Mahlkönig’s EK43S was developed with height-challenged baristas in mind, without significantly sacrificing bean capacity.
MOBILE AND FAST Mobile and drive-thru cafés come with their own set of issues. Jonathan Casteel, president of operations for Mercurys Coffee Co. based in Woodinville, Washington, and operating four stand-alone drive-thrus in the Seattle area, puts it this way: “When you’re looking at a strictly drive-thru operation, you have to think about your
WHEN YOU’RE MOBILE, YOU ARE GRINDING, PULLING, AND POURING OUT IN THE WIND AND HUMIDITY, HOT AND COLD, DUST AND RAIN. IF YOU DOSE A SHOT, AND THE WIND BLOWS HALF THE GRINDS AWAY BEFORE THEY REACH THE PORTAFILTER, YOUR WASTE BECOMES SIGNIFICANT. location, what you can fit, and how fast it works. It’s all about speed. You can get something small and compact, but ultimately you have to make it work if it makes your operation go faster.” For Justin Shaheen, owner of the espresso-only Pilgrim Coffee Truck, also in Seattle, the decision wasn’t as simple. In addition to voltage, dimensions, and durability, he wanted obvious quality. “I wanted to convey that we were using a highquality grinder,” says Shaheen, “but also needed on-demand grinding.”
THE BULK GRINDER: YOUR CAFÉ’S UNSUNG HERO
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t sits in a corner or on the back counter of your café, out of the spotlight. Espresso grinders are what people talk about. They are perched up front, prettily designed, next to your superstar, the espresso machine. They get noticed and touched a thousand times a day. And the bulk grinder is still there, a bit chunky around the edges, but always ready to grind. At least one bulk grinder is an essential when designing a café. They grind for pour-over, automatic drip, French press, Turkish-style, cold brew, and yes, if needed, even espresso. They also provide the convenience of grinding coffee for your customers to take home. They work hard and generate long and steady grinds. And yet we often take them for granted. Bulk or filter grinders, as they are sometimes named, are typically there to grind large, coarser batches than espresso. This means they have to mitigate the heat and friction associated with higher volumes for longer times, while still producing a consistent and precisely distributed grind. Espresso is great, but take a moment and think about how many pots of drip you go through in a day. How many laptop business people make your café their office every morning over a couple mugs of drip coffee? Volume is significant when it comes to bulk grinding. So are speed and particle distribution. A bulk grinder is designed to give you more ground coffee in a shorter period of time and with fewer fines. Flat burrs, as opposed to conical burrs, are the main components that accomplish this. Mahlkönig, Ditting, Bunn, and Fetco all use a type of flat burr. They are also workhorses and will thrive in any location you choose to place them. They are built with heavier-duty components with covers designed for convenience and durability, rather than frills. And they treat their job the same way, with steady persistence rather than flashy fuss. So, show your bulk grinder some love today. Give it a cleaning. Check for needed maintenance. Change its burrs. Log the number of pounds it grinds up in a day. Then whisper it a little thank you. Just make sure your co-workers don’t hear you. They’ll think you’re crazy.
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