Grinder Hacks ek43

Over the last few years the EK has rocked the specialty coffee boat, getting people to rethink approaches to chasing deliciousness. This is due to the way the EK grinds – a more even particle size & different distribution – changing the way our shots look & allowing us to push higher extractions. The EK necessitates a shift in thinking when it comes to workflow and even grind adjustment. One grinder can replace three – your singles, decaf and filter no longer need individual pieces of kit. Here’s a few hot tips for getting the most out of your EK:

• Find some small airtight containers and pre-weigh (and label!) your doses the day before (Kmart, ebay & alibaba are winners for containers).
• Pre-weigh with an extra 0.5g (eg for 20.0g aim for 20.5g in the container). This will account for any ground retention and assist in your workflow.
• Purging: The EK generally retains very little coffee in comparison to regular grinders. You’ll find at espresso settings the first shot will hold 1g of coffee in the chamber. Purge 1 or 2g when switching between coffees or drastic grind changes.
• Alignment: if you think your grinder is misaligned or notice your shot times speeding up at the minimum setting, please let us know! We’ll sort it for you :)
• Turn the grinder on before you throw coffee into it, and keep the gate on the hopper closed before & after you use it. This will prevent accidentally having coffee around the burrs when the grinder is started, which can result in a broken shear plate.
• Don’t be afraid to leave the grinder on if you’ve got multiple black coffees in a row. Starting and stopping the grinder will cause damage to the shear plate if the motor hasn’t fully stopped.
• Be aware that the EK recipes will be different from conventional burr grinders. Generally expect a few grams more yield, and a few seconds less time. These shots will initially appear quite tight, and will then rapidly speed up. This is completely normal!
• Stir your EK ‘spros before you drink them – trust us. It’ll mix it all together, cool it down and generally taste heaps better.

Every grinder (& coffee!) is different, but as a general starting point these settings should get you in the ball park of where you wanna be:

1-2 – Espresso
2-3 – Domestic Espresso
4-5 – Stovetop
7-8 – Paper filter
9+ – Metal filter, plunger, batch brew