Guide // spirobutor

Using your spirobutor

How to use it every shot, set it for your basket, swap a needle and keep it clean. Two minutes to read, then you're set.

Every shot

Step by step
  1. Grind into your portafilter

    Dose like you normally would.

  2. Set the spirobutor on top

    Line the ear slots up with the ears on your portafilter. The magnetic base holds itself in place. If you have the no-ears version, it just sits on the basket rim.

  3. Turn the top grip 8 full turns

    Either direction works. Eight turns covers the whole basket.

  4. Lift it straight off

    Straight up, so the bed stays even.

  5. Tamp and pull your shot

    That's it.

spirobutor next to a portafilter dosed with ground coffee

Set the depth once

Section A-A

Baskets come in different depths. You want the needles to reach almost to the floor without touching it. Measure yours below and it tells you how far to turn the lock ring. No ruler? Trial and error works too: move the lock ring lower and the needles get shorter, move it higher and they get longer.

How deep is your basket?

Measure from the rim down to the floor of the empty basket.

26.0mm

24 mm2628 mm

Turn the lock ring

⅝ turn

Away from the gear teeth, starting from the deepest setting. The needles come up 2.0 mm, so the tips land 1 mm above your basket floor.

  1. 1The lock ring is a nut on the ring gear's thread, and it rests on the base. The gear and needles hang from it.
  2. 2Turn it along the thread, away from the gear teeth, and the whole gear set rides up and pulls the needles out. Turn it back toward the teeth and they go deeper. One full turn is 3.5 mm.
  3. 3Set it once for your basket and leave it.

Storing it

The stand
  1. Keep it on its stand

    Between shots, the spirobutor sits on its stand so the needles stay off the counter.

  2. Spares live inside

    Lift the lid off the stand. Inside are 8 spare needles and the 2 mm allen key. Magnets hold the lid shut.

Swapping a needle

If one bends
  1. Take the base off

    That gets you to the gears and needles.

  2. Pull the bent needle out

    Each needle sits in a small boss on its gear. It takes a little effort to pull out, that's normal.

  3. Push in a spare

    Take one from the stand and push it into the same boss.

  4. Put the base back on

    Ready to go.

Cleaning

Keep it dry
  1. Tap out loose grounds

    A few taps on the knock box or your palm.

  2. Brush the needles and gears

    Any small dry brush works.

  3. Wipe it with a dry cloth

    No water and no dishwasher.

Troubleshooting

Quick fixes
  • A little coffee spills over the edge

    Normal. Evenly distributed grounds sit a bit looser and higher. Give the whole portafilter a few light taps so the bed settles, then tamp.

  • The needles scrape the basket floor

    They're set too long for your basket. Move the lock ring lower to make them shorter. See depth.

  • Clumps left near the bottom

    The needles aren't reaching far enough. Move the lock ring higher to make them longer.

  • The carrier ring feels tight or loose

    Take the 2 mm allen key from the stand. Tighten the screws on top all the way, then loosen each one by one full turn. That's the sweet spot.

  • It doesn't sit flat on the portafilter

    Check that the basket size and number of ears match your portafilter. The fit guide has the list by machine.

  • A needle is bent

    Swap it for a spare from the stand. See swapping a needle.

  • Turning feels gritty

    Grounds have got into the gears. Brush them out, see cleaning.

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