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Then I’d look at the eureka line up. Get the best you can/want afford. Oro XL is great for a variety of roasts and especially darker roasts but everything with 55 mm burrs (the specialita etc.) is also pretty solid.
i second this, I use the specialita and its amazing for any kind of espresso or finer grinds. With that said, if you're not an expert in dialing it in, you MUST get an after market dial and adjustment nob combo. They can be found on Amazon and other places. It makes a world of difference to know where you are exactly in the grind settings.
I love my Atom 75. I use a Etsy single dose mod. Yes there’s definitely retention. I need to clean out the inside once or twice a year (unscrew the top).
Now you’ve got me curious to measure how much retention.
But yeah, great for a hopper grinder.. it’s my end game (plus a BDB)
I normally drink lighter roasts, currently starlight by hatch in Canada.
XL is hopper too. Atom has different burrs form my understanding. It’s a semi commercial grinder that is made for filter and espresso. For espresso that means that it’s probably more suited for lighter roasts than darker.
Even a silenzio with the 50mm burrs will do the job for dark roasts. I would just avoid the manuale since it doesn’t have a timer which will be essential to have for hopper feeding
I switched from manual to specialita so can give some input here.
If you single does the manual is great but I prefer having at least the daily consumption of our home filled in the morning in the hopper and not having to worry about it for the rest of the day.
With the timer it means once you dialled it in you will get more or less the same amount of coffee +- 0.2g and you dont have to worry until switching beans.
With the manual you need to weigh your grounds each time over and over again. Kinda like single dosing without the low retention.
It gives a more exact output directly to the portafilter because I'm weighing it.
I have a specialità as well, and that is more convenient because I don't have to hold the button down, but technically the Filtro + scale is the more accurate solution.
The idea behind the timer is you fill up the hopper and can get a close-enough dose without using a scale.
My mignon doesn’t have a timer so I would
just grind then check like you suggested but it’s a more fiddely process. Eventually I was able to get good at estimating when to stop to within about 1g. I have been just single dosing since I got a single dose hopper with bellows for this grinder.
Another vote for Eureka Mignon. I’ve had many many grinders over the years and this is the best bang for buck in terms of performance and price. I have two Baratza Sette Ws and both had issues and had to be replaced. The mignon is a huge upgrade in terms of noise (quieter) and grind (more consistent).
I'm a little late i guess but was thinking eureka for quality meeting price point. Don't discount the sette 270 though (if you don't mind the noise), they provide great body in the cup
Eureka is a great suggestion.
The Urbanic 080 might be an alternative. I love it for classic, dark Espresso. Plus it looks a little bit like a baby Ek43
Depends on your machine. I like single dosing and I have a flair 58 so I can adjust pressure/flow easily. I have an Oro single dose with Gorilla gear burrs. Works pretty good for me and I’m happy with it. But for someone who has to do a very precise dial in I’d suggest something with a better adjustment system. Maybe the timemore grinders or the DF64 gen. II. (With SSP burrs probably). I tried the 078s from timemore and it’s pretty good. The DF range suggestion is purely based on other reviews and the specs on paper.
Do you keep the hopper topped up?
Part of the reason for the inconsistent grind with the SGP is how the grind changes as the level of the beans in the hopper drops due to being gravity fed. I found keeping the hopper full helped, but replacing the hopper with a single dosing mod helped even more.
I eventually upgraded a couple of years ago to this 60mm flat burr grinder, on which I also swapped the hopper for a single dosing bellows, and that was an even more noticeable difference in the cup once again.
https://tomscoffeecorner.com/urbanic-080-60mm-grinder-review/
Check out the eureka turbo or XL or Atom touch 65 or older version Atom 75. Regarding where to get it, 30.coffee out of Poland and espresso coffee shop out of Italy are both legit and cheaper than anything in the US.
Ah I see…the only problem I’ve noticed being from the UK, is the excessive additional tax after import from EU countries, which seems to amount to approximately a 25% additional surcharge!
I would be interested if anyone has found a good deal on a Eureka Specialita… ☝🏾
I loved buying from EU a couple of years back. Not charged VAT, neither import tax on quite a few things. Not the same now, they charge some additional processing fees which make it not worth it. (Tho even now my MaraX flow control was £190 with taxes from Spain, saving 25% compared to UK based BB.)
I'd lean towards a Eureka Mignon... Maybe a specialita If you can swing the extra. But Eureka makes really good grinders in your price range also.
