Today I had (as an exception) half of the beanhopper filled with beans. I noticed (or so I think) a better grind then with only a few beans in the hopper. More even and 'fluffy'. Also the taste was better.

Is it true that one gets better grind when the hopper is (half) filled rather then a little amount beans for a single dose?

See A Tamper is Too Heavy for Grinder Anti-Popcorn Remedy for a discussion on burr load.

If it's better to you, it's better

Only anecdotal experience to bring; I have not done any experimental testing:

In my experience with the Vario, pop-corning is very limited. I first began to use it as a single dose (weight than grind) but wanted to make use of the timer functionality.

I currently put just enough beans to cover the finger/"pop-corning" protector, and grind by time for a double. This leaves just a few beans at the hopper's collar, which are used in the next session. I found that the grounds weight is almost the same, either with the hopper filled as described or with more beans (up to a half hopper).

Therefore, I would say that grounds should be then same either way: if the amount (weight) of grounded beans is constant for a fixed amount of time, the quality should not change either...

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Louis

actionhost wrote:Is it true that one gets better grind when the hopper is (half) filled rather then a little amount beans for a single dose?

None of the fairly frequent taste tests has shown a difference in taste. But ...

Many like the appearance of the grinds from a filled hopper more, claiming it is fluffier and easier to pack. Many find the grind adjustments easier with a filled hopper. Filled hoppers always require coarser grind settings than single shot dosing, and have significantly faster grind times. My guess is that these ergonomic improvements subliminally affects people's taste judgments.

The ergonomic improvements alone mean that if you are using the same coffee at the same dose repeatedly, it is mostly preferable to use a filled hopper. Single dosing is for those frequently changing blends or grind settings between shots

Thanx guys! So maybe a little difference but not a whole lot! I will try a filled hopper the coming days and see if the difference remains.

Sorry for getting into this one late. I found the BV's grind to be somewhat inconsistent unless you have about an inch of beans or more in the hopper. It's not a huge difference, but with about 1-2 shots to go the flow rate will increase noticably unless you tighten the grind.