Before operating your grinder, make sure you have carefully read the Setup Guide.
Getting to Know the Philos
The Philos is a single-dose grinder, so there is no timer or scale to program. You weigh your beans, grind them all, and clear the chute. Here is what you are working with:
Hopper and lid: a small 60 g hopper sits atop the grinder. A locking slide at its base opens and closes the path to the burrs.
Grind adjustment disk: the numbered collar on the rear of the grinder. Higher numbers are coarser. It ships in stepped mode and can be converted to stepless.
Main switch: I is on, O is off. The motor runs whenever the switch is on, so you control grinding with the switch.
Outlet duct and duct knocker: grounds exit through the duct on the front. The knocker on the duct clears the remaining grounds after each dose.
Dosing cup: the stainless steel cup holds about 60 g and snaps into place under the duct with magnets.
Dose Finisher (duct cleaning tool): a small tool that lives in a magnetic housing on the grinder. Inserted into the duct while the motor runs, it sweeps out any grounds the knocker left behind.
Front cover: removable for access to the burr carrier for cleaning and burr swaps.
Cleaning brush: included in the box.
How to Use the Mazzer Philos
Make sure the hopper and lid are in place, and the locking slide is closed (turn it clockwise until it stops).
Weigh your beans on a scale. Do not exceed the dosing cup’s capacity of about 60 g.
Pour the beans into the hopper and replace the lid.
Set the dosing cup under the outlet duct. The magnets pull it into position.
Switch the grinder on (I), then open the locking slide so the beans drop into the burrs.
When the grinding sound changes and the beans are through, pull and release the duct knocker several times to clear the duct. Let it snap back on its own; do not slow it down or stop it mid-travel.
Switch the grinder off (O).
Remove the dosing cup and pour the grounds into your portafilter or brewer.
For the cleanest dose, run the Dose Finisher through the duct before switching off. See “Using the Dose Finisher” below. In our testing, this gets retention down to roughly a tenth of a gram.
Use only the dosing cup that came with the grinder, which is shaped to seal against the duct. Never run the grinder with an empty hopper for extended periods, and mind the duty cycle printed on the label under the grinder. Mazzer rates the Philos for up to 2 kg of coffee per day.
Using the Dose Finisher
Mazzer recommends running the Dose Finisher after every dose.
With the hopper empty, the motor running, and the dosing cup in place, insert the Dose Finisher into the outlet duct until it stops.
Turn it back and forth, clockwise and counter-clockwise, for a few seconds.
Switch the grinder off and remove the tool.
Turn the tool upside down over your dosing cup so the grounds it collected fall into the dosing cup.
Return the tool to its magnetic housing on the grinder.
Wash the Dose Finisher with mild soap and warm water from time to time, and dry it
thoroughly before putting it back.
Grind Adjustment
Turn the adjustment disk on the rear of the grinder. A higher number is coarser; a lower number is finer. The index mark on the body shows your current setting.
Only adjust the grinder while it is empty.
Never let the burrs touch while the motor is running. Turn back toward coarse if the grinder goes quiet and stops producing coffee.
Mazzer’s suggested starting ranges: 10 to 40 for espresso, 50 to 80 for moka pot, and 80 to 120 for filter and pour-over. These are merely starting points. Different coffees and roasts will land in different places, and you may end up outside a range.
Espresso is sensitive, so make small moves and pull a shot between each change. If the shot runs fast, go finer; if it drips or chokes, go coarser.
Because retention is so low, you do not need to purge after a grind change. The next dose comes out at the new setting.
Stepped and stepless modes
The Philos ships in stepped mode: the disk clicks between detents, each about six microns apart, which makes a setting easy to return to exactly. If you would rather have infinite adjustment, the detents can be removed. The conversion requires taking the adjustment disk and inner gear off and pushing out three small spring plungers, and it ends with a burr zeroing. The steps are in the manufacturer’s manual. If you would like a hand with it, contact our tech team.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Regular cleaning keeps stale coffee oils out of your cup and keeps the Philos grinding consistently. Always switch off and unplug the grinder before cleaning, and never reach into the hopper or duct while it is plugged in. Never clean the grinder with water jets or submerge the body. Skip abrasive cleaners, and keep alcohol and solvents away from painted and plastic parts and printed markings.
