# Seasoning the Burrs on a Mignon



## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

Hi All,

I'm about to get a new Mignon and in anticipated excitement I am doing as much research as possible.

When it arrives I will need to season the burrs. Any idea on how long/how many beans this should be done for?

Also as a bolt on, is there anything else that is recommended before using it? want to try and stop Captain hindsight from making an appearance on this.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Should be pretty much OK out of the box but will get better as you put more beans through. Settings will slide as the burrs bed in so you will find yourself making more adjustments until burrs are nicely seasoned. If you have some stale beans, run them through at a pretty fine setting to speed up the seasoning process.


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## old soul song (May 21, 2014)

Ralphus84 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I'm about to get a new Mignon and in anticipated excitement I am doing as much research as possible.
> 
> ...


I've had my Mignon for a week now and I absolutely love it! I'm sure you will too. I was very surprised at how easy it was to get going with it. I don't know why but I had visions of frustration and swearing but I had the exact grind I wanted after putting about 150g of coffee through. As The Systemic Kid said I've had to do further small adjustments as everything beds in, but overall it's been very easy going! Enjoy.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

All great helpful stuff - just spoke with one of the very wonderful people at Bella Barista (not Claudette and I didn't catch his name)... and all being well, a Mignon will arrive tomorrow. There is also information about this on a thread started by Malc, as he gloried in his new Mignon. From my point of view, I ned it simple and straightforward.


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## old soul song (May 21, 2014)

Phil104 said:


> All great helpful stuff - just spoke with one of the very wonderful people at Bella Barista (not Claudette and I didn't catch his name)... and all being well, a Mignon will arrive tomorrow. There is also information about this on a thread started by Malc, as he gloried in his new Mignon. From my point of view, I ned it simple and straightforward.


Awesome! Bella Barista are superb. Claudette is super friendly and they know what they're talking about. I was in there just yesterday. I only live about 8 minutes down the road from them!

What colour Mignon did you go for??


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## jcheung (Mar 11, 2014)

I concur.

Claudette was very helpful when I pre-ordered my Zenith.

When it arrived, she ensured that the guys packing it would get it done before the day's pickup so that it would be with me next day despite not paying for the express shipping.

I would certainly go back to them when I (inevitably) end up upgrading from my Silvia... (shhh don't tell the Mrs).


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

old soul song said:


> Awesome! Bella Barista are superb. Claudette is super friendly and they know what they're talking about. I was in there just yesterday. I only live about 8 minutes down the road from them!
> 
> What colour Mignon did you go for??


 I was going down the matt black route but when I saw a picture of Malc's black gloss sitting next to his Classic it just looked the business - so that swayed me, even if it needs regular polishing on top of the regular cherishing, and nurturing with beans.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

...although there is that bit of me still thinking 'orange' makes a statement!


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Oh... and I'm sort of glad that I don't live 8 minutes away - it would turn out to be some of the most expensive 8 minutes that I'd ever travel.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Me too. I have had my Mignon for just a week and I think it is excellent as well. As others have said, just start using it straight out of the box. Thats what I have done and so far so good. Is it me however or do other think the instructions are pretty rubbish? I worked it out for myself.

Dealing with Claudette was excellent. What a lovely lady.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

m4lcs67 said:


> Me too. I have had my Mignon for just a week and I think it is excellent as well. As others have said, just start using it straight out of the box. Thats what I have done and so far so good. Is it me however or do other think the instructions are pretty rubbish? I worked it out for myself.
> 
> Dealing with Claudette was excellent. What a lovely lady.


The provided instructions for a lot of espresso machines and grinders seem to have been written by chance by several blindfolded monkeys sat in front of a computer randomly inputting gibberish into MS Office unfortunately. That said nowhere near as bad or funny as some of the so called "Chinglish" instructions I've seen in the past.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

What did you need explained in the instructions? It's not a complicated bit of kit


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## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

Ok so sounds like its going to be straightforward and as long as I continue to fine tune I shouldn't have any dramas with my new Mignon when it arrives.

