# Mignon: What's that in my portafilter?



## davetucker (Apr 7, 2014)

Fired up the Mignon for the first time today and wound up with this in my portafilter

















It's a curved piece of metal about 50mm long and 2mm thick.

Called Bella Barista and they will look in to it but have never had this reported before.

My suspicion is that it came from the burrs, but they both seem to look ok (at least to my untrained eye).

















Has anybody seen anything like this before?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Yup, it looks like one of the staples from a coffee bag label (lot label) or from something in the greens when processed, in the beans you used and then opened out a bit more in the grinder. *If you never used any beans*, then it's something that fell into the grinder from the packaging or in the factory.

I opened my Mazzer Mini E for a good clean last week and my burrs were pretty much perfect, no nicks or knocks, because I always carefully check the beans I put in the grinder....tip them in the lid first. I've been lucky and not missed anything so far. good job the Mignon Burrs are very good quality and very hard....That metal never came from the burrs, is it bendy and holds the shape, brittle, or springy?

*Always check a brand new grinder by spinning the burrs by hand and closing them to touching point....all by hand....then back it off and fire it up.* This should be standard info in the manufacturers manuals, but it never is. I have quite a few times heard of a machine screw that has fallen between the burrs at the factory. not with the Mignons, but it can happen with any grinder.

Looking at the photos again, burrs look pristine...so it's possible it was in the sweeper arm space.....either way, burrs look fine.....so no worries....photo just reminds me again what a nice burr set the Mignon has.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

I agree with Dave. I have seem a similar item go through a grinder before.


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## davetucker (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks for putting my mind at ease DavecUK and Glenn.

It might have been from the bag of beans. It was bendy but broke quite easily when bent a little too far.

I'd like to think it came from somewhere within the machine as I haven't had any surprises in a bag from HasBean before, but there is always a first time for everything.

No harm done...


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