Hi Home Baristi(e),

I decided to make Mazzer Super Jolly doser to doserless custom modification and I documented the process and hopefully this report can help somebody who is attempting something similar. All the credit goes to the guy who wrote the instructions I used (linked further down) and this post is merely a report of my experience following said instructions.

I recently bought a serious upgrade from my Hario Skerton in terms of a Mazzer Super Jolly that came with a doser. I love the consistency of the grinds, the speed, looks and weight of the machine but since I only use it for 1 or 2 espressos per day the doser seemed like a very clunky and wasteful solution for me. First I was looking for Mazzer stock parts to replace the doser but a) I realized the original Mazzer funnel is ridiculously expensive for what it is and b) I couldn't find the parts locally in China which would have added shipping costs (more expensive) and possibly extra taxes (even more expensive!!!). So I turned to the internet and searched the forums and blogs and found this link:

http://www.coffee-channel.com/2013/05/h ... unnel.html

That seemed to be pretty much what I wanted:

1. Doserless (duh!)
2. Somewhat simple to execute
3. Cheap (the funnel cost me 35 RMB ~= $5.5 USD)
4. Reversible
5. Looks like a stock funnel (or similar enough)

Said and done, I ordered a funnel like this one from Taobao (sort of an EBay/Amazon site in China that has everything (yes, everything!) if you know how to search for it):


http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a23 ... q35k8d94bf

Following the instructions from the link above I easily bent off the spring driven "plug" contraption inside the funnel with a screwdriver and pliers. It popped off quite easily with just a little force. Next I wedged a thin screwdriver between the handle and funnel and popped it off. The handle was slightly more challenging but not too bad. I applied a little bit of force and once I managed to get in between the joints I used a hammer to tap the screwdriver further in with medium hard taps. Eventually the soldered joints gave way. In total I think there was 8 small joints or so around the handle and 2 larger ones holding the spring-plug contraption in place.

Next I took off the doser from the machine which was easy enough with only 4 screws/bolts attaching it to the machine (I had removed the screen covering the grinder chute before), 2 small screws at the top and 2 larger ones at the back/base.



Here is a photo comparing the sizes of the doser and funnel (this photo taken after cutting and drilling the holes).



With the doser detached, I again following the instructions from the link and draw a small diagram. For anybody following this guide, I can't stress enough to be careful during this step. I wasn't too careful and a lot of time would have been saved by being more careful during the drawing of where to cut/drill. More on this later.



The funnel has a small trim around the top and the SJ has a small ledge that this trim can rest on. It also gives just about the right height of the funnel, although maybe just a tad too long. I tried to account for this height when applying the diagram onto the funnel. Also here I should have been more careful.

Anyhow, with a handle-less funnel with small markings in one hand I realized I needed tools to cut the grinder chute hole for my other hand. I happen to live close to an area in Shanghai that has tons of small hardware stores for all kinds of stuff. (Along Beijing Dong Lu if you happen to know the area.) So I bought one of these machines, cause I figured it would be small and easy to handle and should be able to cut metal with precision:



After coming home and trying it out I found that I could barely make a dent in the funnel let alone cut through. Technically I guess I could probably have inched my way forward but it was super tough and when trying to up the RPM (it's adjustable) to cut faster the disks tended to spin off which seemed really dangerous. I called it quits for the day.

(Side question to you hardware experts who happen to read this: First of all, what are these type of machines called exactly? Since I now own this machine, what are they normally used for? I think that I can maybe try to find some sanding bits or brushes and use it to sand off some rust from the inside of the bottom plate on my Europiccola. Would this be an applicable use-case for this device?)

Somewhat annoyed that I had spent money on a machine that I couldn't use I figured I needed a more powerful device to cut the hole. I had thought that an angle grinder would be too big and difficult to cut such a small hole but since the failure of the previous tool I thought ample power would be more important and decided give an angle grinder a try but be very careful while cutting. So I went out and bought one. Both machines cost me about 200 RMB (~32 USD) each so it wasn't too bad. Turns out it the angle grinder was quite easy to work with precision, but man, these are powerful machines and it was pretty scary to cut initially. I was wearing protective glasses and ear plugs but I wished I also had protective gloves. Anyhow, it was really fast to cut the 4 sides of the hole and it went quite smooth.



After this I decided to drill the holes. I already had a power drill and metal drill bits so I figured it should be easy. The difficult part is drilling where I had marked. I realized before even trying that I had to either secure the funnel or the power drill or preferably both. I happen to have a drill stand but it's old and rusty and is a bit jerky (due to the rust) when pressing down.



But I had to make to work so I tried to drill the holes with this stand and holding the funnel with my hand. It was still super difficult and the drill bit was skidding all over the surface. I tried to punch a mark with pointy tool (I don't know what these tools are called) but even then it was difficult to drill exactly. It took quite some time before I managed to press down and drill through. For anybody reading this, I would advise to try to secure the funnel first.

OK, at this point I pretty much thought that all I had left to do was to file down the uneven parts from the cuts and screw the funnel onto the machine, grind and pull a shot and live happily ever after. Not so fast!

I went back and checked how the funnel holes I've just created were lining up against grinder chute and the screw holes. It was way off: The grinder chute was way too small and not exactly centered but by just making it bigger I could salvage the situation. The drill holes were worse, entirely off, especially the height was way off when the funnel trim was resting on the ledge. I had no choice but to go back to re-cut and drill new holes. Again, the cutting was quick and fine and I just wished I had gone with the angle cutter from the start. The holes were more difficult to drill. The new holes needed to be very close to the old ones and when trying to drill, especially with my rusty/jerky drill stand it was super difficult to drill the holes correctly. It took me ages to get the holes were I wanted them and could drill without sliding into the previous hole but eventually I managed.



