Found out my old grinder was 12 years past its prime

I was reading a thread on Home-Barista where someone said burrs wear out after about 500 pounds of coffee. I checked my notes and realized I'd put over 700 pounds through my old Mazzer Mini since I got it in 2009. That explained why my shots were always bitter no matter what I did. Anyone else ever run their grinder way too long before swapping parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_kelly3d agoMost Upvoted

Seven hundred pounds through a home grinder in fifteen years? That's like two bags a month, seems pretty reasonable. Most of the bitterness people blame on worn burrs is usually just bad water temp or stale beans anyway. I'd try a new bag of coffee before dropping cash on burrs unless you're seeing visible chips in the edges.

brian_jackson3d ago

700 pounds through a Mazzer Mini over 15 years... idk, that averages out to like 4 pounds a month. I mean, I've got a friend who runs a small coffee cart and he doesn't even change his burrs that often. He just blasts them with compressed air and calls it good. Maybe it's just me but I feel like people get really hung up on equipment specs when half the time the real issue is the water they're using or their tamping technique. My own grinder is probably pushing 400 pounds now and the only reason I'd swap parts is if little metal flakes started showing up in the grounds.