I have though done more research and started buying the extras for Mods (Collapsible camera lens + tube, 58mm Metal Camera lens) as I plan on single dosing mainly.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Ralphus84 said:


> Ok so sounds like its going to be straightforward and as long as I continue to fine tune I shouldn't have any dramas with my new Mignon when it arrives.
> 
> I have though done more research and started buying the extras for Mods (Collapsible camera lens + tube, 58mm Metal Camera lens) as I plan on single dosing mainly.


 Just out of interest, why do you need these? When I spoke to the man whose name I can't remember at Bella Barista and said that my needs from a Mignon were what sound like yours he didn't suggest any particular mods (I asked him) - apart from not using the timer. He said that retention is good (which is one of my concerns and I now understand means that it doesn't retain many grounds. But there are forum members who know the Mignon inside out and back to front so I will always respect their experience and wisdom on matters Mignon.


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## cracked_bean (Apr 13, 2014)

I believe he wants those modifications so he can open and close the top without using a hopper. Otherwise there would be nothing to stop dust or any other debris from getting into the burrs.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

The mignon retains 2-5g in my experience. Wee lens hood keeps everything fresh if you're single dosing.


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## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

From my You tube video watching, googling and forum researching. If you wish to single dose then the Mignon has some minor retention which sort of defeats the point of single dosing. Soooooo...

The Collapsible Lens hood with a short section of Silicon Hose, prevents pop corning and allows you to use your hand to push some air through blowing most of the retained grinds out. Thus improving the single dosing effort.

As for the Wide angle metal lens hood, this is a cheaper option to a dosing funnel to keep things tidier and some people consider it to also help prevent clumping.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Ralphus84 said:


> From my You tube video watching, googling and forum researching. If you wish to single dose then the Mignon has some minor retention which sort of defeats the point of single dosing. Soooooo...
> 
> The Collapsible Lens hood with a short section of Silicon Hose, prevents pop corning and allows you to use your hand to push some air through blowing most of the retained grinds out. Thus improving the single dosing effort.
> 
> As for the Wide angle metal lens hood, this is a cheaper option to a dosing funnel to keep things tidier and some people consider it to also help prevent clumping.


 Ah - thanks for all this... looks like more PayPal action.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

And some youtube watching, too, presumably just by searching for Mignon? Mine has arrived although I've not had time to open the box yet - too much work to get done by the end of the afternoon (allowing for a few minutes down time on the forum!)


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## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

*forzajuve* Posted his Mod with photos on the Forum here.

And the video that motivated me to find a way to not have to beat my grinder to death to get the retained beans out (6:50)





. Absolutely love the bathrobe on this video.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

And the PayPal action has taken place - thanks Ralphus84 and all.


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## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

I have posted some more links to the You tube video and another post on here that has pictures of the Mignon mod.

Currently awaiting Moderator approval though...


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Ralphus84 said:


> I have posted some more links to the You tube video and another post on here that has pictures of the Mignon mod.
> 
> Currently awaiting Moderator approval though...


 Please moderator, approve the links... I've just spent a chunk of time watching strange but interesting YouTube clips of Mignon action but not quite found what you've encountered. I have learnt a lot of German words for coffee grinding, though.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Approved







.....


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Mrboots2u said:


> Approved
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Thank you very much Mrboots - you're a star


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Ralphus84 said:


> *forzajuve* Posted his Mod with photos on the Forum here.
> 
> And the video that motivated me to find a way to not have to beat my grinder to death to get the retained beans out (6:50)


 Mmmmmm - I could hear the grinder crying but not sure whether it's at being shaken about or at the bathrobe or both.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

And I think I've got the hang of these particular mods now and why they will help... and help avoid shaken grinder syndrome.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Ralphus84 said:


> *forzajuve* Posted his Mod with photos on the Forum here.
> 
> And the video that motivated me to find a way to not have to beat my grinder to death to get the retained beans out (6:50)










Big Tonys seemingly naked Mignon clip!

He's not been on the forum for a while.

It was him and TSK that saved from me from giving up espresso making completely due to me starting out with faulty Porlex burrs.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I've just had my post monitored too. Is it the BigTony bare feet that's doing it?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Whatever happened to Big Tony?


