ELEKTRA Microcasa Installation guide

Microcasa
Coffee Grinder
Training Manual

Contents
Overview 1
Models 1
Specifications 1
Features 1
Grinder parts 2
Assembly 2
Making adjustments 3
Testing the grind texture 3
Adjusting the grind texture 4
Testing the coffee dose 4
Adjusting the dose 5
Number of doses 5
Operating instructions 6
Warnings 7
Maintenance and cleaning 7
Operating principles 8
Dispensing unit 8
Grinding discs 9
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Overview
Models
Available in two versions:
MS Copper and Brass
MSC Chrome
Copper and
brass finish
(model MS)
Chrome finish
(model MSC)
Specifications
Weight 8 kg
Height 38 cm
Depth 26 cm
Base Diameter 18 cm
Features
Glass hopper
Precisely machined grinding discs
Long lasting construction
All models come with:
Tamper
Instruction manual and guarantee card.
Tamper Instruction manual
with guarantee card
Training manual – Grinders
1

Grinder parts
Hopper
Hopper
lid
Dispenser lid Grinding
adjustment
wheel
Grinder
body
Dispense
r
unit
Dose adjustment
knob
Dosing
unit outlet
Dosing
unit Dosing lever
On-off switch
Assembly
1. Place glass hopper onto adjustment wheel.
2. Place hopper lid onto hopper.
3. Place dispensing lid onto dispensing unit.
Training manual – Grinder
2

Making adjustments
When the grinder is being used for the first time, you’ll generally need
to adjust the grind texture and the quantity (dose) of coffee grounds
dispensed into the coffee handle when the dosing lever is operated.
Testing the grind texture
1. Remove lid from hopper and fill hopper with coffee beans.
2. Turn on the grinder at its on-off switch and grind about 50 grams
of coffee. Switch machine off at its on /off switch.
3. Test coffee for correct flow. The texture of the coffee grind is
tested by making a short black or espresso coffee (30ml) using
the single cup basket in the coffee handle. Fill the basket with
enough grounds to suit (usually two operations of the dosing
lever), and firmly tamp the grounds. The dosing amount might not
yet be correct, so make sure the coffee level is around 4-5mm
from the top of the basket.
Place handle in the espresso coffee machine and observe the
coffee flow when the machine is operating. The best coffee
extraction is achieved when 30ml of coffee takes between 25–35
seconds to flow. Repeat this test on at least two coffees to ensure
the flow is correct. Note that this time is a guide only, as the pump
pressure is different between espresso machines. The photos
below show the differences in the coffee flow caused by different
grind textures.
4-5mm
A
fter tamping, the coffee
grounds should be
around 4-5mm from the
top of the filter basket.
Flow too fast Flow correct Flow too slow
grounds too coarse grounds correct grounds too fine
If the extraction time takes less than 25 seconds, the grind is too
coarse and will need to be made finer.
If the extraction time takes more than 35 seconds, the grind is too
fine and will need to be made coarser.
Training manual – Grinders
3

Adjusting the grind texture
1. Hold down the locking pin and
turn the grinding adjustment
wheel one notch at a time:
clockwise to make the coffee
grounds finer
anti-clockwise to make the
coffee grounds coarser
2. Release the adjustment wheel locking pin which will click and lock
back into its new position.
The grinding adjustment wheel will move freely while the locking pin is
held down. It’s important to move the grinding adjustment wheel only
one notch at a time, then to release the locking pin. A small change
in the grind texture can make a big change to the flow of coffee.
Test the grind after each adjustment by making an espresso coffee.
Before making a change to the grind texture, be sure to empty all
previously ground coffee from the dosing chamber. See page 9 for
details of the grind adjusting wheel and operation of the grinder.
Testing the coffee dose
Coffee dose refers to how much coffee comes out of the grinder with
each pull of the dosing lever. The size of the dose depends on the
type of espresso machine (see next page).
The dose is determined by first dispensing the required number of
doses into a single cup filter basket. After tamping, the level of
grounds in the basket should be around 4–5mm from the rim of the
filter basket. (This also applies to the double cup filter basket.) If the
basket is too full, it will be difficult to fit the coffee handle to the
espresso machine. If the level is too low, the coffee will lack taste and
could flow too quickly. Once set for a particular espresso machine, the
dose will not usually need to be readjusted.
Operating the dosing lever.
Place thumb on the front of the
dispensing unit (to steady the
grinder) and pull the dosing lever
fully forwards to its end, release it
and allow it to spring back to its
resting position.
It’s important when adjusting the dosing quantity to roll the coffee.
This is done by placing the dispenser lid under the dosing unit outlet
and operating the dosing lever so coffee grounds fall onto the lid. Do
this about five times then return the ground coffee on the lid back into
the dispensing unit. Repeat this process once more to ensure all six
dosing chambers have been evenly filled.
Training manual – Grinder
4

