# Mighty Atom



## tridoros (May 2, 2015)

Mini review - Eureka ATOM

Imported from Bella Barista UK to Australia, November 2016

The ATOM stands 44cm high with hopper attached, which makes it kitchen cupboard friendly and weighs in at nearly 8.5kg. Finish is up to the usual high Eureka standard, comprising neat cast aluminium for the main body and surrounding the Hi-res colour display and high quality moulded plastics in the dispensing area and base plate. The hopper/lid combo and additional container also continue the theme. There is an easily removable height adjustable PF holder made of an alloy (?) with black powder-coat finish. It may be lightish, but appears extremely strong (it also appears to be a MkII version which allows hands free if adjusted correctly). There's the standard push button for activation of the grinder that will dispense according to the electronically controlled timer settings. For cleaning of the 60mm burrs, the top plate of the grinder (with silicon rubber collar insert for the hopper) is easily removable with 3 allen head screws (allen key supplied) then another 3 screws for the top burr holder with no loss of grind settings.

When first switched on, the screen boots up quickly showing firstly the Eureka logo followed by a 1 or 2 cup display, depending on previous settings. Time in sub-seconds/seconds can be adjusted via simple push buttons. The screen is brightness adjustable if required and with a press of the middle button with the asterisk symbol on it, displays a neat graphic of a burr. Press it again and you can do a manual top up of the P/F or fill the supplied container for french press.

Performance is a little slower than my Zenith 65E - 8 secs for a double versus 6 secs for the 65E, which is irrelevant to the home espresso maker and I expect this will change a bit in time anyway as the burrs bed in. The ATOM is eerily quiet in action, in fact this is the quietest grinder/kitchen type gadget I've ever heard. The sound deadening design of the ATOM appears to work extremely well.

Another design plus is the plastic coffee shute which sits behind the easily movable-to-one side display (just 2 allen screws) - its still connected by cables of course. This really is nicely engineered and has at the top, some internal z shaped channels for anti-clumping when the ground beans are ejected from the grinding area and directed down into the PF in an oh-so-neat brown column. In addition there is a clever partially removable silicon rubber cover over the shute if you manage to clog it or for just general cleaning. Static is almost non-existent, clumping not apparent and mess minimal.

In addition and like the 65E, there is an LED to light the dispensing area. You really have to see (and not hear it) to appreciate the clever design progression from the 65E/Club.

The torquey RPM motor is 245 watts and the micrometric burr adjustment takes place via a knob on top just like the 65E which minutely raises or lowers the motor axis (not the motor). This is silky smooth and great to use.

In summary, which you may have gathered already from my praise, the ATOM is a serious contender for those currently looking at Macap M4D, Rocket Fausto, ECM/Profitec etc.


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## ajh101 (Dec 21, 2013)

Do you know how it compares to the Mignon? Thanks


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## tridoros (May 2, 2015)

No - haven't used the Mignon


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Looks like a nice compact grinder , great write up and review.


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## Beanosaurus (Jun 4, 2014)

This is a very smart grinder!

I'm much a fan of the adjustment mechanism on the Eureka models, however I have literature saying that it grind for filter which I believe -

but there would be a significant amount of unwinding to take it from espresso to the required level of coarseness needed.

So in terms of referencing points for your grind settings I can imagine it being a pain in the backside...

Nevertheless it has a decent feature set upgrade over some of the older models with the clump crusher, manual mode button,

and bean auger which will presumably eliminate the issue of decreasing bean weight above the burrs and grind-drift,

also when I owned a Zenith I found the retention to be about 4g if that so with a smaller 60mm burrset I imagine it to be even less.

Though overall its got a sensible height and importantly the QUIETNESS which apparently seems to be unrivalled and perhaps even quieter than the Mythos One.

Is this perhaps the ultimate sensible person's espresso grinder?


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

I think it will be a big seller. The quietness is a big pull for me and suspect I'm not alone.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

God it's ugly though and can't be much quieter than the ceado e37s, which I think is more compact as well


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

To be fair if the e37s can fit under my counter top then it's a no brainier for for - even with no experience, just from reading I can see they are different league. Ceado a good £450 more new though?


