Suggestions for new Mazzer Mini E owner

[jamiedolan]

I went through a long decision making process looking at new grinders. It came down to the Mazzer Mini e Doserless Mod A or the Max Hybrid. Despite some of the technical advantages the Max Hybrid offers, I ended up getting the Mazzer.... (it is the one my wife says looks better).

I am sure I won't be disappointed with the mazzer. It should come on Wednesday.

Any suggestions on things I should read over before the new Mazzer shows up? Any suggestions on getting it dialed in?

Thanks

Jamie

[HB]

Here's the trick I've mentioned a few times for dialing in a grinder: Grind a sample and pinch it between your fingers. It should feel much coarser than flour, but finer than salt. The grinds should stick together slightly; if the beans are fresh and the grounds don't adhere together, it's too coarse. If the grounds hold a fingerprint impression, it's too fine. If the coffee is fresh, you'll feel the moisture in the beans. If you don't, the grind setting is too coarse. Learning to judge the proper grind setting by feel will save you coffee, since the first extraction will already be in the ballpark.

Jim Schulman offers similar advice years ago for grind settings from Turkish to French press:

Generally, a quick way to check grinds is to pinch them between your fingers and feel how granular they are:

• Turkish: a powder, like flour.
• Espresso: very fine grained, like 10x sugar
• Drip (fine grind): like fine sand
• Medium Grind (vacuum pots, fast French Press, and cupping): a tad finer than table salt
• Coarse (for slow french press): between table and kosher salt.

You can go to a supermarket, buy some cheap beans, and grind them at the standard setting to get a feel.

Mazzer's factory "start here" sticker is reliable. Depending on your dosing preference and equipment, your final grind setting may at one of the end of the sticker or another. As a rough guide:

• If the shot chokes completely, move four notches coarser
• If the extraction dwell time is very long (more than 10 seconds) and the pour is slow, move 1 to 1.5 notches coarser
• If the extraction gushes forth with enthusiasm, move four notches finer, maybe even six
• If the extraction is too fast (e.g., 20 seconds from the pump start), move 1 to 1.5 notches finer
• For smaller increments once the pour times look reasonable, go by taste. You may want to experiment with "bracketing" 1/3 notch finer and 1/3 notch coarser, which is approximately 4 second of pour time.

Remember to purge several grams of coffee after each grind adjustment. The Mini E retains a fair amount behind its screen. If the grounds are clumpy and the pours uneven, try the WDT.

[jamiedolan]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the suggestions and the link to the Weiss article.

Jamie