Grinder maintenance

[Brian_Prewett]

Hi all you experts from a newbie. I have a Gaggia grinder, I think a type MM, which may need new grinder bits (burr wheels ?).

When I grind on a fine setting the result turns to mud in the coffee machine (also Gaggia) and the water just drips through..

Has anyone done this ? Where can I get the parts and maybe some advice on doing the job?

All comments appreciated,

Cheers . . . . Brian

[Dimal]

Re: Grinder maintenance

Hi all you experts from a newbie. I have a Gaggia grinder, I think a type MM, which may need new grinder bits (burr wheels ?).

When I grind on a fine setting the result turns to mud in the coffee machine (also Gaggia) and the water just drips through..

Has anyone done this ? Where can I get the parts and maybe some advice on doing the job?

All comments appreciated,

Cheers . . . . Brian

Hi Brian,

First things first... Welcome to CoffeeSnobs [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Unfortunately, this low-end grinder from Gaggia doesnt have a very good reputation as a grinder for Espresso. Read Alan Frews comparison and comments here... http://tinyurl.com/cqlpz.

As far as I know though, the burr set on the Gaggia MM can be replaced and perhaps a trip to the distributors website will help you locate and buy a set, here... www.shriro.com.au. If you are really serious about producing quality espressos though, you will need to think about upgrading to a more purposeful grinder and these can be had new from about $230.00 and up... well, you know what they say, the skys the limit :P.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to one of our Site Sponsors about grinders and Im sure you will be given good, unbiased, professional advice. And then, when youre ready to buy, you will also get a good deal as a CoffeeSnobs member. Hope this helps you out a little ...

Cheerio,
Mal.

[AndyCJ]

Re: Grinder maintenance

Mals on the money I think.  Ive got a Gaggia Carezza, and a Saeco grinder (MC2002 I think the model is). And I have to set it as almost the lowest setting to stop the machine just pouring through. It as 15 settings, and I use 1.5.

Most conical burr grinders will do the job, and I got mine cheap, so when it goes Ill upgrade for sure. The Lux or Ibertal Challenge offer pretty good grinding for the lower end price bracket, I think the Ibertal has the same internals as the LUX, but with a stepless drive, which is why its a bit more.

Check the web, read reviews (Alans are excellent and give you and idea of the complexities of grinders) and good luck.

[fatboy_1999]

Re: Grinder maintenance

When I grind on a fine setting the result turns to mud in the coffee machine (also Gaggia) and the water just drips through..

Brian,

Sometimes a machine choking or not being able to get water through the portafilter, can be caused by too fine a grind.

I might not be interpreting correctly, but its probably worth trying a shot or 2 or a coarser grind to see what happens.

Brett.

[wattgn]

Re: Grinder maintenance

You can get a de Longhi KG100 for about $170 and the same grinder is sold by Starbucks for $129 and has a two year warranty.

Have a look.

If you have more money to spend, the best home grinder in my opinion is the Rocky Doserless which is built like a tank but is about $450, a bit expensive.

Grant

PS. The Gaggia MM is known NOT to be suitable for espresso

[Dimal]

Re: Grinder maintenance

Hmmm,

For the sake of another $50.00 or so, I dont think I would recommend the Solis 166, KG100, etc for use making espresso. If you already have one, it can do the job at a stretch but considering other options that are available, it would not be on my short-list of recommendations.

Regarding the suggestion from "fatboy" that the MM could be set too fine... that is a possibility. It is more likely though that the burr set has worn down to the extent that all it is capable of producing is "dust" as a result of rubbing between the burrs, not cutting.

Cheers,
Mal.