Finally pulled the trigger on a proper home setup — but the grinder is giving me headaches
After a while of using pre-ground coffee and a basic machine, I finally built out a dedicated espresso station at home. Here's what I'm working with:
- Machine: De'Longhi EC685 (Dedica)
- Grinder: De'Longhi KG521 (conical burr)
- Accessories: Stainless milk pitcher, rubber bar mat, stacked espresso cups, glasses on the warming tray
The setup looks clean and I'm happy with the overall aesthetic.
The problem: the grinder stalls on fine grinds.
This is a brand new unit (literally 2 days old) and I've already run into an issue. When I dial down to finer settings for espresso, the motor runs but the burrs stop spinning — it just locks up. The moment I go back to a coarser setting, it grinds perfectly fine with the same coffee (a medium roast specialty bean).
The brand's technical support told me it was the coffee's fault — that medium roast is "too hard" for fine grinding. I pushed back because that logic doesn't hold: if the coffee were the issue, it wouldn't grind at any setting. Coarse works, fine doesn't — that's a mechanical problem, not a bean problem.
Has anyone experienced this with the KG521 or other De'Longhi grinders? Is this a known defect? Should I push for a replacement or is there a fix?
Any advice appreciated — and curious to hear what grinder upgrades you'd recommend in the ~$200–$300 range if this one ends up being a dud.