I recently bought a used Nuova Simonelli MDSA grinder that I was told was may be 10 years old. It looked in great shape, identical to the current model on their website. No surprise, it was clogged with old coffee. I cleaned the burrs, threads, chute and doser as best I could, although it still retained a smell of "old stale coffee". It seems to grind well and can easily be adjusted to grind the beans too fine for my Rancilio Silvia. The problem is that my espresso from this grinder tastes "burnt" and "thin" and the crema is a dark cinnamon chocolate color with little height. I thought I was upgrading from my little Capresso Infinity grinder, but the Capresso made a much better tasting espresso from Ms Silvia then the Nuova Simonelli. The burrs (65mm, flat) look fine to the naked eye and the ground beans look consistent in size without clumping. Do the burrs need to be replaced, is there something I am doing wrong or was my great deal really a folly?
Thanks

Soma wrote:Do the burrs need to be replaced, is there something I am doing wrong or was my great deal really a folly?

Given that the grinder was clearly run hard, not well maintained, and the symptoms you describe indicate worn burrs (burnt, thin crema), yes, I would replace the burrs without delay.

Thanks Dan,
I suspected it might need new burrs. It was used in a little priviate school's cafe so I didn't think it saw all that much action. I was just reluctant to sink another $80-$100 into it unless it would produce a great grind. A friend has a La Pavoni grinder that I used with my Rancilio Siliva when I first got it and was able to produce godshots; sweet, complex, earthy, creamy sips of delight. That is what I was hoping for with the Nuova Simonell. The Capresso grinder (now broken) produced acceptable results but never the mouthful of heaven that the La Pavoni did. Will the Nuova Simonell be able to grind this well with new burrs or should I take my money and invest it in a better grinder?
Thanks,
Michael

It is possible there still may be junk hung up in your grinder. Before investing that $80 - $100 in a new burr set, try spending $22 on some Grindz. Perhaps that may alleviate your burnt taste issue.

Soma wrote:I suspected it might need new burrs. It was used in a little priviate school's cafe so I didn't think it saw all that much action.

In 7 years I replaced the burrs in a Rocky twice (that's three sets in 7 years). Each time I could taste the difference when the burrs were replaced. That 10 year old grinder probably does need new burrs. if nothing else, if you change the burrs and then sell it, you can say that it has new burrs.

Thanks for the suggestions,
I just ordered a new set of burrs. It turns out that my grinder was really a re-badged Rossi RR45. The burrs were $46 which is no problem. I looking to tasting the results once the new burrs are installed.

Michael

I would give it a good cleaning while you have it apart. It sounds like it had a hard life. if they used dark oily beans, those old rancid/burnt/carbon tasting oils will adhere to the grinders insides like glue. It may be worthwhile to invest $8 in some Urnex Café WIPZ. Give the inside of the grinding chamber a thorough scrubbing along with the doser.

Thanks Dave,
Cleaning the grinder with product is new to me, I'm use to just occasionally brushing out the burrs from my now defunct Capresso. Is Urnex Café WIPZ a better way to go then Grindz? Is there a household product that will work (nearly) as well? I looked up the WIPZ, it was a cationic surfactants (http://www.scienceinthebox.com/en.../sibd-6341045.html) which is commonly used in fabric softeners & bathroom cleaners. I'm trying to minimize my out of pocket costs till I decide if this beast is worth keeping; it is big and the wife would love to see it go away and the counter space re-appear. When the new burrs arrive, if it takes me closer to a godshot it stays, otherwise, bye-bye.
Michael

I have not used them but Dan (HB) has a positive opinion of them. When I rebuilt my Cimbali Max, I completely disassembled it and washed it all in JoeGlo to get the same effect.

Soma wrote:Is there a household product that will work (nearly) as well?

If it's apart, I've had good results from 91% isopropanol from the drug store along with Q-tips and pipe cleaners.

Best,
David