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Getting Rid of Static
MikeWI
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Posted on 12/13/2013 3:55 PM
Now that the house is at a balmy 61 degrees inside, and the humidifier is on the fritz, I'm getting an unbelievable amount of static in my ground coffee. It sticks to the glass jar, and literally flies out in all directions as I try to pour it into my Moka pot.

I remember reading a thread somewhere about static (may have been here) where someone mentioned a relative using a couple drops of water on the beans before grinding, so I tried that.

Frankly I'm shocked at how well this works, even though I know that water is a common cure for static electricity build-up. Just two or three drops on top of the beans in my Kitchen Aide grinder is all it takes to completely remove the static. Now this is on top of the beans in the hopper, so it seems to me like that wouldn't work too well as it's the last thing through. For whatever the reason though, the static is gone.

Disclaimer: I only grind enough for one Moka Pot at a time (two Aeropress scoops) so maybe it would take a little adjusting for a larger amount, but give it a try.
 
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snwcmpr
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Posted on 12/13/2013 5:56 PM
I use a Baratza Virtuoso. I get static all the time.
When I pull the bin out, I vigorously shake it and tap it on the counter.
The static disappears. The grounds have to move for it to go away.

Ken
--------------
Backwoods Roaster
"I wish I could taste as well as I wish I could roast."

As Abraham Lincoln said "Do not trust everything you read on the internet".
 
oldgearhead
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Posted on 12/14/2013 8:50 AM
I use my grandmother's trick.
1) Put two fingers under a running water tap.
2) Skake a few drops of water onto the beans.
3) Shake up the beans, and drop into the grinder.

I have a 4-year-old Virtuoso with the original burrs.
No oil on my beans...
 
snwcmpr
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Posted on 12/14/2013 9:32 AM
I have been told the upgrade gears and burrs for the Baratza is a good deal. I am considering that.

Ken in NC
--------------
Backwoods Roaster
"I wish I could taste as well as I wish I could roast."

As Abraham Lincoln said "Do not trust everything you read on the internet".
 
MikeWI
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Posted on 12/14/2013 9:51 AM

Quote

oldgearhead wrote:

I use my grandmother's trick.
1) Put two fingers under a running water tap.
2) Skake a few drops of water onto the beans.
3) Shake up the beans, and drop into the grinder.

I have a 4-year-old Virtuoso with the original burrs.


That sounds exactly like the post I had read, so it must have been yours! LOL
I have the KitchenAide grinder with the Mazzer burr upgrade.
 
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allenb
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Posted on 12/20/2013 7:17 PM
Coffee grinding static and it's remedies are unfortunately still a mystery to the grinder industry and most users.

While doing coffee account installs in the mid 00's (not 19__), it was interesting how the same grinder and same coffee at one account would behave and produce pretty much zero static while the next one a mile away would be so bad the personnel would be wearing coffee. This was whether the relative humidity was low or high. We would go through the regular drills of checking outlet grounding continuity and machine ground integrity but never found this to be an issue. We also tried adding an additional ground lead from the grinder case to a good earth ground and never made a difference.

I remember buying two or three home grinders before settling on my present grinder (solis 166) bought in the late 90's. The ones before the solis all suffered from major static and one day while at a shop in Boulder Colorado I was reading some sales literature on the Solis 166 that claimed they had incorporated in it's design, features that eliminated static. I asked if anyone in the shop had verified the claim and they all said it performed as advertised. Since buying it I've never had any static issues. My question is what possible design feature could they have incorporated into this model to eliminate static and if it's easy to do, why are there any grinders being sold today that aren't static free? Also, it seems that even Solis is producing other models that produce a lot of static. You would think that as annoying as grinding static is that grinder manufacturers would be making static free grinders a central focus and use the issue as a competitive edge against the others.

I'd like to know if anyone has seen grinder manufacturers who claim to have solved this issue.

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
Swiftflow
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Posted on 04/25/2017 11:48 AM
I found the 10 once stainless steel dredge shaker cup fits just tightly into the chamber of my Capresso Infinity--I do have to keep a finger on it to keep it from vibrating out--but it seems to eliminate static without the water trick. So a stainless steel cup that fits tightly may work for others as well.
 
jkoll42
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Posted on 04/27/2017 11:01 AM
That's similar to what I do with my LPG. I have a ceramic coffee mug that fits perfectly under it. Sometimes in low humidity you get some stuck to the cup but a quick swirl of the grounds pulls them back down.
-Jon
Honey badger 1k, Bunn LPG-2E, Technivorm, Cimbali Max Hybrid, Vibiemme Double Domo V3
 
renatoa
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Posted on 10/26/2017 11:12 AM
The above is called RDT (Ross Droplet Technique) and I am doing slightly different, but with same result: moisten my finger and mix in the glass where I weighed the beans.
https://www.home-...ml#p280316
 
JackH
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Posted on 10/26/2017 12:20 PM

Quote

oldgearhead wrote:

I use my grandmother's trick.
1) Put two fingers under a running water tap.
2) Skake a few drops of water onto the beans.
3) Shake up the beans, and drop into the grinder.

I have a 4-year-old Virtuoso with the original burrs.


This is what I do. Simple and works very well.
---Jack

KKTO Roaster.
 
gene
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Posted on 10/30/2017 10:59 AM
Huge problem for me too until I ordered new antistatic jar from Orphan Espresso last year. This is the smoky jar they put on their new OE Lidos at a cost of $12.

Interestingly ordered a new Baratza Sette 270 grinder recently.

What a great surprise! It came with antistatic cup. Appears to be around 32oz and is intended for pourover/brew type grinds. Does a great job as I use it several times a day. Never coffee grounds left in it using a gentle shake or tap on upturned bottom.
Don't know price but I'm sure you can get one by calling Chris Coffee, Clive's or other dealers offering Baratza.
 
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