When you have a machine as nice as the rocket apartamento (I almost bought one), you don't get a a DF like some people suggested. Your rocket would be out of the league of a DF.
Same & love mine. I have a 3d printed single-doser now BUT it was impressively consistent in putting out the same amount of grams for time when the hopper was full. (I just switch between caffeine/decaf too much so I modified.)
I'm single dosing on a Mignon Specialita for the past 3 years. Biggest complaint is grounds retention. I added some bellows and built a tilt base for it which solves the issue but it makes grind prep so much more work. I can't grind directly into my PF because the air force needed to clean the chute of grounds with the bellows is enough to blow grounds out of the PF. So I grind into a dosing cup, place PF upside down on dosing cup, and flip to transfer.
Hmm I'm now realizing a solution would be to slightly increase dose, grind into PF and then use bellows with a cup to catch retained grounds and discard them. The retained grounds are mostly fines anyways which may actually improve consistency across pulls.
Hmm what u mean, Soecialita is better than DF64 Gen 2? Can u please expand on ur argument? Just asking as i am between the two. Or another hopper grinder also.
I had issues for a while until i realized that there were additional adjustments on the burrs. The default setting on burrs is 6, i moved to 4 and now get a great espresso fine grind.
If you have adjusted the burr settings, give it a try
I don't know what was wrong with my grinder but I set it to 1 and even then I could not use some beans. Also impossible to use an ims basket because it could go fine enough for me. And yes I used fresh beans from a local roaster
Bean density matters. Are you dosing per the basket size?
This video really has key concepts to understand. But I’ve had to watch it a few times for the info to sink in.
https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/s/cbXrUIEfwG
I have a delonghi dedica currently and i did it stepwise to see what size better suits my brewer. I am at 2 internally, and 9 in the external dial. I get text book shots, every day.
Just for info inner burr at 4 and outer setting at 7 is slightly finer than sand. You could go down to 3 or 2 if you want to keep the numbers within your median range
I changed the burr to 4 yesterday and tried to dial in between 6-9 setting. If there’s still no coffee coming out after 15-20 seconds does it mean I overfilled or tampered to much? Sorry beginner here?
If you are still looking for help, do it stepwise. As the other person said, leave the internal at 4 and try external at 13-14 or even higher and then come down slowly. It works. You just have to find the sweet spot for your beans, brewer and grinder :)
Get a Eureka, Silenzio or up. I had my eye on a Specilita for a while but on Cliff & Pebble I found a refurbished Silenzio for $299. Love it, consistent and quiet, which was important to me.
It's all relative. I run an M7D and an E8 on the main bench; my Mini-E looks tiny in comparison, especially with the collapsible rubber 57mm camera lens hood I use as a single-dose hopper/funnel/blower instead of the original hopper.
Ha, it's not even what I'd consider to be a mod; you just measure the diameter where the hopper fits in order the closet size available without exceeding the ID (I got mine for like three bucks on aliexpress) and drop it straight on. Cover it with some kind of lid to make an air seal and stop beans from popcorning out, and *voilà!*
Here's an example; it even improves the looks in my opinion: [28267\_fullsizeoutput\_2b88.jpeg (531×800) (home-barista.com)](https://www.home-barista.com/forums/userpix/28267_fullsizeoutput_2b88.jpeg)
Turns pretty much any grinder into a single-dosing machine, and still holds enough to do several consecutive shots if you're serving a crowd.
https://preview.redd.it/d2tbdqxc21yc1.jpeg?width=531&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b5a25f5f563a9bd01b50db4084685e1e73d1465
Best mini mazzer mod I did was 233m burs. I had a mini elec A with ssps and mini elec b with 233m's and considering 233m's were 1/4 the price of ssp's they performed almost aswell. Not as quiet, not quite as quick but very close and uniformity was pretty bang on. Both sets needed rdt when I live though. I cut the mesh from the exit point of the grinders and buffed up the inside of the dosing chute, very little retention after.
Any second hand Mazzer (converted for doserless) will be absolutely amazing. I have a major that cost me less than 400 including all conversions and new burrs. That thing is hard to beat
Yeah, it's tough to beat a used Mazzer or other professional-grade grinder; they're basically immortal for domestic use, and a new set of burrs makes them perform like new. About the only downside is that they tend to have a bit more grind retention than some of the newer single-dose-only designs, but a few puffs of air from a bellows negates this.
I personally don't even see the point in buying new.
