See the User Manual for full programming instructions, menu options, cleaning, and troubleshooting. Please read through the entire setup guide before following along. If you have any questions, contact our team at Clive Coffee.
Step 1: Out of the box and onto the counter
Remove the grinder from its box and set it on a solid, level, water-resistant surface. Never place it on a hot surface. Mazzer recommends a counter height of roughly 33 to 39 inches and at least 6 inches of clearance to walls or neighboring appliances, with the front left open.
Inspect the grinder for any damage. If you notice any, contact us immediately. Hang on to the box and packing materials for the warranty period.
Choose a stable spot. The scale in the portafilter fork is sensitive to vibration. The Mini G filters out the noise from an espresso machine running next to it, but it still wants a firm base. Avoid wobbly carts and never set them on top of a knock-box drawer.
Plug the grinder directly into a grounded outlet. Do not use an extension cord, power strip, or plug adapter.
Do not lift or carry the grinder by the portafilter fork. The fork is the weighing platform.
NOTE: It is normal to find a little ground coffee in a brand-new Mazzer. Every grinder is assembled and tested by one operator, and that test includes grinding beans.
Step 2: Install the bean hopper
Make sure the grinder is switched off and unplugged.
Set the hopper onto the adjustment disk and seat it fully.
Thread the hopper safety screw and tighten it. The hopper must always be fastened with this screw. It keeps the hopper and your fingers clear of the burrs.
Close the locking slide at the base of the hopper, fill it with whole roasted coffee beans, and replace the lid.
NOTE: Only whole bean coffee goes in the hopper. Never add ground coffee.
Step 3: Set up the portafilter fork
The fork ships in the portafilter configuration. It is also the weighing platform for the integrated scale, so take a minute to set it up with your portafilter before calibrating.
If the fork is not already mounted, attach it to the grinder with the countersunk screw provided and fit the screw cap over it.
Set the side tongues. The two side tongues hold the portafilter at the right height. Loosen the setscrew on each tongue, rest your portafilter on the fork, and slide the tongues down until they rest on the top rim of the portafilter basket. Tighten the setscrews. If the spouts of the fork sit too low, even with the tongues all the way up, swap in the longer tongues from the box.
Set the depth. Loosen the two screws beneath the fork’s support plate, slide the fork forward or back until the chute points toward the center of the basket, then retighten.
Set the height. Loosen the screw at the base of the fork’s central pillar, move the fork up or down so the basket sits just below the chute, and tighten the screw.
Slide your portafilter into the fork and press it against the spouts. It should sit level with the basket centered under the chute.
NOTE: If you use more than one portafilter, for example, a spouted and a bottomless, check that each one sits level and centered. You may need to readjust the tongues between them.
Using the dosing cup instead
If you prefer to grind into the included dosing cup, replace the side tongues with the dosing cup holder.
With the grinder off, remove the two side tongues.
Slide the dosing cup holder horizontally into the fork until it stops, and fasten it with the screws provided.
Set the fork height as low as it goes so the cup sits properly under the chute.
Set the dosing cup on the holder. Magnets pull it into position.
Whichever you choose, you will tell the grinder in Step 4. You can switch later; just change the container type in the menu and recalibrate.
Step 4: Power on, choose your container, and calibrate the scale
Switch the grinder on with the main switch (I position).
Open the hopper locking slide so beans can drop into the burrs.
The main screen shows the dose counter in the center and your three programmed doses along the bottom. The buttons beneath the display are menu/select, cancel, manual grind (hand icon), dose 1, dose 2, dose 3, and the up/down navigation buttons.
Set the container type. Press menu/select, use the navigation buttons to open Grind Settings (cup icon), and set the container type to portafilter or dosing cup. Confirm with menu/select. The grinder will take you straight to the calibration screen.
Calibrate the scale. Mazzer asks for calibration at first installation and again whenever you adjust or handle the fork. Have the calibration weight from the box ready.
Confirm that you want to calibrate.
Place your empty portafilter (or the empty dosing cup) on the fork and confirm.
Set the calibration weight on top and confirm.
Wait for the display to report that calibration is complete, then remove the weight and store it somewhere safe.
Emergency stop: the grinder can be stopped immediately with the main switch.
Step 5: Grind your first dose by weight
The Mini G ships in weight mode with keyboard activation, meaning you press a dose button to start. For hands-free grinding, see “Portafilter and Dosing Cup Activation” in the User Manual.
Press menu/select, then dose button 1. Use the navigation buttons to set your target weight (for example, 18.0 g) and press menu/select to save.
Place your portafilter on the fork, pressed against the spouts. The display shows “tare in progress.” Wait for it to clear.
Press the dose button 1 to start grinding. The Mini G stops automatically when it reaches your target, and the weight turns green.
If you want a touch more coffee, hold the manual button before lifting the portafilter.
Remove the portafilter, distribute, tamp, and brew.
Mazzer’s burrs come finished and ready to use, with no break-in needed, but set aside the first 50 g or so of ground coffee rather than brewing it. That clears any residue from factory testing and from your first grind changes.
Step 6: Dialing in your grind
Adjust the grind with the handle on the adjustment disk, just under the hopper. Make adjustments while the motor is running. Holding the manual button is the easiest way to do this.
Turn the disk clockwise to grind coarser and counter-clockwise to grind finer. As a rough guide, one notch on the disk changes your shot time by about 3 seconds.
The adjustment is stepless, and the disk holds its position on its own. Make a note of where the index mark sits once you have a coffee dialed in.
After each change, purge a few grams with the manual button. The grinder holds roughly 8 g in the chamber and chute, and until that is cleared, you are still brewing the old setting.
Because the Mini G weighs every dose, your dose weight stays put no matter where you set the grind. Change the grind, purge, and pull the next shot.
If coffee stops coming out of the chute, the setting is too fine, or the burrs have jammed. Turn the disk clockwise to open the burrs and free the coffee.
For help dialing in, check out our article How to Dial In Your Espresso Grinder. For help pulling great shots, visit our Espresso 101 section.
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.