As a coffee machine technician, thank you for making this video. These machines are amazing, they are so well engineered. The location of the grinder is one of the inevitable compromises to get so many features in such a little box. I have used dry white rice sometimes to help remove oil residues from the grinder, and a pipe cleaner to clear the exit chute. But that wouldn’t work for the grinder shown. The other issue with oil build-ups is that they go rancid, it becomes impossible to escape that taste and smell: that’s the first cue to use a product or service to try and clear it.
Thank you for posting this. For the record, oily beans also play havoc with stand-alone grinders used for semi-auto machines. Whenever I get a bag of oily beans I know that my Eureka grinder will need a thorough cleaning, usually after about 300 g of beans have been ground. The discharge chute just plugs up. Not worried, though, about damage to the grinder because it's fairly simple to disassemble and clean. I really wish the coffee roasting industry would come out with and use a standardized grading system for beans, including darkness and oil of the beans.
We bought a Phillips machine with the LatteGo at the end of 2021 (not from SCG). Didn’t know about the oily bean thing at all and it’s definitely seen some use w/ oily beans. Any recommendations for acts of repentance towards my machine? I’d hate for it to crap out.
Thanks for the video Pat. Couple of questions…what are some signs that the grinder is starting to fail? What is the expected lifespan of the grinder on the Carina? Thanks!
you might honestly think the grinder is "warming up to you" and "finally getting nice and seasoned" when it is gumming up. The sound may be more muffled and less crisp, like the burrs are dulling. The problem is, the sound of mashing goo isn't undesirable, if anything it's a warm tone, so you might be inclined to think everything is getting better when actually,,,,
The Mastrena superautomatic that Starbucks uses often gets clogged due to the oil in the Espresso roast blend. While we didn’t have any cloggings as far as I remember with the non-oily blonde beans.
I have been using oily beans in my Jura for years. Seriously, YEARS with absolutely no issues. Don't know why I have no issues but everyone else does. A service tech with Jura told my go right ahead you will have no worries. He was correct.
Happy for you. However, my experience with Jura, from defective water reservoir sensor (30 months after purchase, 269€ of repair for a part the user cannot even access) and now not even a year later what appears to be a defective ground coffee chute preventing coffee to end in the cup and steering it instead to the waste water reservoir, has been far less convincing.
I purchased the Philips 4300, and I want to buy some coffee beans, and I happened to come across this video (lucky because I didn't know it was forbidden) Can you give examples of coffee beans that can be used? How can i know in advance without opening and seeing the beans themselves? For example, I am a Lavazza fan , their capsules are excellent! So I would love to know which of their beans are good for a superautomatic machine.
We have been using a dark roast French Sumatra in our new Breville Touch, which has a built-in grinder/hopper on top. The beans have some visible oil on them when I pour them from the bag, but it’s not clear to me that this machine falls into the “super automatic” category covered by the video. Are we in trouble? Thanks.
I really like chocolate/nutty flavour so i prefer a darker roast... is a medium-dark roast ok for the superautomatic machine? like those ones that are not visibly oily just darker in colour.
For what it is worth, a good super automatic is really serviceable and while the grinder is inconvenient to access, it isn’t brain surgery. Also maybe a good reason to get one with a steel grinder. Great advice for the average user looking for low maintenance though.
I prefer my beans oily, but I don't use machines to make my coffee. I always have dark roast coffee beans. The dark roasted beans are oily because of the roasting process. When I buy a new package the beans are still oily. When I reach the bottom, the oil has vanished and it tastes less good. So I like my beans oily.
Yep. Sad that I can’t be using dark roast beans in the machine. May return it. I don’t want a crazy expensive coffee machine that won’t make coffee I want to drink. It’s also a fine example of technology shaping taste. People want super automatic coffee machines, but can’t have darkest roast chocolatey notes at the same time. 😢
Bean recommendations are difficult because taste is subjective. If you are just looking for a recommendation for non-oily beans, their super auto safe section on their site is updated.
It really depends on how oily the beans are, as we all know not all beans are the same. If there is light oil on the beans, yes, but if they look almost visibly wet, no.
Burr mill makers know about oily beans why don't they put a disclaimer on their mills if they can't grind oily beans without problems? I shouldn't have to be tapping on the side of the hopper to get the beans to go down to be ground in my esspressione burr mill.
well,, super oily beans are kind of a specialty/unusual thing. Superautomatics are a different kind of specialty thing. Incidentally, they are apparently less compatible but they developed independently of each other for different reasons. Just because winter coats can be nice, doesn't mean they will always be comfortable with swim trunks.
