Too Much Coffee

...beans that is.

persevered with the Guatamala Elephant beans but the grinder doesn't like them one bit. I can eventually fill the filter but where I normally press once to get the right quantity I have to give it 4 or 5 grinds. It helps if I take the lid off the hopper and put some downward pressure on the beans.

I take it that the MC2 is simply not up to the task with this size of bean? Any suggestions ( apart from buying a better grinder ) would be appreciated.

Elephant beans are always a problem. I have the same problem with Mahlkonig and Cimbali grinders.

Best suggestion is to buy smaller beans.

You could modify it a little. Mazzer had the same problems, and this is what they came up with.

it's an auger (like a feeder). Apparently a customer of Mazzer in the States complained the grinder would not grind the beans he roasted, after debate and analysis the problem showed to be the size of the roasted coffee. This guy managed to find and roast wee beans that were so big, that they just bounced around the top of the burr set rather than slipping and being ground. So Mazzer added this thang to their grinders a "bean cutter", something that looks like an office fan that cuts them beans up before they drop into the burr set. They found that this auger stopped this popcorn effect that troubled Mazzer grinders with a small amount of beans in the hopper, and happily also 1. ground beans at the same rate regardless of the amount of beans in the hopper, and 2. ground beans quicker. A success, if you ask me.

This is all according to Mark Prince, from a post on the coffeed.com forum, ta.

You mean the Maragogype beans? Doh - I have an MC2, and a bag of these on the way...

I wonder if a hand grinder will do better? Or maybe I'll be reduced to using a pestle and mortar or food processor grinder...

Looks like I am not the only one then.

Uh, wrap them in a clean tea-towel and beat them with a meat mallet/ rolling pin/ empty wine bottle? If you only occasionally have this problem, this seems the simplest way out.

I think I will go for the easy option - don't buy elephant beans again . making coffee should be a pleasure not a 'mallet bashing' chore. Having said that - emptying the wine bottle sounds like more fun!!

FWIW, I have been using (and enjoying) various very large Maragogype beans (Mexican and Guatemalan) for years with various commercial grinders and have never had a problem with them nor have I had to break them first.

Seems OK in my MC2, actually. It works best if you grind in short bursts - I think 17g took 5 or 6 short bursts, grinding course-ish for FP - which may be sub-ideal, and it does make an unusual noise, but the grind that comes out looks fine.

jon wrote:Seems OK in my MC2, actually. It works best if you grind in short bursts - I think 17g took 5 or 6 short bursts, grinding course-ish for FP - which may be sub-ideal, and it does make an unusual noise, but the grind that comes out looks fine.

MMmmm. That could be the answer - I am grinding fine for espresso - it certainly doesn't like it.

If anyone thinks that a manual grinder may be easier and worth a try - I tried, it isn't easier Slowest grinder ever...

By the way, anyone's beans unusually oily - there's quite a bit come out of mine...

I have now dumped the elephants. Life is rosy once more!!

I'm persevering. They do taste good - just have to allow a bit longer to grind...

Resurrecting an old thread - I've just roasted some of Bella Barista's maragogype / elephant beans, and in the MC2 they take forever to grind. It helps if i put pressure from above (with the old plastic tamper).

May have to start using the commercial grinder (BB105). Gave it a new burr set recently. Thing is, the noise and the grinds retention puts me off it. But Bruce has me convinced it's probably the way to go.