Getting to Know the Display
Everything on the Exacto is controlled from the touch display. The main screen shows:
Dose buttons (top): the Exacto stores three independent doses, shown as I, II, and a three-line icon. Tap the arrows on either side to move between them. Tap the dose icon itself to start or stop grinding.
Dose value (center): your programmed target, followed by G for grams (grind by weight) or S for seconds (grind by time).
Portafilter detection button: the portafilter-shaped icon to the right of the dose value. It lets you know it has a recognized portafilter and will grind automatically for that dose when the portafilter is placed on the portafilter rest.
Menu (bottom left): the gear icon opens the settings menu.
Grind setting (bottom center): the digital position of the burrs. The number changes as you turn the grind knob.
Pulse button (bottom right): To purge coffee or to slightly increase your coffee dose if needed.
Exit icon: on setting screens, the arrow-into-box icon in the lower left returns you to the main screen.
How to Use the ECM Exacto Manually
Make sure the hopper is secured with the safety screw, filled with beans, and the hopper slide is open.
Switch the grinder on with the On/Off switch. Keep the portafilter holder empty during startup so the scale can tare itself.
Select a dose with the arrows at the top of the screen.
Place your portafilter in the portafilter holder.
Tap the dose icon to start grinding. The grinder stops automatically when it reaches the set weight (or time).
In weight mode, wait for the green READY screen before removing the portafilter.
Tap the dose icon again at any time to stop grinding early. The dose value resets to your programmed setting after each grind. Do not leave the grinder running continuously for more than 2 minutes.
Programming Your Doses
Each of the three dose buttons has its own programmed value. A common setup is a single shot, a double shot, and a third dose option for a portafilter basket of a different size.
On the main screen, tap the arrows to select the dose button you want to program.
Tap the dose value in the center of the screen.
Use the + and – buttons to raise or lower the value. In weight mode, doses are set in 0.1 g increments.
Tap the exit icon in the lower left to save and return to the main screen.
Repeat for the other two dose buttons.
Doses are programmed in the active mode: grams in weight mode and seconds in time mode. If you switch modes, check your dose values before grinding.
Grind by Weight, Self-Adjustment, and Extra Shot
Grinding by weight
In weight mode, the Exacto's integrated scale weighs the coffee as it lands in your portafilter, stopping at your desired weight in grams. Here are a few things to know:
The portafilter must be in place. If you start a weight-based dose without a portafilter on the holder, the grinder stops and shows a portafilter alert.
Removing the portafilter pauses the dose. If you lift the portafilter mid-grind, the cycle pauses for 10 seconds to put it back. After that, the dose is canceled and the main screen returns. You can also cancel right away with the exit icon.
Keep the holder clear. Resting a hand, tamper, or dosing cup on the forks adds weight that the scale will read.
Self-adjustment and the READY screen
When a weight-based dose finishes, the screen turns green and displays READY. Wait for READY before removing the portafilter. During this moment, the Exacto compares the actual dose to your target and, if needed, adjusts itself for the next grind. This compensates for grind changes, humidity, and beans that age over the course of a bag. Pulling the portafilter early skips the analysis.
Extra Shot (+0.5 g)
If you want a little more coffee, tap the hand icon on the green READY screen. The Exacto adds exactly 0.5 g. Extra shots are not counted in the self-adjustment calculation, so topping up will not throw off your next dose.
Manual grinding
From the main screen, press and hold the hand icon to grind continuously. Release it to stop. Manual grinding is handy for purging or for those who want a fully manual workflow.
Switching Between Weight and Timed Dosing
The Exacto can dose by weight (g) or by time (s).
Tap the gear icon to open the menu.
Use the arrows to scroll to the Dosing System page.
Tap the toggle to switch between G (weight) and S (time).
Tap the exit icon to return to the main screen. The G or S next to the dose value confirms the active mode.
