this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2023
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Coffee

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I swapped out the momentary switch for a standard on/off switch from Amazon for my Eureka Mignon Filtro grinder.

The tiny act of not having to stand there pressing the button in the whole time you are grinding coffee seems petty and ridiculous but genuinely results in a better routine overall. I am now free to focus on other aspects of coffee prep and as a result the routine, even if just for the short time the beans are grinding, is improved

I like multitasking. What can I say.

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[–] ElderWendigo 54 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's likely designed for safety (in a cheap way) so that the thing isn't left on and running for too long. It probably can't properly get rid of the heat it generates fast enough to run continuously. My (higher end, but still made of plastic) burr grinder insists on only running for about 30 seconds at a time because I can't afford an all metal behemoth like at the local coffee shop that can chew through several pounds of beans in one go. The machine needs time to cool between so that it doesn't wear out prematurely.

Also, for devices in homes that have the potential to chew up an entire head of hair or suck in a loose bit of clothing like a tie in an instant, it is good to have their operation tied to a dead man's switch.

[–] darcy 18 points 1 year ago

and supposedly high temps burn the beans

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is a home grinder, usually grinding for an espresso last less than 30 seconds, it will have time to cool down, no issue there Many grinders like the Niche have a similar on/off switch.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The main thing is definitely safety. Imagine long hair getting caught in it and trying to fiddle with an on/off switch instead of being able to just let go of the button. Or if a child sucks their hand in it.

It could make for a disastrous situation. But if OP doesn't have long hair or children, then they're probably fine.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Doesn't the grinder have a lid on the bean hopper? That would limit unintentional grinding of non-beans.

[–] ElderWendigo 6 points 1 year ago

Safety, like ogres and onions, is all about layers.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Probably meant to be a pseudo safety feature but honestly I’d have swapped that button too.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

That's the silly thing when other mignons come with an on off switch

[–] insomniac 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

There’s a guy on Etsy who 3D prints single dose hoppers. The top is made of silicon and it’s a bellows, you give it a few presses and it blows the grind stick in the chute out. It’s great, the only thing I dislike about the grinder is how fast it gets clogged.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

oooooh, this will definitely be my next upgrade then. That sounds glorious.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I got one off Amazon that isn't printed (not that I have anything against printing). Same format, a bellows. I still use it when grinding more than single doses as well.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Superglue the button down and plug/unplug lol. The lazy ass method.

[–] EmoDuck 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Simply stop paying your power company bills whenever you don't want it on. That's way easier and also cheeper

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The penalty could be expensive in some places...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Patches 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Only if you trust the Internet Of Shit

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

You can still use it for the physical button

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's lazy by forcing you to find and unplug the outlet (or plug it in).... instead of pressing a button, a categorically easier thing to do.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Yeah but you're not just pressing the button, you have to hold it down the whole time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You hold it down, by pressing it.

I'm still technically correct :p

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wire the outlet to a wall switch

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That seems like what OP did, but with more steps.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

The petty and ridiculous thing seems like expecting someone would want to stand there actively engaging the coffee grinder, pour over coffee is time consuming enough in the busy mornings, much less when I need to grind 170g for cold brew

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

If you add a smart plug could you activate it remotely?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My Moccamaster is on a smart plug. Yes, I use 12 hour old beans, but my coffee is ready by the time I go down stairs.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

But let's be honest, 12 hours is nothing. The reason pre ground coffee is stale is that it is there for weeks, months, or years pre ground.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Synced with you waking up

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can't come up with any reason why not for most people. The Wifi in that corner of the kitchen is unbelievable atrocious so I wouldn't trust the smart plug to stay connected reliably.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wow didn’t know that. Mine came with on off but it’s a chrono. Mine also came with the espresso grinders. Is filtro for filtered coffee?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That is my understanding! The lowest grind setting on this is easily fine enough for a moka pot. I do not have any espresso experience to say whether or not it would be passable for an espresso machine.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My grinder is crank powered, very satisfying

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Nothing will ever make the Flooble Crank obsolete 😌

[–] pinkfootedgoose 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nice mod! Do you like the grinder otherwise? I recently got a doserless flat burr and find I'm experimenting more with different beans/grinds/brew styles. Still mostly pourover though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I do like the grinder a lot. This is the first "serious" grinder that we have had. Before this we usually bought pre-ground or used or ancient bladed grinder. I thought that there wouldn't really be that noticeable of a difference between fresh ground coffee and pre-ground but BOY was I wrong. Also having the ability to dial in the grind size for your brew method and routine makes a significant difference. Our cold brew and moke pot showed the biggest improvement after getting this grinder.

I ended up choosing this one for a couple of reasons. One was that Seattle Coffee Gear had one of these in open box with a pretty significant discount and the other was because of the type of coffee that we drink. We vary between Cold Brew, AeroPress, pour over, and occasionally a moka pot. This grinder seems to cover all these basis very well. As far as I can tell the grind consistency is pretty good through the testing that I have done.

There are a couple of things I don't like from a functionality standpoint. The first was the switch which I have remedied. The second is the catch box for the coffee. It's kind of terribly designed and if you don't mist your coffee with some water then you end up with chaff(?) being thrown outside of the catch container. Also because its a ton of angles and corners its kind of a pain in the butt to clean. The hopper also doesn't seem quite steep enough for the beans to naturally so nearly every time I grind I end up poking some stray beans or a blockage into the grinder. Lastly is the grind adjuster. It does not have any stops on it what so ever so if you don't set a routine to place the dial in the exact same place whenever you are done it can be easy to forget where it has been set. I have accidentally ground coffee at cold-brew setting instead of moka pot a couple of times.

We have yet to splurge on an espresso machine so i wouldn't be able to speak to whether or not the finest grind would be suitable for that.

[–] pinkfootedgoose 1 points 1 year ago

Nice. I put stickers on the grinder adjustments so I can always fairly quickly get it about right. Although the difference between good/bad espresso is about 1tick. Other brew methods about 10.

If I could do it all again I'd skip the espresso machine and get better manual brewing tools. Which now I WFH is much easier to justify.

The water spray to reduce static is pretty much required on all grinders.

Not sure about this grinder specifically, but a doserless mod might be possible too. Not strictly necessary though.

Very easy to get carried away with coffee gear.