Thank you for such a straightforward calibration video!!! Just bought the K-Max and found it out of calibration right out of the box. Not only did you teach me how to calibrate it but you also provided me with all of the grind setting applications in under 7 minutes! Bravo Sir!!!
Robb thank you very much for your positive comments. I am really happy that the video was helpful to you. The 1Zpresso calibration and grind reference can be a little confusing at first and the information on the 1Zpresso webpage can also be a little difficult to get your head around. Please feel free to ask anymore questions you might have and i will do my best to help. Have a great weekend Robb.
Hi Robert. Thanks for the positive comments. I totally agree with you, the 1Zpresso guides and instructions not very well translated. Robert you say that you received some instructions with your grinder? i am assuming that you are referring to the online instructions and not the paper manual? Just curious because 1Zpresso stopped issuing the paper manual and grind chart quite a while ago, but you are the second person that has said that your grinder came with instructions.
Cibeen, you are very welcome, happy that the video helps. The K-Plus is a very nice grinder, you are lucky to pick one up, because 1Zpresso are fazing out all the K series grinders apart from the new K-Ultra. If you need any advise or help when your grinder arrives, feel free to message me and i will be happy to help you.
Hello, Paul. You helped me a lot!! I'm from Brazil and your explanation is the best: quick and objective! Thanks, for that video. Double success in 2024 for all of us!!
Hi Lilian, thank you so much for your positive comments and i am really happy that you found the video useful. I started posting these video's to help people understand the products, so when i get a such positive feedback its genuinely appreciated. Same for you and your family, hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and i wish you happiness, success and most of all good health in 2024
You’re amazing thank you. I thought I got a defective unit. It was off of calibration by 3 numbers and I didn’t know the dial was meant to go pas 8 for coarser grinds. It was fun totally disassembling it anyhow 😅
I did have to think for a moment. But those numbers are from the 1Zpresso grind chart recommendations for that grinder. Obviously there are just recommendations and are not 100% accurate, but they will give you a very good start.
Thanks for great video- much better than their written tutorial. I received my K Ultra yesterday and it would click and move but now it is all tight and jammed up; can't adjust any direction. I haven't even loaded any coffee into it yet. Not sure I want to apply any tools to start taking apart...any thoughts on first step to get things moving again? Appreciate your services.
Hi Adam. It sounds like you have over tightened the adjustment dial and locked it up. This is a video that i made when someone dropped their grinder and it pretty much explain a similar situation to what you need to do: ruclips.net/video/oySuKyneaNw/видео.html This happens quite a lot when people first take the grinder out and try to calibrate the adjustment dial or are not sure how far to turn the adjustment dial to get the dial to the zero position. The issue is that the thumb nut (the small silver nut in the top of the grinder) has tightened too much and it wont allow you to screw it off again. I have had several cases like this and the thumb nut cannot be turned by hand, so the only option is to use some tools to open the thumb nut again by turning it anti clockwise. If you use the correct tools (combination pliers in my case because they have a flat surface on the front that makes turning the nut easier). But if you have a small spanner thats small enough to grip the nut and will turn it, use whatever tools you have that works. I highly recommend that you use some cloth to cover the nut first and the area below the nut, because you can easily scratch the surface of the grinder if you are not careful. If you have the correct tool, the nut should turn pretty easily and then you can take it off completely. At that point your burr shaft might also be stuck. So place the grinder on a flat surface. Then take the cloth and place it over the top of the tip of the burr shaft and tap the top of the burr shaft a couple of times with something heavy and it will pop out. The last part might sound a little scary but its necessary to get the burrs out, its also what 1Zpresso would suggest that you do. Once the thumb nut and the burrs are out, you can re assemble the grinder and calibrate it, after that it will be good to go.
Sorry Greg, when you wrote bites, do you mean burrs? If so, thats correct, the zero point is when the burrs are fully closed. I am not sure what you mean by locked? but the adjustment dial wont turn any more if you turn it all the way anti clockwise until the burrs are fully closed. To actually be able to turn the thumb nut you might need to open the adjustment dial a tiny bit to allow the thumb nut to turn. A couple of ways to make sure that the burrs are fully closed after you have turned the adjustment dial, is to put the grind handle onto the grinder and tip the grinder on its side, the grind handle wont fall and will stay in a fixed position if the burrs are fully closed, or try to turn the burrs at the bottom, just inside the catch cup with your hand, if they dont move, they are fully closed. When the burrs are fully closed they are at their closest position, so you obviously need to turn the adjustment dial clockwise to open the burrs and adjust to the grind size for your brew type.
