# Eureka Mignon



## ajc-79 (Apr 18, 2010)

Hi all..

A couple of photos of the new toy below. I can't say this is a review because i'm still a coffee novice and haven't had enough grinders to make any proper comparisons. But it is amazing, it feels like a really well built product that will still be in the kitchen in 20 years time.

I've not played with the settings a huge amount yet, the grind so much better than my MM i'm yet to experiment with fine-tuning it. The timer seems to disperse around 15g of coffee at once at the moment, which can be adjusted with a dial underneath. It makes amazing espresso.. the crema is so thick, and much darker than what I was getting before. The crema on the espresso below is about the lightest i've had so far.

It's also reasonably mess free, getting 95% of the grounds into my portafilter and not on my workbench, and far quieter than my Gaggia MM. It's smaller than I thought too, which is an added bonus.

This was the first time i've ordered from Bella Barista, and I was very happy with them. I also got my puly-caff and blind filter from them, so i've backflushed the Classic for the first time and I think that's made a difference too.



















Don't worry.. I did fill in that massive crater before tamping


















I'm a very happy camper!

Adam


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## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

Thank you! Very interested in this grinder, though I'm trying to keep my upgradeitis in check. Can I ask what beans you are using as your reference for the before/after comparison?


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## ajc-79 (Apr 18, 2010)

ChiarasDad said:


> Thank you! Very interested in this grinder, though I'm trying to keep my upgradeitis in check. Can I ask what beans you are using as your reference for the before/after comparison?


Cheap ones! I've got a 1kg bag of Lavazza beans i'm working through, when i opened the bag i split it into smaller zip-lock bags to try and keep them fresh(er). They are OK, but i'll probably stick to buying freshly roasted ones in future.

Having said that, even with these beans you can still make an half-decent espresso with the new grinder and the Gaggia Classic, and you can taste the difference with the new grinder. The espresso has more depth and is a smoother taste. So with some really good beans it should be fantastic...


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## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

It looks smaller than I thought it would, but it looks the business, and already earning its keep


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## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Nice grinder and you appear to have won the "how many coffee related items can you get on top of a Gaggia Classic competition" as well.

If I tried that, there would doubtless be a terminal crockery avalanche at some point,

Don


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## sandykt (Dec 3, 2009)

It matches your machine perfectly. I, too, was impressed with how you managed to balance everything on the top of your machine!


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## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

Your Classic looks a bit tricky to fill with water


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## ajc-79 (Apr 18, 2010)

BanishInstant said:


> Your Classic looks a bit tricky to fill with water


I gave up trying to fill it with the flap at the top. Now i just take the whole bucket out.


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## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

I spent a while looking at these at Caffe Culture | WBC 2010, and I think it's the most likely candidate for my next grinder. I didn't get to taste any shots, unfortunately, so I'm still mostly reliant on the review on Bella Barista's site for that, but I was pleased with what I saw. One thing I hadn't gleaned until I saw these in person was that the hopper does have a closing device at the bottom, so changing beans should be pretty easy, which would be valuable in my household.


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## FurryCup (Jun 10, 2010)

Congrat's looks great. It was a tossup for me between the Eureka Mignon and the Vario I went for the Vario in the end because it is so versatile, but I know I would of been more than happy with this one too.


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## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

If only we could taste a few shots from each before choosing. Vario clearly is more feature-filled, but for my purposes the Mignon is not far behind: since presspot and espresso are only two turns apart (and working with a hand grinder has gotten me well practiced at redialing my espresso) and since it has closeable, interchangeable hoppers, it would be no problem for me to make my espresso every morning and then to dial back to presspot and change hoppers for my wife's coffee. There's only one timer versus the Vario's three, but most likely I'd dose by eye or by weight for espresso, and my wife could dose by timer into her presspot.

As that review said, the Mignon is remarkably heavy and solid-feeling. The Vario is quite light in comparison. Not overly light or toylike - I don't think either of them will move when you push a portafilter into their switch - but the Mignon really is quite a chunk of metal.