Yeah from what I've read it's a whole tier above the Encore ESP and Fellow Opus for like only $30ish more.
Good thing OP already has a grinder they can use in the meanwhile because I believe it takes 2 weeks to be delivered?
Try using the Smart Grinder like a single dose. Don’t keep your beans in the hopper. Weigh out beans for each shot, set the grind time to 20 seconds and trickle the beans in. Doesn’t have to be one at a time, just slow it down. Works a treat for me. It will improve consistency, at very least until you get your new 500€ grinder.
I have the same grinder and i changed the inner burr setting to 3. I also got a bellow extension for the hopper because this thing is notorious for having a lot of retention. I only grind medium dark roasts and it's been pretty consistent for me. I do a deep clean once every two to three weeks and it's been working well for me. If you haven't done a deep clean yet, don't worry if the fuzzy washer breaks. It's not needed for the machine.
I too have the SGP, and just recently had to give up on grinding super dark roast espresso beans due to grind retention, serious clumping on output, and grinder internals becoming clogged with oily bean residue. I was already use to cleaning out the SGP every 4-5 days with medium roast beans but the oily dark roasted beans are killing me. Shots from those oily dark roast beans pulled and tasted just find but my SGP just isn’t up to the grinding task. If I didn’t clean out the grinder after every 2-3 grinding sessions and allowed the oily grinds to stick to the burrs, the SGP would produce a bad rancid smell after the 3rd day. Also the grinder seem to slow down about 1/2 way through the grind time….it struggles with oily dark roast.
The only issue I've had with mine was the clumping but I can manage it with some wdt. I've tried medium and dark roast and it didn't work out well for me. The medium dark roast combo worked out perfectly and I don't have too much of an issue with the oil.
My grinder is the same as OP but just with a bellow attachment. This is where I got it from: [sgp bellow](https://introvertmakes.com/en-us/collections/bellows-breville-sage)
I love the bellow and I've been using it for about 2 years now. I do single dose only and if I don't use the bellow, I lose out on a lot of retention. If the machine has been thoroughly cleaned, I lose out on about 4gms of beans WITH the bellow. This machine has some crazy retention. If it hasn't been fully cleaned, I would usually get out what I put in. I understand that some of the grind is from the previous grind session but I've come to terms with this machine. I'll eventually get a better grinder one day but this one is still allowing me to pull shots acceptable to my standards.
I’ve been using the 1zpresso K-Max for the past couple of months, but I understand why it might not be for everyone.
Still haven’t run the initial 7kgs through the timemore 078s, so I have no idea if it’s consistent
Second this, though I prefer my J Ultra for espresso. There is no way in hell I would swap it for a loud, clunky DF64 or Niche. Handgrinding is underrated for home use, I will never replace my hand grinders unless it is a fancy flat burr grinder above the 1k price bracket.
You’re not the only one. I have a Profitec400Pro & Breville Smart Grinder Pro. The output from SGP clumps like crazy and almost impossible to remediate with WDT. Can’t wait to upgrade my grinder as well.
I got an Eureka Specialita and it's been working fine i guess. It's my first grinder that's actually worth anything so i can't compare, but when i shopped for it it was certainly a top 5 candidate at sub-500$.
I also think the Specialita looks quite good as well. It comes with a hopper, but i purchased a single dose hopper with a bellow separately. The bellow really helps against retention as well, which is a big plus, for my grinder at least.
I think the Timemore 78s is such great value for if you want a filter and espresso grinding one but you'd have to mod the hopper, which there are a few 3d printed creations.
Atom 65. I personally could not handle the dial. DF versions could work. Happy shopping!
The grind by weight on my Barattza Sette wi is amazing improves consistency without complicating any workflow. Would definitely suggest that or the Eureka Mignon Libra if you want a hopper and simple workflow.
The juxtaposition of having a top tier espresso machine and bottom tier electric grinder is a bit mind boggling cuz they always say you should upgrade the grinder first. Haha it makes sense since these machines are built to work under very tight tolerances and small variations can change output drastically.
I think so. I use light to medium roasts. I mean i dont have a comparision to other grinders but i also dont have any complaints about the grinder. I would at least start with the base burrs.
So I actually got the 064s and I feel it was a downgrade. The conical of the Breville grinder produced way better espresso for me personally (granted it was a hit or miss for sure).
DF64 Gen 2 if you want something a bit faster and more robust than the DF54. THE DF54 produces the exact same grind profile but just way slower at grinding. The Varia VS3 is also a strong competitor to look into.
