About to purchase a Fiorenzato F4 Electronic. Should I consider something else? - Page 2

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
User avatar
mkrissel
Posts: 83
Joined: 8 years ago

#11: Post by mkrissel »

I have had my F4 for about a week and its been great. No more WDT or pushing grinds around with my hands. I dose a beautiful, fluffy 20 gram mound, three spins of the OCD, tamp and go. No channeling and great consistency!

jkool702 (original poster)
Posts: 33
Joined: 8 years ago

#12: Post by jkool702 (original poster) replying to mkrissel »

Glad to hear it! I just officially ordered my F4 this morning! Im looking forward to it arriving.

Out of curiosity have you used other grinders in a similar price-range and can you compare their grind quality to the F4's? When you say no more WDT does this mean its not clumpy? Ive seen a few reports that the F4 is less clumpy than many other doserless grinders.

rockethead26
Posts: 363
Joined: 11 years ago

#13: Post by rockethead26 »

jkool702 wrote:Glad to hear it! I just officially ordered my F4 this morning! I'm looking forward to it arriving.
You'll like the new F4. I've had mine for 6 months now and still love it. Easy, clean, consistent. The only mod I've done is to add three little squares of sticky foam to the top of the portafilter holder where the basket sits and another strip that wraps around the curved part of the holder where it supports the handle of the PF. This holds the PF firmly in place so I can push the dose button walk away and pour milk into the pitcher while it's grinding without having to hold it. I haven't had a sink shot in months.

User avatar
mkrissel
Posts: 83
Joined: 8 years ago

#14: Post by mkrissel »

I upgraded from a baratza preciso (conical burr) were I was getting clumping and very inconsistent day to day. Lots of redialing in. I have since dedicated the Baratza to drip duty.

Once dialed in, I'm getting no clumping from the f4.

jkool702 (original poster)
Posts: 33
Joined: 8 years ago

#15: Post by jkool702 (original poster) »

It makes me happy to see all this positive feedback about the F4. Theres not a lot out there on it, but I dont think I've seen a single bad thing about it yet! I almost went with a mazzer mini, I think I was smart to go with the F4 instead.
rockethead26 wrote:You'll like the new F4. I've had mine for 6 months now and still love it. Easy, clean, consistent. The only mod I've done is to add three little squares of sticky foam to the top of the portafilter holder where the basket sits and another strip that wraps around the curved part of the holder where it supports the handle of the PF. This holds the PF firmly in place so I can push the dose button walk away and pour milk into the pitcher while it's grinding without having to hold it. I haven't had a sink shot in months.
Thanks for the tip. This seems like an easy but useful mod. It probably also helps with the portafilter holder being kind of rough (or so I've heard it is) and preventing it from scratching the portafilter.

jkool702 (original poster)
Posts: 33
Joined: 8 years ago

#16: Post by jkool702 (original poster) »

Questions for other F4 owners:

1) how long are the burrs rated to last?

2) how well just it do if you only put a single dose of beans in the hopper? lots of popcorning?

rockethead26
Posts: 363
Joined: 11 years ago

#17: Post by rockethead26 »

As to question #2, I used the cheap plastic tamper that most espresso machines come with to eliminate the popcorning. I had to sand a fraction of a mm off the diameter of the tamper. It fits perfectly in the chute and rides the beans down.

User avatar
mkrissel
Posts: 83
Joined: 8 years ago

#18: Post by mkrissel »

I do the same thing. The tamper that comes with the grinder works great for this.

jkool702 (original poster)
Posts: 33
Joined: 8 years ago

#19: Post by jkool702 (original poster) »

So I just received my F4, and it seems there is some sort of lock preventing me from adjusting the grind out of a very narrow range (maybe 5-10 degrees of total motion). Right now it is too coarse (a double runs 13-15 seconds). Other F4 owners - how do I fix this???

I see there is a screw in the adjustment mechanism that is screwed downwards, and its my guess that this locks the adjustment (presumably to prevent adjusting it so fine that the burrs touch), so my 1st guess it to remove this screw. That said, I figured it couldnt hurt to ask here first.

jetsfaneh
Posts: 14
Joined: 8 years ago

#20: Post by jetsfaneh »

When I got mine I had a similar experience. Then I watched a video on YouTube on how to calibrate your grinder. I couldn't find a F4 video so the one I watched was for a Mazzer Mini I think. Did that then was able to dial in the grinder in a couple tries.