With new holes I came back and checked the fitting again. The cute hole was perfect fit now but the screw holes were still a bit off. This was because I couldn't drill close enough to the old holes. In the end I took a round metal file and filed my way to were the real hold needed to be. If somebody inspects the details of this modification it will not win any beauty prices but it's all in the back and hidden and it has any impact on the performance of the machine. But let's just say it could have been done better.



I say it again, for anybody attempting this type of mod, take your time and measure everything exactly before drilling/cutting and do it right the first time. Totally worth the investment. I learned the hard way

Once I had filed the holes to where they needed to be I filled down all edges to make them smooth.

TADA, time to assemble and test! Surely I'd be able to drink the best espresso of my life in just a few minutes now...





So was it a success? It started out great. I started grinding and got excited as the basket started filling. Everything seemed great.



Then... nothing... What!? I checked in the funnel and turns out the bottom hole was not large for the amount of coffee coming out the chute. It clumped together and soon it was all blocked. I tried to cut an anti-static screen of an BBQ net to help prevent clumping but even when trying the screen I found that the end of the funnel hole is simply not big enough.



I had to take the funnel off again and brought out the angle cutter again. I chopped of approximately 15mm from the bottom of the funnel in one clear cut. (I really have started to appreciate the angle cutter and am glad I have one when I need it now.)



I filled the edges of the end of the funnel and assembled back onto the Mazzer.



I left the previously cut anti-static screen in place cause I figure it couldn't hurt.



I also used stool-feet-cushion buttons to let the original doser cover rest on, as the link above suggested.



Time to try.



Wow, I'm really happy with the result! These are the improvements I see so far:

1. Much better distribution in the basket. I got a lot more clumping with the doser. This doserless seems almost if not entirely clump free.
2. Much less waste. When the basket is filled up I stop grinding. Simple. With doser it's much more difficult to estimate how much to grind and when grinding too much it's wasted if you only drink 1 or 2 cups a day.
3. Easier to clean. I used to go over the doser with a toothbrush every time I used the grinder. I still do clean out the grinder chute but no need to clean the entire doser. I also feel it's slightly easier to get access to use a small vacuum to just suck the grinder chute clean when needed.

One negative point that I've noticed so far, that was a bit surprising to me, is that it seems to spray coffee more and some is missing the basket. I let the basket rest on the portafilter hook under the funnel but I might experiment to find a way of putting it higher and closer to the end of the funnel. Or try to find a small basket funnel of some sort. Right now I use a saucer under the basket to catch the spraying grounds. But it's not a big deal really.

Overall, I'm super happy with my mod so far, just like the guy whose instructions I've read. It looks great and solved my major problems I had with the grinder.

Finally, here is a photo of all the tools I used for this mod (and the observant can spot my assistant in a striking pink number)



Next improvement will be to make an engine cover plate that goes behind the funnel and protects the innards of the machine. The funnel covers pretty well, but I'd like to entirely close up the innards. Angle grinder to the rescue.... <to be continued>

Thank you for reading

I did that couple of years ago with an oem Mazzer funnel.http://s143.photobucket.com/user/echtem ... 5.jpg.html

I hated every aspect of it.
Much more clumping than with the doser and lots of coffee sticked to the inside of the funnel.

Sold it after two weeks and am happy with my dosered major.

The hand held machine you bought first is known as a Dremel. It takes various bits and disks to do small polishing,cutting projects.

Some serious thought, engineering, and fabrication work went into your change over.

VERY IMPRESSED....

I did something similar a while ago to my SJ though I used stock/OEM parts on my mod

Mazzer electronic doser kits

I have not had any issues with clumping or any other negative problems such as sticking coffee in the funnel after the switch over. Almost 9 months in and it is still working as it did the first day. Well worth the time, effort, and cost (for me anyway but as always YMMV)

My switch over involved a couple screwdrivers and a few hours of disassemble and reassembly as all parts were Mazzer parts and fit perfectly

espressotime wrote:I did that couple of years ago with an oem Mazzer funnel.http://s143.photobucket.com/user/echtem ... 5.jpg.html

I hated every aspect of it.
Much more clumping than with the doser and lots of coffee sticked to the inside of the funnel.

Sold it after two weeks and am happy with my dosered major.

I think I had actually read a post from you earlier saying you went back to doser so I was a bit worried when first trying it out. But after enlarging the exit hole, I didn't see any coffee sticking in the funnel. Perhaps because the angle of the walls are slightly more pointed downwards than the stock version, I don't know. I've had this mod installed for about 2 weeks now (it took me a while to write up the report) and I'm still super happy with it. The best part for me is that it's reversible so I can easily switch back to doser, should I change my mind in the future.

flathead1 wrote:The hand held machine you bought first is known as a Dremel. It takes various bits and disks to do small polishing,cutting projects.

Thank you, I had my suspicion that it was a Dremel but good to have it confirmed. I've bought some sanding bits and will try to attempt sand of some rust from the inside of my Europiccola in the near future.

turtle wrote:I have not had any issues with clumping or any other negative problems such as sticking coffee in the funnel after the switch over. Almost 9 months in and it is still working as it did the first day. Well worth the time, effort, and cost (for me anyway but as always YMMV)

I'm glad it worked out good for you and is still going strong. It reassures me as it seems people have had different experiences with doserless SJ. Thank you also for the kind words.