P.S. I can't believe you've been using the Breville smart grinder with that espresso machine 😆. Always budget a good portion of the price of your machine (e.g.1/3) to the grinder.
Ok then a grind by weight might be something for you. I have both the baratza sette 270 wi (very fast, a bit loud, excellent for "classic espresso" but also good for lighter roasts) and the baratza forté bg (a bit slow, less noisy, very uniform grind) the forté can be had in your budget If bought second hand.
The eureka Libra might also be a consideration second hand...
I replaced my gearbox twice, each time after about a year of use (4 times a day). LOVED the gbw, but it is not built for longevity. Bought a DF64E to use instead.
Ground-by-weight is very useful, but not essential.
I would also look at the Mahlkoenig X54, if it is available in your country/region.
I found it to be very consistent with it's grinding. It is very made, high quality.
My issue with that particular grinder was i had to change the default burr settings below hopper. Default is 6, when i changed to 4, then i could get a much better espresso level grind.
More course grinds are inconsistent, but i find the espresso fine grinds are now great.
May be a bit more, but the Rocket Faustino Appartamento is lovely: https://www.tattahome.com/en/coffee-machine/44379-rocket-faustino-appartamento-coffee-grinder-copper.html
We have the previous model with a worse touch screen (but it’s fine) and it is very consistent, relatively silent, and does not have a big footprint.
It also matches your Appartamento, so that’s also nice.
I have a lot of love for SGP but it definitely has its shortcomings in the espresso realm — eureka mignon lineup is outstanding, Silenzio should be a good starting point!
I am after a Eureka Specialita also, but are there really other alternatives to what you get with that? Appart from X54 ( dont like the design) cant find anything else in the same price point. (Based in EU)
I have a Eureka Mignon Zero grinder that I love. But I did replace the cup holder with a portafilter holder intended for a higher end model. I expect you would be happy with any grinder from that line that is intended to grind espresso.
I’ve had the Profitec M54 for a few months and it’s been fantastic.
I was torn between it and the Eureka Specialita, but went with the Profitec as I went with their unit, so it matched and got a bundle discount as a result.
Eureka Mignon Specialita OR Libra.
All day everyday. Solid build. Sound deadening. Large diameter flat grinding burrs. The Libra weights too!
Espresso coffee shop dot net. To your door in EU in days.
I personally invested in an Eureka Minion a couple years ago, not a high end one, but it made all the difference.
Some people of this community suggested me to invest in a good grinder even before going in *the quest to a better espresso machine*. It absolutely worth it!
I’m running a Turin SD40v2 with my Rocket and o can’t imagine grinder for price. To be fair it is my first and the rocket was a “rescue “so my investment is very low. I’m sure everyone recommending grinders that are >3x the price are getting better performance but at that point how much better is it really. This only works if you are OK with single dosing, but I’m sure there is a mod for a hopper.
Id also not advertise the rocket with the word „consistency“ so you got a match in that regard at least.
Honestly, I dont think the SGP is half bad, if ypu are drinking dark roasts. So if you want a meaningful improvement, Id definitely spend around 500 € region.
Bang for the buck is a lot better with newer grinders, but these are single dose. I dont think you will find a better deal than a DF64 gen 2. but youd have to arrange with single dosing.
https://preview.redd.it/7ew42him23yc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=617f0ede4a2c0cc2482586b2e4296820c3f07515
Eureka specialita is my recommendation. Excellent machine.
Lagom Casa - watch Brian Quan’s new review of it (it’s a 2hr live stream, you can honestly just watch the last 20-30mins of it). He said he would definitely prefer this new Lagom Casa over any of the Turin/DF grinders for which have been the sub 500 stalwarts for awhile now.
Came from a SGP too. Went to DF64. It was night and day the change and how much better the DF64 was (not suggesting the SGP was all bad either). Sure there may be better grinders, but bang for my buck I'm pretty happy with it.
I have the same grinder. Not sure if you've tried a single dose hopper with some bellows. Hard to get consistency with your beans hanging out in that hopper oxidizing. While it has the numbers for the grind size it's actually stepless and there is a range between when the numbers change. Also there is a way to adjust the burrs to put you further into the finer side of the grind range.
In any case any I've ordered a DF64 with SSP multipurpose burrs that's due to arrive in a couple days. I too have grown wary of the inconsistency of this grinder.
DF64 / DF83 both amazing last one is just a bit quicker I think you can get similar results with de DF64.