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## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

It arrived yesterday! whoop whoop. Fantastic service from coffeebean.

As others have stated, started using it straight out the box, has very decent weight to it that makes you feel like you have paid for what you got in metal alone!

My only grumble upto now is the porterfilter rest doesn't adjust enough for me to have it lower so I can fit my doser funnel in too.

Not experienced any clumping yet and I am 500g into my seasoning bag of beans, and think its pretty much dialed in.

Now I just need to work on my tamping skills before risking decent beans.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Good to get the update - I played with my Mignon across the weekend - was initially dialling too fine but still not got it quite right and also learning how to make adjustments according to different beans (Bella Barrista included some out of date ones for playing around with, which was helpful but they were clearly different from a mystery batch from Coffee Compass and slightly different again from some Brazilian beans from Drop. It's fun!







And my various mods will be arriving this week.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

I am just two weeks into my Mignon. Fab little grinder. Luckily I have managed to get it to where I pretty much need it setting at (give or take a squeak). Up to press I have had nearly a kilo of beans of differing varieties through it. Yes it does clump, but I use a combination of my finger and cocktail stick to separate and stir the ground coffee into the basket. Had it it dismantled today for cleaning. A paint brush and vacuum cleaner on hand to sort it. All sweet again for use tomorrow. Does anyone know what the average retention of the Mignon is? To my calculation it is around 3g. What mods are you doing, Phil?????


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

m4lcs67 said:


> I am just two weeks into my Mignon. Fab little grinder. Luckily I have managed to get it to where I pretty much need it setting at (give or take a squeak). Up to press I have had nearly a kilo of beans of differing varieties through it. Yes it does clump, but I use a combination of my finger and cocktail stick to separate and stir the ground coffee into the basket. Had it it dismantled today for cleaning. A paint brush and vacuum cleaner on hand to sort it. All sweet again for use tomorrow. Does anyone know what the average retention of the Mignon is? To my calculation it is around 3g. What mods are you doing, Phil?????


 Inspired by the research that ralphus84 conducted, a lens hood and bit of silicone hose arrived today so that I can single dose without I assume needing to poke the odd bean down into the burrs - but I haven't tried it yet.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Malc - what I looked at is posted by Ralphus84 on the second page of this thread...


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Thanks Phil.

I have been (excuse the pun) quite interested in what the Mignon can do and I even messaged Claudette at Bella Barista as I wanted to know if it was possible to dose just the right amount of beans into the hopper and run it dry therefore eliminating any wastage and having old stale grounds trapped in the mechanism and chute, but she recommended that you don't allow the grinder to run dry, so I am carefully dosing in a little more beans than I need, activating the micro switch to dispense a few grams, so I then get to the fresh stuff. I then go over to the timer and set it going and run the grinder (with the timer) until it has stopped, then using my scales I check the output from the grinder (which is usually pretty accurate (give or take +- a few .1-2 grams or so). It isn't an exact science, but it is as close as I can get, and there is some wastage, but I can cope with a little.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Ah. You got the black one as well eh???? Classy!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

What's the issue running the machine with no beans in it?


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Personally I don't know, jeebsy, but Claudette said that they don't recommend doing it. I don't see how it could damage it as the burrs are not touching themselves or anything. I even sent a message to Eureka direct, but they haven't responded.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I single dosed for six months and didn't have any problems. Don't see how it would affect it in that respect, wouldn't want to leave it running for long periods though


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

And that brings me nicely onto other points regarding the Mignon. It would be great to find out from other Mignon users their hint and tips, so I know I am getting the maximum I can out of the grinder. I do tend to use the timer quite a bit, but I also deactivate it to purge a gram or so out before dosing. To be fair though the button does appear a little flimsy and who knows if it will be up to the job long-term, so I would be good to know how other users operate their grinders. perhaps we could pool our knowledge????


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## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

I don't really see the need for a timer.

Stop me if I am wrong (still very much a green bean), you either have a hopper full of beans and you grind until your Basket is full, or you dose in which case you grind until there ain't nothing left to grind.

