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Hello All,
I got my hands on a used (for many years) Mini-E that was choking (motor stalling) when the grind was made fine enough for espresso. It previously worked well for years within the same setup, and the setting it was on was far away from the "powder" stage that usually clogs this type of grinders. The burrs would actually start turning and then stop, so I suppose it is not the capacitor. Pressing the grind switch further would only activate the relay (clicking sound), but the motor would not turn. Unwinding the collar to make it way coarser would not help clear it and the motor would stay stuck.
It was in a neglected state when I got it, and spent a lot of time cleaning it from the nasty coffee oils built up in the hopper, in the doser chute, etc. Took off the burrs and cleaned everything nicely. I noticed a hardened build-up of coffee behind the little metallic doser screen (grill) that I cleaned up and could see that there was nothing left in the grinding chamber either. Nevertheless, after all the TLC the grinder would still get stuck, and the only way to make it work was to remove the doser screen. Once working it produces decent quality grind.
I know that removing this screen is customary among people who worry about grind retention, but it worries me that this issue might be related to the motor getting weaker/dying (thus not being string enough to push the grins out with the screen in). Any advice what to do in this kind of situation? Is it the coiling in the motor's stator? I've heard motors are hard to replace in Mazzers, but where do you find a new one to swap in to begin with (I have not found it at the usual parts retailers), and how do you do it? The tech that had looked at it has told the previous owners that it was on its way out and should be replaced.
Cheers!
I got my hands on a used (for many years) Mini-E that was choking (motor stalling) when the grind was made fine enough for espresso. It previously worked well for years within the same setup, and the setting it was on was far away from the "powder" stage that usually clogs this type of grinders. The burrs would actually start turning and then stop, so I suppose it is not the capacitor. Pressing the grind switch further would only activate the relay (clicking sound), but the motor would not turn. Unwinding the collar to make it way coarser would not help clear it and the motor would stay stuck.
It was in a neglected state when I got it, and spent a lot of time cleaning it from the nasty coffee oils built up in the hopper, in the doser chute, etc. Took off the burrs and cleaned everything nicely. I noticed a hardened build-up of coffee behind the little metallic doser screen (grill) that I cleaned up and could see that there was nothing left in the grinding chamber either. Nevertheless, after all the TLC the grinder would still get stuck, and the only way to make it work was to remove the doser screen. Once working it produces decent quality grind.
I know that removing this screen is customary among people who worry about grind retention, but it worries me that this issue might be related to the motor getting weaker/dying (thus not being string enough to push the grins out with the screen in). Any advice what to do in this kind of situation? Is it the coiling in the motor's stator? I've heard motors are hard to replace in Mazzers, but where do you find a new one to swap in to begin with (I have not found it at the usual parts retailers), and how do you do it? The tech that had looked at it has told the previous owners that it was on its way out and should be replaced.
Cheers!
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