Posted Fri Mar 16, 2012, 4:25pm Subject: Re: Krups Conical Burr Grinder - First Look
OK ... I couldn't resist the curiosity. The last thing I need is another grinder - but I had to see for myself. The Krups arrived today from Amazon.
First thing I did was try it at the finest setting right out of the box - a gusher. So next step was to remove the burr. (NOTE: left handed thread on the nut) I cut two shims out of post-it note paper. I cut the large hole with small scissors and I set the shim on the shaft and used the burr to punch the small hole - super easy.
Put the machine back together with both post-it note shims under the burr. (NOTE: pay attention to getting the upper burr in place - aligned correctly - make sure you see it going up and down as you rotate the adjuster collar).
Tested it again on the finest setting and got a nearly perfect (slightly tight) pour. Close enough that I haven't bothered to try the second to finest setting (I'm over caffeinated already). The fluffiness of the grounds - very nice - the shot tasted great. I'll give it some more testing tomorrow. But so far - for $99 - I'm impressed.
Though, for leaving the hopper full and grinding a shot - there is a lot of grinds left in the path - no problem if you're pulling a series of shots - but for one coffee each morning that would be a lot of stale grounds. But measuring in only a shot's worth of beans and letting it grind until empty, I was able to get "most of it" back out with a few slaps. I didn't think to try the slaps when I had the beans in the hopper, maybe you could stop just short of filling the basket and then slap the grind path clean into the basket? I got a bit of static with the rubber nozzle grinding directly into the basket (coffee flying sideways and missing the basket) - I took the spout off still the same static (and it's a rainy day today). Now I'm grinding into a glass container and then dosing from the glass into the basket and that works fine.
I also noticed that you can get the upper burr 180 degrees off by twisting it into the adjuster collar threads before you install the collar, then whole collar misses the detentes - this was an accident and at first I thought it would be a way to go stepless and super fine without even needing to make the shims but this is way too fine, even at the coarsest so don't try this.
Posted Fri Mar 16, 2012, 7:47pm Subject: Re: Krups Conical Burr Grinder - First Look
AndyPanda Said:
OK ... I couldn't resist the curiosity. The last thing I need is another grinder - but I had to see for myself. The Krups arrived today from Amazon.
First thing I did was try it at the finest setting right out of the box - a gusher. So next step was to remove the burr. (NOTE: left handed thread on the nut) I cut two shims out of post-it note paper. I cut the large hole with small scissors and I set the shim on the shaft and used the burr to punch the small hole - super easy.
Put the machine back together with both post-it note shims under the burr. (NOTE: pay attention to getting the upper burr in place - aligned correctly - make sure you see it going up and down as you rotate the adjuster collar).
Tested it again on the finest setting and got a nearly perfect (slightly tight) pour. Close enough that I haven't bothered to try the second to finest setting (I'm over caffeinated already). The fluffiness of the grounds - very nice - the shot tasted great. I'll give it some more testing tomorrow. But so far - for $99 - I'm impressed.
Though, for leaving the hopper full and grinding a shot - there is a lot of grinds left in the path - no problem if you're pulling a series of shots - but for one coffee each morning that would be a lot of stale grounds. But measuring in only a shot's worth of beans and letting it grind until empty, I was able to get "most of it" back out with a few slaps. I didn't think to try the slaps when I had the beans in the hopper, maybe you could stop just short of filling the basket and then slap the grind path clean into the basket? I got a bit of static with the rubber nozzle grinding directly into the basket (coffee flying sideways and missing the basket) - I took the spout off still the same static (and it's a rainy day today). Now I'm grinding into a glass container and then dosing from the glass into the basket and that works fine.
I also noticed that you can get the upper burr 180 degrees off by twisting it into the adjuster collar threads before you install the collar, then whole collar misses the detentes - this was an accident and at first I thought it would be a way to go stepless and super fine without even needing to make the shims but this is way too fine, even at the coarsest so don't try this.
Posted Sat Mar 17, 2012, 1:35pm Subject: Re: Krups Conical Burr Grinder - First Look
Damn ... I ordered mine less than a week ago, just in the nick of time.
I'm not sure I would buy one for $149 - I think I'd get a refurb Baratza instead.
The quality of the grinds is very good - but the usability of the grinder is pretty poor for espresso (it may be lovely for coarser grind - I don't know). I'm having some fun taking it apart and tightening up some of the sloppy fitting areas and it is getting better at keeping the same setting once dialed in ... but the grind adjustment is not very precise. And the only way I can deal with the static is to grind into a glass, then dose from the glass into the basket ... this actually works well ... but it sure would be nice to grind right into the basket. (anyone know where to buy an antistatic coating like baratza uses?)
I bought this because I was thinking of giving one of my old Gaggia's to my son who has expressed some interest in espresso - I wanted to see if it would grind well enough to get him started. I'm not so sure yet whether it is good enough for that purpose or if it'll only frustrate him.
Things I've discovered so far: The top of the grind chamber has tons of silly nooks/crannies for grinds to get packed into on the way to the chute. As long as you keep the grinds moving (pumping the hopper lid during the grind seems to help) the grinds don't pack in there - but if you get a very fine grind (or an oily bean) or somehow get it started to back up in the path to the chute, it will then pack very tightly into all the ridiculous spaces that are only there because it was cheaper to mold that way. I have filled in a lot of those spaces and made the grind path smoother and that seems to help a lot.
