Is lubricant *actually* necessary for grinder maintenance?

#1: Post by **Sour** » August 12th, 2021, 7:59 pm

Hi,

I've been running my EK without any lubricant for a while now with no apparent downsides. I wipe down and remove all residue from the parts every so often and find everything runs with little to no friction. I'm only able to see upsides apart from a little more noise.

Anyone have any insight into this? Let me know If this has any detrimental effect on grinders in general or the caliber of the grind.

Thanks.

#2: Post by **Pressino** » August 13th, 2021, 12:17 pm

Where do you think lubricant should be applied? The only place I'm aware of would be the threads of the grind adjustment burr holder (usually the upper in most electric grinders) and nowhere else...and these threads can be lubed with a small amount of a food-grade grease, like Molykote 111. The other bearings are sealed and don't need to be lubed during routine maintenance. The reason to use a small amount of lube on the burr holder threads is that these undergo frequent adjustment. I think this applies to threaded adjustment mechanisms made of similar metals. The need for lubrication may be lessened when a metal threads are mated to threads with lubricity provided by the mechanism's materials (eg Teflon).

#3: Post by **Eiern** » August 13th, 2021, 12:36 pm

I think for very light home use it's not as important, but I always lube up my EK when I put it together. Metal on metal carrier on shaft and carrier to faceplate bearing ring thing, and a good amount on the shear plate to keep it silent and in place.

It would be nice to not have to, but then you shouldn't have to open it up so often for home use either, especially if doing light roast.