here is an inexpensive timer mod. just follow the instructions here: http://auberins.com/images/Manual/Mazzer1.pdf
i bought a slightly different auber timer on ebay for $38, same result.
auber has a dedicated coffee equipment page here:http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6.
there is enough space in the left rear corner of the grinder, 1 millimeter below the capacitor.
below the main switch in the front right corner i installed 2 momentary switches ($4 each at radio shack). one switch is hooked up to the timer to start it, another switch hooked up to the relay/contactor for pulsing.

i marked the cutout for the timer, drilled holes at all 4 corners and made the actual cutting with a jigsaw rigged with a metal cutting blade, then cleaning up with a file.

altogether it took less then 3hours, research on that topic took much longer!

Neat!

Nice,
I've got a brandne Major with doser.
But the time I need to activate the grinder depends on the type of beans which also determines the adjustment of the grinder.Also the weather determines the grindadjustment of the grinder.
So with all of these variables what is the use of a timer?

Indian monsooned Malabar tends to block the chute a lot and I need to grind longer than with a Panama coffee for instance.

what is the use of a timer??? uh??
sorry, you lost me here....

Nice, Oliver! I've been wanting to do this to my Super Jolly for some time now (with the exact same controller). It's nice to see someone else do it first. I guess I have no excuses now!

I don't know what the point of alf alf's comment, since he could have said the same thing in a thread about Vario or any other doserless grinder. But maybe more productive: how do you set the desired time? I know it can be adjusted with the buttons on the unit, but can you grind manually to the amount you want and then have it remember that time? Do you see it being any more difficult for switching beans than it is when you are grinding manually?

On a side note: that finish looks gorgeous! I don't see any stickers/plates on the grinder so i have to ask, did you do the finish yourself? And if so, how?!

switching beans will be always a pain in the neck. you have to pre set a time on the timer. it's just a dumb box, just like a kitchen timer. when you grind manually how do you time it anyway? do you have a scale underneath the chute?

re the finish: i just went over with an oscillating sander going from 80 to 320, then switched over to scotch pads, brown, grey, white. then polishing with chrome polish. took maybe 3 hours.

@espressotime

FWIW, I've been using an Auber-based grinder timer since September, and it's incredibly useful _if_ you don't single-dose.

If you don't single dose, then you can get within a 1/2 gram of your target weight for a given hopper of beans depending on the grinder and its settings. This means that when you switch beans, you weigh the first few shots, adjust the time, and go from there. It's no different than tweaking the grinder adjustment. Bump it up or down until the shot is where you want it. (Weight isn't everything either given that bean density and basket choice, etc all come into it.)

@cafebmw, Nice work!

@cafebmw, where's the bimmer, BTW? I don't see it in the picture.

cafebmw wrote:switching beans will be always a pain in the neck. you have to pre set a time on the timer. it's just a dumb box, just like a kitchen timer. when you grind manually how do you time it anyway? do you have a scale underneath the chute?

re the finish: i just went over with an oscillating sander going from 80 to 320, then switched over to scotch pads, brown, grey, white. then polishing with chrome polish. took maybe 3 hours.

Good work. It looks really nice. I oughta get an oscillating sander. I have a vibrating sander and it don't work too well!

All my shots I eye-ball and check with a scale and adjust as needed. A timer would sure make this step require less attention. One can quickly overshoot and waste a good amount of coffee. I generally aim low and top it off. I could be mistaken but I thought one of those doserless grinders out there would record your grinding time when you use it manually and then set itself to that duration. I'm not sure how well it works though since again you would be eye-balling when to stop it. I can't even remember what grinder this was or if I dreamt it...

cafebmw wrote:re the finish: i just went over with an oscillating sander going from 80 to 320, then switched over to scotch pads, brown, grey, white. then polishing with chrome polish. took maybe 3 hours.

It turned out great. Seriously. When I first saw the pictures I really thought that it was factory made.