Grinder Burrs: Life and beyond
This of course is most likely common knowledge to most....
My question is: We all talk about the importance of changing out the burrs on our grinders. I would like to know what the typical life cycle on burrs is? What do worn burrs look like and feel like? What do shots coming off of worn burrs taste like?
Any insight would be much appreciated.
Thanks
My question is: We all talk about the importance of changing out the burrs on our grinders. I would like to know what the typical life cycle on burrs is? What do worn burrs look like and feel like? What do shots coming off of worn burrs taste like?
Any insight would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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Schomer says in "Espresso Coffee Professional Techniques" that flat burrs are good for 600lbs, conical for 2000. He also says dull burrs result in thin shots and premature blonding. I guess that means if you go through 12lbs of espresso a week, you need to plan on replacing once a year? Looking forward to other responses on what dull burrs look like... guess I need to check mine soon.
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Permalink Reply by Nuova Simonelli on
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Hi there,
I have heard as high as 2640 lbs. for a conical burr but that is data from Italy. They tend to be quite frugal so the 2000 lbs sounds right especially if the blend is darker than most Italian espresso.
Standard flat burrs of 65mm diameter as on a Mazzer Super Jolly or NS MDM they say from 660 to 880 lbs. Again darker blends will reduce the life. I would change at least every 500 lbs because it is so important and it should be easy to do.
Larger flat burs of 75 mm or more like on the Anfim or NS Mythos last 880 to 1100lbs and even longer at 2640 lbs if they are titanium coated.
I know that the grinder will get much louder and slower as the burrs wear. Nothing like a fesh set of burrs and they should be super easy to change and clean. Some are easier than others. RB
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Dooley on
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Dear Sam, My most consistent experience with bad or dulling burrs is that they create irregular grind sizes which can cause some irregular water flows as well as extremely dull burrs tend to overwork the coffee in the grinding process creating some excess heat which is never good for coffee. The result in extraction tends to be that the shots may run good and then from time to time shots are too slow or too fast and dosing was the same for the most part.
I like to change my burrs every 400 pounds or so. Hopefully the magnet you hang in your hopper neck catches any missed metal pieces your roaster has missed which will help your burrs to keep their nice points sharp, longer.
Let me know if that helps.
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Sarah Dooley said:Hopefully the magnet you hang in your hopper neck catches any missed metal pieces your roaster has missed which will help your burrs to keep their nice points sharp, longer.
Huh? Magnet in the hopper?
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Permalink Reply by u30jxwipu1i1 on
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Most manufacturers supply a magnet that is located in the hopper, where the coffee exits to the grinding chamber. Designed to catch any metal debris that can destroy a set of burrs. I have a collection of nails, bullet shells, keys, and other chucks of metal that have passed through grinder burrs. The magnets often are not installed for some odd reason.
Brady said:Sarah Dooley said:Hopefully the magnet you hang in your hopper neck catches any missed metal pieces your roaster has missed which will help your burrs to keep their nice points sharp, longer.
Huh? Magnet in the hopper?
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I got our stuff gently used from another shop. There's no magnet on either my Mazzer Mini or Luigi. You got em?
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This one ought to do the trick........
Terry Z
Brady said:I got our stuff gently used from another shop. There's no magnet on either my Mazzer Mini or Luigi. You got em?
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Khoo on
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I like to change my burrs (except for my titanium Anfim) every 300 to 400 Ibs. You can start seeing chafing (white pieces) when the burrs are starting to go.
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for magnets, visionsespressosupply.com is a great source. You should get them sooner then later.
Brady said:I got our stuff gently used from another shop. There's no magnet on either my Mazzer Mini or Luigi. You got em?
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Since your name dropping, Mauro Cipolla has said to me that dull burrs can absolutely affect both the consistency in grind sizes and the ease at which the coffee is ground creating excess heat. The result of that is thin shots and premature blonding.
Brady said:Schomer says in "Espresso Coffee Professional Techniques" that flat burrs are good for 600lbs, conical for 2000. He also says dull burrs result in thin shots and premature blonding. I guess that means if you go through 12lbs of espresso a week, you need to plan on replacing once a year? Looking forward to other responses on what dull burrs look like... guess I need to check mine soon.
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not trying to be sassy, by the way ;)
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So there ya have it ....... Lots of answers and opinions. Espressoparts, visions, Mauro, And David, it seems that there are lots of options for you.
Terry Z
Sarah Dooley said:Since your name dropping, Mauro Cipolla has said to me that dull burrs can absolutely affect both the consistency in grind sizes and the ease at which the coffee is ground creating excess heat. The result of that is thin shots and premature blonding.
Brady said:Schomer says in "Espresso Coffee Professional Techniques" that flat burrs are good for 600lbs, conical for 2000. He also says dull burrs result in thin shots and premature blonding. I guess that means if you go through 12lbs of espresso a week, you need to plan on replacing once a year? Looking forward to other responses on what dull burrs look like... guess I need to check mine soon.
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