I suppose though if you are using a separate container to collect the grounds before putting into the PF, it is handy to use the timer to set dose but again that is based on how much you need to fill your basket.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Ralphus84 said:


> Stop me if I am wrong (still very much a green bean), you either have a hopper full of beans and you grind until your Basket is full


You want a specific weight to come out, not volume


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## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> You want a specific weight to come out, not volume


Agreed, but we are talking about the timer right?

so how you decide if your basket is full or not is a matter of detail surely.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

You set the timer up so it gives you 17g out. Then every time it'll give you (roughly) 17g. If you eyeball it based on what you think is 'full' you're going to have much more variation than with the timer.

If you use a quantity of beans in the hopper timers are pretty useful


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## Ralphus84 (May 9, 2014)

Ok I understand now, using the timer is a much better metric to use.

But if you want exact weights then single dosing is surely a better way?


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Ralphus84 said:


> Ok I understand now, using the timer is a much better metric to use.
> 
> But if you want exact weights then single dosing is surely a better way?


 The man I spoke to at BB suggested not using the timer for single dosing but I assume that's just opinion and someone's own practice. In fact, it's what I'm doing. Since it's my early, mignon days, and pre- silicone tubes and lens hoods, I'm weighing the beans, grinding into a container (a small plastic container with a spout), clearing the chute, declumping as necessary, weighing again and making an adjustment on the scales, and then transferring to the PF. So far so good and it still takes less time than hand grinding. As Malc has found, the timer button on mine also seems out of character with how solid the grinder is.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

To function properly the timer needs a reasonable weight of beans in the hopper, otherwise you get popcorning and the time to grind the same amount of beans increases.

You can use the timer for single dosing in that you can just hit the button and let it run for 15 secs or whatever but then it won't work to give you a consistent weight. It just saves you having to hold the pf against the button


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> To function properly the timer needs a reasonable weight of beans in the hopper, otherwise you get popcorning and the time to grind the same amount of beans increases.
> 
> You can use the timer for single dosing in that you can just hit the button and let it run for 15 secs or whatever but then it won't work to give you a consistent weight. It just saves you having to hold the pf against the button


 Ah, thanks for this jeebsy - I need to experiment more once I have established some fluency and confidence with it.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Just coming in myself, to me logically surely you wouldn't single dose and use the timer at the same time? It would be one or the other?? after my correspondence with Claudette regarding doing and running it until everything has come out and the fact that they don't recommend you do it, compare this to jeebsy who has used this method without any problem for a long time, then I don't know what to do. I have started doing things my own way which is a bit long-winded and faffy, but fits in with the don't run the grinder dry instructions. It does mean a small amount of wastage of beans/ground coffee by purging a little out first manually by pressing the micro-switch for a couple of seconds to remove any stale coffee from the machine, so you get through to the good stuff. Then as I mentioned before I then switch over to the timer and run it in order to get my dose out. (I firstly dose into a small plastic cup then de-clump and put the coffee into the portafilter, spread it out evenly and tamp. As I said before I am a little bit worried as to the longevity of the timer button long-term as it does feel rater flimsy.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

m4lcs67 said:


> but fits in with the don't run the grinder dry instructions.


Mmmmmm.... didn't know about not running it dry. Fortunately not too late, I assume, to get into that practice.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Although I cannot seem to get the definitive answer, Phil. I sent Eureka an e-mail the other week, but they didn't respond. Logically how could it damage things by running it empty? After all the burrs are not coming into contact with anything. Here is the e-mail I received from Claudette:

Hi Malcolm

Thank you for your e-mail. In practice, you should never run a grinder without beans however it is necessary to run one lot of beans through before changing with another. If my memory serves me correct, I've seen on the coffeeforums (http://www.coffeeforums.co.uk) that many of the Eureka users have written that they use their grinder in the manner you would like to ie. Just putting enough beans in the hopper for a serving. The worst case scenario would be damage to the burrs which can be easily replaced.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Oh - I think when I get the tube and lens hood into place, the idea is to collapse the lens hood as the beans go through to create some suction. Is that right?