Tip: If you are pulling many shots back-to-back, such as when entertaining, ECM recommends switching to time-based dosing. It grinds faster and stays consistent when the grinder is working hard. Switch back to weight for normal everyday use.
Portafilter Recognition and Auto Run
The Exacto can recognize up to three portafilters by their weight and link each one to a dose button. With Auto Run on, simply sliding a registered portafilter into the holder starts the matching dose, no tapping required. Auto Run only works in weight mode.
Register your portafilters
Make sure the portafilter is clean, dry, and empty, and match the portafilter basket to the appropriate coffee dose. For example, a triple basket with a 20g dose.
Tap the gear icon and scroll to the Setup Portafilter page.
Place the portafilter in the holder and wait a few moments until its weight appears at the top of the screen.
Tap the dose button (I, II, or the three-line icon) you want to link to that portafilter. The button turns green, and the registered weight appears beneath it.
Remove the portafilter and repeat with your next one.
Tap the exit icon to return to the main screen.
Recognition works by weight, so each portafilter needs to weigh noticeably different from the others. If two portafilters weigh the same, the grinder displays a message that the weight is already registered. Changing the basket in a portafilter changes its weight, so re-register it if you swap baskets. To clear all linked portafilters, tap DELETE on the Setup Portafilter page and confirm.
Turn Auto Run on or off
To turn it on: on the main screen, press and hold the portafilter icon next to the dose value for a few moments. A green check appears, and the icon turns green.
To turn it off: tap the portafilter icon again. A red X appears, and the icon turns grey.
With Auto Run on, place a registered portafilter in the holder, and the Exacto grinds the dose linked to it automatically. Wait for READY before removing it, just as you would in normal weight mode.
Grind Adjustment
Adjust the grind using the large adjustment knob on the side of the grinder while the motor is running. Turning while the burrs are stopped, especially in the fine direction, can cause a jam.
Clockwise grinds finer (the display number gets smaller). Counter-clockwise grinds coarser (the number gets larger).
Espresso dialing is sensitive. Make smaller adjustments and pull a shot between each change. For a starting point after the burrs have been zeroed, ECM recommends a setting of around 50 for espresso.
If you adjust close to or past the zero point, the burrs are very close together; open the grind up in the coarse direction before grinding more coffee to avoid damaging the burrs or jamming the grinder.
Menu Options
Tap the gear icon to open the menu, and use the arrows at the top of the screen to scroll between pages. Tap the exit icon to return to the main screen.
Dosing System: switch between grind-by-weight (G) and grind-by-time (S).
Set up Portafilter: register portafilters to dose buttons for Auto Run (see above).
Counter: shows a resettable shot count for each dose button. Tap a dose button to see its count. RESET clears all of them; this cannot be undone.
Total Counter: shows the lifetime shot count for each dose button. This counter cannot be reset.
Coffee Counter: shows the total weight of coffee ground. At 300 kg, a burr replacement icon appears on the main screen. For a household pulling four 18 g shots a day, that is roughly eleven years. After replacing the burrs, tap RESET and confirm to clear the counter and the icon.
Scale Calibration: shows the scale tare value, which should read 0 with nothing on the holder. The Exacto tares automatically at startup, but if doses start landing off target, check that nothing is resting on the forks, then tap RESET and confirm to re-tare.
Zero Setting: recalibrates the digital grind number to the point where the burrs touch. See below.
Zero Setting
While this task can be completed by home users, ECM designates burr zeroing as a job for qualified technicians. Most owners won't need it; if your grind numbers no longer match where they used to be (for example, after burr service), contact our tech team, and we can walk you through it or handle it for you. For reference, the process is:
Empty the hopper and grind out any remaining beans so the burr chamber is empty.
With the grinder running and no coffee, slowly turn the grind knob clockwise until you just hear the burrs begin to touch.
Stop the grinder immediately. Do not let the burrs run against each other.
Open the menu, scroll to the Zero Setting page, tap RESET, and confirm. The display now reads 0.
