Prebreaker - Zerno

What is a Prebreaker?

No ambiguity here. As the name implies, a prebreaker cracks the coffee beans ahead of them entering the grind chamber. A well designed prebreaker will produce a more uniform grind and, in turn, extract even the most subtle flavors from each bean.

Why a Prebreaker?

Controlling the rate the beans feed into the burrs prevents them from crowding the grinding chamber and reduces the chance of a fractional grind. As well, starting the bean out cracked and giving a larger surface area for the burrs to do their job allows them to shave through the bean rather than crush them, reducing frictional temperature and preventing premature brewing of the grounds.

What makes the Z1 Prebreaker unique?

The Zerno design team extensively tested variable speed methods and found most flat burrs are designed to function in a specific range and increasing or decreasing the speed often led to unpredictable results/did not produce results that met their standards.

A Different Approach

The Z1 prebreaker not only feeds the beans between the burrs consistently, it regulates the feed rate, controlling the particle size distribution and ensuring grind uniformity to appeal to your particular taste.

Variable Feed, Swappable Prebreaker

Hone your ideal flavor profile with the adjustable grind feed rate and maintain optimal performance thanks to the innovative prebreaker design.

Currently grinders ship with the medium feed prebreaker auger. We’ll publish more info on our website as additional prebreakers that will be available for separate purchase as become available.

Production run number 4 is on the way

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