# Porlex Grinder Settings For Espresso



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Hope someone can give some advice.

I've finally managed to get some consistent results from my Gaggia Classic using a Porlex grinder (many thanks to Big Tony)







. The problem being the settings on the Porlex grinder.

Most people seem to get the best results from 3-4 clicks from tightest for espresso, however I've found that the setting works on my grinder at 6 and other people at +10 which should be French Press territory.

As a nubbie to world of coffee, I wouldn't really know a decent grind if it hit me. I've taken the below photos of my grind at 6, I'd be grateful if a qualified eye could look at the grind and see if it looks about right for an espresso or if there's anything wrong with it.

Has anyone else had similar experiences with Porlex grinders?
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## RisingPower (Dec 27, 2009)

It's very difficult to tell grind by pictures, what it should feel like is grains of sand and consistently so if that helps?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

urbanbumpkin said:


> Hope someone can give some advice. I've finally managed to get some consistent results from my Gaggia Classic using a Porlex grinder (many thanks to Big Tony)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Agree with Rising Power - not possible to judge grinds through pics. Do you know someone who has a decent burr grinder you could compare your Porlex grinds to? I am sure if you asked on the forum, there will be a member not too far away. Then you can be reassured.

As for your Porlex - wouldn't worry too much about which click you're on. It's the results, i.e. the level of grind you should focus on. Stick to a set dose - 16grm isn't a bad one to start with. Aim for an extraction of 25/25grms of espresso in 27 secs plus or minus a few seconds. Try to keep your tamp pressure even and constant. Don't over tamp - if you can, check your tamping pressure by practising on some bathroom scales if they're accurate. Adjust the grind on your Porlex until you're hitting the shot extraction ratio in the time window.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Yep, as above - also it will depend on the beans you are using

Different beans - Different grind!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

10 clicks out on a Porlex, whilst possible for French press (you can use any grind as long as you filter out unwanted solids), is rather finer than many would use for that brewer.

Are you still using the pressurised (stock) Classic basket? I'd expect you'd need a finer setting than 6 with a non-pressurised basket? Though if you are pulling long shots (2oz+), you may just about be the ball-park?

As Systemic Kid says, aiming for a shot in a given time is a good start, or a specific weight of shot out from your dose.

Alternatively, some start by grinding so fine it chokes the machine, then work back, progressively coarser from there?

The "right" grind is the grind that gives you a balanced tasting shot at the volume & consistency that you like, from a 15g dose that might be anywhere from 20g to 70g output, depending on the beans.

You start by saying your results are consistent, if they are consistently tasty, is the grinder setting a problem?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

MWJB said:


> Are you still using the pressurised (stock) Classic basket? I'd expect you'd need a finer setting than 6 with a non-pressurised basket? Though if you are pulling long shots (2oz+), you may just about be the ball-park?
> 
> As Systemic Kid says, aiming for a shot in a given time is a good start, or a specific weight of shot out from your dose.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the replies,

Just to confirm I'm using a non pressurised basket and have been using a 15.5g which has been producing 2oz in about 28 secs (from when the switch is flicked) when ground on 6.

I was finding that grinds less than 5 was completely choking the machine and nothing coming out apart from a spot of coffee. Grinding on 5 was taking was taking about 50 secs, and grinding on 7 was taking about 18-20 secs to pull 2oz using a 15.5g dose.

I was just concerned that the setting was so different compared to the general consensus of where it should be. I was also surprised that the settings either side were so different i.e. 18secs and 50 secs (and tasting awful).

Quite happy with the results (eventually), It's been my first real successful shots with the Gaggia Classic / Porlex combo with fresh beans, but lots of room to improve. I was just trying gauge if I was on the right track with the grind as it's been hit and miss.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Yes, sorry for asking you to gauge a grind by photo...I suppose it is a bit of a tall order.

I did notice that there was the odd bigger piece of larger grind mixed in with it (wasn't sure if this was normal or not).

Is there a pre-ground that's a good one to compare to? or does the grind differ massively depending on the bean?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

urbanbumpkin said:


> Yes, sorry for asking you to gauge a grind by photo...I suppose it is a bit of a tall order.
> 
> I did notice that there was the odd bigger piece of larger grind mixed in with it (wasn't sure if this was normal or not).
> 
> Is there a pre-ground that's a good one to compare to? or does the grind differ massively depending on the bean?


Try upping the dose 0.5grm at a time keeping everything else the same. 2oz from 15.5grm is a bit over extraction-wise. Try using 1.6 times your dose for extraction. For 16 grm, this would be about 25ml output. Above all, be guided by taste. If you're happy with that, you're doing OK. If you PM me, I'll send you some grinds for comparison purposes using my Mahlkonig Vario and HG One. Obviously, they won't be any use for brewing! Also, your Porlex,isn't going to be able to match a decent electric burr grinder for consistency of grind, i.e. getting the odd piece of larger grind.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Try upping the dose 0.5grm at a time keeping everything else the same. 2oz from 15.5grm is a bit over extraction-wise. Try using 1.6 times your dose for extraction. For 16 grm, this would be about 25ml output. Above all, be guided by taste. If you're happy with that, you're doing OK. If you PM me, I'll send you some grinds for comparison purposes using my Mahlkonig Vario and HG One. Obviously, they won't be any use for brewing! Also, your Porlex,isn't going to be able to match a decent electric burr grinder for consistency of grind, i.e. getting the odd piece of larger grind.