I got a look at some of the available finishes, which you can see in my Flickr set from CC/WBC. The colours are unabashedly vivid. The gloss black is almost piano-like. The metallic finishes are worth a little discussion: the chrome is very reflective, eye-catchingly so, to the point where anything around it is likely doomed to look a bit shabby (including the perfectly nice and decently shiny Gaggia Classic I'd park it next to). You can see a little of this in my photo, but the reality was more vivid still. The silver Mignon is a matte finish (except for the spout) and doesn't draw particular attention to itself. That's the one that would best suit my own kitchen. I don't think I'd dare the chrome unless I had a true designer kitchen and the wherewithal to keep it sparkling clean.


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## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

There is one thing that puts me off and that is its diminutive proportions. I suppose my thought process follows bigger is better, going from the size of a Gaggia MM to the betmoth of a Mazzer Super Jolly.


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## FurryCup (Jun 10, 2010)

vintagecigarman said:


> It's a similar story - I bought the Vario before the review for this was on Bell Barista. Whilst I'm reasonably happy with the Vario, I'd probably have bought the Mignon if I'd seen the review first. (I only have limited headroom under the kitchen cupboards, otherwise it would definitely have been a Mazzer).


Just me sticking up for the Vario.

While I respect the BB reviewer (I read it before I got my Vario) I and indeed he say it is only his opinion. If you look at other reviews you will see that they rave about the Vario. I compare this to reviews for holidays on the net. You can read loads of 5 star reviews, but then there is one that says never stay here it's a "Hell whole". "It's the "Hell Whole" review that stays in your head". Extreme but you take my point.

The Vario has been updated since the BB review with a micro adjusting screw for burr calibration and a new front panel with an adjustable sleep mode. The Vario is not heavy, but this is irrelevant. I know we all like to feel we are getting something substantial for our money, but a Lada weighed a Ton and they were crap.

I grind a different precise amount for me and the wife all I have to do is press a button to switch between amounts. I use different coffees which require a differrent grind I can reproduce this exactly every time. I can place my portafilter in the holder and leave it there to grind while I do other things and it doesn't spit everywhere etc etc.... I would def buy it again.

There is a video on YouTube where a guy is pulling shots. He has a Mazzer Mini and a Vario next to each other. He grinds the coffee with the Vario. Someone commented "Why do you use the Vario when you have a Mazzer Mini?" the guys reply is "If you had a Vario you would know why" Judging by this guys level of spec he's no mug! So as I said "it's all a matter of opinion".


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## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

Totally agree. After a few months with the Vario, I'm well aware of all its qualities, but there are also some drawbacks, and it gets its fair share of criticism on the US forums, and the guy on BB isn't in total isolation.

It's easy to set, and easy to get back to a repeat setting. I too like the way it makes minimum mess, and the way a portafilter can sit in it on its own while it grinds. And I like the way that you can switch between the portafilter holder and the collecting bin for grounds. Build quality, to my eyes, is good enough and the whole set-up seems substantial.

-

But it has its foibles. No cut off, which is a bummer when changing beans - and the hopper is damned stiff to take off. The adjusters don't click into place as firmly as I would like, and, in a busy kitchen, are easy to shift without noticing (or do they just slip down with use?) My experience is also that consecutive throws of the same bean can vary by as much as 2 grammes.

My main dispute is that, to get a fine enough grind, I'm about 2 clicks off the absolute minimum setting. That's OK for now, but what happens as wear occurs? I'm aware that the US Baratzas have now been equipped with a second adjustment screw, between the dispensing slot and the rubber grommet, but not the Malkonigs. One of the contributors to The Other Black Stuff has had to resort to putting a paper shim under the lower burr to raise it higher and hence get a finer grind. Not the tweaking I'd expect with a £300+ piece of kit.

Again, it's all down to personal perception. Would I buy another? ....the jury's still out on that one.


