It seems a little counter-intuitive to ask people to keep their beans fresh, and then ask them to keep 1/3 of their hopper full of beans. What's worked for me is single dosing. And I don't have the issue of getting a slightly coarser grind because I adjust my grind setting to compensate for having only 18g of beans in my hopper at any given time. Between that and a purge of about 4-5 grams daily, my shots are super consistent, even on an entry level machine like the Gaggia Classic Pro. I keep the rest of my beans in an Airscapes canister and only ever put half a bag in at a time, while keeping the other half in its original packaging, sealed and in a cupboard.
Enjoy your explanations. But. I'm not sure that the weight of your coffee in the hopper should affect grind. If so, it seems a flaw in grinder design. iirc, at one point you mention adding just a small amount of coffee in hopper, then 1/3 full at another. Still very thankful for great coffee understanding.
This is a flaw in most high-end grinders as they are scaled down versions of what they use in cafés where it really doesn't matter. The Niche Zero is a good option if this is an issue for you. Also, I think that too few beans in the hopper will result in a finer grind rather than coarser as the beans aren't being pushed through the burs as fast.
I was thinking that too. I think I'd rather just keep the grinder consistently empty and the coffee fresh. I can adjust my grind if there's any texture difference from the lack of downward force
Hi Team Just caught up on your plain speak and easy to understand videos ...Magic thanks .Couple of problems have arise for me as a result on changes. Putting the close to (don't have scales) dose of coffee into the basket results in a very wet mushy biscuit. My machine (a Rocket) will draw (close enough) to the prescribed out put of coffee but its a race and around the 14 to 16 second mark . I'm not getting much in the way of crema despite having tightened my grind up and with fresh beans. ...Any suggestions ? should i use more ground coffee as previously I filled the basket to the top and ended up with a firm biscuit or do i just need to adapt to the new. The resultant coffee on the way was fine but then I do dilute with a little milk
Hey there! If you're using fresh beans, it sounds like your grind setting still needs to be adjusted finer. Adding a little extra coffee to your initial dose may also help slow down your shots too.
The extensive testing our product team has done shows that it may have a slight effect but it's so subtle as to be generally ignored. In our experience it's better to simply pull that first shot as you normally would and make any slight adjustments as necessary. - Charles
I have the sette 270 and decided to try single dosing but am having inconsistent results. Do you recommend filling the hopper to 1/3 even for single dosing with this grinder?
Matthew Baron Matthew, I also have the Sette 270 (wi version) and the Sette instructions specifically state that they are not single dosers and to put more in the hopper. I am on the road without access to the paperwork, but it’s in there.
i am using the eureka specialita for single dosing. before every grinding i gently tap the side of the grinder and purge it 1- 2 times. this has helped me getting these consistant shots. there are always old partical coming out of the grinder. Also make sure you find a method for good partical distribution in your basket that fits you well. channeling lets your perfectly fresh espresso run for 21 sec instead of your preferred 26 for example.
Matthew Baron having the same issue with my Sette 270Wi, I hate filling the hopper for pulling 2 or 3 shots a day but they made it clear it’s not meant for single dose.
Hey Matthew, glad to see you're getting some input! To clarify, if you have the standard Sette 270 we consider it to be a fantastic single dosing grinder. Their design makes them quite adept at consistent grinding with just one dose in the grinder. We even use them this way for our barista classes. I'm curious to hear what kind of inconsistencies you're experiencing. - Charles
Would you also recommend flushing water on a single boiler machine like the ECM Classika? I typically do but only for a second or two. I’m thinking now that it isn’t needed & is a wasted effort. Thanks
You only need to flush until the bubbling/fizzing sound of the water stops. As soon as the sound calms down you can turn it off. On my single boiler heat exchanger Bezzera that can take about seconds when it's been sitting for a few hours.
Since the Classika is a PID controlled single boiler it's not necessary. It is a good habit to flush the group after a shot to rinse any grounds from the screen, but otherwise, you can get right to pulling shots with a PID machine.
Nice tips and great channel! I bought a breville barista express and I've noticed that everyone on youtube grind their coffee to 10 to 7 but I need to grind much finer (between 3 and 1). Is that normal? Is my machine or my grinder that comes with the machine fucked up? am i just dumb? thaaaaaanks and greets from Madrid!
