# Iberital MC2 Manual (a users perspective)



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

This review and setup guide is intended to be a users perspective of unpacking and setting up the *Iberital MC2 Doserless Grinder*.

All instructions are to be used as guidelines only.

*Unpacking your Grinder*

The first thing you notice when you open the box is that there is no manual.

The typical contents of the box are;

Grinder

Hopper

Lid

If you're lucky the retailer may have included a bag of beans (a welcome addition and useful for the next step)

Carefully removing the grinder from the polystyrene beads (without dropping them all over the floor) place this on a stable surface.

The grinder is quite heavy and should have little rubber feet on the base - check these have not popped out in transit.

*How to Set-Up your Grinder*

1. Turn the worm screw (top right of your machine) anti-clockwise as far as it will go.

2. Place the hopper onto the top of the grinder with the number 1 of the ruler (sticker) directly in front of you. This setting will be used for reference when dialling in your grinder.

Please Note: When you remove your hopper, unless you place this back in the same spot you may have to repeat steps 1 and 2 in the future.

3. Before adding beans to the hopper, get familiar with the other dials and switches on your new grinder.

*Switch / Button / Knob positions*

On / Off - Bottom Left (| is On / O is Off)

Timing Adjustment - Bottom Right (Clockwise increases grind time)

Grind on Demand - Directly in front of you between the flexible portafilter arms

4. Using a flat bladed object (preferably a screwdriver) adjust the Timing Screw to Vertical

5. Using a set of kitchen scales, weigh your portafilter to obtain a tare weight

6. Add beans to the hopper

At this stage I placed a 250g bag of beans into the hopper and placed my portafilter into the flexible arms, triggering the grind on demand function

After only a couple of seconds out shot the first grinds through the grinder

I threw these away and pressed the button with the portafilter again, catching the grounds in the portafilter and weighing them for reference

The aim for me was to set up a 7g timed dose at my preferred grind for the beans I was using, so that a double dose (14g) would be ideal for my double basket.

Throughout each adjustment I pulled a shot to get a feel of the optimum grind setting for the beans.

7. Adjust the fineness of the grind using the worm screw (turning clockwise) and note the number of hopper rotations and where in relation to the front of the machine or side of the machine the ruler is so that you stand a chance of creating a reference point for future grind adjustments

8. Continue to grind on demand, weighing the portafilter and adjusting (fine tuning) the timing screw to obtain the 7g dose.

Repeat steps 7 and 8 each time you change beans and when you notice there is a difference in the quality of your extraction.

*Cleaning your Grinder*

After each days use, clean your machine using a soft brush to remove the trapped grounds

Periodically I run Grindz (cleaning tablets) through my grinder to keep the burrs clean.


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## mym (Sep 15, 2009)

Glenn said:


> *How to Set-Up your Grinder*
> 
> 1. Turn the worm screw (top right of your machine) anti-clockwise as far as it will go.


Hello Glenn, just bought an MC2 Doserless to replace a failed Gaggia MDF.

When you say "as far as it will go" how many turns is that likely to be?... I've been turning and turning for about 20 minutes so far, and the knob keeps turning and the hopper just keeps slowly revolving.


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## mym (Sep 15, 2009)

mym said:


> When you say "as far as it will go" how many turns is that likely to be?...


Aha, found the issue - it of course unscrews completely, so there is no "end point" to notice.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

2-3 minutes screwing is not uncommon. There is a huge amount of play between fully open (burrs as far apart as possible) and almost touching.


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## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

My MC2 has just arrived, but it behaves differently from your instructions. To make the grind finer you have to turn the wormscrew clockwise.

A question about maintenance: As well as cleaning the little shute do I need to clean the burrs from the hopper end?


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

You could start the other way (wind the wormscrew clockwise until you hit the end) but there is a chance the burrs will lock/grind against each other.

I prefer to play it safe and work from open to closed.

I use Grindz tablets for the burr cleaning. A mini vacuum cleaner attachment is also worthwhile. It keeps the grinder nice and clean.


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## frustin (Feb 10, 2013)

" Place the hopper onto the top of the grinder with the number 1 of the ruler (sticker) directly in front of you. This setting will be used for reference when dialling in your grinder."

