# Nuova Simonelli MDX not grinding, help please!



## Thwapy (Nov 26, 2015)

My MDX suddenly would not grind my beans this morning. Its been a couple of months since I last stripped it down and cleaned the burrs so did that and when I put it back together it would still not grind the coffee. The noise it is making is different too. The motor is working fine so...

Could it just be that I need new burrs? They still feel rough when I rub my thumb against them but I have had the grinder for 2 years and it was second hand when I bought it.... How would I know for sure it is this

Thanks in advance.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

From what you say, it was grinding OK but suddenly stopped grinding even though the burrs are spinning ? It is making a different noise ?

The burr's will not suddenly stop grinding and become dull / blunt unless there was something in the beans eg stone or piece of metal to damage them.

What is the different noise ? whining, grating,clattering or is the motor struggling ??

Remove the top burr and carrier, clean out grinder and run without the adjuster / top carrier, Does it still make a noise ?


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## Thwapy (Nov 26, 2015)

El carajillo said:


> From what you say, it was grinding OK but suddenly stopped grinding even though the burrs are spinning ? It is making a different noise ?
> 
> The burr's will not suddenly stop grinding and become dull / blunt unless there was something in the beans eg stone or piece of metal to damage them.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the quick reply. I have taken the grinder apart - removed the top burr and cleaned both thoroughly. The burrs were touching each other - when I wind out the grind dial I get it so the burrs are not touching at all. I have probably destroyed the calibration but now on turn on the grinder is silent when running. As I adjust the dial the burrs end up touching and the machine obviously gets noisy.

Should burrs on a grinder be touching each other? Is so by how much? Any help and also how to re-calibrate would be really helpful if that is the problem!

Thanks


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## Thwapy (Nov 26, 2015)

Update.. I put it back together and had it so I could hear the burrs touching, then turned the dial so you could just not hear them.

The dial is saying 6 but i have taken that to be 0 or the finest setting. Just tried Italian Job - 18g in 30g out in 26 seconds and its not bad at all...

Maybe my little girl has moved the dial - she loves helping make me a coffee.... - any suggestions in case I am wrong?

Cheers


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

With a clean machine, set it running and gradually wind down the collar until you hear a very light "chirp". The burrs are just touching, mark the adjuster ring with a marker pen, this will give you a reference for future. Back the adjuster collar off by about 90 degs,try grinding a few beans, see if it is too fine. Make further small adjustments until you have the grind you require for the method you use eg espresso / brewed.

Aim for espresso to run 25 - 30 secs. These settins will vary depending on type of beans, freshness of beans and atmospheric conditions =damp weather / hot dry weather.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Thwapy said:


> Should burrs on a grinder be touching each other? Is so by how much? Any help and also how to re-calibrate would be really helpful if that is the problem!Thanks


No burrs should not be touching each other. You talk of re-calibration, like it's a scientific, super complex sort of thing, even stating "destroyed the calibration". There is nothing mystical about this, it's simply adjusting the grind to the fineness you want, which is no big thing and something you would be constantly doing anyway? e.g when you change beans as they age, every time you clean your grinder (monthly or quarterly).

Am I missing something here...because it shoujd be a basic operation like breathing to anyone who owns a prosumer machine and grinder. Finding the zero point should be as simple as adjusting the grinder finer whilst spinning clean burrs with your finger (not the motor) until you hear them rub....then back off until they just don't....that's 0 (whatever the number is on the knob or scale). Then going coarse from that takes you to the espresso range. On a MDX with a knob, that might be 8 or 9 numbers, with other grinders it might be 1/4 turn of the adjusting ring whatever. This sort of thing should be as instinctive as breathing and is nothing to fear or avoid on a regular basis..


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## Thwapy (Nov 26, 2015)

DavecUK said:


> This sort of thing should be as instinctive as breathing and is nothing to fear or avoid on a regular basis..


I bow deeply sensei Dave, seriously though I am not sure if you are being serious or not, as you seem to want to lecture about how easy it is rather than offering help?

El carajillo - Many thanks for the patience and help, as I tried to convey in my update I made a fairly decent Espresso after doing basically as you advised. I guess I have been doing that for the last two years but never had the burrs catch each other before.


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## espressotechno (Apr 11, 2011)

I always switch the grinder off before screwing down until the burrs touch (just spin the shaft by hand), then back off 1/8-1/4 turn for a starting point.

Avoids damaging these nice new burrs....!


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