Grinder troubleshooting step by step

Most grinder problems are caused by something stuck, an overheated motor or a setting. Always unplug the grinder before putting your fingers or tools into it.

The grinder does not start

• Check the plug, socket and power switch.
• The bean hopper is not locked in place. Many grinders have a safety switch (Sage, Mahlkönig X54 shows E001).
• Sage Dose Control Pro: GRIND TIME is set to 0 seconds.
• Grind-by-weight: the portafilter is not seated correctly in the fork and the grinder does not start.
• The motor protection has tripped after a long grind, see below.

The grinder stops or the motor protection trips

The motor has a thermal cut-out that switches it off if it overheats. Let the grinder cool down:

• Sage: about 20 minutes.
• Macap: unplug the grinder and wait at least an hour.

Avoid grinding for too long at a time. The Mahlkönig X54 can handle at most 10 s on and 50 s rest, the Varia VS3 at most 60 s with 90 s rest, the Profitec Twist at most 1 minute, the Bentwood H75 30 s on and 6 minutes off. The Baratza Sette 30 is built for about 1 kg a day. The Eureka Libra and Atom W stop if the scale does not detect the weight increasing.

Grinds unevenly, clumps or at the wrong coarseness

• Coffee oil and old coffee on the burrs: clean the grinder.
• Clumps and coffee scattering: static, see Single dosing and retention.
• Too fine or too coarse despite the same number: the scale has shifted after cleaning, or the adjustment thread is full of coffee (Profitec states that the thread should be cleaned). Check the zero point.
• Having to grind ever finer and the grind time increasing: worn burrs, see Replacing the burrs.

Strange noises and vibrations

• Scraping, metallic noise: the burrs are touching. Go coarser immediately. On flat burr grinders, a brief noise when adjusting finer can be normal (Varia VS6).
• Bang or hard knock: a foreign object, e.g. a stone. Switch off, unplug, remove the hopper and check the burrs (Sage).
• The motor hums but does not grind: the grind is too fine or the spout is blocked. Go coarser and clean (Profitec).
• The grinder vibrates more than before: check that the burrs are firmly fixed and that nothing is stuck between the burr and its seat.

Beans get stuck or no coffee comes out

• The bean hopper is empty or the shutter is closed.
• Beans are lying on the burrs so that the hopper cannot be locked: remove them (Sage).
• Blocked spout: unplug the grinder and clear it with a brush. Baratza states that this is often caused by an overfull grounds bin. Pellets will not clear a blocked grinder.
• Oily, dark beans can get stuck in the hopper. Shake it a little or use a weight if the grinder has one.

The timer gives the wrong dose

• The grind time must be adjusted when you change the grind setting or beans. Check the dose with a scale.
• Eureka Mignon and Atom: select the dose and change the time with plus and minus. Sage: each step on GRIND AMOUNT changes the time by 0.2 s.
• Variation between doses: the bean hopper is almost empty, unevenly filled, or coffee is sticking in the spout.
• Grind-by-weight weighing incorrectly: see Grinder with a scale.

Can't find the fault? Contact us with the model, serial number and a short description, ideally with a video. We will help you find the right spare part or a service technician.