Housing
Wipe the body with a soft, dry cloth or microfiber towel. On brushed finishes, wipe in the direction of the brushing.
Hopper, lid, and dosing cup
Mazzer recommends washing these weekly. Remove them from the grinder and wash with a neutral dish soap, rinse well, and dry thoroughly. The hopper and the dosing cup are dishwasher safe; the hopper lid is not.
Outlet duct
The Dose Finisher routine above is also the duct cleaning routine. Running it after each dose keeps the duct clear of oils and fines.
Cleaning the burrs and the grind chamber
Mazzer recommends cleaning the grinding system weekly. The Philos opens from the front without tools, and because the grind setting lives in the adjustment collar rather than the burr carrier, you will not lose your setting.
Switch off and unplug the grinder.
Remove the hopper and the front cover.
Unscrew the two pins that hold the burr carrier assembly.
Grip the handle on the burr carrier assembly with both hands and draw it straight out.
Brush the burrs, the carrier, and the chamber with the dry brush and a dry cloth. Pay attention to the mating surfaces where the carrier seats; any grounds left there will throw off burr alignment.
Slide the carrier assembly back into its seat and tighten the two pins fully.
Refit the front cover and hopper before using the grinder.
A safety microswitch under the body cuts power to the motor while the grinder is open, so it will not run until everything is back in place.
Grinder cleaning tablets
With weekly brushing, most Philos owners will not need cleaning tablets. If you grind oily, dark roasts, running a dose of Cafetto Grinder Cleaner through the grinder about once a month helps clear oils from the burrs. Grind it like a dose of coffee at a slightly coarser setting, discard, then grind and discard a small dose of coffee before brewing.
Burr zeroing
Zeroing the adjustment disk sets the 0 mark to the point where the burrs just touch. It is normally only needed after a burr swap or if your numbers have drifted from where they were. Only perform this procedure with the grinder off and unplugged:
Remove the calibration block by turning it counter-clockwise, then pull the adjustment disk straight off.
Turn the inner gear in the direction of the arrow until the burrs are almost in contact.
Set the adjustment disk back on with its 0 aligned to the index mark. If the 0 will not line up, remove the three screws on the inner gear, rotate the gear 60 degrees, and refit the screws.
Refit the calibration block, turning it clockwise while holding the disk at 0.
Move the disk to a coarser setting before you grind.
If you would rather not do this yourself, contact our tech team, and we can walk you through it.
Swapping or replacing burrs
The Philos runs either I189D burrs (body, sweetness, traditional espresso) or I200D burrs (clarity and brightness, lighter roasts). Swapping sets uses the same front-access steps as burr cleaning, followed by a burr zeroing. Clean the mating surfaces thoroughly before installing burrs so they seat flat and parallel. Mazzer recommends replacing burrs when you notice a decline in grind quality or output, and using only Mazzer burrs made for the Philos.
Troubleshooting
The grinder will not start
Check that the front cover and hopper are fully seated. The safety microswitch prevents the motor from running while the grinder is open.
If the grinder stops during use and will not restart, the thermal overload protection may have tripped. Switch off, unplug, and let it cool completely before trying again. If it trips again under normal use, contact our tech team.
The grinder is on, but no coffee is coming out
The setting is too fine, or the burrs have clogged, which is most common with oily beans or beans that have been sprayed with water. Switch off and unplug, open the grinder as described in “Cleaning the burrs,” clear the burrs and chamber, then reassemble and start again at a coarser setting. Mazzer advises against wetting beans before grinding on the Philos; it can clog the burr outlets and encourage oxidation on the burrs.
A chirping or ticking sound with the burrs not touching
Small fragments of coffee caught between the burrs make this sound. Grind them out, and keep the motor running when you move between grind settings so the fragments clear. If the sound persists at your usual espresso setting, the zero point may have moved; see “Burr zeroing.”
The same setting grinds coarser than it used to
Coffee residue on the mating surfaces can shift the zero point. Clean the grind chamber and the burr carrier seat thoroughly, then re-zero. Zero with the motor off to protect the burrs.
Grounds are left in the duct
Work the duct knocker a few more times, letting it snap back freely each time, and run the Dose Finisher through the duct with the motor on. If retention climbs over time, the duct and burr chamber are due for a cleaning.
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.