Setting up a Le'Lit PL53 with a (precision) timer?

[aindfan]

So in my search for more and more precision in my very entry level setup (as of today complete with a digital scale and finally an 18g basket), I remembered something that I saw downtown at Joe: The Art of Coffee on 13th Street. They had some sort of timer device with two LED number displays (I'm assuming each showed the time for its respective grinder). The Barista hit a button and the Mazzer started up, running for exactly that amount of time.

Currently, my morning shot involves two scoops of beans into the grinder (hoping that the dose is similar to the previous day's), grinding, then knocking on the grinder to get anything I can out of the chute. I'm looking to start keeping the hopper filled and take out the extra thirty seconds of opening the bag, scooping, and closing the bag (ok, so I can live with it, but I'm going for extra consistency here).

Does anyone know of such a device that would allow me to set the grind time (preferably in tenths of a second, but seconds could probably be fine) so I could hold down the button on the grinder, start the timer, and allow the grinder to run for that time? The simplest approach would probably involve a timer between the wall outlet and the grinder, but if I recall correctly there may be issues with the motor acting as an inductor and frying the switch when it opens.

A search of EPNW's site for "timer" didn't come up with anything too promising, but I did find this. Too bad I have no idea how to wire/program it (at first glance, at least).

As of now, I don't want to open up the Le'Lit and look for ways to rewire it with the timer installed, but I won't rule that out completely.

Thanks in advance for the helpful tips, as always!

[HB]

The cafe dosing timers are typically 0.1 second accuracy because of the speed of the grinder (e.g., a Robur grinds a double in less than 8 seconds). I think the PL53 grinds slowly enough that you could estimate accurately enough yourself. But if you want to try a timer, search eBay "darkroom timer" for lots of inexpensive choices. Remember to double check that the timer is properly rated for your grinder's Wattage.

[aindfan]

Thanks for pointing me in that direction. From what I can see, the cheapest thing at B&H Photo is the $90 timer here (a bit expensive), but the stuff on ebay looks like about $20-$50. The one issue I'm worried about is the switching - as far as I know the darkroom timers are designed for turning a light on and off and not for a motor. I'm probably overthinking it, though.

Now that I have the scale I can probably just use my watch to match up grind time with the dose size. I might grind into a separate container, verify weight, and stir into the PF after that (as the PF is too heavy for the 100g scale).

Thanks again! I've got new beans coming in at the beginning of the next week (no sense changing my technique now and wasting my last few shots of Black Cat) so I'll try this in a few days.

[Randy G.]

.....as far as I know the darkroom timers are designed for turning a light on and off and not for a motor. I'm probably overthinking it, though.

You could use a less expensive timer that triggers a solid state relay.

[HB]

Er, a brief moment for a sanity check. From 1st-line:

The powerful 150-watt motor is engaged through the use of a microswitch that you can press your portafilter right up against and get freshly ground coffee directly into your portafilter.

Any timer can handle a 150 Watt motor. The ones for darkrooms are typically rated at a minimum of 600 Watts.

[cafeIKE]

I have one of these Omega / LPL ET-500.

500w / 0.1s resolution / 0.1-99.9s / 1-999s

Extensive tests with LaCimbali Max Hybrid, Macap MC4 and Gran Macinino [probably a close cousin to the Le'Lit] all return poor repeatability, about ±1g after discarding the outliers and using a BBQ skewer to clean out the chutes. Hoppers contained ¼ to ½ pound to minimize variation due to bean mass over burrset. If changing coffees frequently, say every ½ pound, its worth is somewhat diminished.

Max is quite fast and I use 0.5s increments to compensate for coffee and grind changes.

It's a usefull tool and I use it because I can grind without "standing around like the village idiot," to quote one of our glitterati.