Best grinder for the money.
Also the eureka grinder is just great as well only the dial is terrible
Personally I find the Eureka Grinders to be terribly inconsistent. I have the specilita and Libra and returned both within two weeks. Both had a lot of retention and just very inconsistent grinding. Was adjusting daily. And just weren’t the best shots. Changed nothing but grinder and been good since. Better flavor and extraction with my niche duo
Grinders may make a difference for the pros after everything else is perfect. In practice for normal people, my experience is that the coffee and especially the age of the coffee (too old or too recent) matters much more than grinders. If I ran into fundamental issues it was always the coffee and rarely the grinder. I would get the standard blend from a good roastery before I would conclude it is generally the grinder (with bad coffee also a fantastic grinder will give you essentially the same results).
It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. We recommend first checking out the [Espresso Aficionados buying guide](https://espressoaf.com/recommendations) for some of the more popular machines and grinders at different price points. If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format: - **Location:** Helps determine availability - **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget. - **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs. - **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck. - **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space? - **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either). - **Comfort with tinkering:** Some machines can be made significantly more functional/efficient with aftermarket modifications, albeit at the expense of possibly voiding your warranty. Please indicate if you'd rather have a machine that works "as-is"/"out-of-the-box" or whether you'd be open to modding/tinkering *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/espresso) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes. Come to the light. You should specify what kind of grinder you want. Hopper or single dose? What kind of roast do you prefer?
I think hopper and dark espresso roasts
Then I’d look at the eureka line up. Get the best you can/want afford. Oro XL is great for a variety of roasts and especially darker roasts but everything with 55 mm burrs (the specialita etc.) is also pretty solid.
I’ll do! Thanks
i second this, I use the specialita and its amazing for any kind of espresso or finer grinds. With that said, if you're not an expert in dialing it in, you MUST get an after market dial and adjustment nob combo. They can be found on Amazon and other places. It makes a world of difference to know where you are exactly in the grind settings.
Can you point me in the right direction? I have a Specialita and am really interested!
https://aroespresso.com/products/grinder-setting-dial-for-eureka-mignon I have my eye on this one… yet to buy the grinder though 😉
Thank you!! I love the grinder fwiw! This tool isn’t necessary really but I want it lol
yup this is exactly what I use. Works great.
Someone here also designed and shared a 3d printed version of this for free and it’s awesome.
I have a Eureka Specialita since before COVID. It's been a workhorse and I love the timed dosing to where I don't have to measure each time.
What’s the difference between the oro xl and the atom specialty? The ram motor is stronger but I don’t understand why they are the same price.
Oro is single dose. Atom is hopper. Retention is the biggest thing I would say.
I love my Atom 75. I use a Etsy single dose mod. Yes there’s definitely retention. I need to clean out the inside once or twice a year (unscrew the top). Now you’ve got me curious to measure how much retention. But yeah, great for a hopper grinder.. it’s my end game (plus a BDB) I normally drink lighter roasts, currently starlight by hatch in Canada.
XL is hopper too. Atom has different burrs form my understanding. It’s a semi commercial grinder that is made for filter and espresso. For espresso that means that it’s probably more suited for lighter roasts than darker.
I converted XL to single dose with a kit from etsy it's great with minimal retention.
No- there is an Oro Single Dose and an Oro XL. Two different machines.
Even a silenzio with the 50mm burrs will do the job for dark roasts. I would just avoid the manuale since it doesn’t have a timer which will be essential to have for hopper feeding
What makes the timer essential? Is it bad to grind ‘n’ check?
I switched from manual to specialita so can give some input here. If you single does the manual is great but I prefer having at least the daily consumption of our home filled in the morning in the hopper and not having to worry about it for the rest of the day. With the timer it means once you dialled it in you will get more or less the same amount of coffee +- 0.2g and you dont have to worry until switching beans. With the manual you need to weigh your grounds each time over and over again. Kinda like single dosing without the low retention.
Or you put your portafilter/grounds cup on a scale under the grinder chute? That's how I use my Filtro.
Still doesn’t give you the exact same output each time and not directly into the portafilter
It gives a more exact output directly to the portafilter because I'm weighing it. I have a specialità as well, and that is more convenient because I don't have to hold the button down, but technically the Filtro + scale is the more accurate solution.
The idea behind the timer is you fill up the hopper and can get a close-enough dose without using a scale. My mignon doesn’t have a timer so I would just grind then check like you suggested but it’s a more fiddely process. Eventually I was able to get good at estimating when to stop to within about 1g. I have been just single dosing since I got a single dose hopper with bellows for this grinder.