The greatest determining factor is what roast you're brewing. We have another video on this exact topic that'l answer your questions! th-cam.com/video/nd_J3ztFMJc/w-d-xo.html
I understand that coffee must be fresh, but how do I avoid getting beans that have been sitting on a shelf in an (online) store. And if I have to keep my hopper 1/3 full, aren’t those beans too long outside an airtight container and in the light? In a shop they will be used within hours, but at home that might take a few days.
SDFG SDFG ok, but I get my beans straight out of Rome and ordering just one or two kilo is very expensive so I order 5-10 which covers my need for at least two months.
Our recommendation is always to buy beans from a roaster who stamps a roast date on every bag. If you can get through the 1/3 hopper in a few days you should be fine, any longer than that and you tend to encounter issues. How quickly coffee goes stale in a hopper depends a bit on atmospheric conditions, so I recommend testing it for yourself and seeing if you encounter issues. If you do, you may consider giving single dosing a go. Nothing beats storing all your coffee in an airtight container until the moment you grind. - Charles
Clive Coffee I understand, but even if what I buy is freshly roasted, even then if I buy several kilo it will take a while before I use them. Ordering my fav beans per 2-3 kilo is a hassle. And shipping 2 kilo makes it very expensive.
@@jjg19631 Usually, I'd suggest buying only as much as you'd use in the span of a couple weeks. Baring that, if the bags are airtight you're in a pretty good spot. Even better if they're nitrogen flushed. If not then I'd recommend getting some large airtight or vacuum containers to store the coffee. That'll go a long way to ensuring it's fresh when you get to drinking it. It's not the ideal scenario but hey, you found some coffee you love. That's what it's all about. Hopefully, this will help you keep each shipment at peak freshness! - Charles
I've thought about attaching some dessacant or silica gel sachets to the lid of the hopper away from the beans to help keep beans fresh .... Would that work ?
Serious question Charles, why there isn't a single grinder designer even for very expensive machines like my 1500$CAD (Rocket Fausto) that can think of a very simple and easy way to make the hooper hermetic while a goddamn 5$ Tupperware can be hermetic?!? I highly doubt that it wouldn't be something possible to do or beyond imagination. By the way, very interesting videos, I've watched over 6 in a row and learned a lot! My coffee on my Rocket R58 is suddenly tasting better since the last 2 days lol.
That's a great question and I've wondered the same thing. After finding a hopper that had the same diameter as an Airscape container, I tried inserting one of their air-tight lids which evacuate excess air. What I found was that this reduced airflow through the grinder to a degree which caused the grinder to repeatedly jam. So the answer is: it's unfortunately slightly more complicated than making a good tupperware lid, but if a decent engineer put their mind to it I'm sure it'd be possible. Glad to hear you're getting so much from our videos! - Charles
I don't know anymore I must have a defective machine shots are inconsistent I follow every tip I find on the net, no success Yes I tried fresh roasted breville btw
I don't store beans in the hooper!I have vacuum container and works great!You shouldn't keep beans in hooper more than a day chaps ,in domestic conditions impossible! So single dosing is the way for home users!
Well, adding just 20-40g every single time seems pretty ridiculous and while too much isn't good cause for some reason dumb grinder designer can't think of a way to make their hooper hermetic even at 1500$ when Tupperware can do so for just 5$... but since you need to fill it up 1/3 to exerces enough pressure towards the blades, then u can't just add 20-40g in it.
fantastic! the hopper fill is certainly new to me!
The part about the heat exchanger as well as the hopper fill level were both eye opening to me as variables that I was missing.
Super simple things that you can adjust that can make a huge difference in outcomes.
This guy nails 100% of what I would imagine a young barista to look like.
Get a Niche and you will get 2 out of the 3 problems solved. Best purchase I ever made!
As always, brilliant info in concise form. Love it. Thank you.
It seems a little counter-intuitive to ask people to keep their beans fresh, and then ask them to keep 1/3 of their hopper full of beans. What's worked for me is single dosing. And I don't have the issue of getting a slightly coarser grind because I adjust my grind setting to compensate for having only 18g of beans in my hopper at any given time. Between that and a purge of about 4-5 grams daily, my shots are super consistent, even on an entry level machine like the Gaggia Classic Pro. I keep the rest of my beans in an Airscapes canister and only ever put half a bag in at a time, while keeping the other half in its original packaging, sealed and in a cupboard.
I don't have an espresso maker purely because of cost but these videos are great. Really liking your content!
Thanks - I took my ECM off of eBAY after this
Nice video. I could easily avoid few mistakes. Will you please put link for purchasing coffee airtight vaccum container?
