Grinder Instructions

The instructions below are specifically for the Aergrind but the general principle is the same for the Feld47 grinder.

With the crank arm on, hold the upper half of the grinder so that you can see the burrs, then (while keeping the dial lid static to the grinder body) turn the crank arm clockwise to open the burrs (coarser grind) and anti-clockwise to close (finer grind) – do this a few times to see how the burrs move in and out.

The dial lid of your Aergrind is numbered to help you register and record what grind setting you are on within any full turn of the dial-lid. The dial-lid can make many full turns out from the burrs closed position, but most coffee grinding should take place within the first 4 full rotations.

When the crank arm/handle is in place, the bottle-opener pointer will indicate the setting number within each full dial lid rotation. The burrs are closed when flush, showing between 12 and 1 in the pointer.

Worldwide, everyone makes coffee to different recipes and with different roasts so use the above instruction diagram as a starter guide to what grind setting works for what brew method.

For Feldgrind users, check out this great instructional video from one of our fans.

Cleaning

Manually clean with a dry brush. To lower the inner burr for cleaning, with the crank arm in place, continue to turn the dial lid anticlockwise until the steel shaft nut gripped by the lid comes almost completely unscrewed. Doing this will lower the inner burr for access. Eventually the shaft nut and lid will lift off and the shaft will remain with a small black o-ring preventing it from dropping out completely through the bearings.

Do not remove the shaft o-ring to clean! Why? It is very small and tricky to remove without damaging. Full removal should not be necessary for a general clean.

Winding out 5+ rotations should be enough to dry brush-clean around the burrs - use a small stiff brush to get in and around the burrs.

If you wish to take things further than a brush clean, use cleaners such as Urnex Grindz/Puly Verde so the wear on the burrs is minimized. You could grind a small amount of dry rice through the system occasionally as an emergency/cheaper alternative but long term the rice is harder on the burrs than either Grindz / Puly Verde.

Don’t run a grinder under the tap - it isn't going to rust (anodized aluminium, nor stainless steel nor black / gold steel parts) but it's not guaranteed against fire or flood.

IMPORTANT:  Do not under any circumstances put any grinder or part of one in the dishwasher - the salts, cleaning agents and heat of a dishwasher will destroy the anodized finish and potentially chemically fuse some parts. 

User Guidelines & Servicing

The Aergrind uses a near press fit for the outer burr and the alignment of both burrs takes us some time. So please do not unscrew/adjust the side grub screw or the shaft screw - changing either of these will move the burrs out of alignment and void your warranty. Burrs can be replaced by us, but the rated life expectancy is over 200KG of coffee.

The Aergrind is a travel grinder by design and can serve well as a robust daily grinder for many years. Parts however do need care and will wear according to volumes ground, grind setting and how the grinder is used - the bearings and o-rings that make for a smooth, micro adjustable grind are wear and tear items that will reflect the volume and type of use that they experience. For best results, ensure that you keep the handle level while grinding.

If your grind setting is changing under load, spare o-rings are provided (and available to buy) to replace the shaft o-ring whose job is to hold the setting fixed.

Replacement bearings are available to buy here to ensure your grinder continues to perform to its best. High volume users, or hard torque users will periodically need to replace bearings to maintain peak performance.

DO NOT BIND / LOCK / OVERTIGHTEN THE BURRS

When the burrs are closed so that they are flush/level with each other, the pointer will be between 12 and 1 on the dial lid. The burrs may still be able to turn against each other but no coffee will pass through. This flush setting is the practical/functional zero point of the grinder – and not when the burrs “lock” against each other. At that point the burrs are overlocked.

Forcing the burrs together is potentially damaging to the grinder, as it is possible to overlock them so that they fully bind into each other, damaging the burr teeth and crushing the bearings. This is not necessary for any aspect of grinding and so is strongly advised against. When overlocked the dial/pointer will show a number less than 12, becoming potentially more damaging the lower this number is forced.

If your burrs do bind together please contact us via the website contact form and we will guide you through restoring their movement.