Single Dosing Grinder

John

Hi
Thinking about a new grinder and would prefer a single dosing set up, as I quite like to change coffees and tend to only have one or two shots at a time and so don't want to waste more coffee than I have to purging the machine.

I see the consensus on grinders such as the E8 or E10 is that they work better with a more even grind when you have a weight of beans in the hopper. This makes sense as the pressure on the beans in the grind chamber is consistent.

Technically how do single dosing alternatives, such as the Monolith or I guess hand grinders like the HG1, deal with this given they use the same burrs ? Or is some inconsistency of grind inevitable with single dosing, although I see Reiss doesn't have any problem with the R120.

Thanks

Frans Goddijn

John post=12146 wrote: Technically how do single dosing alternatives, such as the Monolith or I guess hand grinders like the HG1, deal with this given they use the same burrs ? Or is some inconsistency of grind inevitable with single dosing, although I see Reiss doesn't have any problem with the R120.

I gave my (motorized) HG One to my daughter and her husband so I don't use it myself anymore but my experience is that single dosing in these small grinders for some reason introduces static electricity which can be overcome by throwing a droplet of water on the beans. The bouncing of the beans is less than ideal but when I used it, I enjoyed the grinder.

The R120 does not have the static problem and also, since the huge flat discs are horizontal and flying very fast, the handful of beans is immediately pulled into the burr space and no popping / bouncing can take place. Centrifugal force replaced the pressure of a load of beans on top.

For some, the huge size and the price of the R120 is an obstacle even though technically it solves the problems I noticed with the 'smaller' grinders.

Monolith seems a good alternative but I never saw one up close.

I need a good single dose grinder to evaluate a sample of a roast immediately after roasting, and to find out what's the ultimate best taste of a bean, but generally I think most espresso fans do best with a hopper full of beans and the time to discover what's the best recipe for that specific bean. To enjoy wonderful shots from day 1 and being able to slightly tweak the dose & grind to find out how the bean develops during, say, a week or two of use, is wonderful. No need there to change it all for every handful.

Matthew Hoffman

I have a Monolith Flat which I use in the way the OP envisages. Morning cappuccino with a chocolate-tasting blend, two espressos during the day with a single origin. I have both dialled in, and can switch with ease from one setting to the other. Retention is about one bean. I don't know how it works technically, but I get good and consistent levels of extraction (measured with a refractometer). I employ a spray of water to eliminate static and stir with a scalpel-like tool for redistribution.
Matt

Reiss Gunson

i expect the Kafatek flat is currently the best single dosing grinder in the world for domestic use, worth waiting for as i believe there is now a waiting list

yes, the R120 is magnificent, but its a bit like buying a power station to provide electricity for your home; overkill

i understand that people who are the only espresso consumer in a household want a grinder that single doses nicely, but if you are not in that scenario i have no idea why you would bother

i use a compak E8 at home and we fill it up with 1Kg at a time in hopper and get on with life (the retention on a compak E10 is way too high for home use)

similarly i dont use the R120 for demonstrating my machines to 'normal' users as the time consuming nature of fluffing around with single dosing puts them off - the risk is that what they will take away from the demonstration is that LONDINIUM machines are a fiddle, when nothing could be further from the truth

if i have espresso enthusiasts who want to taste every subtle nuance in a coffee and want to see our machines operating at their very best then i roll the R120 out, with predictable results; wow!