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Phil104 said:


> Oh - I think when I get the tube and lens hood into place, the idea is to collapse the lens hood as the beans go through to create some suction. Is that right?


 It is - I have found the answer to this question on another thread.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Another thing that occurred to me and I am sure this applies to all grinders. If you fill the hopper up, but then don't use it all within a few days for example you will be left with beans that have been left out in the open going bad. With this in mind surely that is a reason on it's own for dosing just what you need or nearly just what you need each time and then topping up from a sealed container as you go along.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

m4lcs67 said:


> Another thing that occurred to me and I am sure this applies to all grinders. If you fill the hopper up, but then don't use it all within a few days for example you will be left with beans that have been left out in the open going bad. With this in mind surely that is a reason on it's own for dosing just what you need or nearly just what you need each time and then topping up from a sealed container as you go along.


Varying views on this

few beans in a hopper for 24 hours isn't the end of the world

OR

Keep things air tight fresh and single dose

Depends on whether you notice a difference in taste of the bean not being airtight stored

Some will , some wont .....


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

This seems to be getting very complicated.

Malc, how many coffees do you make a day? Do you stick with the same bean?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

http://londiniumespresso.com/blog/single-dosing-forget-it


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

I stick enough beans in the hopper of the Mythos to last the day and keep sufficient weight of beans over the burrs and top up when needed. Granted the timer and timing mechanism is more sophisticated and accurate than the Mignon and then the timer is set to deliver the same dose each time. I weigh the 1st dose of the day just to see if any grinder adjustment is needed.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Hey jeebsy. Maybe 3-4 a day. If we have visitors then it can be double that. Also I hadn't thought about the popcorning, but yeah. I suppose the weight of the coffee in the hopper, bearing down will not only prevent popcorning, but will be forcing the coffee into the burrs.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Same beans or different each time?


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

At the mo while I am experimenting I will open a certain pack of beans and stick with that until it has been used up, then I will move onto something else. While I am working my way through everything anyway. Once I have narrowed things down to a few I really like I will probably stick with them.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Probably not much point in you single dosing then if you stick with the same bean for at least a bag and get through it quite quickly


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I haven't got a Mignon (yet&#8230 but with my MC2 I find that single-dosing is too much faff. I just put say 50g in at a time so that I avoid the popcorning and burrs desperately whizzing around trying to catch a stray bean! I know that by the next day those 'extra' beans in the hopper that are doing the pushing will be going through the steel pearly gates themselves before they get old. That way the timer works well enough but the bulk of my beans remain sealed up until needed. At this stage in my coffee journey I would not notice the difference between a bean that has been sat in the hopper an extra day. This isn't the purist approach, but it strikes a good balance between trying to really do single-dosing properly and lobbing an entire bag of beans into the hopper. A 250g bag would probably last me less than a week anyway, but chucking a day or two's worth in at a time seems a lot easier than doing stuff with camera parts.

Regarding different beans, I've tried a few recently but am beginning to realize that at the stage I'm at, I'd really be better off keeping that constant for a little while until things settle down into a reasonable consistency. Only then will I try new blends, otherwise I'm back to fiddling with the grinder etc. Though that does then beg the question "which bean should I stick with"!


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## charris (Feb 17, 2014)

Malcom,

I am in a similar position as you (newbie) and I am not single dosing. Also our consumption is very similar. What I do is buy 1kg of each bean and put about 150-200g in the hopper each time. This is based on various things I have read which recommend that a newbies should stick with the same beans for a "long" time.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Thanks for the tip jeebsy. I guess I am a light consumer compared to some on the forum.


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## charris (Feb 17, 2014)

m4lcs67 said:


> I guess I am a light consumer compared to some on the forum.


5 coffees per day is medium to high consumption I think.


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## charris (Feb 17, 2014)

I will experiment later with the Mignon timer and report back on this. As I said before I am a "hopper user".


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

What are you going to experiment and report back on?


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## charris (Feb 17, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> What are you going to experiment and report back on?


