DISCONTINUED 1st-line Sonny Espresso Coffee Grinder

1st-line “Sonny” On Demand Stepped Doserless Espresso Coffee Grinder

The smallest of 1st-line’s series of entry-level espresso coffee grinders, the ‘Sonny’ is a heavyweight champ for the home barista. Available in black or chrome, it’s a perfectly sized grinder for any stainless steel espresso machine. The black version matches the black handles and knobs on most stainless steel espresso machines. The chrome version matches polished stainless steel superbly.

The ‘Sonny’ grinder can be used manually by pressing the portafilter firmly against the switch (for 2 seconds or more) just above and behind the forks and holding it until the desired amount of ground espresso coffee is dispensed. Or, the Sonny grinder can be programmed for either a single or double dose (only one of the two) whereby the built in programmable timer will stop the grinding when the programmed time is reached. Need a little more ground coffee in the portafilter? No sweat! Just hold the portafilter for 2 seconds or more for a little more ground coffee.

Inside of the chute of our Sonny espresso coffee grinder, there is a clump breaker that does a pretty good job! However, when taking it down to almost Turkish grind, there is some clumping. We found there is only about this ~3 grams of retention in the chute. Not bad for a well built espresso grinder!

The stepped adjustment makes it super easy to get back to the fineness setting desired, and the bean hopper is easily removable or can be secured to the adjustment dial with two included screws.

Coming soon…

Espresso Coffee Grinder Warnings:

• Roast Profiles: Espresso grinders sold by 1st-line Equipment, unless specifically indicated on the grinder page, are manufactured for coffee beans that have Italian or espresso roast profiles. Lighter roasted coffee beans may clog the grinder or not grind fine enough. Darker roasted coffee beans, such as French roasted or oily coffee beans, may clog the grinding chamber and/or the grinder chute where the ground coffee exits.
• Changing grind settings: It is very important to only change grind settings when the unit is powered on and the burrs are in motion. If you do not do this, the burrs will ‘gunk’ up and render the grinder to only produce very coarse grinds or no grinds at all. To remedy this, you will have to open up the grinder to get access to the grinding burrs. This issue will be considered operator error for lack of following directions, and not be classified as a defective grinder.
• Electrical cord: For most grinders, the cord is placed between the packaging (foam or cardboard) and the underside body of the grinder. During shipping, it is normal for a bend or insignificant blemish/slice to damage the cord.
• Finding coffee grinds in a new grinder: Most manufacturers test their grinders with coffee beans before they leave their facility. Unfortunately, they are not always able to get every trace of coffee out of the grinders after testing. As a result, you may find coffee beans or grinds inside your grinder, or there may be grinds in the packaging.
• Static issues: There are static issues with all grinders, even the highest-quality models. We firmly believe that the static comes from the coffee beans. If you are having static problems with your coffee grinder, try using a different blend of beans.
• Electrical: To avoid electrical damage (which is not considered a manufacturer's defect), please acquire and install a single-outlet surge suppressor rated at 1080 joules or higher. A surge without protection can damage a grinder at the power switch, the capacitor, the motor, or the wiring.
• Burr cleaning: For routine maintenance of the grinding burrs, we recommend using grinder cleaning agents. We do not recommend any removal of the burrs or the burr carrier for cleaning (unless necessary) as re-assembly can cause damage. If the grinder chamber is dis-assembled, the warranty is voided for any damages that result. It is important to always remove all coffee grinds from the threads of the burr carrier and the grinding chamber.
• Replacing burrs: NEVER use a flat head screwdriver and hammer to wedge UNDER the burrs for removal. This could badly damage your grinder.