Hi everyone, I am a budding espresso enthusiast making the first step from a cheap consumer espresso maker using pre-ground coffee from the supermarket.

I have got myself a second hand Mazzer Super Jolly but it has grinds caked into it from the first day of operation and it has seemingly NEVER been cleaned during its long and hard life as a commercial loan/rental machine.

I expected to be able to find clear step by step guides with good photos somewhere on the internet detailing the operation of deep cleaning the machine, but haven't found anything yet that I would be comfortable diving into as a newbie.

Here are my main questions having taken down the grinding well as far as the bottom assembly:

1. What is the easiest and best way to remove the bottom assembly? I have seen this method mentioned on Home Barista using long bolts being sequentially screwed in to lift the assembly - is it a good method?



2. Is returning this assembly after cleaning a difficult proposition? And do I risk doing damage if I attempt to remove and clean below the bottom assembly?

3. When replacing the grind adjustment ring, how many turns am I supposed to take it before inserting the safety limiting screw? What stops me from accidentally turning the top burr to make CONTACT with the bottom burr?

4. And while I have read that taking the doser apart completely is a risky job due to fragile parts, is there a guide you can point me to which goes through taking SOME of the doser apart (the non-fragile bits) to give this a better clean?

Google has provided me with insufficient information so I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

I am obviously not the most mechanically minded person but can do a *basic* disassemble and reassemble job if given a decent instruction set and good photos. Thanks

What you wanna do is get rid of that attitude, since it's only gonna mess things up for you. When dealing with mechanical stuff you kinda need a "can-do" attitude since everything is going to be so much simpler. And for ease of reassembly, take your time when taking stuff apart, don't rush and take lot's of pictures with a digital camera. Also spreading out the taken apart stuff on an A4 laid out like a blow-up diagram makes understanding the pictures easier... ^^

Ok but do you have any answers?

I don't know how best to remove that bottom assembly, and if there are any special things I need to know about for replacing this?

ahmadnz wrote:I expected to be able to find clear step by step guides with good photos somewhere on the internet detailing the operation of deep cleaning the machine, but haven't found anything yet that I would be comfortable diving into as a newbie.

So this presents an "opportunity" for you, right?

1. What is the easiest and best way to remove the bottom assembly? I have seen this method mentioned on Home Barista using long bolts being sequentially screwed in to lift the assembly - is it a good method?

Yes.

2. Is returning this assembly after cleaning a difficult proposition? And do I risk doing damage if I attempt to remove and clean below the bottom assembly?

Hint: Don't use the one of the doser vanes for leverage when removing the nut that secures said doser vane spindle, the vane will break (don't ask how I know ). Aside from the aluminum-cast parts, the rest are sturdy enough to suffer rough handling.

3. When replacing the grind adjustment ring, how many turns am I supposed to take it before inserting the safety limiting screw? What stops me from accidentally turning the top burr to make CONTACT with the bottom burr?

See How to find a grinder's true zero (the instructions for Rocky/Mazzer are the same).

4. And while I have read that taking the doser apart completely is a risky job due to fragile parts, is there a guide you can point me to which goes through taking SOME of the doser apart (the non-fragile bits) to give this a better clean?

You may find Mazzer Mini Component Photos helpful; it includes disassembly tips.

ahmadnz wrote:I don't know how best to remove that bottom assembly, and if there are any special things I need to know about for replacing this?

There are four screws that hold the doser on. Two are located to the immediate left/right of the exit chute. The other two are also inside the doser, directly below the exit chute.

Hi HB and THANKS for your answers

Re: Question 2 above, I think you misunderstood.

I was wondering if there were any tricks or pitfalls to watch for in putting the bottom assembly back in place once removed using the long bolts method.

Or is it simply a case of pushing it back down?

ahmadnz wrote:Or is it simply a case of pushing it back down?

I haven't removed the bottom carrier, but others report that the shaft is ever so slightly tapered. Tightening the center bolt will re-seat the bottom carrier.

Dan, does one really need to remove the bottom burr assembly for a good cleaning? I never did with my used Mini, and I was able to get it clean.

As far as screwing the top burr carrier on again, you want to screw it on until the burrs do touch, then back off some.

sweaner wrote:Dan, does one really need to remove the bottom burr assembly for a good cleaning? I never did with my used Mini, and I was able to get it clean.

If the grinder smelled of rancid oils after a "normal" cleaning, then I'd think about it; otherwise I don't think it's worth the trouble

I remembered finding this in an older post. Pictorial of doser disassembly.
http://www.kaffee-netz.de/reparatur-und-wartung/18436-mazzer-mini-dosierer-zerlegen-und-reinigen-teil-1-a.html

Hi,

JohnB. wrote:I can see removing the lower burr to clean under it but why remove the entire burr carrier? Is there a space under there where grinds collect?

John you would be surprised to see what sits under the lower burr carrier in grinders that haven't been cleaned at all for a few years. Here's a photo of what the lower burr carrier looked like on my used Major:



It was like rubber and very hard to remove, not to mention that it looked awful and smelled terribly.

Regards,
dsc.

Gosh, I think I need to be a bit more compulsive about cleaning the grinder.