Adjusting the dose
Before changing the dose, make sure all chambers in the dosing
wheel are full and that the coffee has been rolled as described on the
previous page. See page 8 for details of the dispensing unit.
1. Turn the dose adjustment knob
one click to change the dose:
To reduce the dose, turn the
knob clockwise.
To increase the dose, turn the
knob anti-clockwise.
While making this adjustment, place a
finger or thumb into the dispensing
unit outlet so the wheel is prevented
from turning.
2. After making an adjustment, test
the dose by grinding more coffee
and rolling it to ensure all dosing
chambers are full. Fill a single cup
basket and tamp the grounds, then check if the right quantity of
coffee has been dispensed. Make further adjustments as
required.
Adjusting the dose of coffee
dispensed with each pull of
the dosing lever
Number of doses
The following assumes the dose has been adjusted for the particular
Elektra domestic espresso machine being used with the grinder.
Nivola Micro Casa Mini Verticale
(W only) Semiautomatica Semiautomatica
(all models) (all models)
The above machines need two pulls of the dosing lever to fill a single
basket and three pulls of the dosing lever for a double basket. The
coffee level should be 4–5mm from the rim of the coffee basket after
the grounds have been tamped.
The machine on the right needs one pull of
the dosing lever to fill a single basket and
two pulls of the dosing lever for a double
basket. The coffee level should be 4-5 mm
from the rim of the coffee basket after the
grounds have been tamped.
Micro Casa a Leva
(all models)
Training manual – Grinders
5

Operating instructions
These instructions assume the grind texture and the dose have been
adjusted correctly. If not, see previous page.
1. Remove lid from hopper and fill hopper with coffee beans.
2. Turn on the grinder at its on-off switch and grind enough coffee to
fill all chambers in the dosing unit. Don’t fill the dispensing unit
beyond about two thirds of its capacity.
3. Switch grinder off at its on-off switch.
4. Roll coffee. Rolling coffee is achieved by placing the dispensing
unit lid under the dosing unit outlet and operating the dosing lever
to dispense coffee grounds onto the lid. Pull the dosing lever fully
forwards to its end, release it and allow it to spring back to its
resting position. Do this about five times, then return the ground
coffee on the lid back into the dispensing unit.
Repeat this process one more time to ensure all six dosing
chambers have been evenly filled with rolled coffee and that there
is no air trapped in the chambers.
5. Fit a single or double cup filter basket to the coffee handle and
hold the handle so the filter basket is under the dosing unit outlet.
Operate the dosing lever to dispense coffee grounds. See
previous page for a guide on the number of doses needed for
each type of Elektra domestic espresso machine.
stop to rest handle
against when
dispensing coffee
6. Tamp the grounds. Tamping compresses the
coffee grounds to give a uniform flow of water
through the grounds, ensuring complete
extraction of coffee. After tamping, gently
twist the tamper to feather the grounds to the
side of the filter basket to give a clean edge.
This helps ensure an even flow of water
through the grounds.
Tamping the grounds
is essential for best
coffee extraction
Training manual – Grinder
6

