Clumps are ephemera. On any given day with any given coffee a grinder, doser or not, may produce clumps.

I don't buy the doser breaks up clumps better as an absolute. At home with Supreme Bean Caffe di Norte, the MaxH is boulderizing the coffee. At the office the Supreme Bean Ring of Fine in the MC4 grinds nary a pebble. Two weeks ago, the MC4 was grinding 'sugar cubes' on Delta Caffe Espresso, while the MaxH was sublime.

Interesting, I had it in my mind that dosers-among serving other purposes-remove clumps.

Does this mean that those with dosers, who get clumps on occasion, wouldn't change their routine to account for the clumps? cafeIKE, did you break up those clumps (one way or another)?

I use the WDT for two (maybe three) purposes - breaking up clumps, distribution (it's become an art), and fluffing up the grinds (not sure that has a positive impact).

I'm curious because every now and then I come across a used grinder (with doser) for a decent price and I've yet to pull the trigger. I'm a bit of a neatnik who prefers doserless...so far.

Canuck wrote:Not sure if this has been debated here or on CG...assuming I have no 'convenience' issues with using the WDT as part of my routine, does a dosered grinder offer any advantages over using the WDT (e.g. does the doser do a better job of removing clumps vs. WDT, etc.)?

The WDT has been debated many times, as have the advantages and disadvantages of a doser. Some folks feel that a doser does a perfectly adequate job of breaking up clumps, especially if you thwack away while grinding. Others (like me) prefer doserless grinders, and find that the WDT provides a simple declumping alternative.

IMHO a well-designed grinder would not produce clumps to begin with. The horizontal exit chute from the burr chamber is largely to blame for clump formation. Grinds pile up, compress, and are extruded like a sausage from this chute. Commercial grinders with large burrs may spit out the grinds with enough velocity to reduce this clumping, but such a design is fundamentally flawed. Nor is it essential to good grinder design. The (doserless) Versalab grinder is virtually clump-free, and even the lowly (doserless) KitchenAid Pro grinder, with its vertically mounted burrs, shows very little clumping.

Canuck wrote:I use the WDT for two (maybe three) purposes - breaking up clumps, distribution (it's become an art), and fluffing up the grinds (not sure that has a positive impact).

I use "fluffing" primarily to downdose. Let's say you have dosed a small mound of grinds into the basket, and then apply the WDT: stir, remove the yogurt cup funnel, and level. If you now restir the grinds (without the funnel) and relevel, you may be able to downdose by several grams. I find this easier than trying to level below the rim of the basket.