Upgrade time

TKK

I currently use one of these which I have tweaked to grind finer than default. It works ok but is not without it's problems/limitations.

Seeing as my work bonus will be hitting my account in the next couple of days I reckon it's time to upgrade

So what do the wise and experienced recommend? I know the MC2 and Rocky are two boards favourites but I'm open to suggestion. I currently use a Gaggia Evolution at home and an Aeropress in the office. I'm not that bothered about getting a stepped grinder as I reckon the old one will do if I want to grind coarser stuff.

Also does anyone know if happy donkey have started to ship to Ireland again?

Gran Hermano

I believe Scott will ship to Ireland but has difficulty processing non UK credit
cards via his ecommerce site. Give him a call:

> > Happy Donkey ltd
> > Phone: 0118 9586 325
> > URL: www.happydonkey.co.uk

It's worth confirming with him the exact price on the MC2 to ensure you're
aware of the price includes VAT and shipping.

I'd recommend the auto model for easy cleaning; you just grind enough for
your immediate use and don't have stale ground coffee collecting in the
dispenser.

Mr Magnolia

I use paypal with most of the UK suppliers due to the credit card problems.

TKK

Yeah I was intending to get an auto model in order to save on the cleaning coupled with the fact that I don't want to end up with left over ground coffee as I mainly use the grinder in the morning (commute cuppa and supplies for the office) and then not until evening again.

I'll give Scott a ring alright. The vat I can calculate but I wouldn't have a clue about the shipping.

TKK

Well it arrived today Will have a play with it this evening with regard to tuning it in properly (I already have a supply of beans that I don't mind wasting).

Gran Hermano

TKK wrote: »

Well it arrived today Will have a play with it this evening with regard to tuning it in properly (I already have a supply of beans that I don't mind wasting).

Congrats on the new arrival !

Be prepared to waste a fair few beans tuning it in, the good news
is once you have the fine grind you need for the espresso machine
it's normally only an adjustment of a turn or two (well 1-5 turns)
to adjust for different beans. For the initial setup I'd recommend
adjusting the grind setting in 5-7 turns of the dial at a time between test
shots.

TKK

Well I didn't do anything with it last night. Took it out of the box to find that the base is cracked. Fecking couriers must have dropped it :mad:

TKK

Ok Scott is sourcing a new base for me and said to fire ahead and use the machine. So last night I loaded it up with beans (an old bag of lidl that had been bought a while back to tide me over when I ran out instead of my recent ristretto purchase) and set about it. Jaysus but you need to do some amount of adjusting to get the grind fine enough. I found that I was able to grind much finer than with my previous grinder. Eventually I got it to a setting where with weighing the portafilter before/after grinding I was dispensing around 7-8g each time and I was getting a shot in about 25 seconds. So I switched to the Ristretto beans and straight away clogged my Gaggia! I think it's because of the age difference/freshness of the beans?

Even this morning I clogged the Gaggia when preparing my commute cuppa. I don't know yet how the aeropress is going to be with the new grind but will find out shortly.

I think my biggest problem at the moment is that I've grown accustomed to applying a very heavy tamp to compensate for the lack of a fine enough grind with the old grinder and I'm not backing down enough with the new one.

On another note, even at this early stage, I've found a couple of things:
1. If there isn't a quantity of beans in the hopper then the dose will be off as there won't be a constant supply of beans for the duration of the grind. I would prefer to put in only enough for my current requirements at any one time but this won't work with this machine. This means that when I grind for a shot there will be beans left in the hopper for some time which is not ideal. In the mornings I can get away with this as I usually grind some extra to bring to work for use in the aeropress and the dose does not have to be all that accurate so I can load the portafilter when there is a good amount in the hopper.

2. There's some ground coffee left sitting just at the top of the chute after grinding. I probably should attempt to remove this every time as I imagine it will taint the next shot particularly if there is a significant time period between uses. However it's not all that easy to get at.

Any thoughts or tips gratefully accepted.