Certainly!
clivecoffee.com/products/fellow-atmos-coffee-canister
Perfectly true I'm experiencing it thanks for the great video
Enjoy your explanations. But. I'm not sure that the weight of your coffee in the hopper should affect grind. If so, it seems a flaw in grinder design. iirc, at one point you mention adding just a small amount of coffee in hopper, then 1/3 full at another.
Still very thankful for great coffee understanding.
This is a flaw in most high-end grinders as they are scaled down versions of what they use in cafés where it really doesn't matter. The Niche Zero is a good option if this is an issue for you. Also, I think that too few beans in the hopper will result in a finer grind rather than coarser as the beans aren't being pushed through the burs as fast.
I was thinking that too. I think I'd rather just keep the grinder consistently empty and the coffee fresh. I can adjust my grind if there's any texture difference from the lack of downward force
That hopper is a big one i notice that in my ceado grinder
If you have the E6, you can use Mazzer Mini's hopper. This is where I found the info: th-cam.com/video/i5QUPTZGVSs/w-d-xo.html
It sounds like N.Z. coffee grinder would remove all those issues. Im I right?
Hi Team
Just caught up on your plain speak and easy to understand videos ...Magic thanks .Couple of problems have arise for me as a result on changes. Putting the close to (don't have scales) dose of coffee into the basket results in a very wet mushy biscuit. My machine (a Rocket) will draw (close enough) to the prescribed out put of coffee but its a race and around the 14 to 16 second mark . I'm not getting much in the way of crema despite having tightened my grind up and with fresh beans. ...Any suggestions ? should i use more ground coffee as previously I filled the basket to the top and ended up with a firm biscuit or do i just need to adapt to the new. The resultant coffee on the way was fine but then I do dilute with a little milk
Hey there! If you're using fresh beans, it sounds like your grind setting still needs to be adjusted finer. Adding a little extra coffee to your initial dose may also help slow down your shots too.
Can humidity affect extractions? Should I grind coarser when humidity goes up?
The extensive testing our product team has done shows that it may have a slight effect but it's so subtle as to be generally ignored. In our experience it's better to simply pull that first shot as you normally would and make any slight adjustments as necessary.
- Charles
@@clivecoffee Thanks ☕☕
Great content in you video. Keep it up.
Great info, thanks!
I have the sette 270 and decided to try single dosing but am having inconsistent results. Do you recommend filling the hopper to 1/3 even for single dosing with this grinder?
Matthew Baron Matthew, I also have the Sette 270 (wi version) and the Sette instructions specifically state that they are not single dosers and to put more in the hopper. I am on the road without access to the paperwork, but it’s in there.
i am using the eureka specialita for single dosing. before every grinding i gently tap the side of the grinder and purge it 1- 2 times. this has helped me getting these consistant shots. there are always old partical coming out of the grinder. Also make sure you find a method for good partical distribution in your basket that fits you well. channeling lets your perfectly fresh espresso run for 21 sec instead of your preferred 26 for example.
Matthew Baron having the same issue with my Sette 270Wi, I hate filling the hopper for pulling 2 or 3 shots a day but they made it clear it’s not meant for single dose.
Thanks everyone. In another Clive video, I believe they said it was a good single doser due to low retention, so I figured I'd give it a try.
Hey Matthew, glad to see you're getting some input! To clarify, if you have the standard Sette 270 we consider it to be a fantastic single dosing grinder. Their design makes them quite adept at consistent grinding with just one dose in the grinder. We even use them this way for our barista classes. I'm curious to hear what kind of inconsistencies you're experiencing.
- Charles
Wow! Amazing info! Ty!
Thank you so much 👌👌
Would you also recommend flushing water on a single boiler machine like the ECM Classika? I typically do but only for a second or two. I’m thinking now that it isn’t needed & is a wasted effort.
Thanks
You only need to flush until the bubbling/fizzing sound of the water stops. As soon as the sound calms down you can turn it off. On my single boiler heat exchanger Bezzera that can take about seconds when it's been sitting for a few hours.
Since the Classika is a PID controlled single boiler it's not necessary. It is a good habit to flush the group after a shot to rinse any grounds from the screen, but otherwise, you can get right to pulling shots with a PID machine.
What's the brand of that cool storage box for the beans. That air sealable
Airscape
@@lowfuel6089 hihi. Got it already. But thank you
@@Slaska082 Sure thing!
Nice tips and great channel! I bought a breville barista express and I've noticed that everyone on youtube grind their coffee to 10 to 7 but I need to grind much finer (between 3 and 1). Is that normal? Is my machine or my grinder that comes with the machine fucked up? am i just dumb? thaaaaaanks and greets from Madrid!