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

But available used at similar price which makes it a no brainer


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## Beanosaurus (Jun 4, 2014)

coffeechap said:


> God it's ugly though and can't be much quieter than the ceado e37s, which I think is more compact as well


I'm not a fan of that hopper haha!!

But to be fair from what I've read it's supposed to be 15-20dB quiter than most home grinders and that's hugely significant if true.

Personally I don't think the E37s is THAT quiet (80dB from a test I saw on HB forum), it still overrides any conversation that I may be having with the other half.

Could be wrong but I seem to recall that the E37s with Mazzer Mini hopper is 43.5cm whereas the Atom is 44cm.

Rather pricey however...

Would be interested to see the CoffeeChap test!


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

Beanosaurus said:


> I'm not a fan of that hopper haha!!
> 
> But to be fair from what I've read it's supposed to be 15-20dB quiter than most home grinders and that's hugely significant if true.
> 
> ...


So would I


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## matt_bott (Apr 24, 2017)

What do these cost?


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## lake_m (Feb 4, 2017)

600 quid


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## doolallysquiff (Jul 26, 2014)

Or get a Ceado e37j


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## BrianBoru (Mar 5, 2016)

Hi

Just thought I'd contribute to this thread given the helpful info I've gleaned from members in the past.

I've just taken delivery of a Diamond Silver Atom from Bella Barista. This is to replace my broken Sette 270W which only lasted 5 months. Prior to that I had a Rancilio Rocky which I upgraded to the Sette. Below are my initial impressions having only pulled a couple of shots:

Build quality - this thing is built like a tank. It is incredibly solid and actually I think it looks pretty darn cool in the Diamond Silver. There is a funky ATOM logo on the hopper too which is a nice touch. Everything about it screams 'quality' and 'premium'. I don't think this is going to break down any time soon. The Sette on the other hand is built with plastic and just never gave me the reassuring feeling that it was going to last for a decent period of time. I understand they have sorted their motor problems out now, but if you're spending c.£500 on a grinder you want something that looks and feels like it's going to last...even when it's not grinding...

Grind quality - the grind is very fluffy (on par with the Sette) and pretty much clumpless. It's clearly a premium grinder. But as everyone has said, the USP of this thing is how it quiet it is. Having gone from a Sette, which I actually felt uncomfortable using on very early starts for fear of waking the neighbourhood, the quietness is an awesome feature that perhaps users underrate when making their grinder purchase. It certainly wasn't what sold it for me, but now having a quiet grinder I don't think I could go back to something as loud as a Sette.

Speed - it takes me about 8 secs to get an 18g basket. Not too shabby - an extra couple of seconds over the Sette but who really cares about a couple of seconds!

Taste - there was a vastly noticeable different taste in the cup between this and my old Sette. Suddenly all the marketing blurb on the cover of my coffee bags make sense...I CAN taste choco-berries-with-a-touch-of-pomegranite on my palette! It's not total bullsh!t  The Sette produced a decent espresso which was very quaffable and enjoyable...but this grinder (which hasn't even run in properly yet) has produced flavours from the beans I use that I hadn't experienced in the 5 months with my Sette. It's a huge step up in taste!

Cons - it would have been nice to have a little grinds mat to quickly get rid of any stray grind but it's a fairly messless grinder so hopefully won't be too much of a problem.

Other - I also seriously considered the Olympus 75E with Mythos burrs...but in the end I felt the smaller size, quietness and cheaper price of the ATOM offered the better package for me.

Just my tuppence in case it helps anyone else in the market for £600-£1000 grinder!


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

Thanks Brian, good to know - on my shortlist


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## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

BrianBoru said:


> Hi
> 
> Just thought I'd contribute to this thread given the helpful info I've gleaned from members in the past.
> 
> ...


Where did you hear that the Sette motor issues have now been resolved?