With the mignon timer: if it works, if it is accurate and so on...

I have not read about anybody using it...


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I predict with a bag of beans in the hopper you'll get +/- 1g


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

charris said:


> With the mignon timer: if it works, if it is accurate and so on...
> 
> I have not read about anybody using it...


The Mignon timer doesn't have a great deal of range, I had to press the button 3 times to fill a triple basket as you couldn't set it high enough to do it in one go. But it is fairly accurate, I never weighed the output to exactly measure consistency, but I would get consistent shots one after the other so it seemed to work pretty well.


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## charris (Feb 17, 2014)

D_Evans said:


> The Mignon timer doesn't have a great deal of range, I had to press the button 3 times to fill a triple basket as you couldn't set it high enough to do it in one go. But it is fairly accurate, I never weighed the output to exactly measure consistency, but I would get consistent shots one after the other so it seemed to work pretty well.


Just experimenting with the timer and I decided not to use it since at the maximum setting it will give me out only 14 grams. So what I am doing is using the hopper, manual (not timer grinding) into a shot glass, weigh to the desired weight and adjust and then from shot glass into the portafilter. I find it easier to use a shot glass with the grinder rather than straight into the portafilter because the transfer breakers the clumps and also because my Hario scale and original classic portafilter do not do well together. Maybe with a nakerd portafilter and a faster and bigger espresso scale I will grind straight into the portafilter.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

What dose do you want?


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## charris (Feb 17, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> What dose do you want?


I try to dial new beans using 17grams in and 27g out @ 25-27 seconds. When dialed in and depending on taste I might experiment and go down to 16g or up to 18g of grounds.

Does the above make sense or sounds correct? - I am very new to this


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Set the timer for 8.5g and press it twice


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

charris said:


> Just experimenting with the timer and I decided not to use it since at the maximum setting it will give me out only 14 grams. So what I am doing is using the hopper, manual (not timer grinding) into a shot glass, weigh to the desired weight and adjust and then from shot glass into the portafilter. I find it easier to use a shot glass with the grinder rather than straight into the portafilter because the transfer breakers the clumps and also because my Hario scale and original classic portafilter do not do well together. Maybe with a nakerd portafilter and a faster and bigger espresso scale I will grind straight into the portafilter.


This is definitely a better method when using new beans and trying to hone your shot. I got to the point where I was happy with my shot and the timed grinds helps me eliminate having to weigh out every time. I prefer the convenience of eliminating the scales every time. As you said the mignon has quite a low maximum time on the setting, so I have mine set to 1/3rd of what I need and press 3 times









As jeebsy just said, if your only grinding a double then set it to 1/2 what you need.


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## Graeme (Feb 1, 2013)

Just getting to grips with my shiny new Eureka Mignon. Having got thoroughly fed up with single dosing I've started using the hopper from the get-go with the Mignon. My Baratza Virtuoso has been retired from espresso duty (which it was never very well suited to) to grinding for brewed coffee. I've started using the hopper on that too. I'm just dumping a couple of days worth of beans in at a time and not worrying about it.

How do I adjust the timer on the Mignon? Is it the clear knob underneath the grinder?


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## Blackstone (Aug 5, 2012)

its underneath the base


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Blackstone said:


> its underneath the base


 On the right hand side as you look at the machine.


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## Graeme (Feb 1, 2013)

Thanks both - I think I noticed it when I was unpacking it but didn't twig what it was at the time.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

I stopped using the timer a few weeks into owning my Mignon. I was switching from the timer to manual usage and I find the button to activate the timer just far to delicate for my liking. I really don't think it would hold out under regular use, so I don't use it anymore.

I have developed my own method for dosing which entails holding a small plastic cup (that has previously been calibrated to zero on my scales) under the chute, then press the microswitch with my thumb and dose the coffee into the cup. Then check the result on the scales and it if needs anymore then I just add a bit more as required. I then pour the resulting coffee into the portafilter and tamp.