Warnings
When adjusting the grind it’s important to make only one change
at a time. Making the grind finer by more than two notches can
cause coffee to become caught between the blades and jam the
mechanism.
If the grind is adjusted too finely it can cause the blades to grind
together and shear off the metal. This can be easily identified by a
high pitched metallic sound coming from the machine. Turn off
the grinder immediately.
Ground coffee from the dispensing unit should never be placed
back into the coffee bean hopper, regardless of how coarse it may
appear.
Never hit the coffee handle on the dispensing unit as it could
damage the unit by causing it to chip or crack.
Never place wet or used coffee grounds into the dispensing unit.
Maintenance and cleaning
1. Remove and wash the hopper, hopper lid and dispenser lid
monthly. Don’t wash these parts in a dishwasher.
2. Regularly remove old coffee grounds from inside the dispenser by
operating the dosing lever at least six times (to empty all six
chambers). Use a clean dry cloth or paint brush to remove
grounds that are stuck to the surfaces. Don’t use any water.
3. Remove the hopper and use a paint brush or soft dry cloth to
clean out old coffee grounds from the housing containing the
grinding discs. Don’t use any water.
4. Clean the surface of the machine with a clean, wet soft paper
towel or soft cloth and polish with a clean, dry soft paper towel or
soft cloth. Never immerse the machine in water.
Do not use any alcohol, solvents or abrasive creams or cloths on the
surface of the machine.
Training manual – Grinders
7

Operating principles
Dispensing unit
During grinding, the coffee grounds enter the dispensing unit. At the
bottom of this unit are six dosing chambers, arranged as a wheel that
is rotated one chamber at a time when the dosing lever is operated.
Dispensing
unit
Dosing
lever
Dosing
chambers
Details of the dispensing unit
The dosing unit sits in the bottom of the dispensing unit and is rotated
clockwise by the wheel connected to the dosing lever. The photos
below show the dosing unit removed from the dispensing unit.
Height
adjustment
Side view of
dosing unit Top view of dosing unit
When the dosing lever is operated, the dosing wheel rotates over an
outlet that allows the contents of a dosing chamber to be dispensed
into the coffee handle/filter basket. This is shown below, in which the
dosing unit has been removed from the dispenser.
Outlet hole
Pulling the dosing lever rotates the dosing unit by one chamber
The height of the dosing unit is adjustable and determines the quantity
of coffee grounds that are dispensed with each operation of the
dosing lever.
Training manual – Grinder
8

Grinding discs
The grinder has two precisely machined grinding discs that produce a
uniform grind. The discs are arranged with the cutting blades facing
each other, in which the distance between the discs determines the
texture of the grounds. The closer the discs, the finer the grounds.
The discs are mounted one
above the other, a lot closer
than shown here
The grinding discs in an Elektra
domestic coffee grinder
One disc is attached to an electric motor that rotates the disc. The
other disc does not rotate and is attached to an adjusting wheel that
allows the distance between the grinding discs to be altered.
Locking pin
notches. These
are located on
the underside o
f
the grinding
adjustment
wheel.
Fixed disc, which is
attached to the grinder
adjusting wheel
Rotating disc which is
attached to the motor
Because the grind texture adjustment is critical, the adjusting wheel
has locating notches, with a spring-loaded locating pin positioned so it
clicks into a notch. A scale around the adjusting wheel gives an
indication of the position of the wheel. Rotating the wheel changes the
distance between the grinding discs.
To rotate the wheel, hold the locating pin down and move the wheel
one notch position at a time. Rotating the wheel clockwise gives a
finer grind (because the discs are moved closer together). The grinder
must be off when changing the position of grind adjustment wheel.
Numbered
scale
A
djusting
wheel Locating pin
down so the
wheel can
be adjusted
Locating pin
locking the
position o
f
the wheel Locked Unlocked
The grind adjustment wheel is held in position by a
locating pin. Hold the pin down to move the wheel.
Training manual – Grinders
9