PTI on the PeDe love fest...
My KYM is a champ...60 turns for 15 grams. My former PeDe was wonderful as well, though the KYM goes way finer.
Question:
How often should a manual grinder be taken apart and cleaned?
Or is this one of those "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" sort of things.
No oily beans, and my shots are consistent.
TIA

I haven't cleaned any of mine since I got them, other than to brush them out with a stiff paintbrush. A suppose a little bit of old grinds finds its way into every espresso I make, but it can't be much.

I've been home all weekend with a cold, so I've pulled out a pair of pocket Dienes', the 88 and the 530 (now offically ID'd as such). I've been grinding beans from the good old USA, some PT's and Caffe Umbria, generously mailed by Hal P. Its been great to have some fresh roasts.

I've also got a pocket KYM, but have not had a chance to clean it up so its not in service. I've already shown these photos, but since this is a photo-essay:

My KYM is a bit camera-shy, as she a bit "plain-spoken."
No curved sides, simple logo, unassuming. She just grinds the heck out of any bean I pour into her.

So you have officially Id'ed it as a 530? Cool, so basically theyre the same line of PeDe grinders. If your is anything like mine, it grinds like a dream, and powder fine if thats what you want? I plan on using my 550 for my new machine purchase, a QM Anita. I think I may be one of the only people to operate a Prosumer level HX machine, with a hand grinder.

But idc, its either Anita and the 550, or a Bezzerz BZ07/NS Oscar and new grinder. I dont want to settle for a machine Im not totally stoked about, so Ill just get a grinder down the road. Im not worried about fineness, as she should handle it no prob, but maybe the shots will be brighter, as some have reported does happen with small conicals.


Peacecup,
Have yuo noticed that if you grind a light roast, like city or city+, that it wont be able to grind nearly as fine as it can say, a fullcity+ or more? Not a huge problem, most of my espresso roasts are full city+ or a light Vienna.

but in absolutley any case, Hand grinder totally rule! Ive been trying to snag another from orphan, but theyre going quick lately! MAybe I should stop suggesting hand grinders to newb's when they ask "do I really have top spend 500 etc etc etc"

Ahh well, as used Major will always do the trick as well. Dont worry though fellas, Im a hand grinder guy till the end. Its just my machine/pallate may demand a larger conical, or a large flat burr set. Hope not!

Kudos
Jeff

Hate to spoil the fun but PC's 5x0 isn't a 530. I've got a 530 and it looks a little different.


Don't pay attention to the screws on the side in the last pic. The previous owner thought the PeDe needed some bling.
I like the narrower grinders for being able to dose directly from the drawer without spoons or other things.
Btw, i've got a metal drawer. Strange that the 550 has a wooden drawer.

Seems a good opportunity to finally post some pictures about the Norpro canning funnel (Amazon, $7.99) I use to neatly get ground coffee from my hand grinder's drawer to a 58mm basket.

I hope the pictures are self explanatory; if not, please ask any questions you may have. Bottom line is that this method is quick and neat... and requires no WDT or leveling. Once finished, I just tamp and go.







Quick explanation for this next image. I grab onto the funnel with my fingers ending up at the base of the funnel where I can grab onto the filter basket. I lift the whole assembly, give it a couple swirls (circular movement of funnel) and the coffee settles nicely into the basket. What you see here is 18 grams.


Again, just tamp and go. This by the way was an SO shot using Yrgacheffe. Brilliant.

I should also mention that this funnel fits perfectly inside the lower portion of the small cocktail shaker I also use. This works great when I'm pulling a shot with my La Pavoni lever (the 58mm basket is for my Andreja). I've posted pictures of the resulting coffee pile using the funnel and shaker... Great results there too. If I could just remember what that discussion was here...

The metal funnel looks great (so does the old Zass box mill). It should also help to eliminate static if you have any. I sometimes stir lightly with the back end of a steel coffee scoop to reduce static. Also, waiting a minute after grinding helps.

I've now seen two types of Dienes 530's, the kind with the lip that bluecold shows, and the type without, in my photo. I took my ID off another one I say in DE, without the lip, plus the faint numbers beneath mine.

I have not noticed a difference in grinding light vs. dark beans, but I have found that dark beans require a finer grind to achieve the same pressure. Try pulling a shot with a french roast sometime - its really difficult to choke the machine.

PC

Jack,

Yes, the funnel does help with static a bit, though it still is an issue with the Zass. Interestingly, with my Armin Trosser and the same beans... no static.

The Zass (Mokka) is fantastic. Not sure of its age (anyone who can help, I'd appreciate it... I can take more pictures), but it appeared to have never been used when I got it (eBay about a month ago). Still had the hang tag and instruction book. I'm sure it would have been best, from a collector's standpoint, to keep it in a "virgin" state, but I couldn't do that. I did some non-scientific comparisons between it and my Cimbali Max Hybrid using Klatch Belle Espresso this last weekend. Zass seemed to produce a more laid-back shot which I preferred.

Bob, thanks for reminding us of this particular funnel for this application (and to Jeff "Spresso_Bean" who first suggested the possibility); your photos take the tip even further by demonstrating its value for all to see. It's a particularly elegant example of a serendipitous symbiosis.

I'm loving this thread, as its value increases with virtually every post. HB. What more can one say?