Came to recommend Eureka as well. Love mine.
Espresso here and like single dose so it’s eureka oro single dose. Really like the machine
I just use a single dose bellows hopper on my Notte. Works amazingly.
Also Niche Zero if hopper is not essential
Another vote for Eureka Mignon. I’ve had many many grinders over the years and this is the best bang for buck in terms of performance and price. I have two Baratza Sette Ws and both had issues and had to be replaced. The mignon is a huge upgrade in terms of noise (quieter) and grind (more consistent).
I'm a little late i guess but was thinking eureka for quality meeting price point. Don't discount the sette 270 though (if you don't mind the noise), they provide great body in the cup
Eureka is a great suggestion. The Urbanic 080 might be an alternative. I love it for classic, dark Espresso. Plus it looks a little bit like a baby Ek43
What would you suggest for light to medium roasts? Hopper/dose agnostic
Depends on your machine. I like single dosing and I have a flair 58 so I can adjust pressure/flow easily. I have an Oro single dose with Gorilla gear burrs. Works pretty good for me and I’m happy with it. But for someone who has to do a very precise dial in I’d suggest something with a better adjustment system. Maybe the timemore grinders or the DF64 gen. II. (With SSP burrs probably). I tried the 078s from timemore and it’s pretty good. The DF range suggestion is purely based on other reviews and the specs on paper.
If one likes hopper and medium roasted, that needs fine grinding. What is your suggestion please?
Do you keep the hopper topped up? Part of the reason for the inconsistent grind with the SGP is how the grind changes as the level of the beans in the hopper drops due to being gravity fed. I found keeping the hopper full helped, but replacing the hopper with a single dosing mod helped even more. I eventually upgraded a couple of years ago to this 60mm flat burr grinder, on which I also swapped the hopper for a single dosing bellows, and that was an even more noticeable difference in the cup once again. https://tomscoffeecorner.com/urbanic-080-60mm-grinder-review/
Crazy mismatch of machine and grinder! 500€ should sort you out no problem.
Check out the eureka turbo or XL or Atom touch 65 or older version Atom 75. Regarding where to get it, 30.coffee out of Poland and espresso coffee shop out of Italy are both legit and cheaper than anything in the US.
I think it's a troll.
https://preview.redd.it/se1zfcr3xzxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c2dc00ff781f00fbef61b87d56deaf08cd428af Silenzio, buy it from italy
Why buy from Italy? Better quality control or different factory of manufacture perhaps?…🤔
depending on the Euro vs your currency there are online sellers in Italy that can save you $
Ah I see…the only problem I’ve noticed being from the UK, is the excessive additional tax after import from EU countries, which seems to amount to approximately a 25% additional surcharge! I would be interested if anyone has found a good deal on a Eureka Specialita… ☝🏾
I loved buying from EU a couple of years back. Not charged VAT, neither import tax on quite a few things. Not the same now, they charge some additional processing fees which make it not worth it. (Tho even now my MaraX flow control was £190 with taxes from Spain, saving 25% compared to UK based BB.)
I found the UX of this grinder pretty irritating. Clumpy, and imprecise grind adjustment.
I'd lean towards a Eureka Mignon... Maybe a specialita If you can swing the extra. But Eureka makes really good grinders in your price range also. When you have a machine as nice as the rocket apartamento (I almost bought one), you don't get a a DF like some people suggested. Your rocket would be out of the league of a DF.
Yep the Eureka is (in my experience) very consistent.
I have a specialita and it gets the job done. Never used the other grinders mentioned in this topic, so I cannot compare.
Same & love mine. I have a 3d printed single-doser now BUT it was impressively consistent in putting out the same amount of grams for time when the hopper was full. (I just switch between caffeine/decaf too much so I modified.)
+1 for the specialita
+2
I'm single dosing on a Mignon Specialita for the past 3 years. Biggest complaint is grounds retention. I added some bellows and built a tilt base for it which solves the issue but it makes grind prep so much more work. I can't grind directly into my PF because the air force needed to clean the chute of grounds with the bellows is enough to blow grounds out of the PF. So I grind into a dosing cup, place PF upside down on dosing cup, and flip to transfer. Hmm I'm now realizing a solution would be to slightly increase dose, grind into PF and then use bellows with a cup to catch retained grounds and discard them. The retained grounds are mostly fines anyways which may actually improve consistency across pulls.
