How To Set Up Your Grinder Correctly

Don't let your grinder grind you down.

Top tip! Gently does it, move the grinder ring along one notch with each trial shot.

Making adjustments to coffee grinders can be a daunting prospect, and contrary to many misconceptions it's actually not that hard to achieve.

Finer or more coarse grinds will have a major effect on the taste and quality of the coffee served.

Therefore in order to achieve espresso excellence, you will need to get to grips with your grinder.

So let us go through the procedure from the very beginning.

The Grinder

The coffee grinder features a pair of blades called burrs, the top burr or blade can be adjusted to change how coarse or fine your ground coffee becomes.

Because each variety of coffee has its own specific tendencies and, therefore, its own sweet spot there may need to be a little bit of trial and error to find that perfect setting.

Normally, it should take roughly 25 seconds to make an espresso, so if you are not hitting that mark on a consistent basis then some coffee grinder adjustments will have to be made.

To alter the settings of your grinder, follow this simple step-by-step guide:

• Firstly, work out whether the grind needs to be made finer or coarser and then move the ring, one notch at a time, in the appropriate direction.
• Switch on for ten seconds to remove any old grounds from the chamber.
• Make a test espresso, remembering to keep your dose and tamping technique consistent to remove any other variables.
• Assess how long it has taken to create that espresso. Has hit been brewed for an optimum amount of time? Does it taste as it should?
• Repeat, if necessary.

Remember that when changing the distance between the burrs you should do so in very small increments.

Something as small as a three millimetre movement could change your shot extraction time by about three to five seconds, so don’t make major changes unless you feel it necessary to do so.

Once the sweet spot is found, make a note of the setting — it might be worth recording this — and use this as your default setting.

Temperature and altering conditions throughout the working day can sometimes affect the nuances of your coffee, so we suggest regular ‘espresso checks’ to ensure that the ideal settings are in use at all times.

Like with all things in coffee, the small details and differences can make or break a cup.

Thoroughly check your grinder on a daily basis and don't be afraid to tweak the settings as and when you deem it necessary.

For more information on commercial coffee grinders please click here.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your coffee grinder and would like further advice or assitance please call 01977 687 580 to speak to a member of our team.