There is no standard for "Dark". Some are oily and some are not. Good roasters will tell you which products are suitable for super-autos. I use a "Dark" in my Miele super, but there is absolutely no visible oil on the beans and the roaster says that it is OK for that use. Hopefully, it's all good in the long term!
Great advice: talk to a reputable roaster! I ordered a Gaggia Cadorna Prestige from a reputable coffee machine retailer (hint: one who has a zillion RUclips instructional videos) and they included at no extra charge a bag of roasted beans especially suitable for my new machine. I would never have known this caveat until I saw this vid. I always thought oily beans were more flavorful in my pour over / filter coffee. Glad I saw this before I ruined my machine.
Medium roast is too bitter to my taste I like the bold oily espresso roast from Starbucks best I've been using that in my magnifica for the past 15 years and it's still grinds fine and my in-laws have the same machine they also use the oily Starbucks espresso roast for the past 12 years and it's also grinds fine
@@nickstelmach7044 It's BURNT SWILL....had a bag of Swill Starbucks beans as a gift, crap wouldn't even grind properly in my Saeco Super automatic.......I made use of it by mixing with REAL coffee LAVAZZA to use it up, the price is absurd for STARCRAP stuff..so I wouldn't waste stuff....Starbucks is garbage...Lavazza is real beans...with flavor
You CAN NOT use those damn super grinds in a super automatic as it will try and brew those fing things. We almost destroyed our machine because you suggested it, do not do it! I’d try rice like another commenter.
As a coffee machine technician, thank you for making this video. These machines are amazing, they are so well engineered. The location of the grinder is one of the inevitable compromises to get so many features in such a little box. I have used dry white rice sometimes to help remove oil residues from the grinder, and a pipe cleaner to clear the exit chute. But that wouldn’t work for the grinder shown.
The other issue with oil build-ups is that they go rancid, it becomes impossible to escape that taste and smell: that’s the first cue to use a product or service to try and clear it.
Thank you for posting this. For the record, oily beans also play havoc with stand-alone grinders used for semi-auto machines. Whenever I get a bag of oily beans I know that my Eureka grinder will need a thorough cleaning, usually after about 300 g of beans have been ground. The discharge chute just plugs up. Not worried, though, about damage to the grinder because it's fairly simple to disassemble and clean. I really wish the coffee roasting industry would come out with and use a standardized grading system for beans, including darkness and oil of the beans.
I'm glad I watched this before using the oily beans I just bought. Very helpful!
Thank you for the advice. I just acquired a superautomatic and would loathe destroying it by using the wrong beans.
We bought a Phillips machine with the LatteGo at the end of 2021 (not from SCG). Didn’t know about the oily bean thing at all and it’s definitely seen some use w/ oily beans. Any recommendations for acts of repentance towards my machine? I’d hate for it to crap out.
Thanks for the video Pat. Couple of questions…what are some signs that the grinder is starting to fail? What is the expected lifespan of the grinder on the Carina? Thanks!
the sound, the look of the grounds, the smell from the grinder, the warrantee period.
you might honestly think the grinder is "warming up to you" and "finally getting nice and seasoned" when it is gumming up. The sound may be more muffled and less crisp, like the burrs are dulling. The problem is, the sound of mashing goo isn't undesirable, if anything it's a warm tone, so you might be inclined to think everything is getting better when actually,,,,
The Mastrena superautomatic that Starbucks uses often gets clogged due to the oil in the Espresso roast blend. While we didn’t have any cloggings as far as I remember with the non-oily blonde beans.
Perfect timing, love it. Been reading this in my DeLonghi.
I have been using oily beans in my Jura for years. Seriously, YEARS with absolutely no issues. Don't know why I have no issues but everyone else does. A service tech with Jura told my go right ahead you will have no worries. He was correct.
Our superauto Delonghi has been going strong for a decade.
Happy for you. However, my experience with Jura, from defective water reservoir sensor (30 months after purchase, 269€ of repair for a part the user cannot even access) and now not even a year later what appears to be a defective ground coffee chute preventing coffee to end in the cup and steering it instead to the waste water reservoir, has been far less convincing.
What about shiny beans? I have some Peet’s dark roast they don’t look oily like the ones in the video but they are shiny.
Shiny = oily.
What coffee beans do you recommend for my Philips for taste and performance? Please send me a link
Lavazza super Crema
is it ok to use oily beans by manually grinding it and putting the grounds in the BYPASS CHUTE of the superauto?
sounds like it won't go through the grinder
Yes, since this does not go through the grinder in the machine that will not cause issues.
funny that oil would lead to the grinder seizing. Would this also be applicable for a Jura E8?