Turn the knob counter-clockwise to about 50 as a starting point for espresso, then dial in from there.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Regular cleaning keeps stale coffee oils and off flavors out of your cup and keeps the Exacto grinding consistently. Always switch off and unplug the grinder before cleaning, and never put your fingers or tools into the bean inlet or grounds chute while it is plugged in.
Housing and hopper
Wipe the housing with a clean and damp microfiber towel as needed. Wipe the bean hopper with a damp cloth before refilling to remove coffee oil buildup. Never submerge the grinder in water, and never put ground coffee into the hopper.
Grinder cleaning tablets
ECM recommends running grinder cleaning granules through the Exacto about every 4 weeks. This depends entirely on how often you use your grinder and how oily your beans are. Many users find that they need to clean their grinder every 4 to 6 months. We recommend using Cafetto Grinder Cleaner.
Empty the hopper by loosening the safety screw and pouring any beans out.
Grind until the burr chamber is empty.
Adjust the grind a little coarser so the cleaning tablets can pass through.
Add one sachet of grinder cleaner to the hopper and grind it through, catching it in a container, like a knock box.
Unplug the grinder, remove the hopper, and brush or vacuum out the burr area.
Clean the hopper and hopper lid with a clean microfiber towel, reinstall the hopper with the holes aligned, and tighten the safety screw.
Refill with beans, return to your espresso setting, and grind and discard one dose before brewing.
Cleaning the burrs
Switch off the grinder and unplug it.
Remove the bean hopper.
Loosen the top cover screws with a 2.5 mm Allen wrench and lift off the cover.
Unscrew the upper burr carrier. It may take some force.
Brush or vacuum the burrs, the burr chamber, and the threads. Make sure no grounds are left in the threads, or the carrier will not thread back in smoothly.
Thread the upper burr carrier back in, replace the cover and its screws, and reinstall the hopper with the safety screw.
After reassembly, grind a dose and check that your usual grind number still produces the same shot. If it has shifted, dial back in from there.
Burr replacement
The burrs are rated for about 300 kg of coffee, and the Coffee Counter will flag it for you. When the time comes, contact our tech team for replacement burrs and service. Repairs and component replacement should be done by an authorized service provider.
Troubleshooting
A bean is stuck, or the burrs are jammed
Turn the grind knob counter-clockwise two full turns.
Run the grinder briefly; the stuck bean should come loose.
Return to your grind setting with the grinder running.
The grounds chute is clogged
A very fine grind, combined with humidity or oily beans, can pack the chute.
Switch the grinder off and unplug it.
Close the hopper lock slide so no more beans drop into the burrs.
Clear the chute with a suitable tool, such as the handle of a grinder brush or an espresso spoon, including the corners.
Note your current grind number, then turn the grind coarser by about 20 numbers.
Plug the grinder back in, switch it on, and hold the hand icon to grind until nothing more comes out. Unplug and clear the chute again if needed.
Open the lock slide, return to your grind setting with the grinder running, and dial in over the next few doses.
Doses are landing off target
Make sure the grinder sits on a stable, level surface, and not on a knock-box drawer or anything that vibrates.
Check that nothing is touching the portafilter holder, and confirm the Scale Calibration page reads 0 with the holder empty.
Wait for READY before removing the portafilter so the self-adjustment can do its work.
Give the self-adjustment a few doses to settle after a big grind change or a new bag of coffee.
Auto Run does not start, or starts the wrong dose
Confirm the grinder is in weight mode (G) and the Auto Run icon is green.
If you have changed baskets, the portafilter weight has changed. Re-register it on the Setup Portafilter page.
Make sure each registered portafilter has a clearly different weight.
Still stuck? Contact our team of coffee experts and technicians, and we will help you sort it out.
Additional Resources
If you need help dialing in your grinder or pulling shots, check out the articles below or contact our team of coffee experts and technicians. Our phone consultations and post-purchase dial-in support are here to help you get the most out of your grinder.