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## BrianBoru (Mar 5, 2016)

I found this post by Baratza on Home Barista forums...make of it what you will!

58ost May 02, 2017, 8:50 pm

At Baratza we always appreciate the lively and engaged conversations that members of this forum have for our grinders, especially our new Sette Series. We feel that we should step in to clarify some points in this thread specific to a concern about motor failures.

Early in our production run, we had a procedural change at the motor factory relating to the assembly of the motors that led to premature failure for a small number of Sette owners. Combining our findings at the factory with the excellent analytics put together by Pierce Jens in Support, we have found that of all Settes with motors built during the production run in question, only 7% experience premature failure (and many of those failed very quickly and as such are no longer in the field). So, of all potentially affected grinders, 93% should have no issues with the motor, the motor problem has been solved and all Settes built going forward will not have this problem.

Regardless of whether your Sette has a motor built during this period, as a Baratza customer you are covered under our warranty. We expect our motors to operate well for around ten years of home use, so if you see the symptoms of a dead motor in your Sette, please reach out to our Support team and let them know what you're experiencing. We are here to support your grinder and find a solution.

Please channel all questions via email to [email protected], we will not be responding in this thread. Thanks!


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

Any sight of you getting time with an Atom @coffeechap ?


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## mrmike1 (May 3, 2014)

My wife gave her blessing to begin a discussion on a new grinder. The Atom is defiantly Italian super car sexy- I have the Mignon at home and a SJ at work. She won't allow the SJ at home because it is "too ugly". Even though the Mignon is amazing, I feel it is time to upgrade to give the Brewtus someone to play with. I'm thinking of selling the Mignon and going for the Atom. Really interested in some more feedback from the Atom.

From my understanding, it is shy of 500 watts with an almost vertical chute leaving fluffy static free grind. I'm concerned that 60mm might be too small for the burr set, but that means less retention. Looks like a tank, and judging from the Mignon, it should last.

I suppose it would be either this or the 65e.


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## Markk (Apr 8, 2016)

.....or perhaps the Fausto ?

If you like Eureka grinders (as I do) then the Rocket Fausto is basically the 65e built inside a beautifully constructed and finished case. Slightly lower and more compact as it was designed, from new, not to have a doser on the front, and with the conical funnel which seems to do a very good job of killing any static. I believe the electronics and controls are also identical but with a slightly different display.

Just a thought.


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## mrmike1 (May 3, 2014)

Markk said:


> .....or perhaps the Fausto ?
> 
> If you like Eureka grinders (as I do) then the Rocket Fausto is basically the 65e built inside a beautifully constructed and finished case. Slightly lower and more compact as it was designed, from new, not to have a doser on the front, and with the conical funnel which seems to do a very good job of killing any static. I believe the electronics and controls are also identical but with a slightly different display.
> 
> Just a thought.


Grinder looks awesome- unfortunately the wife is not fond of the funnel. I'll keep an eye on the situation and take it from there.


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## mrmike1 (May 3, 2014)

Just discussed with the wife. She will veto any grinder with a funnel (she says it with such passion!)


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## lake_m (Feb 4, 2017)

How about the Fiorenzato F64e ? (Looks cool, no funnel and 64mm burrs)


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Based on ?



mrmike1 said:


> Just discussed with the wife. She will veto any grinder with a funnel (she says it with such passion!)


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## mrmike1 (May 3, 2014)

Mrboots2u said:


> Based on ?


Aesthetics my friend. She doesn't like the look of them and if she is allowing me to get an expensive big grinder, she gets to veto whatever she wants


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## mrmike1 (May 3, 2014)

She has so far given her blessing for the Atom, 65e, and maybe the ECM S-automatik.


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## mrmike1 (May 3, 2014)

Had a lovely chat with Claudette the other day. Basically the atom is awesome for home owners because it is quite and there should be less grind retention. It is built from the ground up to reflect a commercial grinder for the home enthusiasts rather than a commercial grinder used by home enthusiasts. The 65e is a better grinder only if you use the grinder often because of the retention etc. The ECM fits somewhere in between.


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