@@gregspektor7423 no problem you are very welcome, happy to help. If you have any other questions or need any advice, just drop me a message and I will do my best to help.
I have the K-Max on order and hopefully arriving tomorrow. I think I'm still trying to work out in my head how the calibration works lol. At first I thought if the zero was left or right of the red dot, then you'd just loosen thumb nut, turn the adjustment dial clockwise or anti clock wise to 0, then tighthen the thumb nut. It seems I've miss understood it somewhat 😅
Hi good morning. Actually the K series grinders are very easy to calibrate, but i think that 1Zpresso dont explain their grinders very well because of the translation. You wont have an issue where the 0 number wont reach the red dot, because the adjustment dial has over 1 and a half full rotations, but only needs just over one full rotations, because all of the grinder adjustments for all the brew types use just over one full rotation and then you have another six or seven numbers that you don't really need. So its not possible to have an issue where the 0 does not reach the red dot. So after you take the burrs out to clean and you are ready to assemble again, before you replace the burrs tighten the adjustment dial counter clockwise all the way until the adjustment dial is full closed (you can also see the space just inside the top of the adjustment dial is closed) If the 0 number goes past the red dot, just turn it back so that its under the red dot (My K-Max goes past the red dot by one number and lands on the number 8) so i just turn the adjustment dial back one number to the 0 number. At that point the grinder is calibrated and the 0 number is in the starting position, you j7ust need to replace the burrs and the baring ring, upper baring cap and thumb nut and your grinder is ready to use. I do recommend that you push up the burrs from below 100% when you are replacing the other parts, especially the thumb nut, because you need the burrs pushed into place 100% to screw the thumb nut back on 100%, so always push up firmly with your free hand. Anyway i hope that helps you, if you need more advise, please just drop me a message.
The K series works reasonably well with the Picopresso, because the Picopresso uses a slow flow coffee basket, instead of a regular precision VST or IMS. The 48mm burrs can grind quickly for Espresso grind size and the 22 microns will give you a little grind range to play with. However the K series grinders are Pour over grinders and not really considered Espresso grinders, so even though technically you can use them for Espresso, i advice that you go for a proper Espresso grinder with smaller microns, like the JX-Pro, X-Pro or even better the J-Max.
There can be a little confusion over the K series grinders when it comes to Espresso. Yes the K series grinders can grind for Espresso, but not easily for proper Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter. All the K series grinders are technically Pour over grinders because of the step size ( 22 micron adjustments ). This adjustment size can grind for Espresso using a pressurised porta filter very well, because the grind size for Espresso using a pressurised porta filter does not need to be so precise. However when it comes to Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter ( proper Espresso ) this micron size does not leave you with a very big grind range to comfortably dial in your grind size if you need to adjust either finer or courser if your extraction is running too fast or too slow. The K series grinder can be used for Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter, but you will have to work a little harder to dial in the grind size because you want have a big range to play with. Take for instance the JX-Pro, this grinder is a much better all round grinder. Its also got 48mm burrs, so its very fast and consistent. However the JX-Pro has 12.5 micron adjustments. So its much better at grinding for Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter and this micron size is also not so fine that it produces more fines at the Pour over grind range like some Espresso grinders can.
I have a Kmax, for c.1 year. Assuming your machine is very reliable and behaves in a very repeatable manner (does it behave the same way when pulling 2 shots back to back, for eg), then you will probably have to adjust your dose to get exactly the extraction time you want, because between 2 clicks on the grinder, you may end up with 2 big a change in extraction time. If you're willing to adjust dose (i'm talking c.1g difference in dose, nothing dramatic), then this grinder is fine, and gives you the flexibility to grind for any purpose. I got mine for cheap, otherwise at full price i'd have bought an espresso specific grinder.
Thank you for the helpful video! I’m a novice and having some trouble with my grind settings. I’m trying to grind for espresso but 2.5-3.5 is way too fine and the shot doesn’t even pull. I have gone up to 6 and still find it’s a bit over extracted. However this is with a Bambino Plus nonpressurized basket and I read your other comment about the K-max not being ideal for nonpressurized baskets. Should I try with a pressurized? I also found that on 9-10 my French press coffee was weaker than usual and I end up grinding it on about 8.5. Do you think I should double check my calibration settings?
