We offer spare parts on our global shop (this site!)

For help with them, watch the instructions video.

Watch the Quickstart video for the best explanation.

Needle tips should be 2mm above the floor of the basket.

Spinning speed is an easily learned skill from trial and error. Watch the quickstart video for good examples.

Try rapidly changing direction with short sharp spins to break up the grinds, then continue to spin normally. The needles should be moving through the grinds rather than pulling them along. The quickstart video has an example of this.

If that doesn’t work, here are 5 possible reasons/solutions:


1. Your basket is ridiculously clean and smooth. The problem will likely go away after your first few shots.

2. The needles are too deep. Lift them in 1mm increments and see if it goes away.

3. Your grinds are too compacted. Make sure you’re not collapsing them before using the AutoComb.

4. There are too many needles for your particular combo of coffee/grinder/basket. Experiment with removing some of the outer needles (not the very outermost one though). Here’s an example that worked well for one user.

5. The dose is too high. We recommend using the rated dose for any basket size.

DO NOT put the AutoComb in a dishwasher. Gentle hand washing only.

The needles can be fully cleaned in less than a minute. Check the quickstart video for details.

The needles in AutoComb are too fine to plunge repeatedly into a brush. We recommend a hearty slap on the bench whenever you feel the need to shake off any grinds. The needles are also “wiped” clean by the next grinds each time you use it.

The needles can also be easily rinsed clean. Make sure to leave it on top of the espresso machine or somewhere warm so it can fully dry out.

More spinning doesn’t equal better distribution.

Only spin enough to get a flat bed. No more. It should take less than 5 seconds. We recommend sliding the shaft along the palm of your hand once forwards and once backwards - this will create 3 revolutions of the needles in each direction. Some users have reported doubling this movement to also be effective.

This is why AutoComb is designed with lots of visibility into the basket.

Spinning for too long or too fast starts to fling grinds towards the edge. If you see a divot in the middle of your grinds, you either spun for too long, or too quickly.

If your grinds have reached a state where more spinning isn’t fixing it, it’s best to start again. You can either tip the grinds up to a 45 degree angle with the Autocomb still attached, or remove the Autocomb and mess them up a bit. The quickstart video has an example of how to tip the grinds up for a 2nd go.

There are a few things to check:


- Slow down. One push or pull of your hand equals 3 revolutions of the needles. Each direction (3 revs) should take roughly 1 full second.

- Are any of the needles bent? They should be close to vertical. If not, bend them back to straight or replace with a fresh needle.

- Is your dose quite high? AutoComb doesn’t work best with over-dosed baskets

- Are you performing multiple full revolutions of the needles? If you don’t rotate the needles fully, some areas of the grinds will see more needle movement than others.

- Is the outermost needle touching the edge of the metal funnel? You should hear a light scraping sound as it spins around. If not, try bending it slightly so it scrapes the edge.

Try rapidly changing direction with short sharp spins to break up the grinds, then continue to spin normally. The needles should be moving through the grinds rather than pulling them along. The quickstart video has an example of this.

If that doesn’t work, here are 5 possible reasons/solutions:


1. Your basket is ridiculously clean and smooth. The problem will likely go away after your first few shots.

2. The needles are too deep. Lift them in 1mm increments and see if it goes away.

3. Your grinds are too compacted. Make sure you’re not collapsing them before using the AutoComb.

4. There are too many needles for your particular combo of coffee/grinder/basket. Experiment with removing some of the outer needles (not the very outermost one though). Here’s an example that worked well for one user.

5. The dose is too high. We recommend using the rated dose for any basket size.

A light scraping sound is normal and deliberate. This is the outermost needle scraping against the funnel which keeps the edge of your grinds flat.

If you hear multiple needles scraping against the basket, try lifting the height adjustment screw a few millimetres.

This is deliberate because AutoComb needs room to slide smoothly. If it was tight and constrained, the vertical movement wouldn’t be as smooth or easy. In the lower position, where it counts, there’s less movement. Don’t worry, this mechanism is tough as nails and won’t get looser over time.

Watch the quickstart video for details on how to flip the thumb knob over.

AutoComb has one needle perfectly positioned against the edge of the funnel. This stops any buildup at the edge of the basket.

If your outermost needle isn’t touching the edge of the funnel, you can slightly bend it outwards, or rotate it within its hole, until it gently scrapes the funnel lip.