6 on a Porlex is pretty coarse for espresso...whilst it seems to be working for Urbanpumpkin, 2oz output at that kind of grind doesn't necessarily correlate to being "over".


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## Big Tony (Dec 18, 2012)

I experienced the same problems when I set mine up. The problem is that we talk about click settings but we can't actually rely on each others advice because my click setting may be different to yours. As an example, I'm 6'5" tall and would say I'm quite a strong guy. I can click my porlex closed approx 16 clicks. If I use a towel, I can click it a little further. My mrs tried and she could click it about 12... So if I undid my porlex (on my settings) by 5 clicks, my mrs would only be on click setting 1. Do you see my point?

I realised this after doing the exact same thing as you. It was starting to wind me up to the point that I nearly threw the towel in. My advice would be to get a burr grinder and use the porlex for your travels. Even if you jack in the hobby, people will buy your old kit and it is doubtful that you'll lose any money. I've just bit the bullet and bought a Eureka Mignon







For a start, it takes about 10 seconds to grind 16.5g of fresh beans... it's worth it for that alone!!

If you can't afford to part with the cash, stick with your current 6 clicks. Remember that I was using click setting 12 and I was really enjoying my coffee


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

MWJB said:


> 6 on a Porlex is pretty coarse for espresso...whilst it seems to be working for Urbanpumpkin, 2oz output at that kind of grind doesn't necessarily correlate to being "over".


This is exactly my point. If I should be looking for a grind texture / size similar to grains of sand then on my Porlex it's 6 clicks. If I have it set on 2-4 it's more like flour. On Tony's Porlex 12 is correct, but on mine it's like a pebble beach.

Possibly a change in production at Porlex?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Big Tony said:


> I realised this after doing the exact same thing as you. It was starting to wind me up to the point that I nearly threw the towel in. My advice would be to get a burr grinder and use the porlex for your travels. Even if you jack in the hobby, people will buy your old kit and it is doubtful that you'll lose any money. I've just bit the bullet and bought a Eureka Mignon
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cheers Tony, I was starting to go down that route too after buying and grinding my way through a ton of freshly roasted beans.

I think I'll stick with Porlex for a few months and see how I get on, but I reckon I'll end up getting a decent electric one eventually. Maybe call it as part of a birthday present!


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Try upping the dose 0.5grm at a time keeping everything else the same. 2oz from 15.5grm is a bit over extraction-wise. Try using 1.6 times your dose for extraction. For 16 grm, this would be about 25ml output. Above all, be guided by taste. If you're happy with that, you're doing OK. If you PM me, I'll send you some grinds for comparison purposes using my Mahlkonig Vario and HG One. Obviously, they won't be any use for brewing! Also, your Porlex,isn't going to be able to match a decent electric burr grinder for consistency of grind, i.e. getting the odd piece of larger grind.


Thanks for the tip re upping the dose, I did try 16g this morning which pretty much fills my Gaggia standard non pressurised basket. I was struggling not spilling any before tamping. I think 16g might be my limit, unless there's a technique for fitting more in.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Following on from the fun and games I was having with the settings on my Porlex grinder I contacted Porlex in Japan to see if they could shed any light on this.

I hadn't expected anything of this but had the following response a couple of weeks later.

"We are very sorry for the delay in replying to your mail of March 18th.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation for choosing Porlex Ceramic Coffee Mill.

How long have you been using this mill? If you have been using this for more than 3 years, it may be possible that your adjusting nut is not clicking rightly. Because it seems to be a big difference of number of clicks. We had this kind of problem about 3 years ago. Though there is no problem to use the adjusting nut as a nut, the part which clicks became too smooth and you could no longer count clicks when you turn. We changed the material of adjusting nut from PP to POM.

In this case, we would like to send you the replacement nut.

Will you please let us know?

Basically, if you turn the adjusting nut 360 degrees, 8 clicks in other words, it makes 1mm of space between the inner and outer burrs. In other words, one click makes 0.125mm. However, as burrs are made of ceramic, sizes(height, wideth) of each ceramic burr differs. It means that the space between outer and inner burrs slightly differs however it should not differ that much as you mention in your mail.

And, the ginders production has not been changed. We have been manufacuturing at our own factory in Kagoshima, Kyushu.

We sincerely hope that you could understand this English explanation."

I thanked them for their kind offer and went on to explain that I didn't think that there would be any use in sending out a nut as the grinder was brand new.