HI Dana, lets go through what you said and hopefully i can help you with that. Its always best to start with the burrs fully closed (zero point) and the grinder calibrated with the 0 number at the start point, just under the red dot, its really important to have both those things done. When you dismantle the grinder and then reassemble it, its very important to make sure that your burrs are replaced in the body properly. Make sure that you use your free hand to push the burrs up from the bottom, then replace the thumb nut and turn the thumb nut all the way 100%. If you dont push the burrs up from below properly, they will not be in place 100% and your thumb nut wont be able to screw back on 100% With your burrs fully closed and the 0 number bellow the red dot, the grind settings for the K-Max are as follows: 0 . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . 10 The small dots between the numbers are fine adjustment clicks, you have 10 clicks between each number for dialing in your shot. Please note that these numbers are just a guide and are not 100% accurate, because there are a lot more things that can mean that the beans that you are using might need a slightly different grind adjustment. The physical adjustment dial on the K-Max grinder has only 8 numbers, the 0 number also acts as the number 9, so when you want a grind size that goes past the number 8 like Pour over, Siphon or French press, you just keep turning the adjustment dial past 8, so the 0 becomes 9, the number 1 becomes 10, the number 2 becomes 11 ect ect From 1.5 to 2 is Turkish From 2.5 to 3.5 is Espresso From 5 to 7 is Aeropress/Moka pot/Drip From 8 to 9 is Siphon/Pour over From 9 to 10 is French press The real issue with the K series grinders is the micron size, they have 22 microns, so they are not what i would recommend for proper Espresso, they are excellent for every other brew types, just not proper Espresso, you need the J-Max (8.8 microns), JX-Pro or X-Pro (12.5 microns) for that. Technically they can grind for proper Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter, but they just don't have a very good grind range for fine adjustment if you need it. Its not too difficult to get a decent shot of Espresso if you are using a pressurised porta filter, because you have a much bigger grind range for that type of Espresso, you can really go all the way up to 5 to 7 (Aeropress/Moka pot/Drip) and you should still get a decent shot using a machine with a pressurised porta filter. So i do recommend that you try a shot with a pressurised porta filter and see what you get, maybe something between 4 and 6 for a pressurised porta filter (depending on the beans that you are using, because lighter roasted beans typically need a slightly finer grind size than darker roasted beans). I also recommend that you look at your preparation, make sure that your dose is correct and make sure that your coffee bed is good and level not broken. Also check your tamping pressure, those cheap tamps that come with some of these machines are horrible and make your shot worse. If you are trying to get a shot with the grind settings at 2.5 - 3.5 using a none pressurised basket and its blocking the machine, you would obviously need to adjust slightly more course. However the 22 microns wont allow you to adjust as finely as you might want, so its easy to go either too fine or too course and you might find that you only have maybe a couple of numbers for your grind range for proper Espresso. You could try dosing up or down to help with that. Maybe try .5g more or less in your basket, this often helps with the extraction. Or maybe even try using a Low flow coffee basket instead of a regular VST or IMS none pressurised basket. Low flow baskets sit somewhere in between a pressurised basket and a regular none pressurised basket and the walls get narrower towards the bottom, this helps to force the pressure more to the middle of the basket, so you can use a grinder that does not have such fine grind adjustments, so please do a search about Low flow baskets If you are getting a weak extraction for French press on 8.5 that does sound a little out. It could be that your grind size is too course for the beans that you are using. But it might also be that you are not using enough coffee, not steeping the coffee for long enough (brew time is very important, i brew mine at most 6 minutes and at least 5 minutes) the water temperature might not be hot enough, or the coffee is a light roast, blooming and agitation can also help, so please check your brewing method. This link is pretty good and might help you with your brewing method for your French press. www.seriouseats.com/how-to-make-better-french-press-coffee-tips-technique-grind-timing
@@mightymightyironhead Thank you so much for your in-depth reply! I truly appreciate it, and it definitely helps me to figure out where to go from here. I do suspect that after disassembling and cleaning the grinder that the thumb nut may not be secured properly so that is the first thing I’ll check. Again, thank you so much!
