Review of electric spice mill Makkua Spices series RG-01 and knife for pizza, dough and pastries Makkua MK008

We have two interesting devices from the Makkua brand: a spice grinder and a knife for cutting pizza, dough and pastries. Let's take a closer look at them and evaluate how well they cope with their useful and simple tasks.

The real taste and aroma of spices is revealed only by manually grinding whole grains. Some use a mortar for this, others prefer mechanical mills. We will look at the Makkua Spices series RG-01 electric mill with backlight and battery.

^* Contrary to popular belief, this is not the time limit after which the device will necessarily break down. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its performance and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.

The packaging of the electric mill is made of durable cardboard with high-quality matte lamination and decorated in the brand’s corporate style.

On the edges of a small neat box there are color photographs of the device, a list of its key features, brief technical information and information about the manufacturer. Inside, in addition to the device itself, there is a charging cable and small instructions.

The mill body has the shape of an elliptical cylinder and is made of matte black plastic. The device looks stylish and does not look cheap. The coating is pleasant to the touch, and fingerprints are practically invisible on it. The hint sticker is easy to remove without leaving any adhesive residue.

The device fits comfortably in your hand and does not slip. The mechanical power button with a textured surface is located on the front and is easily accessible under your thumb or forefinger.

The food container is located at the bottom of the housing. The opening is closed with a snap-on lid made of transparent plastic, which makes it easy to control the amount of remaining food. A metal shaft is visible inside, and the connector for connecting the shaft to the motor is made of plastic.

At the base of the device there are ceramic millstones and a knob for adjusting the degree of grinding from coarse (Course) to fine (Fine). There is a small flashlight nearby that illuminates the area underneath the mill during use.

The grinding is adjusted as follows: when you turn the knob to the right, the distance between the millstones decreases (until they are fully engaged, which makes turning on the device impossible). When turning to the left, the distance increases (until the entire structure is dismantled, including the internal millstone, washers, spring, etc.). We counted ten revolutions in total.

The mill runs on battery power only. For charging, the kit includes a USB Type-C cable 80 cm long.

The connector for connecting it is located at the top of the device. A charging block is not included in the kit.

In general, our mill looks standard. The assembly is rated positively by us. We did not find any visual defects in the design.

The instructions for Makkua Spices series RG-01 are presented in the form of a compact booklet in Russian. The text of the manual describes in detail all the necessary information about the device, and some sections are provided with illustrations for clarity.

The controls are simple: press the mechanical button on the body, the motor starts and sets the millstones in motion, release the button and the motor stops.

Using the mill was surprisingly easy and we did not encounter any difficulties during operation. The power button is easy to press, has a noticeable stroke and works clearly. Compared to a conventional mechanical mill, the electric model certainly wins in convenience. Using one hand when chopping food is much more comfortable: just press the button for a short time, and freshly ground spices are neatly poured onto the dish. LED lighting during use has proven to be very useful, especially if the kitchen table is poorly lit or eating occurs in the dark.

The maximum continuous operating time of the mill stated in the instructions is 5 minutes, which means that it is not designed to process large volumes of product. However, it only takes a few seconds to obtain the required amount of salt or pepper for one serving. The motor produces a soft humming sound with moderate volume during operation.

Filling the container is quite convenient: the opening diameter of 3.2 cm allows you to fill the food directly from a small package or using a teaspoon. To remove unground residues, it will take some time to shake the container upside down. The best result is achieved when the container is filled to 70%, which can hold up to 35 grams of beans.

The only thing we missed about this model was the stands or lids: without them, small amounts of spices may spill onto the countertop after use.

Of course, it is forbidden to immerse the device in water and wash it under the tap. The housing can be cleaned by wiping it with a soft damp cloth and then drying it with a dry cloth. However, do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergents.

To clean the ceramic knife and grinding adjustment knob, you will need to completely unscrew the handle and pull out the entire grinding structure.

A completely discharged battery was charged in 1 hour 30 minutes, which is much faster than the 2.5 hours stated in the instructions. During charging, the device consumed only 0.001 kWh. During the entire process, the average power was 1.3 W, with the maximum value recorded by the wattmeter reaching 2.3 W.

