My grinder's burrs just gave out after 3 years of daily use

It made a horrible noise and produced nothing but powder this morning. Anyone have a good repair shop recommendation in Austin, or is it time for an upgrade?

3 comments

3 Comments

clairem471mo agoMost Upvoted

Three years is a decent run, but that sounds more like a simple alignment issue than total failure. Burrs don't usually just disintegrate, they just get dull. You might just need to take it apart and clean it, maybe check for a loose screw. I'd try a basic fix before calling it dead or shopping for a new one.

reesemiller1mo ago

Claire's right about trying a basic clean first... that's always step one. But that grinding-to-powder sound is a bad sign, it usually means the burrs are actually touching. If you take it apart and see any shiny, worn-down metal spots on the edges, the alignment's shot. Three years of daily use is a good life for a grinder at home, they just wear out.

brian_ramirez1mo ago

Three years of daily use is actually pretty solid for a set of burrs, especially if you're grinding anything harder than basic beans. That horrible noise and powder output sounds exactly like what happened when my old Baratza finally ate it. I get where clairem47 is coming from with the alignment idea, but once you hear that specific death rattle, it's usually more than a loose screw. I'd lean towards an upgrade, but if you're attached to it, Texas Coffee Traders on South Lamar does repairs. They fixed a friend's machine that had a similar issue.