The bottom burr has a lot of side to side motion. There is a bronze bushing on the shaft - but it appears to have been designed with a really sloppy fit to that bronze bushing (like 1mm of play at least). I made a small bushing out of teflon (left the bronze bushing where it was but added a second bushing above it) and that took out the play so the lower/center burr doesn't slop around now. The upper burr was also very loose side to side - I found that cloth gaffers tape was the perfect thickness to shim it side to side. It is still able to adjust up and down for grind adjustment but it no longer slops around side to side.
The entire adjustment collar is rather loose fitting on the grinder - I made some shims so it fits a bit tighter and this also makes it stiffer to rotate so it holds the adjustment a little better once you find your grind setting (you can twist a little and catch a small variation between detentes).
So ... it is getting closer to being workable for espresso ... we'll see how it goes over the next week or so.
Posted Wed Mar 21, 2012, 1:42pm Subject: Re: Krups Conical Burr Grinder - First Look
AndyPanda Said:
Things I've discovered so far: The top of the grind chamber has tons of silly nooks/crannies for grinds to get packed into on the way to the chute. As long as you keep the grinds moving (pumping the hopper lid during the grind seems to help) the grinds don't pack in there - but if you get a very fine grind (or an oily bean) or somehow get it started to back up in the path to the chute, it will then pack very tightly into all the ridiculous spaces that are only there because it was cheaper to mold that way. I have filled in a lot of those spaces and made the grind path smoother and that seems to help a lot.
This is true, although I've had doser grinders with way more nooks and a much longer grind path. The only beef I have with this one is the top of the exit chute has a channel which can fill up with grounds. If I had any consequences from this I'd just put a piece of tape over it.
It packed up once when I ground way too fine, but what came out was so fine it could be used to mold on your face as a mud Coffee mask, so I've never ground that fine again. Also, oily beans don't touch any grinder of mine, I don't care how cheap the grinder is, LOL.
As it is, I just pull the 4 screws once a month and blow it clean with compressed air. Ive never found more than 3-4 grams retained in there over that time period.
AndyPanda Said:
The bottom burr has a lot of side to side motion. There is a bronze bushing on the shaft - but it appears to have been designed with a really sloppy fit to that bronze bushing (like 1mm of play at least). I made a small bushing out of teflon (left the bronze bushing where it was but added a second bushing above it) and that took out the play so the lower/center burr doesn't slop around now. The upper burr was also very loose side to side - I found that cloth gaffers tape was the perfect thickness to shim it side to side. It is still able to adjust up and down for grind adjustment but it no longer slops around side to side.
I have never had slop on either burr. Maybe variances in build quality during production?
AndyPanda Said:
The entire adjustment collar is rather loose fitting on the grinder - I made some shims so it fits a bit tighter and this also makes it stiffer to rotate so it holds the adjustment a little better once you find your grind setting (you can twist a little and catch a small variation between detentes).
Have not had this issue either. The only time mine has wanted to move around was when I had removed the step retainer to make it stepless. I later found this to be of little value and replaced it, making fine adjustments to the shots by dose.
Posted Wed Mar 21, 2012, 3:53pm Subject: Re: Krups Conical Burr Grinder - First Look
with the shims (cloth gaffers tape) under the adjustment collar, the collar is tight enough that I can twist the adjustment a little either side of the detentes and it stays where I put it (even when I'm patting the grinder on the back at the end of a single dose grind). I'm pretty happy with the results now --- I weigh in 15 grams and with a little coaxing (slap on the back) I get 15 grams back out now.
If I were pulling shots for a group of people, rather than just one or two for myself, I'd fill up the hopper and probably really like the way it works. Though, I still find that trying to grind directly into the basket you can see the particles doing a U-turn in mid-air to try and avoid going in. I'll have to try the yoghurt cup funnel and see how that works - but for now, I have a glass that fits perfectly under the spout and prevents any static and the rim of the glass fits my basket perfectly so single dosing works great like that. If I were to fill the hopper, I'd have to figure out the timing to grind for each shot unless the funnel works to stop the static enough to grind directly into the basket.
Posted Wed Mar 21, 2012, 10:03pm Subject: Re: Krups Conical Burr Grinder - First Look
AndyPanda Said:
with the shims (cloth gaffers tape) under the adjustment collar, the collar is tight enough that I can twist the adjustment a little either side of the detentes and it stays where I put it (even when I'm patting the grinder on the back at the end of a single dose grind). I'm pretty happy with the results now --- I weigh in 15 grams and with a little coaxing (slap on the back) I get 15 grams back out now.
If I were pulling shots for a group of people, rather than just one or two for myself, I'd fill up the hopper and probably really like the way it works. Though, I still find that trying to grind directly into the basket you can see the particles doing a U-turn in mid-air to try and avoid going in. I'll have to try the yoghurt cup funnel and see how that works - but for now, I have a glass that fits perfectly under the spout and prevents any static and the rim of the glass fits my basket perfectly so single dosing works great like that. If I were to fill the hopper, I'd have to figure out the timing to grind for each shot unless the funnel works to stop the static enough to grind directly into the basket.
You caught me, I don't single dose. I've found that adding too many prep rituals to my routine takes the joy out of it for me, and since I have lots of experience, my psychic espresso powers of deduction net me the results I'm looking for every time. I run shots back to back cafe style 99% of the time, adjusting as I go (when necessary).
I wonder if humidity and bean blend have anything to do with static. It is so dry here that we sometimes choke when trying to speak cause our throats dry out so quickly. I've had more static than on my Vario or commercial grinders but not enough to bother me.
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