was that of the grinder. I began writing articles 10 years ago explaining the features a grinder would need to be able to produce artisan espresso while grinding by the cup:

—No ground coffee shall be chambered in the grinder.
—Ground coffee must be delivered to the portafilter with no fine particle drift.
—A conical burr must be driven at the correct RPM to achieve ideal fines/coarse ratio.
—Heat generated by the motor must be controlled.
—Dosage must be measured by weight.

La Marzocco has hit the critical features with the Pico, whose features include RPM, direct dosing with no chambered coffee, and zero fine-particle drift. Grind by weight is optional for the artisan barista and not yet available. Heat control is the big differentiator with this grinder; DIY venting solutions are possible. With the release of the Pico, I can say that after 37 years, we have access to espresso perfection.

A Little Background

On a walk with my son on Seattle’s Fremont Canal in 1992, I dreamed of a grinder that would be made especially for grinding each shot freshly, per order. Grinding on demand put a unique strain on the motor: Early on, I understood that too much heat, generated by turning the motor on and off for each dose, was a problem. But I also recognized the importance of freshness in the grounds being dosed into the portafilter.

So you can see that the grinder has been an area of constant research for me. To assist me on my quest, La Marzocco legend Kent Bakke began importing grinders for me to test beginning in the mid-1990s. Therefore, it’s especially poignant that La Marzocco is the company that has finally solved the dilemma 30 years later.

The Dosing System

The keys to controlling the espresso’s flow rate are grind integrity combined with exact coarseness. This results in precise resistance of the grounds to the pressurized water, therefore achieving the perfect, oozing extraction. 

Because the Pico does not retain any ground coffee in the chamber, the powder remains unaffected by moisture exchange with the ambient humidity conditions. (See: Chambered Coffee, in part two.)

And the Pico’s dosing system has twin ramps, shooting the coffee downward instantly as it exits the burr set. This is critical: It prevents any micro particle migration within the powder en route to the portafilter. (See: Particle Control, in part two.)

Ring Burr Drive

The placement of the burrs in the jet-style dosing configuration requires the manufacturer to drive the ring burr with the motor. This dramatically increases the efficiency of the grind, resulting in more flavor and thicker crema than the same burr set driving the cone burr, with the motor at the same RPM. Currently the cone burr drive is still standard on all conical grinders except those using jet-style dosing.

RPM

My research clearly shows there is a Goldilocks zone (i.e., too much, too little, or just right) for the RPM when using conical burrs and driving the cone burr with the motor. With the Kony burr (40mm) RPM is about 300. The espresso produced is thick and rich, with a satin mouth feel. I have tested grinders turning the conical burr set as low as 150 RPM and the espresso is thin, like flat burr extractions. Similarly, driving the conical burrs at high RPMs also resulted in thin shots.

The Pico is turning the ring burr at 800 RPM, resulting in about 17 seconds of grinding time for a 22g dose. Turning at about 300 RPM, the Kony burr’s grinding time is in the 1-second range. Microscopic evaluation revealed a significantly higher percentage of fines in the powder produced by the Pico than the Kony at 300 RPM. However, the increase of fines in the mix that gives you such thick shots presents its own challenges for the barista. The Pico demands vigorous distribution techniques to avoid brewing water channeling through the packed coffee.

All my experiments are on grinders turning the cone burr with the motor. However, driving the ring burr with the motor is a whole new animal. I have no data on the ideal RPM for the ring burr drive. However, the Pico grinder is turning the ring burr at about 800 RPM, resulting in a grind time of about 17 seconds for a 20g dose. At 800 RPM, driving the ring burr, the Pico produces a high percentage of fines and delivers them into the portafilter with perfect fidelity. Additional fines in the powder results make it possible to produce the thickest, most intensely flavorful espresso I have ever had.

We will release part two of this article tomorrow.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Schomer started Espresso Vivace on April 18, 1988, in Seattle, Washington. From day one, the company’s charter has been to “research, develop and promote caffe espresso as a new culinary art.” David’s published works include over 100 articles for coffee trade magazines, and his series of books, which launched in 1996. The series is also available in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. David’s video course Caffe Latte Art from 1995 is known to have inspired the explosion of latte art everywhere. David is most widely known as the father of latte art. David is currently focused on roasting and preparing his beloved espresso at Espresso Vivace’s two locations in Seattle.

Subscribe and More!

As always, you can read Barista Magazine in paper by subscribing or ordering an issue.

Read the June + July 2025 Issue for free with our digital edition. 

For free access to more than five years’ worth of issues, visit our digital edition archives here.