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Date: 20 Aug 2006 20:05:23
From: Mike_Reynolds
Subject: New La Cimbali MD6 / S6 grinder owner...have a couple questions
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Hello, everybody. I'm new to this world, so please excuse my
"green"-ness :)
I've enjoyed a Starbucks setup (Barista machine and grinder) for the
last 7 years, but they finally died and I'm ready to take the next step
up. So - looks like I'll be getting the Silvia soon, and needed a
grinder to match...(I only will be using this for espresso/lattes) The
neighborhood coffee shop closed a few months ago, and I bought a
Cimbali MD6\S6 from the new owners (they turned it into a Mexican Food
restaurant). The machine seems to be working fine...I ground up 1/3
pound of old beans tonight just to see it work.
Here is a picture I found of an identical machine:
http://bobbysue.com/home.cfm?dir_cat=5420
Is this an MD6 or an S6?
I have a couple questions which I don't believe are
Cimbali-specific...I'd really appreciate it if someone with a doser
grinder could shed some light on this for me:
Question 1: Seems like lot of grinds get orphaned in the little chute
from the hopper to the doser...probably at least a shot's worth...maybe
a couple. Is this just a fact of life with this machine? or is there
something I can do to fix it? This seems like normal operation...kind
of a "fixed cost"...so if I was grinding a pound of beans, I would
still only be losing the same couple shot's worth (I hope I'm
explaining adequately). But since I'll only be making a couple shots
every morning, I'm hoping I'm just not doing something right...(maybe I
can somehow make the chute frictionless...)
Question 2: I heard that it's bad to start the machine with beans
already in the grinder...so when I got home and started it for the
first time, I let it run for 15 seconds with nothing in it (just to
hear it work). After about 5-10 seconds, it started to make loud,
vibratory noises...I shut it off, then started it and immediately fed
it some beans, and everything sounded fine again..I take it they're not
supposed to run empty? or is mine out of wack somehow? (as I said up
top, it seemed to work great with beans in it)
Thanks in advance for any help!
-Mike
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Date: 20 Aug 2006 22:07:53
From: Ken Fox
Subject: Re: New La Cimbali MD6 / S6 grinder owner...have a couple questions
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I am not familiar with this specific Cimbali grinder but I own 3 others (1
cadet and 2 Juniors).
You will find that any grinder will trap some grounds in the chute between
the grinder burrs and the doser. These will tend to line the periphery of
the chute and most of them will stay there; the center of the chute will
remain patent (open), and grinds will go through the open area. I don't
know if this grinder has a finger guard in the doser. If so, you can
probably get around it very easily with a chop stick, going in from the
sides and perhaps the bottom as well as I do. I clean this chute about once
a week, when I clean the grinder doser. I don't think that you will gain
anything by cleaning more frequently and you will waste a lot of coffee
doing so, at least in a low use/home environment, as the grinds adhering to
the periphery of the chute will be immediately replaced the next time you
grind a shot's worth of beans.
Commercial grinders are intended to be operated with beans in the hopper;
that is how they are used in the real world and there is no reason to
proceed otherwise. There is no benefit you will receive by starting the
grinder first with no beans in the hopper.
Given that this grinder is used, it might benefit from a replacement set of
grinder burrs.
ken
"Mike_Reynolds" <Michael.E.Reynolds@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1156129523.204099.302560@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Hello, everybody. I'm new to this world, so please excuse my
> "green"-ness :)
>
> I've enjoyed a Starbucks setup (Barista machine and grinder) for the
> last 7 years, but they finally died and I'm ready to take the next step
> up. So - looks like I'll be getting the Silvia soon, and needed a
> grinder to match...(I only will be using this for espresso/lattes) The
> neighborhood coffee shop closed a few months ago, and I bought a
> Cimbali MD6\S6 from the new owners (they turned it into a Mexican Food
> restaurant). The machine seems to be working fine...I ground up 1/3
> pound of old beans tonight just to see it work.
>
> Here is a picture I found of an identical machine:
> http://bobbysue.com/home.cfm?dir_cat=5420
> Is this an MD6 or an S6?
>
> I have a couple questions which I don't believe are
> Cimbali-specific...I'd really appreciate it if someone with a doser
> grinder could shed some light on this for me:
>
> Question 1: Seems like lot of grinds get orphaned in the little chute
> from the hopper to the doser...probably at least a shot's worth...maybe
> a couple. Is this just a fact of life with this machine? or is there
> something I can do to fix it? This seems like normal operation...kind
> of a "fixed cost"...so if I was grinding a pound of beans, I would
> still only be losing the same couple shot's worth (I hope I'm
> explaining adequately). But since I'll only be making a couple shots
> every morning, I'm hoping I'm just not doing something right...(maybe I
> can somehow make the chute frictionless...)
>
> Question 2: I heard that it's bad to start the machine with beans
> already in the grinder...so when I got home and started it for the
> first time, I let it run for 15 seconds with nothing in it (just to
> hear it work). After about 5-10 seconds, it started to make loud,
> vibratory noises...I shut it off, then started it and immediately fed
> it some beans, and everything sounded fine again..I take it they're not
> supposed to run empty? or is mine out of wack somehow? (as I said up
> top, it seemed to work great with beans in it)
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!
>
> -Mike
>
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Date: 21 Aug 2006 09:39:45
From: sprsso
Subject: Re: New La Cimbali MD6 / S6 grinder owner...have a couple questions
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Hey, Mike,
I got your email, but I figured I'd answer your questions here. The
grinder matches the parts diagram I have for an S6 and resembles every
one I've worked on. If it walks like a duck....
The "MD" stands for macinadosatore/ moulin-doseur.
Grinders should be run with beans in them. Cafes do it all day every
day. If you're getting vibrations running it empty it will either be
mounting bushings holding the motor, loose burrs (unlikely) or the
grinder is not level. Having beans in them tends to stabilize them by
settling the motor.
Most doser chutes will hang onto some grounds, especially if there is
an oil buildup or the surface of the chute becomes worn after time.
The handle of a 7-gram spoon is usually sufficient to scrape them out
if desired. In a busy commercial environment, these grounds offer a
buffer for newly ground beans, allowing the ground coffee to fall
naturally into the doser rather than the spraying and static one sees
when the chute is empty.
The part numbers you seek are: Hopper lid...465-146-000
Doserlid...465-133-010
You can call Taylor (1-800-881-1991), Pasquini, Amiratti or the other
usual supects. Good luck....al
On 20 Aug 2006 20:05:23 -0700, "Mike_Reynolds"
<Michael.E.Reynolds@gmail.com > wrote:
>Hello, everybody. I'm new to this world, so please excuse my
>"green"-ness :)
>
>I've enjoyed a Starbucks setup (Barista machine and grinder) for the
>last 7 years, but they finally died and I'm ready to take the next step
>up. So - looks like I'll be getting the Silvia soon, and needed a
>grinder to match...(I only will be using this for espresso/lattes) The
>neighborhood coffee shop closed a few months ago, and I bought a
>Cimbali MD6\S6 from the new owners (they turned it into a Mexican Food
>restaurant). The machine seems to be working fine...I ground up 1/3
>pound of old beans tonight just to see it work.
>
>Here is a picture I found of an identical machine:
>http://bobbysue.com/home.cfm?dir_cat=5420
>Is this an MD6 or an S6?
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