# Tandem grinder calibration

The Tandem EG-1 ships calibrated. Recalibrate only if you cannot reach espresso fineness at click 1, or if
the burrs touch and chirp at low numbers.

## The dial, in practice

| Clicks | Range |
| --- | --- |
| 1–8 | Espresso |
| 9–12 | Moka pot |
| 12–16 | Aeropress |
| 16–24 | Pour-over and drip |
| 28–34 | French press |
| 36–41 | Cold brew |

The steps are not linear. One click in the espresso range is a large change; one click in the press range
is barely perceptible.

## Zeroing the burrs

Do this with the grinder **unplugged**.

1. Remove the hopper by twisting counter-clockwise past the stop.
2. Empty the grinder completely. Any bean left in the chamber makes the zero wrong.
3. Turn the adjustment collar clockwise, slowly, until you hear the burrs just touch — a light chirp. Stop
   immediately. Forcing them together damages both burrs and is not covered by warranty.
4. Back off one click. That is zero.
5. Reset the numbered ring to 0 without moving the collar: lift the ring straight up, rotate it to 0, and
   drop it back on.
6. Refit the hopper.

Total travel from zero to fully open is 41 clicks.

## Season new burrs

New burrs cut slightly differently from broken-in ones. Run **500 g of cheap coffee** through at a medium
setting before you trust your espresso dial-in. Do not use rice — it is harder than coffee and will chip
the burr edge.

## Cleaning

**Weekly:** brush the chamber and the chute with a dry brush. Never wash burrs with water.

**Every 3 months, or every 5 kg:** unplug, remove the hopper, remove the upper burr carrier, brush both
burrs, vacuum the chamber, and reassemble. Note your setting first — removing the upper burr does not lose
calibration, but it is easy to knock the collar.

**Grinder cleaning tablets:** fine, once a month. Follow with 20 g of coffee to clear residue.

## Retention

About **0.4 g** when single-dosing. Not zero. A knock on the body during the last second of the grind
recovers most of it. Anyone quoting zero retention is measuring differently.

## When calibration is not the problem

If the grinder stalls, chirps under load, or the grind is inconsistent at every setting, see
[Grinder noise and stalling](../troubleshooting/grinder-noise-and-stalling.md) first. Recalibrating a
grinder with a jammed chamber makes it worse.

## Related

- [Tandem EG-1 grind setting reference](../library/tandem-eg1-grind-settings.md)
- [Grind size chart](grind-size-chart.md)
- [Service and warranty](../library/tandem-eg1-service-and-warranty.md)