# Eureka Mignon blocking



## jwripple (Dec 27, 2011)

My Mignon is a couple of years old, and has always blocked every few weeks. I use exclusively high-roast, very oily beans, grinding only three cups a day. Recently it has blocked every two or three days, so I am spending more time dismantling it than grinding. It's been back to Bella Barista - they say it is fine with them, using my beans. It has lasted only six days since it came back from them, even though I have backed up on the grind. Any suggestions welcome before I give up on it.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Use different beans ?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Do you keep the hopper half-full or you do something different? I had a mignon for 3 years, had all sorts of beans in it, and the only time that it would block / stall the motor would be if I did something stupid like adjust the grind too fine without the motor running. Is your environment somewhat super humid that some of the ground coffee may be caking up?


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## jwripple (Dec 27, 2011)

No - nothing has changed. Same beans, same supplier, same grind. Hopper usually less than half-full.


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## jwripple (Dec 27, 2011)

Possibly - but the whole point for me is to get the darkest, oiliest espresso possible. Which means dark, oily beans. And the Mignon was able to cope reasonably for a while.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

When you say "it has blocked" - Does that mean the chute is blocked up and the motor still runs? Or the motor gets jammed?

I remember back in the day when I bought my one from BB that Claudette said that sometimes the mignon jams as she used some beans which needed to grind super fine. If memory still serves me right, she said she used to use a chopstick or something to keep the chute clean. I must say that for me that has never happened.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

oily beans are the problem. Over time the oils build up and grunge everything up. You do not have to have oily beans to have dark roasted if that makes sense. If you ring Richard at coffee compass in Brighton and tel him your problem and what you are looking for, he will help


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Agree with dfk.

There are plenty of roasters who can achieve the taste you seek without going so far into second crack.


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## jwripple (Dec 27, 2011)

Thanks for the tip. I may have overstated the oiliness. They are roasted just up the road by the only roaster on the Isle of Man - his standard continental roast, used pretty widely and not a problem for me until now.


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## Instant no more ! (Feb 17, 2015)

I don't have any problems with my Mignon , I use Rave beans of different varieties , What part of the machine is blocking ?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Sorry to add more questions. Are you single dosing or using the hopper?


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## Phobic (Aug 17, 2016)

not clear where or how it's blocking, can you elaborate?

Have you tried taking it apart and cleaning the burrs and internal moving parts? as dfk says the oil will build up over time, even if you have overstated the oiliness you'll need to clean the machine completely from time to time.

other very good advice is to try a different roaster, coffee compass are excellent, give them a ring.


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## jwripple (Dec 27, 2011)

The spout. I get a build-up inside the grinder which means I have to dismantle and poke at it. I have a fix of a kind - there is a plastic insert in the spout. At Bella Barista's suggestion I have removed it and the exit from the grinder is much larger. It isn't blocking so much, and when it does I can clear it from outside without dismantling. On the down side you get quit a bit of grounds scattering when you grind.


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## jwripple (Dec 27, 2011)

The hopper.


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## jwripple (Dec 27, 2011)

The spout. I get a build-up inside the grinder which means I have to dismantle and poke at it. I have a fix of a kind - there is a plastic insert in the spout. At Bella Barista's suggestion I have removed it and the exit from the grinder is much larger. It isn't blocking so much, and when it does I can clear it from outside without dismantling. On the down side you get quite a bit of grounds scattering when you grind.


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## jwripple (Dec 27, 2011)

Hi dfk41. Took your advice and bought three different espresso beans from Coffee Compass. Halfway through the French, great coffee and :act-up:no sticking in the Mignon. When I look inside the grinder now it is completely clean, rather than oily and sticky. You have saved me a few hundred quid on a new grinder, so I send my grateful thanks.


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