West German Antique hand mill Grinders

[expy98]

I believe it was OE that stated that the lack of burr supports on these grinders is only an issue
when grinding for coarse.  Wobbly burrs have no problem grinding fine enough to choke pump machines.
Independent of taste...

[doubleosoul]

Trust me, it can become a collection fast ... lol.

I am about half-way through the Hand (grinder) Jive thread on HB. Judging by your pics, i would definitely say that you have a collection.

LOL, yeah, it sneaked up on me that's for sure.
I'm digging my latest cutie pie.

[ray settanta]

That's beautiful! Bakelite?

[doubleosoul]

Sure is.

[ray settanta]

When the dust cleared, I ended up with 3 grinders-- a Lehnartz, a KyM, and a Dienes. The Lehnartz was in the worst shape, so it was picked as the first candidate for resoration. The burrs looked rusty and dirty but after a soaking in Full Circle equipment wash, the metal came out looking like new. Not rusty at all, just caked on coffee grounds. It had a ball bearing so it and the rest of the moving parts got a light coat of McGlaughlin Lubricant. I am going to try the grinder out later this morning.

[Joe]

When the dust cleared, I ended up with 3 grinders-- a Lehnartz, a KyM, and a Dienes. The Lehnartz was in the worst shape, so it was picked as the first candidate for resoration. The burrs looked rusty and dirty but after a soaking in Full Circle equipment wash, the metal came out looking like new. Not rusty at all, just caked on coffee grounds. It had a ball bearing so it and the rest of the moving parts got a light coat of McGlaughlin Lubricant. I am going to try the grinder out later this morning.

Ray, take some pics of your restoration. I think it might motivate me to get into that.

[ray settanta]

I set the grinder as tight as it would go without the burrs touching. Fired up my new espresso machine that UPS delived yesterday. It choked! So I tried it again with a lighter tamp. Nothing came out of the portafilter. Tried a coarser setting, about 20  grams of a Costa Rican bean that yielded a 30 second pour. It was not sour or bitter and was as good an espresso as I have received in my local coffee shop. Then I made a cappuccino with some Kenyan. Not exactly what I would call micro-foam but it sure tasted good. I am well pleased.

[ray settanta]

I did not take any after plcs of the burrs but I have a few before pics. When I do the next one, I'll take pics of the whole process.

[ray settanta]

Before pics. After the soaking and a little work with a toothbrush, the metal looked brand new. No after pics unfortunately.

[ray settanta]

Made some more espresso this afternoon. A coffee in a can from Italy showed up in the mail so I had to try it out. Whether it was because of my lack of experience or not, the crema was thin and the taste did not appeal to me. Then I used another batch of the Costa Rica Tarrazu that was roasted to Full City (I think). The roast was stopped when I heard the beginning of second crack. I tried another attempt at a cappuccino. Much better foam this time. This is fun! And quite tasty too.