Do you like coffee and you’re in a hurry in the morning? Do you have people at home or you do not want to waste time grinding coffee by hand? So like me, you probably thought about acquiring an electric coffee grinder.

Like hand coffee grinders, there are many models, all prices and different qualities. Some of the electric coffee grinders will have applications for espresso coffee, others for coffee filters. I was looking for a discreet, pretty coffee grinder, with low coffee retention at an affordable price. The coffee grinder I was looking for must marry well with my machines: a La Pavoni and a Lelit 41TEM.

After investigation, a name often appeared: Eureka Mignon.

The Eureka Mignon is a coffee grinder that has 50 mm flat burrs. It weighs 4.6 kg (so it remains stable in operation) and according to many tests on the internet has a low retention of coffee. It has a programmable timer to always mill the same amount of coffee (the coffee grinder works for a given time) when the trigger is pressed with the filter holder.

Finally, I find it compact and pretty. In addition, it is available in many colors (attention sometimes the price varies depending on the color chosen).

What is it really ?

They have :

• External diameter: 50 mm
• Internal diameter: 31 mm
• Thickness: 8 mm

Many videos exist on YouTube to show how to replace them. The procedure is simple and is quick to execute. I have not yet had the opportunity to dismantle the mill to change the millstone, because I have it for 2 months.

The grind obtained with the Eureka Mignon is of good quality for espresso coffees. It is regular in size and the coffee is not burnt (as with other coffee grinders that will heat and burn the coffee because of the friction). While operating, it makes some noise, but it’s not the loudest coffee grinder I’ve ever heard.

On the Eureka Mignon, the timer is set using a small retractable wheel (image below). Just press it to take it out and adjust it. The button visible to the right of the wheel makes it possible to grind the coffee at the timer (when depressed) or at the trigger (when released).

The adjustment wheel is discreet and easy to access. Once it is set, it becomes virtually invisible. This is a very good point for the aesthetic side of the Eureka Mignon.

However the setting is a bit difficult, because the wheel remains inaccurate. Other coffee grinders offer an adjustable timer using a digital display. They are more precise, but a little less beautiful in my opinion.

The title “regularity of the timer” is perhaps a bit biased, because I would just like to talk about the amount of ground coffee that comes out at each timer time. To calculate this, I ground the same coffee without touching the timer or the dial. I weighed the coffee every time with a scale (I tried to set the timer on approximately 12 grams). To grind 12 grams, I set the timer on 5 seconds (be careful, the mill will grind more or less coffee depending on whether he grinds the coffee very thin or thicker).

Measured	Coffee weight in grams
M1	12,19 g
M2	12,07 g
M3	12,04 g
M4	12,22 g

The difference can vary from about 0.2 grams. I think the result is still good.

The fineness of the grind is adjusted by turning the wheel located at the top left of the grinder. The setting is infinite (they are not notches to pass) leaving a lot of freedom. A defect though: there is no indication to know where one is in the setting. For example if we change coffee, it will be difficult to find the setting of the previous coffee (unless you put a mark on the wheel).

Some people have remedied this problem by adding themselves a scale, printed on paper and stuck on the wheel. The higher ranges at Eureka have a wheel with more indications.

There is a support on the mill which allows to put the portafilter on it and to let it fasten while the grinder works. I have at home two coffee machines that each have a different portafilters diameter: The Lelit 41 TEM (Ø portafilter = 57 mm) and the La Pavoni Europiccola (Ø portafilter = 51 mm). Both sizes of filter holders catch on the coffee grinder during operation.

Despite this possibility, in use I tend to hold the filter holder in hand. This allows me to spread the coffee well in the filter holder. Spreading coffee well in the filter holder is important for the passage of water as explained here.

The Eureka Mignon is very good coffee grinder despite its small defects. The biggest problem in my opinion is the setting of the timer which is not easy. For this reason I regret a little not having taken the model above (but still significantly more expensive). However, once the timer is set correctly, it is not touched. Therefore, I prefer this system because it avoids the presence of a screen that would have spoiled the design of the mill. If you have a budget of about 300 $, I think this coffee grinder does a really good job and is good value for money.