Thanks everyone for the help. I think I solved the problem by being a little more astute. I put a piece of white tape just below the gears to help adjust. On one tooth of the gears I put some whiteout. The tape is numbered in half turn increments. This tape covers my espresso grind from the most course to the finest grinds I'm likely to use. This is only about an inch long piece of tape.

So now I can write on each jar of coffee, the number that produces the 20 second shot.

Bottom line, I was probably confused and needed a more accurate way of looking at my grind level. Seems like grinders should have a pointer for more accurate adjustments and repeatability.

... Akiley

It is always best when making changes to your grind with any grinder to run more than one shot before making a determination to adjust even more. The first shot you pull will usually not be the same as the second after you make an adjustment.

To add to what Chris said... If you keep a load of beans in the grinder(not adding per shot), then when you make a grind change, before you pull the shot, it would be good practice to purge/grind some coffee through, because there will coffee at your previous grind setting not only in the chute, but in the burrs and burr chamber, and possibly in the doser. The suggestion often seen on retailers websites to only make grind changes when the grinder is grinding,(to avoid mashing the burrs into the bean between them when going finer), effectively purges the grinder as well.

Some grinders do have a notch, or marking of some sort, on the grinders body, that you can use as a reference point for your grind. Owners of grinders with no such marking usually make their own, in some way or another.

akiley wrote:Thanks everyone for the help. I think I solved the problem by being a little more astute. I put a piece of white tape just below the gears to help adjust. On one tooth of the gears I put some whiteout. The tape is numbered in half turn increments. This tape covers my espresso grind from the most course to the finest grinds I'm likely to use. This is only about an inch long piece of tape.

So now I can write on each jar of coffee, the number that produces the 20 second shot.

Bottom line, I was probably confused and needed a more accurate way of looking at my grind level. Seems like grinders should have a pointer for more accurate adjustments and repeatability.

... Akiley

I know this is an old thread, but I wonder if you could post a pic of this? THANKS!!!

With my stepped M4, I put some masking tape on the side of that plastic ring and marks for each click, and a number so I know where I'm at.

Pic of my current unit.

Got parts and ring from Jim at 1st-line

Pointer made out of an adjustable shelf holder:



Pointer and worm drive: