Grind too fine!!!

System

Hi, once again I need help.. I bought some ground PHILOSOPHY coffee from Mocopan and had them grind it for me on the "espresso machine" setting.  I know that this is not the best way to buy coffee but hey with my little Breville, it'll do just fine.. at least that's what I thought!!!

I cannot tamp coffee in the basket soft enough to not choke the machine.. the coffee is ground way to fine.. I even tried it at work on an automatic Jura machine and it too wasn't able to extract it..

What I was hoping was that someone might be able to tell me what a suitable grind would look like...

>:( >:( >:(

FreshCoffee2

Fine gritty particles, not powder. Also, if you see the grinds coming out of the grinder into a container and they "clump" together it means the grind is way too fine. Having said that however, large differences in the "grind" can occur with little visual change at the fine gritty stage, so the above is only for your "guidance" at first. Regardz, FC.

BeanCounter

I'd say somewhere between table salt and (preground) white pepper. Hang on to the coffee you have for a little while in case you buy more at a coarser grind and it is too coarse since a mixture of the two may work out. Regards, Gary

Remus

Hi, once again I need help.. I bought some ground PHILOSOPHY coffee from Mocopan and had them grind it for me on the "espresso machine" setting.

FreshCoffee2

Mate I understand its convenient to advise Paul to buy some preground so he will see what the grind should be like but it sends him (anyone) out to buy an imported COMPETING product when there is plenty of ruddy good local product around... Be parochial buy local...support your local roasters. Suggest the fault here lies squarely with incompetent staff at an unmentionable coffee company (not local anymore, owned by Japanese interests)...coffee should go back, give explanation, get someone who knows to replace with "proper" grind. Paul will then see what it should have been ground like in the first place! Chiz, FC. Paul, you need to buy a grinder or you will never get the best out of any machine you have, or the coffee you purchase!

Honest_Gaza

FC, I hear what you're saying in relation to Remus's advice to get a can of Illy pre-ground coffee.

FreshCoffee2

HG, Remus, others. I understand, & hope it didnt look like I was trying to heavy Remus. Regardz, FC.

Unknown

is the nemox the same as the lux and the same as the imat. The pictures of each lead me to believe they may be the same unit. Who are the retailes in Sydney? I want to go to a shop and buy a grinder rather than shopping over the web

Remus

Mate I understand its convenient to advise Paul to buy some preground so he will see what the grind should be like but it sends him (anyone) out to buy an imported COMPETING product when there is plenty of ruddy good local product around... Be parochial buy local...support your local roasters. Suggest the fault here lies squarely with incompetent staff at an unmentionable coffee company (not local anymore, owned by Japanese interests)...coffee should go back, give explanation, get someone who knows to replace with "proper" grind. Paul will then see what it should have been ground like in the first place! Chiz, FC. Paul, you need to buy a grinder or you will never get the best out of any machine you have, or the coffee you purchase!

lol. i know where you stand on this mate. the reason i suggested it, as gaza pointed out, is simple though: 1. he doesn't have a grinder so no point talking to him about grind settings. 2. i don;t know the aussie preground stuff that well and from experience i know 100% for sure that the illy can grind is perfect for espresson machines. once you can see what it should look like you can suss it out at the retailer next time they grind for you and say..."no that grind is too fine/coarse." i'm not an illy rep or shareholder, i promise. just know it works.

Unknown

This is all great advice!!! Thanks!!  I think the crux of the problem is the fact that I don't have a grinder.  FC hit the nail on the head suggesting that I buy a decent grinder.. then at least I can experiment with my own grind. Cheers, Paulie