Eureka Mignon Specialita Review: 12 Months Later

I've had the Eureka Specialita as my grinder for a bit over 12 months now. So it's been long enough to give it a proper review. I'll start off with an unboxing, go over its features, and then talk about who I think this grinder is best suited for. Let's get into this Eureka Mignon Specialita review. 

Eureka Specialita Review Summary

But if you want a quick summary, below I've listed the main points and where to find this grinder for the best price.  

Unboxing the Eureka Specialita Grinder

The Eurkea came in a nice box surrounded by foam to secure the grinder. The foam is moulded around the grinder parts so you can feel confident it won't be damaged in transit. There was also a foam layer on top that I took off to take the above photo.

Inside the box you will find:

• The grinder;
• The plastic hopper to put the beans in;
• The portafitler mount; and
• The manual.

Once you have everything out the box, the next step is fitting the hopper onto the grinder. This is very easy to do. 

The hopper is held on by one screw on the back of the grinder. All you do is place in the hopper, and then screw it in. Simple. 

I love this design as it's secure, and easy to take off when you want to clean the grinder. 

If you want to grind directly into your basket, you can you also can slide in the portafilter mount. You just slide it in and the hook shape keeps the mount secure with friction. It doesn't move at all while grinding. But if you prefer to grind directly into a dosing cup you can keep it removed or adjust the mount to act as a stand - I like how you're given the option.

All that's left it do is place the Specialita next to your espresso machine and you are set to go! This grinder is beautiful. It's a mix between modern and retro. It looks great next to my Rocket Appartamento.  It also comes in a range of colors to match your machine and kitchen. The other thing you'll notice of this machine when putting in place is its weight. It's a tank at 5.6kg. This thing will not be breaking any time soon and it's Italian made components will last a very long time.

Features of the grinder: pros and cons

Fluffy, uniform grinds

How does it grind? This is the most important factor when looking to buy a grinder. As being able to produce uniform and fluffy grinds has the biggest impact on the taste of your espresso.

I can confirm from my 12 months of using this grinder that it produces excellent ground coffee. Its 55 mm steel burrs produce very consistent grind particles.

And thanks to Eureka's "ACE" system, the grinds come out nice and fluffy with little to no clumping. The ACE system is basically metal zig-zag that the grinds pass through on the way out to help de-clump the coffee.

Below is a dose of coffee freshly out of the Specialita. Notice the uniform grinds and minimal clumping.

Workflow of grinding coffee: timer and grind adjustment

One of the main selling points of the Specialita was how simple it is to use. Since my wife was also going to use the grinder (who is not a coffee geek), I wanted a grinder that allowed her to just press a button and to get more or less the correct dose without needing to weigh the coffee every time. The timed dosing of the Eureka is perfect for this. 

What I've been doing after getting a fresh bag of beans is dialling in the coffee with a coffee scale, and then matching the timer to get more or less the correct dose every time. You can program two time settings and there is also a continuous mode, and you activate the grinder by pressing a button below the shoot (ie. you bump your dosing cup or portafilter to start the grinding).  

Changing the grind size is simple with the continuous wheel seen below. There are no "steps" as this is a step-less grinder, meaning you can go right up to the point of burrs hitting each other so they don't move, meaning you can make micro-adjustments to get the perfect extraction. 

This Specialita is quite!

The grinder I owned before the Specialita was loud. Like mowing the grass loud. I literally couldn't hear what people on my dining table were talking about when making coffee for them. So when I was looking for a new grinder I really wanted one that was quite (by grinder standards). 

The Mignon Specialita was designed to be as quite it can be for a grinder. It's internal components are insulated and have rubber dampeners to help reduce the noise of it. Thanks to this I can now have a conversation when making coffee! This also means you don't have to be concerned with waking the whole house up when making your morning coffee.

I tested how loud the grinder was by using an iPhone decibel reader. The noise varied from 75-78 decibels, which according to the app is similar to the noise you hear from inside a car. 

Not a single dosing grinder (but can be)

If you're into single dosing, this grinder is not designed to be one out of the box. Rather it comes with a hopper that you can store up to 300 grams of coffee for grinding as seen below. 

Having a hopper can be con for some people.  But if you drink multiple coffees a day like I do, single dosing really doesn't mean much. I just take out from my vacuum sealed bag how much coffee I think I'll drink on that day. Having fresh coffee exposed to light and oxygen for a few hours will not make it go off straight away. I think there's a bit of hysteria when it comes to single dosing with the coffee community.

However if you still want to single dose, rest assured that this grinder is quite low retention, you will find 0.2 grams of coffee may be left behind without any mods, mainly use to the Specialita's "ACE" system (that zig-zag within the grinder that helps de-clump the coffee).

And since this is a very popular home grinder you can buy a hopper and below mod here to turn this grinder into a single dosing grinder. There are even angled stands to make the Specialita have the same functions as Eureka's more expensive single dose grinder, the Zero, at a much cheaper price.  Team it up with a RDT spray bottle and you're all set to single dose!

Who is this grinder for?

Now that we're reaching the end of this review, it's time for me to give my opinion on who I think this grinder is made for. This grinder is one of the most popular home grinders for a reason. I think this grinder is a great option if you fall into one of the below categories:

Upgrading from an entery level grinder (or getting a good grinder straight away)

If you currently have an entry level grinder from Breville or Baratza you will know the limitations they have. They're limited in setting grind sizes, limited in build quality, and limited in their noise (aka very loud). Now you're looking to up grade to a good grinder that you likely won’t need to upgrade from. For its price point, this the Specialita is a fanatic home grinder. It also gives you the ability to convert it into a single dosing grinder for a fraction of the price of dedicated ones.

Want a dedicated espresso grinder that's well made

If you're looking to make espresso at home, you know that the grinder is the most important thing to produce great tasting coffee. This Eureka produces perfectly uniform and fluffy grinds to make delicious espresso. The shots are clear and allow you to taste the differences between beans, and their unique flavors. The grinder is also very compact, and will not take up much space on your kitchen counter.

Want a good "household" grinder

If you're not the only person making coffee at home, or are living with people that aren't coffee geeks, this grinder is a great option. It's so easy to use and allows you to go "super geeky" when you're using it, while allowing other people to just grind good coffee consistently with the timed dosing. I think it's the perfect household grinder.

Where to buy the Eureka Specialita?

In terms of price there are few places you can get a good deal on this grinder. I recommend checking out the below retailers for good deals:

Conclusion

And there you have it, my review on the Eureka Mignon Specialita. If you have any questions about the grinder, make sure to leave a comment below and I'll get back to you!