This machine also has another setting that is hidden - top burr. Also it depends on roast and coffee freshness. The grinder should be fine.
Keep your beans fresh... Keep your hopper at least 1/3 full... Aren't the beans going to deteriorate quickly in the hopper?
If it's 1/3 full, you're going through coffee pretty quickly.
My ECM temp can be changed, what is a good brewing temp to set it at?
I've been told 93C is a good temp.
The greatest determining factor is what roast you're brewing. We have another video on this exact topic that'l answer your questions! th-cam.com/video/nd_J3ztFMJc/w-d-xo.html
What kind of Machines is that?
Hi! That's the ECM Mechanika V Slim. One of our phenomenal heat exchangers.
I understand that coffee must be fresh, but how do I avoid getting beans that have been sitting on a shelf in an (online) store.
And if I have to keep my hopper 1/3 full, aren’t those beans too long outside an airtight container and in the light? In a shop they will be used within hours, but at home that might take a few days.
dont buy beans without 'roast' date. expire date means nothing.
SDFG SDFG ok, but I get my beans straight out of Rome and ordering just one or two kilo is very expensive so I order 5-10 which covers my need for at least two months.
Our recommendation is always to buy beans from a roaster who stamps a roast date on every bag.
If you can get through the 1/3 hopper in a few days you should be fine, any longer than that and you tend to encounter issues. How quickly coffee goes stale in a hopper depends a bit on atmospheric conditions, so I recommend testing it for yourself and seeing if you encounter issues. If you do, you may consider giving single dosing a go. Nothing beats storing all your coffee in an airtight container until the moment you grind.
- Charles
Clive Coffee I understand, but even if what I buy is freshly roasted, even then if I buy several kilo it will take a while before I use them.
Ordering my fav beans per 2-3 kilo is a hassle. And shipping 2 kilo makes it very expensive.
@@jjg19631 Usually, I'd suggest buying only as much as you'd use in the span of a couple weeks. Baring that, if the bags are airtight you're in a pretty good spot. Even better if they're nitrogen flushed. If not then I'd recommend getting some large airtight or vacuum containers to store the coffee. That'll go a long way to ensuring it's fresh when you get to drinking it.
It's not the ideal scenario but hey, you found some coffee you love. That's what it's all about. Hopefully, this will help you keep each shipment at peak freshness!
- Charles
I've thought about attaching some dessacant or silica gel sachets to the lid of the hopper away from the beans to help keep beans fresh .... Would that work ?
Serious question Charles, why there isn't a single grinder designer even for very expensive machines like my 1500$CAD (Rocket Fausto) that can think of a very simple and easy way to make the hooper hermetic while a goddamn 5$ Tupperware can be hermetic?!? I highly doubt that it wouldn't be something possible to do or beyond imagination.
By the way, very interesting videos, I've watched over 6 in a row and learned a lot! My coffee on my Rocket R58 is suddenly tasting better since the last 2 days lol.
That's a great question and I've wondered the same thing. After finding a hopper that had the same diameter as an Airscape container, I tried inserting one of their air-tight lids which evacuate excess air. What I found was that this reduced airflow through the grinder to a degree which caused the grinder to repeatedly jam.
So the answer is: it's unfortunately slightly more complicated than making a good tupperware lid, but if a decent engineer put their mind to it I'm sure it'd be possible.
Glad to hear you're getting so much from our videos!
- Charles
Even if they build an airtight lid for the hopper, the opening below where the coffee comes out is not airtight.
Woo great 👍 job
I don't know anymore
I must have a defective machine
shots are inconsistent
I follow every tip I find on the net, no success
Yes I tried fresh roasted
breville btw
Have you tried a distribution tool and do you have a set of scales?
I don't store beans in the hooper!I have vacuum container and works great!You shouldn't keep beans in hooper more than a day chaps ,in domestic conditions impossible! So single dosing is the way for home users!
Well, adding just 20-40g every single time seems pretty ridiculous and while too much isn't good cause for some reason dumb grinder designer can't think of a way to make their hooper hermetic even at 1500$ when Tupperware can do so for just 5$... but since you need to fill it up 1/3 to exerces enough pressure towards the blades, then u can't just add 20-40g in it.
No way any of this involves particle physics!
Coffee, as well as all the equipment, is physically made of particles. This whole video is about particle physics.
Don't get mad but damn you're cute.