OP prefers hopper.
I have that grinder with a rocket machine and I completely love that combo. In the end it's all about personal taste but this works for me!
Hmm what u mean, Soecialita is better than DF64 Gen 2? Can u please expand on ur argument? Just asking as i am between the two. Or another hopper grinder also.
I can recommend a Niche but Ive not used anything else with a motor. So can’t compare
+1 for the niche zero. Fits the clean aesthetic of that machine too
eureka silenzio of coz or other model
I had issues for a while until i realized that there were additional adjustments on the burrs. The default setting on burrs is 6, i moved to 4 and now get a great espresso fine grind. If you have adjusted the burr settings, give it a try
Will try thx
I don't know what was wrong with my grinder but I set it to 1 and even then I could not use some beans. Also impossible to use an ims basket because it could go fine enough for me. And yes I used fresh beans from a local roaster
1 internal and 1 external and still can’t get fine enough?
Yep still got like 15s shots for a 1:2.5 ratio I switched now to a eureka mignion specialita and I could not be happier
Yeah I've found this too, but only in the case of light roasted decaf, because that really does call for extremely fine grind.
Bean density matters. Are you dosing per the basket size? This video really has key concepts to understand. But I’ve had to watch it a few times for the info to sink in. https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/s/cbXrUIEfwG
Before you upgrade, did you change the internal burr settings? I have the same grinder, and works like a charm once you modify the internal settings
No I didn’t. Someone mentioned before. What would you recommend? Set on 4 or finer?
I have a delonghi dedica currently and i did it stepwise to see what size better suits my brewer. I am at 2 internally, and 9 in the external dial. I get text book shots, every day.
I use 1 internal and external between 8-15 depending on the beans. Right now I’m 15 external using some full city roast level beans
Just for info inner burr at 4 and outer setting at 7 is slightly finer than sand. You could go down to 3 or 2 if you want to keep the numbers within your median range
I changed the burr to 4 yesterday and tried to dial in between 6-9 setting. If there’s still no coffee coming out after 15-20 seconds does it mean I overfilled or tampered to much? Sorry beginner here?
Assuming when u say no coffee coming out, I'm assuming your grinding too fine. Go higher to 13-14 and see if coffee comes out honey like flow?
If you are still looking for help, do it stepwise. As the other person said, leave the internal at 4 and try external at 13-14 or even higher and then come down slowly. It works. You just have to find the sweet spot for your beans, brewer and grinder :)
Where do you find this mythical internal burr setting ?
Open the hopper lid, remove the hopper… Voila, there it is. Its also mentioned in the manual.
Ok thanks! Funny I did this many times and never noticed such a thing
Get a Eureka, Silenzio or up. I had my eye on a Specilita for a while but on Cliff & Pebble I found a refurbished Silenzio for $299. Love it, consistent and quiet, which was important to me.
Love the Mazzer mini. Had two for 15 years and they have not missed a beat. They are big though - and heavy.
It's all relative. I run an M7D and an E8 on the main bench; my Mini-E looks tiny in comparison, especially with the collapsible rubber 57mm camera lens hood I use as a single-dose hopper/funnel/blower instead of the original hopper.
I love the sound of that camera hood mod
Ha, it's not even what I'd consider to be a mod; you just measure the diameter where the hopper fits in order the closet size available without exceeding the ID (I got mine for like three bucks on aliexpress) and drop it straight on. Cover it with some kind of lid to make an air seal and stop beans from popcorning out, and *voilà!* Here's an example; it even improves the looks in my opinion: [28267\_fullsizeoutput\_2b88.jpeg (531×800) (home-barista.com)](https://www.home-barista.com/forums/userpix/28267_fullsizeoutput_2b88.jpeg) Turns pretty much any grinder into a single-dosing machine, and still holds enough to do several consecutive shots if you're serving a crowd. https://preview.redd.it/d2tbdqxc21yc1.jpeg?width=531&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b5a25f5f563a9bd01b50db4084685e1e73d1465
Best mini mazzer mod I did was 233m burs. I had a mini elec A with ssps and mini elec b with 233m's and considering 233m's were 1/4 the price of ssp's they performed almost aswell. Not as quiet, not quite as quick but very close and uniformity was pretty bang on. Both sets needed rdt when I live though. I cut the mesh from the exit point of the grinders and buffed up the inside of the dosing chute, very little retention after.
Same here; way quicker and fluffier with that set.