Thank you very much, really hope that you found the video useful. Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have about the grinder, always happy to help.
Hi. No the K series grinders are not the same as the ZP6. The ZP6 (special) looks very similar to the K-Pro, its got the same adjustment dial shape and style, its also got the same screw on catch cup as the K-Pro. However the ZP6 has different burrs to the K-Pro, the K-Pro has the 7 core burrs and the ZP6 has the same 48mm 6 core burr type as the JX and the JX-Pro so it will have a different flavour profile. I don't actually sell the ZP6 grinders, they were (according to 1Zpresso) only a limited edition grinder with a few thousand made and they were only available through 1Zpresso and not their dealers. So i don't really have a lot of information about the ZP6. It does look like its really just for Pour over and French Press according to the grind reference chart, because it only has the grind settings for these two brew types, so its very confusing what this grinder is really for. I personally would go for something else if you are looking for a Pour over grinder, something with the 7 core burrs, like the K series grinders. This will give you a better flavour profile than a grinder with the 6 core burrs.
Very useful video, thank you. Please invest in a mic, or figure out how to get better audio, if you plan to make more videos, as the sound is echo-y and not very pleasant to hear.
Happy that you found the video useful even though you found the sound not very pleasant. Actually i probably wont be making anymore of these videos and will be deleting this RUclips account soon. I did invest in some more equipment, but after spending so much money on products and equipment to to help people, i have found that its just too expensive and not really worth my time and effort.
You explained the calibration a lot easier than the 1zpresso manual! Thanks!
You are very welcome, thank you for your positive feedback.
Thank you for such a straightforward calibration video!!! Just bought the K-Max and found it out of calibration right out of the box. Not only did you teach me how to calibrate it but you also provided me with all of the grind setting applications in under 7 minutes! Bravo Sir!!!
Robb thank you very much for your positive comments. I am really happy that the video was helpful to you.
The 1Zpresso calibration and grind reference can be a little confusing at first and the information on the 1Zpresso webpage can also be a little difficult to get your head around.
Please feel free to ask anymore questions you might have and i will do my best to help. Have a great weekend Robb.
Yes, very good job explaining how to calibrate this grinder. Instructions that came with the grinder were absolutely useless.
Hi Robert. Thanks for the positive comments. I totally agree with you, the 1Zpresso guides and instructions not very well translated.
Robert you say that you received some instructions with your grinder? i am assuming that you are referring to the online instructions and not the paper manual?
Just curious because 1Zpresso stopped issuing the paper manual and grind chart quite a while ago, but you are the second person that has said that your grinder came with instructions.
Yes, I was referring to the online instructions. They really should ask you to do some videos for them.
have K-plus on the way, thanks for your video, it puts my mind at ease, I was worrying about calibrations and grind size, brilliant video, thanks
Cibeen, you are very welcome, happy that the video helps.
The K-Plus is a very nice grinder, you are lucky to pick one up, because 1Zpresso are fazing out all the K series grinders apart from the new K-Ultra.
If you need any advise or help when your grinder arrives, feel free to message me and i will be happy to help you.
Hello, Paul. You helped me a lot!! I'm from Brazil and your explanation is the best: quick and objective! Thanks, for that video. Double success in 2024 for all of us!!
Hi Lilian, thank you so much for your positive comments and i am really happy that you found the video useful.
I started posting these video's to help people understand the products, so when i get a such positive feedback its genuinely appreciated.
Same for you and your family, hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and i wish you happiness, success and most of all good health in 2024
You’re amazing thank you. I thought I got a defective unit. It was off of calibration by 3 numbers and I didn’t know the dial was meant to go pas 8 for coarser grinds. It was fun totally disassembling it anyhow 😅
You are very welcome Nikola, really happy that the video helped you.
My bad about last comment. Your graphs are spot on.
I did have to think for a moment. But those numbers are from the 1Zpresso grind chart recommendations for that grinder.
Obviously there are just recommendations and are not 100% accurate, but they will give you a very good start.
Thank you SO much. That was incredibly helpful.
You are very welcome.
Thanks for great video- much better than their written tutorial. I received my K Ultra yesterday and it would click and move but now it is all tight and jammed up; can't adjust any direction. I haven't even loaded any coffee into it yet. Not sure I want to apply any tools to start taking apart...any thoughts on first step to get things moving again? Appreciate your services.
