Dialing In Your Grinder Like a Pro: Reduce Waste and Brew Perfect Espresso

Introduction:

Dialing in a new bag of coffee beans can be a frustrating and wasteful process if you don't know the right techniques. This guide will provide you with practical tips to minimize waste and achieve the perfect espresso extraction quickly and efficiently.

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Understanding Grinder Settings:

• Grinder Collar: The collar on top of your grinder (whether flat burr or conical) controls the distance between the burrs, thus adjusting the grind size. Numbers on the collar are reference points, not absolute values.
• Burr Wear: As burrs wear over time, you'll need to adjust the collar to a finer setting to maintain the same grind size.
• Initial Setup (New Grinder): If your grinder is brand new, start by setting the burrs so they just touch, then back off half a turn. This will give you a starting point close to espresso grind.

Finding the Initial Espresso Grind:

1. Clean Your Burrs: Regularly cleaning your burrs and chute will improve grind consistency and make adjustments easier.
2. Set Burrs to Touch: Turn the collar until the burrs just touch (you'll feel resistance), then back off half a turn.
3. Test Grind and Observe: Grind a small amount of coffee and observe the particle size. You're looking for a fine, powdery texture that starts to clump slightly.

Dialing In with a New Bag of Beans:

1. Start with a Known Recipe: Begin with a standard espresso recipe (e.g., 22.5g coffee in, 45g espresso out in 30-32 seconds).
2. Observe the Extraction: Time your shot and observe the flow.
   • Fast Extraction (Under 25 seconds): Grind finer.
   • Slow Extraction (Over 35 seconds): Grind coarser.
3. Make Small Adjustments: Make small adjustments to the grind setting and repeat the process until you achieve the desired extraction time and taste.
4. Observe Grind Texture: As you adjust, pay attention to the grind texture. You want it fine enough to create resistance but not so fine that it chokes the machine.

Understanding Grind Retention:

• What is Grind Retention? Grind retention is the amount of coffee grounds that remain inside the grinder after grinding.
• Testing Grind Retention (with Full Hopper): Run some coffee through, then empty the hopper and shake the grinder over a scale to measure the retained grounds.
• Testing Grind Retention (Single Dosing): Grind a weighed dose of coffee and then weigh the grounds that come out. The difference is your retention.
• Impact of Grind Retention: When changing grind settings with a full hopper, you'll need to purge the retained grounds to get an accurate representation of the new grind size.

Single Dosing vs. Full Hopper:

• Single Dosing: Weighing each dose of beans before grinding. This minimizes waste and ensures freshness, especially with single-origin coffees.
• Full Hopper: Keeping the hopper filled with beans. Convenient for multiple shots but can lead to more waste when changing grind settings.

Key Takeaways for Reducing Waste:

• Start with clean burrs.
• Set your burrs to touch as a starting point.
• Observe the grind texture and extraction time.
• Make small grind adjustments.
• Be aware of grind retention, especially when changing grind settings with a full hopper.
• Consider single dosing for minimal waste.