Getting a full metal burr set housing in a Gaggia MDF is a great deal. On the other hand, the flimsy doser isn't. I'm trying to make do with the grinder I have, in lieu of buying the one I want (a Mazzer Mini doserless), and anything I can do to bridge the gap would be great.

Has anyone removed the doser before? I think mine would serve me better if I could drop the grinds directly into my PF.

Besides removal of the doser, are there any other mods for the MDF that you've come across before?

Thanks,
Ed

I used a MDF for a while, it is a capable little machine but aside from cutting the finger guard off the doser, I have not heard of any other mods. If memory serves, the doser is cast as part of the front of the machine and can not simply be removed. I would also hesitate to remove it even if I could. The MDF grinds slow and extrudes the grinds from the grind chute creating rather large clumps. If you thwack the doser handle every 5 seconds while grinding, the movement of the doser veins will break up a large portion of those clumps.

My mod was to order a Mini and put the MDF up for sale.

cannonfodder wrote:My mod was to order a Mini and put the MDF up for sale.

Awww... I expected this conclusion. The Gaggia MDF really is a pretty low end grinder when placed next to the other ones that come up for discussion here on HB. Considering its cheap build and relatively low cost, I guess that it wouldn't deserve much tinkering.

And yes, I can imagine how a MDF "doserless" could kill via clumping, given that even with the help of doser "fluffing," out of the box MDFs give clumpy grinds.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this grinder.

Ed

You could make the grinder somewhat doserless (doser-bypassed?) by making a chute that would go from the burr exit area to the opening in the front of the doser chamber, sort of like a small slide. It wouldn't eliminate the chamber, but it's an idea. The only other modification worth trying (other than the finger guard removal already mentioned) is to make the grinder stepless which can be done in different ways. I've done mine by covering over the steps in the burr carrier and using the same spring tension that Mazzers use to prevent the burrs from slipping while grinding the beans. It worked great until the spring tension started to decrease and I've bought a Rocky and Cimbali Junior so I don't even use the MDF anymore. Haven't bothered to find better springs, but I don't think it would be too hard to fix. The MDF is a nice grinder for the price and I'd have a hard time getting rid of it.