Dancing beans

Grinders are one of the keys to exceptional espresso. Discuss them here.
NelisB
Posts: 970
Joined: 14 years ago

#1: Post by NelisB »

One of the problems of using a grinder without a hopper for single dosing are the jumping beans. You can put a tamper or cover on top to keep the beans inside. But the grind results are different from grinding with a filled hopper, you have to grind finer to get the same extraction. And I believe the grind results are better with the pressure of a filled hopper.

There are grinders built for single dosing, like the Kafateks, Lyn Webber EG-1 and HG-1, Malwani Livi, and others. They all have some kind of cover to keep the beans from jumping out. Now my question: would these grinders perform even better when they would have a column of beans on top of the burrs, pushing the beans in the right direction?

jwCrema
Supporter ❤
Posts: 1097
Joined: 11 years ago

#2: Post by jwCrema »

Your observation aligns with mine. I used to put a tamper in the throat of my Mazzer Major, but I find the grind is different since the tamper is heavier. So I have adapted a Mazzer Super Jolly hopper and use it to keep the beans from jumping around. And when the beans are jumping my experience aligns with yours - you either have to grind finer or keep more beans in the hopper. I'm to the point now that I can hear and see the difference when I'm down to the last few beans.

Interesting question - but I'm keeping the Major.

rmongiovi
Posts: 460
Joined: 17 years ago

#3: Post by rmongiovi »

I found a cork stopper whose wide end is just slightly smaller than the throat of my grinder at my local Ace hardware store. I turn it upside down and drop it on top of the beans and it keeps them from popcorning but it's not as heavy as a tamper (since it's just cork).

Marcelnl
Posts: 3831
Joined: 10 years ago

#4: Post by Marcelnl »

+1, I'm using a mini-mini hopper simply made up from some rolled up acetate bakers foil as I found that filling the throat makes the grind change towards the end of the first double (and the constant filling before the next dose gets annoying).
LMWDP #483