I'm often asked about grinders that stop working. The most common cause is seized burrs. This happens when fine coffee grinds build up in the exit chute resulting in chute blockage, or when coarse coffee grinds get compressed between the burrs. If your grinder seizes the first thing to do is to check that the chute is clear. Grab something like a straightened paperclip and stick it right up the chute. Wiggle it around to break up any blockages and to clear out the chute. If the grinder’s chute is clear but the grinder is still seized the likely cause is coarse coffee grinds compressed between the burrs. This commonly occurs when you change the grind setting from coarse to fine without pulsing at intervals. Follow these steps to fix the issue:

• Back the grind size off to coarse so the motor can run again

• Slowly work your way back towards espresso grind

• As you adjust from coarse to fine, pulse regularly to prevent seizing

• Fine tune the grinder for by following the steps in my Espresso Workflow

If you still can’t produce a fine grind and cannot turn the collar there is a chance that a foreign object, such as a stone, has that made it into the grinder. If you are qualified to work with electrical equipment your can follow the steps below to fix this:

• Unplug the coffee grinder

• Remove the bean hopper

• Remove the top burr assembly

• Clean out the grind chamber by tipping the grinder upside down, brushing the burrs, brushing out the grind chamber and clearing out the chute using an unraveled paperclip.

• Reassemble

• Slowly work your way back towards espresso grind

• As you adjust from coarse to fine, pulse regularly to prevent seizing

• Now tune your grinder by following the steps in my Espresso Workflow

If you are unable to remove the blockage yourself, and you are local, you can book in for a Grinder Service at my shop at 1 Keys Street, Beaumaris. If you are not local, I can help you to find a local service technician.

Note that grinder servicing is not covered by warranty.