During charging, an indicator at the top of the case on the front side lights up, which goes out after charging is complete.

The only drawback is that the battery discharges suddenly, without prior indication. A full battery charge lasts approximately 85 minutes of continuous operation.

The noise level of the device during grinding is approximately 58-60 decibels, measured at arm's length.

During the practical tests, our main goal was to check how well the device copes with grinding spices, and also to find out how uniform the grinding would be.

To begin with, we decided to try grinding large allspice — the one in the photo on the right. Well, what if?

The mill hummed, but not a single crumb fell out — peas with a diameter of 8-10 mm were beyond its power. With standard small pepper (3-5 mm) we got the following result:

The process goes quite quickly, without jams, although the grinding is not very uniform.

Result: good

The main advantage of an electric mill is that the user does not need to exert any physical effort. Freshly ground pepper or spices can be obtained in seconds using just one hand. In addition, the user can fill the mill with a set of spices at his discretion and control the degree of grinding, which is easily adjusted by turning the knob hidden at the bottom of the device.

After carefully studying the Makkua Spices series RG-01 electric mill, we came to the conclusion that it successfully copes with its tasks, with the exception of grinding large allspice with a pea diameter of 8-10 mm. However, all finer ingredients are ground quickly and without jamming. The grinding is not always perfectly uniform, but overall the result is quite satisfactory. Among the advantages, it is worth noting a ceramic knife, which promises durability, compactness and a pleasant minimalist design, neat assembly, as well as low noise levels and, of course, backlighting.

Pros:

• stylish appearance and neat assembly
• compactness and ease of use
• ceramic knife
• long battery life
• grinding degree adjustment and backlight

Minuses:

• some unevenness of grinding

A knife with a rotating blade is designed for cutting various types of dough, both raw and ready-made. This device has an attractive, compact design that looks safe and ergonomic.

The round cutting disc with a well-sharpened edge is protected from the outside world by a plastic casing consisting of two parts.

The first, designed to be grabbed by hand, the red-gray half snaps into place the entire structure and prevents the knife from jumping out of the case. The gray insert is made of rubber.

The red plastic has small indentations in the finger grip area on both sides of the body. They end with small tongues protruding upward, which serve as a kind of support for the fingers, ensuring a comfortable hold of the knife.

A tab on the front labeled «Open» allows you to open the case. At this time, you should hold the second half of translucent plastic with your other hand. This action requires effort, which creates a feeling of reliability and safety of the structure.

The transparent part of the case also snaps shut to cover the sharp edges of the knife during storage. The cutting part of the knife when the case is open has dimensions of 9.5x3.5 cm. During the cutting process, the knife rotates freely around its axis.

The assembly of the knife body and the cutting disc itself are made carefully, the materials used in the manufacture of the accessory look high quality.

The roller knife is easy to use and is great for accurately cutting various products up to 3.5 cm thick. Its collapsible design ensures safe use: the plastic case reliably hides the sharp cutting disc and does not swing open from an accidental touch.

During the cutting process, the knife rotates easily and does not get stuck, and the plastic case with a rubber insert prevents the accessory from slipping out of your hands. Sometimes during the cutting process the clear plastic casing may come down halfway down the knife, but since this happens in the part where the cutting has already taken place, this does not create a problem.

To start, we tried Makkua MK008 on raw puff pastry. This dough requires cutting with a sharp thin knife so as not to wrinkle or “seal” the layers, otherwise they will not be able to open during baking, and the finished product will not be airy.

The next photo shows the result of cutting a soft croissant.

The knife also coped with cutting pizza without any problems.

The plastic case and the cutting blade itself can be washed under the tap and in the dishwasher.

The Makkua MK008 roller knife for pizza and pastries has proven itself to be a convenient and effective tool. Its round, sharp, food-grade stainless steel blade is perfect for cutting dough and finished products quickly and accurately without causing extra crumbs or damaging the filling. The device has a durable and safe design, and is easy to disassemble, making its maintenance simple.

Pros:

• sharp knife
• convenient safe design
• All elements can be washed in the dishwasher

Minuses:

• not detected