# Mazzer grind adjustment



## Beemer (Jun 19, 2012)

After zeroing my Mazzer I find that the optimum (well optimum so far) setting for espresso is to open up three small marks from zero. I'm wondering why the designer did not use a finer thread pitch so that adjustment can be both easier and precise?

In my limited experience I note that just one mark (3.5 degrees) either way from the above setting can make my 25 second pour unsatisfactory.

Comments welcome, and for those using the mini Mazzer please state your ideal mark setting.

Ian


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## espressotechno (Apr 11, 2011)

There is no "ideal mark setting" for any grinder: Each grinder has to be tuned to the machine that it is being used with; to suit the drinkers taste & environment.


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

I find that somewhere around the 0 is a good starting point, but it can end up a good centimetre either way depending on the beans and their condition, and of course the dose.

Certainly the little arrow sticker they put on the dial was way off.


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## RobD (May 2, 2012)

Beemer said:


> I'm wondering why the designer did not use a finer thread pitch so that adjustment can be both easier and precise?
> 
> Ian


You could always buy and Iberital MC2, its got a thread pitch of around 0.5mm with a worm adjustment, the only down side is that your wrist will fall of before you can adjust between some beans let alone between espresso & brewed

i have to adjust by up to 1/2-3/4 of a turn just because the beans i am using are a few days older


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## Beemer (Jun 19, 2012)

espressotechno said:


> There is no "ideal mark setting" for any grinder: Each grinder has to be tuned to the machine that it is being used with; to suit the drinkers taste & environment.


My post never asked for an "ideal mark setting". It did relate the difficulty in making precise adjustments. The Mazzer adjusting ring is very difficult to rotate even towards a coarser grind. Adjusting less than one mark (


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

I agree that the mazzer adjustment ring is a pain in the arse to adjust. You could try engineering a larger adjustment rod to get more leverage.

I generally have the rod so that I have to pull it towards me when adjusting.


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## Beemer (Jun 19, 2012)

fatboyslim said:


> I agree that the mazzer adjustment ring is a pain in the arse to adjust. You could try engineering a larger adjustment rod to get more leverage.
> 
> I generally have the rod so that I have to pull it towards me when adjusting.


The biggest pain is pulling the rod with my left hand and at the same using my right hand to assist (restrain!) the ring AND also pressing the Mazzer Mini manual grind button (as one should) when trying to alter the grind finer than a gnat's baw hair. I could of course just press the Double shot button but invariably the ring overshoots and I need to make a further correction. I wonder if anyone has compared a one mark grind change to a 1 degree temp change on a PID machine? My Duetto III can even be set up to make 0.5deg changes if I change to Fahrenheit. It would be so much easier as long as the temp change does not take the temperature outside the 91-95C range.

Ian


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Everything to the right of the 'start here' mark is useless for espresso, they could modernise the design and give more minute-accuracy & control over the setting. However I suspect a fair few in the coffee world use the grinders for more than espresso


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## lookseehear (Jul 16, 2010)

To be honest with my Mazzers I've never kept the motor running while adjusting grind finer. I tend to dose per shot so there won't be anything in the burrs when making an adjustment.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

Beemer said:


> The biggest pain is pulling the rod with my left hand and at the same using my right hand to assist (restrain!) the ring AND also pressing the Mazzer Mini manual grind button (as one should) when trying to alter the grind finer than a gnat's baw hair. I could of course just press the Double shot button but invariably the ring overshoots and I need to make a further correction. I wonder if anyone has compared a one mark grind change to a 1 degree temp change on a PID machine? My Duetto III can even be set up to make 0.5deg changes if I change to Fahrenheit. It would be so much easier as long as the temp change does not take the temperature outside the 91-95C range.
> 
> Ian


Grind and temperature have slightly different effects on the extraction. Whilst it is generally true that coffee solids will dissolve more quickly with higher temperatures, different flavour compounds dissolve at different rates (even relative to each other) at different temperatures. Also when one changes the grind, it is not just increasing the surface area of the coffee (and hence allowing the coffee solids to dissolve more quickly) but, as a second order effect, it increases the resistence to the brew water and so increases contact time.


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## Beemer (Jun 19, 2012)

fatboyslim said:


> I agree that the mazzer adjustment ring is a pain in the arse to adjust. You could try engineering a larger adjustment rod to get more leverage.
> 
> I generally have the rod so that I have to pull it towards me when adjusting.


That might well just work. I have a tap and die set so I'll try it. I just had a thought that might be useful to others. The burrs need bedding in so when next stripping the machine to clean it always put the three springs back in the same hole the were in. Each spring will have a slightly different pressure so will angle the top burr because of the clearance in the holder's diameter.

Ian


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