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## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

Everything I've read about the Vario makes it sound like I could not go wrong with that machine. The Mignon, with only that one Mignon/Vario side by side comparison review that I've been able to find, is much less of a known quantity.

(And that one review seems like a real outlier, too: it calls the cup quality from the Mignon almost indistinguishable from the Mazzer Mini E, and better than the Vario, but elsewhere I seem to read opinion after opinion that the Vario's cup quality greatly exceeds the Mini's.)

In my household the swappable hopper would be a pretty big win, and that's what puts it ahead for me. Well, that and a weird aversion I have to buying stuff that's popular. And saving a few pounds is always nice. But mainly it's the hopper. I think.







Anyway, the point is that my reasons aren't necessarily anyone else's.

Oh, and I could be wrong about this, but I think I saw a Vario as a secondary grinder on one of the WBC competition setups -- might have been on the first day.


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## FurryCup (Jun 10, 2010)

we are on the same wave lenght, but it is incorrect to say UK models don't have the second adjuster screw. Mine does (I have just checked again to make sure). They are the same as the US model and anyone who says different is just trying to get rid of old stock. I got mine from here http://www.xpresscoffeeuk.co.uk 3 or 4 weeks ago, great service too. I got the last one in stock at that time so any new ones should be the new models. It also comes with the new front panel (with sleep mode).

http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/recalibrating-baratza-vario-t10282.html link to adjuster screw.


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## FurryCup (Jun 10, 2010)

ChiarasDad said:


> Everything I've read about the Vario makes it sound like I could not go wrong with that machine. The Mignon, with only that one Mignon/Vario side by side comparison review that I've been able to find, is much less of a known quantity.
> 
> (And that one review seems like a real outlier, too: it calls the cup quality from the Mignon almost indistinguishable from the Mazzer Mini E, and better than the Vario, but elsewhere I seem to read opinion after opinion that the Vario's cup quality greatly exceeds the Mini's.)
> 
> ...


I agree with the hopper point, but I think this may be addressed in the future as the company has been addressing other early problems. As for the secondary grinder, thats just what it should be in a commercial enviroment. If they made one the size of a SJ Wow watch out!

Cost? The site I recommend has 5% off and free dly. If you take this into account the price is a little closer especially the chrome model.


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## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

FurryCup said:


> we are on the same wave lenght, but it is incorrect to say UK models don't have the second adjuster screw. Mine does (I have just checked again to make sure). They are the same as the US model and anyone who says different is just trying to get rid of old stock.
> 
> http://www.home-barista.com/grinders/recalibrating-baratza-vario-t10282.html link to adjuster screw.


FurryCup: the photos at the start of that link refer to the primary adjuster, under the grommet. Later posts in the thread relate to later models which have a second allen-headed screw, in a hole just forward of the grommet. I've just found this on mine - it was skilfully covered with a black stick-on piece that was only visible under bright light.

My Mahkonig manual, dated 2009 and including the sleep timer, makes no mention of this adjustment (which can only make the machine grind finer) - though it is prominent in the Baraza manual of the same vintage: http://www.baratza.com/cms/pdf/Vario%20Operations%20English%20Manual%20lowres.pdf

Interestingly, Baraza now include a tool to adjust this screw with their grinders - seems to be a bit of a move from when Kyle Anderson, the designer, reckoned that it would seldom need to be adjusted on a post on one of the US forums.

Well at least I won't have to resort to shimming the burrs with bits of paper!


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## FurryCup (Jun 10, 2010)

Ah! I never read the manual that came with my Vario as I had already read the Baratza version online. So when it came I just checked to see if it was the same. I have had a look at my manual (Jan 2010) and the Euro online version and there is no mention of burr calibration, which is poor. I may drop them an email on this. Anyway you have that second screw on yours so I hope you are a little happier. The trouble with that paper post while very good at the time it will probably never be updated so many people will see that and be put off.


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