I dont understand this. have you got a photo you can show?


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## mookielagoo (Dec 12, 2012)

....it's well reported that serious damage can result in taking the burrs to touch (HD have received a number returned)...I found that my MC2 managed to get to the sweet spot with only 4-5 revolutions (of the side adjustment wheel) from the manufacturer's setting...I would completely forget using the measuring sticker in any way, (for me) it's completely useless...The MC2 is great for espresso but it's well known that it's pretty tricky to change from french press to espresso due to it's stepless performance...


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## Lynx (Jan 17, 2013)

Incidently while shopping in Morrisons after work tonight found a pastry brush, perfect for cleaning the trapped grinds in the doser, a bargain at £1.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

The Iberital MC2 comes with a pointless sticker on the hopper. The hopper can be inserted at any point in the rotation (eg sticker to the back, front or side), therefore if removing the hopper for cleaning you've lost relative reference points.

I used to align the sticker with a point on the grinder when dialling in so I knew how far to dial back if I went too fine or too coarse

Hope this helps


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## GS11 (Feb 20, 2013)

View attachment 2069


As an adjustment aid I am going to remove the black plastic top to the machine and just mark with removable stickers where my grinding positions are......would be better if the wheel was numbered and the plastic top clear.

Another design flaw I see with the doserless version is a definite step at the top of the chute.

This is causing the grinds to back up.

You can feel this quite easily with your finger.

Has anyone else noticed this and attemted to smooth out.

On the same subject is the chute easily removable.


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## frustin (Feb 10, 2013)

"Hope this helps"

Would it be completely dense of me to say that i dont?

The hopper is the thing that you put the beans in right? It is completely round and doesn't seem to have any bearing on how the grinder grinds the beans (at least it doesn't from where i'm sitting). The hopper fits into the grinder hole as far as it goes and then that's it. I dont see what i'm lining up.

There's a large black knob on the side, to the right as you look at it, which adjusts coarseness, correct?

The little black one is the timing one? Does that mean the button on the front that the PF hits, just activates but doesnt stop even if you then move the pf away again?

Where is this "worm screw"?


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## GS11 (Feb 20, 2013)

frustin said:


> "Hope this helps"
> 
> Would it be completely dense of me to say that i dont?
> 
> ...


1. Yes hopper holds the beans and has the sticker with the numbers on. It is quite useless as a means of adjustment.

2. The large black knob is attached to the worm drive and yes adjusts coarseness

3. Yes little black one is the timing button. The PF button once hit stays on for the timed period you have set with the timing button.

more info here http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/dosegrinders.html

and here http://5mcoffee.com/Iberital%20MC2%20Manual.pdf


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

When I had my MC2. The hopper turned as the adjustment knob turned. Hence the reason they used a crude measurement system.


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## Chillypillow (Apr 19, 2014)

MC2 arriving later today.

Been reading with interest, but what is my reference espresso grade of grind suitable for Gaggia Classic?


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## frustin (Feb 10, 2013)

i'm finding (depending on strength of bean) that 15g of grind for 44g total. for a lighter bean i go to 17g of grind.


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## Chillypillow (Apr 19, 2014)

frustin said:


> i'm finding (depending on strength of bean) that 15g of grind for 44g total.


What does this actually mean?

my question regards grade of grind ie how big each grain should be as a refernce!

thanks


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## frustin (Feb 10, 2013)

i weigh out 15g of beans. i grind it, and then, weighing the cup under the filter, i let 44g of coffee pour through. Tip: turn off the switch when it gets to 42g, the remainder is about 2-3g.

I should also add that i know if i need to adjust the grind by the delay in when it first starts pouring through the filter. This delay i expect to be about 8-9 seconds.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Chillypillow said:


> What does this actually mean?
> 
> my question regards grade of grind ie how big each grain should be as a refernce!
> 
> thanks


That is impossible to say, every coffee is different and you need to tweak the grinder as beans age. There is no such thing as 'espresso grind'.

Use Glenn's guide to help you find a starting point.


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## Chillypillow (Apr 19, 2014)

Thanks guys, much appreciated.


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