I purchased the Philips 4300, and I want to buy some coffee beans, and I happened to come across this video (lucky because I didn't know it was forbidden) Can you give examples of coffee beans that can be used? How can i know in advance without opening and seeing the beans themselves? For example, I am a Lavazza fan , their capsules are excellent! So I would love to know which of their beans are good for a superautomatic machine.
We have been using a dark roast French Sumatra in our new Breville Touch, which has a built-in grinder/hopper on top. The beans have some visible oil on them when I pour them from the bag, but it’s not clear to me that this machine falls into the “super automatic” category covered by the video. Are we in trouble? Thanks.
I really like chocolate/nutty flavour so i prefer a darker roast... is a medium-dark roast ok for the superautomatic machine? like those ones that are not visibly oily just darker in colour.
Thanks for the video! One question: where is Gale? I miss her videos..
Can I mix a darker oily beans with light for my DeLonghi super auto machine
The Cafizo Oil Tablets that are recommended in another video from SCG - do they help with this oily bean problem?
For what it is worth, a good super automatic is really serviceable and while the grinder is inconvenient to access, it isn’t brain surgery. Also maybe a good reason to get one with a steel grinder. Great advice for the average user looking for low maintenance though.
Not all are user serviceable...
Can you grind oily beans using an external grinder and put that in the pass through slot?
This shouldn't cause problems since the machine isn't grinding the beans.
I prefer my beans oily, but I don't use machines to make my coffee. I always have dark roast coffee beans. The dark roasted beans are oily because of the roasting process. When I buy a new package the beans are still oily. When I reach the bottom, the oil has vanished and it tastes less good. So I like my beans oily.
Yep. Sad that I can’t be using dark roast beans in the machine. May return it. I don’t want a crazy expensive coffee machine that won’t make coffee I want to drink. It’s also a fine example of technology shaping taste. People want super automatic coffee machines, but can’t have darkest roast chocolatey notes at the same time. 😢
Any bean recommendations?
Bean recommendations are difficult because taste is subjective. If you are just looking for a recommendation for non-oily beans, their super auto safe section on their site is updated.
@@brianatkinson8743 thanks!
Could one get away with a 50/50 mix of dark and light roast without killing the grinder?
It really depends on how oily the beans are, as we all know not all beans are the same. If there is light oil on the beans, yes, but if they look almost visibly wet, no.
Burr mill makers know about oily beans why don't they put a disclaimer on their mills if they can't grind oily beans without problems?
I shouldn't have to be tapping on the side of the hopper to get the beans to go down to be ground in my esspressione burr mill.
Why even make grinders that cant handle oil bean?! Or even SELL or BUY oily beans in the first place?!
well,, super oily beans are kind of a specialty/unusual thing. Superautomatics are a different kind of specialty thing. Incidentally, they are apparently less compatible but they developed independently of each other for different reasons. Just because winter coats can be nice, doesn't mean they will always be comfortable with swim trunks.
Momma don't take my oily beans away!
There is no standard for "Dark". Some are oily and some are not. Good roasters will tell you which products are suitable for super-autos. I use a "Dark" in my Miele super, but there is absolutely no visible oil on the beans and the roaster says that it is OK for that use. Hopefully, it's all good in the long term!
Great advice: talk to a reputable roaster! I ordered a Gaggia Cadorna Prestige from a reputable coffee machine retailer (hint: one who has a zillion RUclips instructional videos) and they included at no extra charge a bag of roasted beans especially suitable for my new machine. I would never have known this caveat until I saw this vid. I always thought oily beans were more flavorful in my pour over / filter coffee. Glad I saw this before I ruined my machine.
Unfortunately, you usually by beans in a sealed bag and can’t inspect them for oil
Medium roast is too bitter to my taste I like the bold oily espresso roast from Starbucks best I've been using that in my magnifica for the past 15 years and it's still grinds fine and my in-laws have the same machine they also use the oily Starbucks espresso roast for the past 12 years and it's also grinds fine
Starbucks is a crime against Coffee...
@@cengeb how? What don't I know?
@@nickstelmach7044 It's BURNT SWILL....had a bag of Swill Starbucks beans as a gift, crap wouldn't even grind properly in my Saeco Super automatic.......I made use of it by mixing with REAL coffee LAVAZZA to use it up, the price is absurd for STARCRAP stuff..so I wouldn't waste stuff....Starbucks is garbage...Lavazza is real beans...with flavor
You CAN NOT use those damn super grinds in a super automatic as it will try and brew those fing things. We almost destroyed our machine because you suggested it, do not do it!
I’d try rice like another commenter.
Lies