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## Graeme (Feb 1, 2013)

m4lcs67 said:


> I stopped using the timer a few weeks into owning my Mignon. I was switching from the timer to manual usage and I find the button to activate the timer just far to delicate for my liking. I really don't think it would hold out under regular use, so I don't use it anymore. [...] then press the microswitch with my thumb and dose the coffee into the cup.


But aren't you pressing the same button that you're worried won't hold out under regular use?


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Graeme said:


> But aren't you pressing the same button that you're worried won't hold out under regular use?


 I think Malc means the switch (it's the plate at the front of the machine) that you might press the PF against. I do what Malc does though, possibly with a variant. I weigh the beans in a small plastic jug, grind into a small plastic pot - by pressing the pot against the switch, transfer into the original jug to get the weight I want and declump as I go, and then put that in the PF. Might seem laborious but it's a matter of seconds and I'm confident about the weight that is going into the basket. I also clean out the chute as I go with a stick or an electric tooth brush head.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

I found the Mignon dosing quite accurate but I used an old lab trick ie 2 x singles to make a double rather than one long grind. More often than not, the error in the first single grind would be offset by the next single grind. If I came up light I'd grind a bit more but stop it using the power switch once I hit my weight.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Obnic said:


> I found the Mignon dosing quite accurate but I used an old lab trick ie 2 x singles to make a double rather than one long grind. More often than not, the error in the first single grind would be offset by the next single grind. If I came up light I'd grind a bit more but stop it using the power switch once I hit my weight.


 Sorry if this is blindingly obvious: does that mean that you're grinding half the capacity of your basket as a single (so for me with my 17g basket it would be 8.5g x 2)


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Phil104 said:


> Sorry if this is blindingly obvious: does that mean that you're grinding half the capacity of your basket as a single (so for me with my 17g basket it would be 8.5g x 2)


Yes, you got it.

Mine is an older variant with a single knob for setting grind time under the grinder. If I wanted an 18g dose for a double, I'd set grind time for 9g (a single) but run it twice to get my target 18g. I found this would get me an accurate dose more often than grinding once for 18g.

I never single dosed ie always ran with beans in the hopper. And I would grind into a 5oz cup on a tared scale. When the grinder overshot I'd simply spoon some out.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

That's the one, Phil. You got it spot on. As you say it may be a bit laborious, but I really believe that the little black button on the side will not stand up to it long term.That is why I do it the way I do. No great drama really. Grinding into a small cup also means that you don't spill ground coffee all over the place which can happen if you dose directly into the portafilter.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Obnic said:


> Yes, you got it.
> 
> Mine is an older variant with a single knob for setting grind time under the grinder. If I wanted an 18g dose for a double, I'd set grind time for 9g (a single) but run it twice to get my target 18g. I found this would get me an accurate dose more often than grinding once for 18g.
> 
> I never single dosed ie always ran with beans in the hopper. And I would grind into a 5oz cup on a tared scale. When the grinder overshot I'd simply spoon some out.


 Great - thank you. As Malc, I don't use the timer but I do the spooning out bit as necessary.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

m4lcs67 said:


> That's the one, Phil. You got it spot on. As you say it may be a bit laborious, but I really believe that the little black button on the side will not stand up to it long term.That is why I do it the way I do. No great drama really. Grinding into a small cup also means that you don't spill ground coffee all over the place which can happen if you dose directly into the portafilter.


 We're at one here Malc. The black button is flimsy (at odds with the rest of the machine) and I feel more confident in controlling weight and - yes - in preventing coffee grinds from going over the bench, draining board, sink and floor - through the small container technique.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Guess they must have changed the power button on more recent machines.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Obnic said:


> Guess they must have changed the power button on more recent machines.


 Sounds like it - there is a timer button at the side and the manual on/off is actually a metal plate at the front, just underneath the chute, that you push in with whatever you are dispensing into.


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## Graeme (Feb 1, 2013)

Phil104 said:


> Sounds like it - there is a timer button at the side and the manual on/off is actually a metal plate at the front, just underneath the chute, that you push in with whatever you are dispensing into.


Ah, on my mk1 one tap of the metal plate activates the timer. There's no other way to activate the grinder.


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