Hi Adam. It sounds like you have over tightened the adjustment dial and locked it up.
This is a video that i made when someone dropped their grinder and it pretty much explain a similar situation to what you need to do: ruclips.net/video/oySuKyneaNw/видео.html
This happens quite a lot when people first take the grinder out and try to calibrate the adjustment dial or are not sure how far to turn the adjustment dial to get the dial to the zero position.
The issue is that the thumb nut (the small silver nut in the top of the grinder) has tightened too much and it wont allow you to screw it off again.
I have had several cases like this and the thumb nut cannot be turned by hand, so the only option is to use some tools to open the thumb nut again by turning it anti clockwise.
If you use the correct tools (combination pliers in my case because they have a flat surface on the front that makes turning the nut easier). But if you have a small spanner thats small enough to grip the nut and will turn it, use whatever tools you have that works.
I highly recommend that you use some cloth to cover the nut first and the area below the nut, because you can easily scratch the surface of the grinder if you are not careful.
If you have the correct tool, the nut should turn pretty easily and then you can take it off completely.
At that point your burr shaft might also be stuck.
So place the grinder on a flat surface. Then take the cloth and place it over the top of the tip of the burr shaft and tap the top of the burr shaft a couple of times with something heavy and it will pop out.
The last part might sound a little scary but its necessary to get the burrs out, its also what 1Zpresso would suggest that you do.
Once the thumb nut and the burrs are out, you can re assemble the grinder and calibrate it, after that it will be good to go.
When you say the bites are closed does that mean they are locked or touching and the shaft doesn’t move?
Sorry Greg, when you wrote bites, do you mean burrs?
If so, thats correct, the zero point is when the burrs are fully closed.
I am not sure what you mean by locked? but the adjustment dial wont turn any more if you turn it all the way anti clockwise until the burrs are fully closed.
To actually be able to turn the thumb nut you might need to open the adjustment dial a tiny bit to allow the thumb nut to turn.
A couple of ways to make sure that the burrs are fully closed after you have turned the adjustment dial, is to put the grind handle onto the grinder and tip the grinder on its side, the grind handle wont fall and will stay in a fixed position if the burrs are fully closed, or try to turn the burrs at the bottom, just inside the catch cup with your hand, if they dont move, they are fully closed.
When the burrs are fully closed they are at their closest position, so you obviously need to turn the adjustment dial clockwise to open the burrs and adjust to the grind size for your brew type.
@@mightymightyironhead thank you. Yes that’s what I meant. Thank you for understanding my typo. :)
@@gregspektor7423 no problem you are very welcome, happy to help. If you have any other questions or need any advice, just drop me a message and I will do my best to help.
I have the K-Max on order and hopefully arriving tomorrow. I think I'm still trying to work out in my head how the calibration works lol. At first I thought if the zero was left or right of the red dot, then you'd just loosen thumb nut, turn the adjustment dial clockwise or anti clock wise to 0, then tighthen the thumb nut. It seems I've miss understood it somewhat 😅
Hi good morning. Actually the K series grinders are very easy to calibrate, but i think that 1Zpresso dont explain their grinders very well because of the translation.
You wont have an issue where the 0 number wont reach the red dot, because the adjustment dial has over 1 and a half full rotations, but only needs just over one full rotations, because all of the grinder adjustments for all the brew types use just over one full rotation and then you have another six or seven numbers that you don't really need. So its not possible to have an issue where the 0 does not reach the red dot.
So after you take the burrs out to clean and you are ready to assemble again, before you replace the burrs tighten the adjustment dial counter clockwise all the way until the adjustment dial is full closed (you can also see the space just inside the top of the adjustment dial is closed)
If the 0 number goes past the red dot, just turn it back so that its under the red dot (My K-Max goes past the red dot by one number and lands on the number 8) so i just turn the adjustment dial back one number to the 0 number.
At that point the grinder is calibrated and the 0 number is in the starting position, you j7ust need to replace the burrs and the baring ring, upper baring cap and thumb nut and your grinder is ready to use.
I do recommend that you push up the burrs from below 100% when you are replacing the other parts, especially the thumb nut, because you need the burrs pushed into place 100% to screw the thumb nut back on 100%, so always push up firmly with your free hand.
Anyway i hope that helps you, if you need more advise, please just drop me a message.