Gran Hermano

TKK wrote: »

So I switched to the Ristretto beans and straight away clogged my Gaggia! I think it's because of the age difference/freshness of the beans?

Correct, the old beans will need a finer grind setting.

TKK wrote: »

I don't know yet how the aeropress is going to be with the new grind but will find out shortly.

I've noticed if I use more than two aeropress scoops of espresso fine
ground coffee I can have trouble plunging. If i stick to 2 scoops it works
easily but for a more than '2 scoop' press I need a slightly coarser grind.

TKK wrote: »

I think my biggest problem at the moment is that I've grown accustomed to applying a very heavy tamp to compensate for the lack of a fine enough grind with the old grinder and I'm not backing down enough with the new one.

You're 25 second timings for the weight of coffee you're using sound spot
on. It's just trial and error to get the grind to tamp pressure balance.

TKK wrote: »

On another note, even at this early stage, I've found a couple of things:
1. If there isn't a quantity of beans in the hopper then the dose will be off as there won't be a constant supply of beans for the duration of the grind. I would prefer to put in only enough for my current requirements at any one time but this won't work with this machine. This means that when I grind for a shot there will be beans left in the hopper for some time which is not ideal. In the mornings I can get away with this as I usually grind some extra to bring to work for use in the aeropress and the dose does not have to be all that accurate so I can load the portafilter when there is a good amount in the hopper.

2. There's some ground coffee left sitting just at the top of the chute after grinding. I probably should attempt to remove this every time as I imagine it will taint the next shot particularly if there is a significant time period between uses. However it's not all that easy to get at.

Any thoughts or tips gratefully accepted.

I tend to have about 50g-75g of fresh beans in the hopper at any time.
The rest I keep in mason jars beside the grinder. I haven't noticed any
problem with freshness using them this way.

As for the chute and cleaning it, I keep a small bowl/cup under the chute
and by tapping the side of the grinder I can knock out any grounds
remaining from my last grind before I grind a fresh batch.

TKK

Yeah there'll be a bit of trial and error in this alright. The shot I pulled last night with the ristretto even had some flecking on it! Mind you I think the better half thought I was mad between the use of the scales and the kitchen timer!

As for the beans in the hopper I'm happy to hear that there's unlikely to be a freshness issue. Like I said most mornings I could empty it anyway when grinding the supply for work. I'll source something to tip the old grounds into too.

Are the jars you use for your beans clear? I'm looking for a decent airtight jar that is not clear and I can't seem to find one.

Gran Hermano

Here's a link for the storage jars I'm using.

They are clear but as I rarely have freshly roasted beans in them for more
than 5 days I don't worry about freshness. They are really airtight.
Home Store & More and Avoca have different versions, some all metal
instead of glass but I don't find the seal as good and they are much more
expensive. (Typically around the €10 price for one jar).

TKK

Cheers for that

rockbeer

TKK wrote: »

when I grind for a shot there will be beans left in the hopper for some time which is not ideal. In the mornings I can get away with this as I usually grind some extra to bring to work for use in the aeropress and the dose does not have to be all that accurate so I can load the portafilter when there is a good amount in the hopper.

I don't think you need to worry too much about whole beans sitting in the hopper for a few hours, up to a day or so. Airtight is good if you're storing them long term (not recommended), but if your beans are basically fresh they are only improving anyway for at least the first five days you have them, possibly up to 10 days, so it really doesn't matter how you keep them during this time. I use clear Le Parfait jars too and never had a problem with freshness. Ground is another matter - once beans are ground they start to go stale immediately and should be used within max half an hour.

TKK wrote: »

2. There's some ground coffee left sitting just at the top of the chute after grinding. I probably should attempt to remove this every time as I imagine it will taint the next shot particularly if there is a significant time period between uses. However it's not all that easy to get at.

I often just grind the first portafilter full and chuck it away, then use the second grind for the first drink to overcome the stale grounds problem. That's with my Ascaso I2, which has a similar minor issue with grounds sticking in the top of the chute.

Good luck with the new grinder.