Graef CM 702 Coffee Grinder Hack
Introducing the CM 702 and CM 800
The Graef CM 702 and CM 800 grinders have long been my favorite recommendation for the new barista in Europe, when looking for an affordable coffee and espresso grinder. They offer a lot of bang for your buck, they are easy to disassemble for cleaning, and even come with shimming washers to adjust the grind finer. Considering that they come from a reputable German company, it’s really the cheapest grinder I can start recommending. Too bad these aren’t available on the American market.
Specifications
The CM 702 and it’s larger brother the CM 800 are both conical burr grinders. The CM 702 comes in weighing 1.835 kg, so it is on the lighter side. It has a 250 gram bean hopper, 24 grinding settings, and a 128 watt motor. The CM 800 comes with an on/off/auto switch, and can be switched on either by engaging the portafilter button, or by simply switching the unit on. The CM 702 on the other hand requires one to hold the portafilter button engaged.
| CM 702 | CM 800 | |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | Plastic | Aluminum |
| Grind settings | 24 | 40 |
| Burr Set | 38mm conical | 38mm conical |
| Bean Hopper | 250 gram | 350 gram |
| Weight | 1.83 kg | 2.63 kg |
| Dimensions | 260 x 150 x 375 mm | 397 x 135 x 230 mm |
| Operation | Push button | On/Off switch
Pushbutton |
Pros & Cons
This grinder does allow the new home barista to start grinding fresh, due to its low price, compared to more expensive models. It is also relatively quick to grind, and will fit nicely on most countertops. Most important of course is the espresso or coffee result. With the addition of the shimming washers, it can grind fine enough for espresso, as demonstrated in the video below.
So what about the downsides? Well, this grinder is extremely light, so two hand operation will be necessary. Also, it lacks a declumper, which means that the grounds will need to be declumped via WDT for example. This is a common occurrence with all economical grinders, in my experience. Nevertheless, it does provide good value for the starting home barista. It’s the only sub €100 grinder that I can recommend.
Pros:
- Very affordable grinder from a German company (it is made in China though)
- Includes shimming washers
- Stainless steel burrs
- Sleek form
- Comes with a grounds catch tray
Cons
- Very light, and slides easily
- Grinds can be clumpy
- Stepped grinder, so limited to steps
Grind Finer Hack
In order to grind finer, one just has to install the included shims (washers). This will raise up the lower burr, to create less space between the lower and upper burr. Sometimes, you may have to install 2-3 of the shimming washers, in order to grind fine enough for proper espresso. See the video below on how to do so:
