Grind for Elektra Microcasa a Leva

[Kaisa]

Hello all,

As the proud owner of a micro casa a leva for some 3 weeks now, I throw myself at the feet of the lever masters and beg for enlightenment as to fineness (or otherwise) of grind for this machine.

I've read that another micro casa owner who has a Rocky uses a setting of 6-7 on this grinder. I live in a very high humidity area, (the tropical rainforest, actually) and I only get reasonable crema showing up on a grind setting of 12 (+ or - depending on weather). I've tried 6-7 and I just get black swill with grease blobs on top.

So what is the consensus regarding grind for this machine? Does the micro casa generally require a fine grind or no? How variable can it be - could it be right that I use a setting of 12 on my Rocky and across the globe it's 6 or 7? Am I missing something? What settings do you use on your grinder? Somebody say something!


Kaisa

[HB]

I use ~14.5 grams of coffee (very little puck-to-dispersion screen clearance) and whatever grind setting results in a flow faster than drip-drip-drip and slower than a continuous stream. My preference is low volume ristrettos from the Microcasa (1.0 - 1.25 ounces). Mark's detailed review gives step-by-step instructions. To your specific question, humidity plays a big part in the grind setting, as I learned in spades during my vacation at the beach.

Comparing grind settings is tricky business since the humidity is just the beginning. The age and type of beans, particular grinder, and taste prefererence are only a few of the variables. However, if I had to guess, I would pick around five clicks above Rocky's true zero (where the burrs touch) as a starting point. The highest setting I recall for my Rocky DL was around 10, so you see that you're already "off the charts" relative to the very untropical North Carolina. My best advice is read Mark's review, use fresh beans, pull ristrettos, and most importantly, enjoy the ritual even when the result isn't yet what you hoped for.

[Kaisa]

Many thanks. I have studied Mark's review much - but will again.

I have just pulled a wonderful shot - must be after having touched the mantle of the Lever Masters... I'm amazed at how great the difference in grinder settings can be in different climes and with different coffees.