I can't recall if it's been addressed before, but how is the basket prep? Are folks needing WDT prior to pulling a shot?

I gotta say, I'm also pleased to be reading folks commenting positively about high EY on the much maligned conical burr type

UFGators wrote:I am another proud owner of the Monolith. This machine is everything that I could ever ask for in a high performance grinder for single dosing. I am get next to ZERO grams of retention and my grind/prep routine has been reduced to around 30 seconds. The proof of quality and workmanship is in the cup. The shots I have been making with this grinder are out of this world. I have been getting insane results with my refractometer as well. This, in my honest opinion, is the end all to high performace grinders at any price range. I cannot fathom any way that Kafatek could improve on this design and this grinder will be with me for a lifetime!

Jordan, did you really have to post that? Lol

I was hoping that I could ignore the monolith and be satisfied with a Sette 270.

Looks like it's more likely that my Vario and k10 are going to find new homes soon...

I know it's a bold statement but this is coming from a guy with constant upgraditis. I am a raving fan! Between the monolith and slayer I am finally satisfied. The only thing better than the monolith might be the monolith flat burr grinder. I think I'll have both lol.

TomC wrote:I can't recall if it's been addressed before, but how is the basket prep? Are folks needing WDT prior to pulling a shot?

I gotta say, I'm also pleased to be reading folks commenting positively about high EY on the much maligned conical burr type

This may change as the burrs break in, but I'm finding I have a choice between rdt or wdt at this point. Dosing funnel is a must.

UFGators wrote:I am another proud owner of the Monolith. This machine is everything that I could ever ask for in a high performance grinder for single dosing. I am get next to ZERO grams of retention and my grind/prep routine has been reduced to around 30 seconds. The proof of quality and workmanship is in the cup. The shots I have been making with this grinder are out of this world. I have been getting insane results with my refractometer as well. This, in my honest opinion, is the end all to high performace grinders at any price range. I cannot fathom any way that Kafatek could improve on this design and this grinder will be with me for a lifetime!

I am curious what kind of EY you've been getting with your refractometers and what brew parameters you use? How does it compare with your previous grinder?

I'm going to make do with a Ceado e37s while I wait for one of these. Time to retire the Vario now. Got the email from Denis. I'll pony up the dollars and wait for one to be made. This thread is not making me more patient.

This thread is ALMOST making me regret my EG-1 pre-order!

That being said, I really should just wait. I would be curious to see if anyone will have the ability to directly compare the two (or - more specifically - the flats).

boost wrote:I am curious what kind of EY you've been getting with your refractometers and what brew parameters you use? How does it compare with your previous grinder?

This morning I pulled two shots over 22 percent. Both were around 17.7g in 39g out with some of Temple Guchika AA Kenya espresso. I decided to brew some year old Italian style Essse and got 21.4 percent. I used a quick preinfusion instead of Slayer style shot with this italian blend and it was 14g in approx 24.4g out. This is higher than my previous grinder. I can get a higher yield with a lesser output. This means the TDS measurement is what is increasing. This all being said, I want to get some more Street Lever by Verve to run some more experiments since I am most familiar with it and have done countless tests with it.

This all being said, I also switched to a Kafatek sharp edged flat tamper. With my older grinder, a flat base would make me want to pull my hair out so I used a convex base. With the monolith, the Flat base is much easier to use. So basically my prep routine is much less and my shots are more on the money and I got really really good shots with my last grinder!

In summary, I believe this grinder helps me extract more because the grind is more uniform AND I am able to use a flat tamper base which also improves extraction yield. Make sense?

UFGators wrote: This all being said, I also switched to a Kafatek sharp edged flat tamper. With my older grinder, a flat base would make me want to pull my hair out so I used a convex base. With the monolith, the Flat base is much easier to use. So basically my prep routine is much less and my shots are more on the money and I got really really good shots with my last grinder!

I think the beveled sides of this tamper is the feature that stands out. It is the same feature that the Pergtamp has that lets the base have a larger circumference but not get stuck in the basket. If I didn't already already spend more money on a Pergtamp, I'd be all over this tamper.
Plus Denis sounds like he is into woordworking so can probably make a handle of whatever wood you want.

I just thought I would share some pictures from this morning to show what this grinder is able to do. This is a shot of Temple Coffee Guchika espresso. Slayer style shot 201F- VST 18g basket. 22 seconds pre brew, 40 seconds full brew- pulled back to pre brew to finish shot at 34-35g weight. For you guys that have a sharp eye, I rounded the TDS reading up to nearest tenth. The reading was 10.27