What is the Eureka Mignon Specialita?
A small Italian espresso grinder that Eureka calls one of its best-known and best-loved Mignons.
The Mignon Specialita is an electric grinder with 55 mm flat burrs made of hardened steel, driven by a 310 W motor at 1350 rpm. Grind size is set with Eureka's patented Stepless Micrometric Regulation System, and doses are set on a touch display. Eureka calls it silent, fast and versatile, lists its recommended use as all purpose, and is based in Sesto Fiorentino, near Florence. Eureka's page shows no price; Seattle Coffee Gear, an authorised dealer, sells it for $549.00 in the standard colours and $599.00 in chrome.
This review is based on Eureka's specification and what an authorised dealer publishes. We have not tested it hands-on.
Flat burrs and stepless adjustment
Espresso needs a fine, even grind, and it needs to be adjustable in very small steps, because a slight change in grind size changes how fast the shot runs. The Specialita's 55 mm flat burrs are hardened steel, and Eureka rates them for 300 kg of coffee before they need replacing, which at a double shot a day is many years.
The adjustment is stepless: there are no clicks, so the grind can be set anywhere in its range rather than at the nearest notch. Eureka's system moves the lower burr rather than the upper one, and the company says that means you can take the burrs out for cleaning without losing your setting. That matters more than it sounds. Losing the setting means another round of wasted shots to find it again. How grind size affects the cup, and why espresso is the least forgiving brew, is explained in the grind size guide.
The display, the doses and the fork
The Specialita doses by time. The touch display stores two programmable doses, typically a single and a double, and adds plus and minus adjustments to the grinding time, an Extra Dose function for a top-up and continuous grinding. A dose counter keeps track of how much it has been used.
Grinding starts from the display or from a microswitch on the fork, so you can push the portafilter in and let the grinder run. The fork is adjustable and hands-free, and Eureka says it holds most portafilters, which leaves both hands free for something else while it grinds.
Timed dosing is quick and simple once set, but it is not the same as weighing. Change the beans, or move the grind finer or coarser, and the same number of seconds delivers a different weight of coffee. For consistent espresso, weigh the dose on a scale while you set the timer, then check it whenever something changes. The reasons are set out in brewing by weight.
Living with it
- Hopper. 300 g as standard, with an optional 510 g hopper. Eureka also sells a single dose hopper and kit as accessories.
- Speed. Eureka publishes a productivity figure of 1.8 to 2.5 for espresso and 2.5 to 3.5 for brew, without stating the unit.
- Noise. Eureka's Silent Technology is an anti-vibration system, but Eureka does not publish a decibel figure.
- Size and weight. 120 mm wide, 140 mm deep and 350 mm tall, and 5.6 kg: narrow enough to sit beside most espresso machines.
- Colours. Eureka's standard colours are Matt Black, Grey, White, Ferrari Red, Gourmet Green and Blue, and it lists many special colours and finishes as well, such as Chrome and Dubai Gold.
Eureka does not publish a retention figure, the amount of ground coffee left inside after grinding. For someone who uses the same beans every day that matters little, because the first grind of the morning simply pushes out yesterday's. For someone switching beans often, it is a reason to look at a single-dose grinder.
Eureka Mignon Specialita vs Niche Zero
The Niche Zero is the grinder most Specialita shoppers compare it with. Niche sells it for £559.00, about $710 on this site. It has 63 mm conical burrs, is designed for single dosing and is published by its maker as zero retention. You weigh the beans for each shot and it grinds all of them.
The two suit different routines. The Specialita is hopper-fed and timed: fill it with the coffee you drink every day, press once and it grinds a set dose into the portafilter. The Niche Zero suits people who change coffees daily or switch between espresso and filter, because nothing is left behind and every dose is weighed. Flat and conical burrs also produce different grind distributions, which affects the taste. For a daily espresso with one coffee, the Specialita is quicker to use and costs less. For variety, the Niche Zero is the better tool. Other grinders designed for single dosing are under single dose grinders.
Eureka Mignon Specialita vs Baratza Sette 270Wi
The Baratza Sette 270Wi costs $599.95 and doses by weight instead of time, with a built-in scale reading to 0.1 g, which solves the timed-dosing problem directly. It uses 40 mm conical burrs and 270 grind settings. The Specialita has larger flat burrs, stepless adjustment and a smaller body, and it costs less. If weighing every dose automatically is the priority, the Baratza does it. If burr size, stepless adjustment and a compact body matter more, the Specialita is the pick.
Is the Eureka Mignon Specialita worth it?
At $549.00, the Specialita sits among serious espresso grinders at a price well below the top of the category. What it offers for the money is large flat burrs, stepless adjustment that survives cleaning, a genuinely useful touch display and a small footprint.
It is worth it for someone making espresso every day, usually from the same bag, who wants a fast routine and a grinder that fits under a kitchen cabinet. It is less good value for someone who changes coffees daily, who will do better with a single-dose grinder, and for someone who only brews filter coffee, who does not need espresso-level adjustment. Other grinders built for espresso are compared under espresso grinders.
Who should buy the Mignon Specialita (and who should not)
Buy it if
- You make espresso daily and keep one coffee in the hopper.
- You want to grind straight into the portafilter at a touch.
- Counter space is tight and a quiet grinder matters.
Skip it if
- You change beans every day and want nothing left in the grinder.
- You want the grinder to weigh each dose for you.
- You want published retention and noise figures before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size burrs does the Eureka Mignon Specialita have?
55 mm flat burrs made of hardened steel, which Eureka rates for 300 kg of coffee.
Is the Eureka Mignon Specialita stepless?
Yes. It uses Eureka's patented Stepless Micrometric Regulation System, which moves the lower burr so the setting is kept when you clean it.
Can the Mignon Specialita single dose?
Not as standard. It comes with a 300 g hopper, and Eureka sells a single dose hopper as an optional accessory.
Does the Eureka Mignon Specialita grind for filter coffee?
Eureka lists its recommended use as all purpose and publishes a brew productivity figure, but its display, fork and fine stepless adjustment are designed around espresso.
How does the Mignon Specialita dose?
By time. The touch display stores two programmable doses, with plus and minus adjustment and an Extra Dose function.