@META Coffee that really helps and makes sense. Thank you very much appreciated 🙏
@META Coffee Yep I'll be following your advice, my K-Max arrived uncalibrated (red dot at number 3)
Would you recommend the k series for wacaco picopresso?
The K series works reasonably well with the Picopresso, because the Picopresso uses a slow flow coffee basket, instead of a regular precision VST or IMS.
The 48mm burrs can grind quickly for Espresso grind size and the 22 microns will give you a little grind range to play with.
However the K series grinders are Pour over grinders and not really considered Espresso grinders, so even though technically you can use them for Espresso, i advice that you go for a proper Espresso grinder with smaller microns, like the JX-Pro, X-Pro or even better the J-Max.
Thank you!
You are very welcome Gabriel.
Is it easy to dial in espresso with K series grinders?
There can be a little confusion over the K series grinders when it comes to Espresso. Yes the K series grinders can grind for Espresso, but not easily for proper Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter.
All the K series grinders are technically Pour over grinders because of the step size ( 22 micron adjustments ).
This adjustment size can grind for Espresso using a pressurised porta filter very well, because the grind size for Espresso using a pressurised porta filter does not need to be so precise.
However when it comes to Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter ( proper Espresso ) this micron size does not leave you with a very big grind range to comfortably dial in your grind size if you need to adjust either finer or courser if your extraction is running too fast or too slow.
The K series grinder can be used for Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter, but you will have to work a little harder to dial in the grind size because you want have a big range to play with.
Take for instance the JX-Pro, this grinder is a much better all round grinder. Its also got 48mm burrs, so its very fast and consistent. However the JX-Pro has 12.5 micron adjustments.
So its much better at grinding for Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter and this micron size is also not so fine that it produces more fines at the Pour over grind range like some Espresso grinders can.
I have a Kmax, for c.1 year. Assuming your machine is very reliable and behaves in a very repeatable manner (does it behave the same way when pulling 2 shots back to back, for eg), then you will probably have to adjust your dose to get exactly the extraction time you want, because between 2 clicks on the grinder, you may end up with 2 big a change in extraction time. If you're willing to adjust dose (i'm talking c.1g difference in dose, nothing dramatic), then this grinder is fine, and gives you the flexibility to grind for any purpose. I got mine for cheap, otherwise at full price i'd have bought an espresso specific grinder.
Great video. Ty
Thank you.
Thank you for the helpful video! I’m a novice and having some trouble with my grind settings. I’m trying to grind for espresso but 2.5-3.5 is way too fine and the shot doesn’t even pull. I have gone up to 6 and still find it’s a bit over extracted. However this is with a Bambino Plus nonpressurized basket and I read your other comment about the K-max not being ideal for nonpressurized baskets. Should I try with a pressurized? I also found that on 9-10 my French press coffee was weaker than usual and I end up grinding it on about 8.5. Do you think I should double check my calibration settings?
HI Dana, lets go through what you said and hopefully i can help you with that.
Its always best to start with the burrs fully closed (zero point) and the grinder calibrated with the 0 number at the start point, just under the red dot, its really important to have both those things done.
When you dismantle the grinder and then reassemble it, its very important to make sure that your burrs are replaced in the body properly.
Make sure that you use your free hand to push the burrs up from the bottom, then replace the thumb nut and turn the thumb nut all the way 100%.
If you dont push the burrs up from below properly, they will not be in place 100% and your thumb nut wont be able to screw back on 100%
With your burrs fully closed and the 0 number bellow the red dot, the grind settings for the K-Max are as follows:
0 . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . 4
. . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . 10
The small dots between the numbers are fine adjustment clicks, you have 10 clicks between each number for dialing in your shot.
Please note that these numbers are just a guide and are not 100% accurate, because there are a lot more things that can mean that the beans that you are using might need a slightly different grind adjustment.
The physical adjustment dial on the K-Max grinder has only 8 numbers, the 0 number also acts as the number 9, so when you want a grind size that goes past the number 8 like Pour over, Siphon or French press, you just keep turning the adjustment dial past 8, so the 0 becomes 9, the number 1 becomes 10, the number 2 becomes 11 ect ect
From 1.5 to 2 is Turkish
From 2.5 to 3.5 is Espresso
From 5 to 7 is Aeropress/Moka pot/Drip
From 8 to 9 is Siphon/Pour over
From 9 to 10 is French press
The real issue with the K series grinders is the micron size, they have 22 microns, so they are not what i would recommend for proper Espresso, they are excellent for every other brew types, just not proper Espresso, you need the J-Max (8.8 microns), JX-Pro or X-Pro (12.5 microns) for that.