They replied yesterday by saying that they usually would request customers to send in grinders but in this case they were sending out a whole new set of Burrs and nut from their factory in Japan.

It has to be the best customer service I've experienced, thumbs up to Porlex!!

Will let you know if the new burrs make a difference when they arrive.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Yep, great after sales customer service. Porlex deserve their good reputation.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

The new burrs arrived today from the Porlex factory in Japan.

I've done a few test grinds and I've only pulled a couple of shots using them but early signs seem to indicate that they're working best on 2 clicks from tightest. Crazy! I can't believe there's so much difference.

I'll try them out properly over the weekend and will let you know how i get on.


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## astph (Jan 24, 2015)

Hi Urbanbumpkin!

Thanks a lot for this post, I emailed them as well, my concern is about the gap between inner and outer burr seems to be not uniform, don't know if this is normal, its more obvious when set on coarser setting (12 clicks). My grinds seems to be not consistent, and getting a lot of sediments on my french press. Please see images attached. (Photos are vertical, don't why it seems to rotate here)


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I think you do get inconsistency on the coarser grinds with Porlex grinders anyway.

Mines at work so I can't check.


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## astph (Jan 24, 2015)

Yeah, its inconsistent, just wondering why would there be fine sediments if the gap between the burrs are quite big (coarse). But on my case, the gap is not uniform.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

astph said:


> Yeah, its inconsistent, just wondering why would there be fine sediments if the gap between the burrs are quite big (coarse). But on my case, the gap is not uniform.


12 clicks out is a bit coarse, the coarser you go the more the inner burr wanders (relative to outer) & greater the inconsistency.

Progressively tighten down the burr, give it quick grind, make sure all grinds are through then see how much play you have between the burrs, the outer burr can be wobbled with your finger, look for play relative to the inner burr, both burrs will drift a bit.

E.g. Mine centres nicely with just noticeable play at "5", at 6-7 play is noticeable but not mad, 8 is as coarse as I'd ever go, beyond that extractions don't taste great.

I'd grind as fine as you can, based on the size of pot/dose, I'll do small pots & Aeropress at 3-4, being practical, for bigger pots, I'll set to the coarsest setting that lets me grind the dose it the time it takes the kettle to boil (but never over 8 on my grinder).

Bear in mind, due to production tolerances "8" on my grinder might relate to a different burr gap on your grinder.

Your sediment may be due to a few things: plunging (don't), too little steep time to allow grounds to sink & settle, too coarse & larger particles not becoming waterlogged & sinking, grinds caught up in floating oils & being poured into the cup (pour off & discard the very top of the pot).


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

MWJB said:


> 12 clicks out is a bit coarse, the coarser you go the more the inner burr wanders (relative to outer) & greater the inconsistency.
> 
> Progressively tighten down the burr, give it quick grind, make sure all grinds are through then see how much play you have between the burrs, the outer burr can be wobbled with your finger, look for play relative to the inner burr, both burrs will drift a bit.
> 
> ...


MWJB is a bit of a brewed master and I'm inclined to agree with him. I don't tend to go coarser than 7 on these Porlex burrs for any brewed.


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

urbanbumpkin said:


> The new burrs arrived today from the Porlex factory in Japan.
> 
> I've done a few test grinds and I've only pulled a couple of shots using them but early signs seem to indicate that they're working best on 2 clicks from tightest. Crazy! I can't believe there's so much difference.
> 
> I'll try them out properly over the weekend and will let you know how i get on.


This is madness Urban!! But!

As you may or may not know I recently broke the inner burr on my new Porlex (weeks old). Now I was at about a five to six click setting on my old one and had to be careful to tamp not to hard or machine choked......

Had new inner only burr through yesterday. Setting two clicks, grind is more consistent and am tamping twice as hard but still need to tamp a little harder I think.

Which leads me to think the original burr that came with grinder was not so good. New one seems to be giving me way better results.

Find that a bit to much of a coincidence. Perhaps the main ones assembled with grinder are not getting quite as good a quality check as the individual ones made for replacements are or somethin, dunno!? Just reading this thread made me go no way!

Definitely getting a more consistent and even sand like grain than I was with the old one set at a higher click was six'ish now two.

Could be also as at higher setting for same sort of grind texture means mechanics are looser allowing more movement of burrs. Just thinking out loud but the experiences we have had are far to alike.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Porlex in Japan seemed to think that the burrs weren't matched with my original burrs.

Just a thought did you accidentally grind something hard in the porlex? Stone/frozen bean? That might have taken the burrs down a bit?


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

Nope they were like it from new well till I broke it lol.

New inner one is a total difference and much better. Seems we had a very similar experience.....

Not worried I broke mine, or the fact I had to replace as was only around a tenner. For the price and the results I get its a good little grinder.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

For the money a porlex is pretty good.

I ending up using mine this morning for espresso as my rushed first attempt at dialling in my resident grinder spewed grinds resembling wood chips across the work top


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