Technically they can grind for proper Espresso using a none pressurised porta filter, but they just don't have a very good grind range for fine adjustment if you need it.
Its not too difficult to get a decent shot of Espresso if you are using a pressurised porta filter, because you have a much bigger grind range for that type of Espresso, you can really go all the way up to 5 to 7 (Aeropress/Moka pot/Drip) and you should still get a decent shot using a machine with a pressurised porta filter.
So i do recommend that you try a shot with a pressurised porta filter and see what you get, maybe something between 4 and 6 for a pressurised porta filter (depending on the beans that you are using, because lighter roasted beans typically need a slightly finer grind size than darker roasted beans).
I also recommend that you look at your preparation, make sure that your dose is correct and make sure that your coffee bed is good and level not broken. Also check your tamping pressure, those cheap tamps that come with some of these machines are horrible and make your shot worse.
If you are trying to get a shot with the grind settings at 2.5 - 3.5 using a none pressurised basket and its blocking the machine, you would obviously need to adjust slightly more course.
However the 22 microns wont allow you to adjust as finely as you might want, so its easy to go either too fine or too course and you might find that you only have maybe a couple of numbers for your grind range for proper Espresso.
You could try dosing up or down to help with that. Maybe try .5g more or less in your basket, this often helps with the extraction.
Or maybe even try using a Low flow coffee basket instead of a regular VST or IMS none pressurised basket. Low flow baskets sit somewhere in between a pressurised basket and a regular none pressurised basket and the walls get narrower towards the bottom, this helps to force the pressure more to the middle of the basket, so you can use a grinder that does not have such fine grind adjustments, so please do a search about Low flow baskets
If you are getting a weak extraction for French press on 8.5 that does sound a little out.
It could be that your grind size is too course for the beans that you are using. But it might also be that you are not using enough coffee, not steeping the coffee for long enough (brew time is very important, i brew mine at most 6 minutes and at least 5 minutes) the water temperature might not be hot enough, or the coffee is a light roast, blooming and agitation can also help, so please check your brewing method.
This link is pretty good and might help you with your brewing method for your French press.
www.seriouseats.com/how-to-make-better-french-press-coffee-tips-technique-grind-timing
@@mightymightyironhead Thank you so much for your in-depth reply! I truly appreciate it, and it definitely helps me to figure out where to go from here. I do suspect that after disassembling and cleaning the grinder that the thumb nut may not be secured properly so that is the first thing I’ll check. Again, thank you so much!
Great video!
Thank you very much, really hope that you found the video useful. Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have about the grinder, always happy to help.
Is this same as ZP6?
Hi. No the K series grinders are not the same as the ZP6.
The ZP6 (special) looks very similar to the K-Pro, its got the same adjustment dial shape and style, its also got the same screw on catch cup as the K-Pro.
However the ZP6 has different burrs to the K-Pro, the K-Pro has the 7 core burrs and the ZP6 has the same 48mm 6 core burr type as the JX and the JX-Pro so it will have a different flavour profile.
I don't actually sell the ZP6 grinders, they were (according to 1Zpresso) only a limited edition grinder with a few thousand made and they were only available through 1Zpresso and not their dealers.
So i don't really have a lot of information about the ZP6. It does look like its really just for Pour over and French Press according to the grind reference chart, because it only has the grind settings for these two brew types, so its very confusing what this grinder is really for.
I personally would go for something else if you are looking for a Pour over grinder, something with the 7 core burrs, like the K series grinders.
This will give you a better flavour profile than a grinder with the 6 core burrs.
Very useful video, thank you. Please invest in a mic, or figure out how to get better audio, if you plan to make more videos, as the sound is echo-y and not very pleasant to hear.
Happy that you found the video useful even though you found the sound not very pleasant.
Actually i probably wont be making anymore of these videos and will be deleting this RUclips account soon.
I did invest in some more equipment, but after spending so much money on products and equipment to to help people, i have found that its just too expensive and not really worth my time and effort.
@@mightymightyironhead