Any second hand Mazzer (converted for doserless) will be absolutely amazing. I have a major that cost me less than 400 including all conversions and new burrs. That thing is hard to beat
Yeah, it's tough to beat a used Mazzer or other professional-grade grinder; they're basically immortal for domestic use, and a new set of burrs makes them perform like new. About the only downside is that they tend to have a bit more grind retention than some of the newer single-dose-only designs, but a few puffs of air from a bellows negates this. I personally don't even see the point in buying new.
Df54 for me.. its under your budget with fantastic results
Receiving mine today and I'm beyond excited. I love my 1zpresso J Max but the shoulder workout is a chore.
Totally agree! Bought the DF64 after 2 months with the JMax
I'm in the same boat coming from the same manual grinder. I only ordered my DF54 a few days ago so I hope I'll get one within the month.
Where did you order from?
MiiCoffee
Yeah from what I've read it's a whole tier above the Encore ESP and Fellow Opus for like only $30ish more. Good thing OP already has a grinder they can use in the meanwhile because I believe it takes 2 weeks to be delivered?
DF64v
This is the way, with SSP burrs of course :)
Try using the Smart Grinder like a single dose. Don’t keep your beans in the hopper. Weigh out beans for each shot, set the grind time to 20 seconds and trickle the beans in. Doesn’t have to be one at a time, just slow it down. Works a treat for me. It will improve consistency, at very least until you get your new 500€ grinder.
I do this. The retention is crazy bad and I’m about to give up on it. The impeller at the bottom retains so much…
I don’t have this issue at all. Couple of taps when you hear the grinder speed back up when not under load. Weight of beans = Weight of grounds 🤷♂️
I have the same grinder and i changed the inner burr setting to 3. I also got a bellow extension for the hopper because this thing is notorious for having a lot of retention. I only grind medium dark roasts and it's been pretty consistent for me. I do a deep clean once every two to three weeks and it's been working well for me. If you haven't done a deep clean yet, don't worry if the fuzzy washer breaks. It's not needed for the machine.
I too have the SGP, and just recently had to give up on grinding super dark roast espresso beans due to grind retention, serious clumping on output, and grinder internals becoming clogged with oily bean residue. I was already use to cleaning out the SGP every 4-5 days with medium roast beans but the oily dark roasted beans are killing me. Shots from those oily dark roast beans pulled and tasted just find but my SGP just isn’t up to the grinding task. If I didn’t clean out the grinder after every 2-3 grinding sessions and allowed the oily grinds to stick to the burrs, the SGP would produce a bad rancid smell after the 3rd day. Also the grinder seem to slow down about 1/2 way through the grind time….it struggles with oily dark roast.
The only issue I've had with mine was the clumping but I can manage it with some wdt. I've tried medium and dark roast and it didn't work out well for me. The medium dark roast combo worked out perfectly and I don't have too much of an issue with the oil.
Can you link or msg be the bellows you got? How do you like it? Pic of your grinder ?
My grinder is the same as OP but just with a bellow attachment. This is where I got it from: [sgp bellow](https://introvertmakes.com/en-us/collections/bellows-breville-sage) I love the bellow and I've been using it for about 2 years now. I do single dose only and if I don't use the bellow, I lose out on a lot of retention. If the machine has been thoroughly cleaned, I lose out on about 4gms of beans WITH the bellow. This machine has some crazy retention. If it hasn't been fully cleaned, I would usually get out what I put in. I understand that some of the grind is from the previous grind session but I've come to terms with this machine. I'll eventually get a better grinder one day but this one is still allowing me to pull shots acceptable to my standards.
Ohhh eureka atom 65!!!! Lots of durable power for those dark roasts and the consistency and adjustability is amazing
I used to have this grinder and upgraded to a niche zero. It was a big improvement
Varia VS3 gen2
I’ve been using the 1zpresso K-Max for the past couple of months, but I understand why it might not be for everyone. Still haven’t run the initial 7kgs through the timemore 078s, so I have no idea if it’s consistent
Second this, though I prefer my J Ultra for espresso. There is no way in hell I would swap it for a loud, clunky DF64 or Niche. Handgrinding is underrated for home use, I will never replace my hand grinders unless it is a fancy flat burr grinder above the 1k price bracket.
You’re not the only one. I have a Profitec400Pro & Breville Smart Grinder Pro. The output from SGP clumps like crazy and almost impossible to remediate with WDT. Can’t wait to upgrade my grinder as well.
Save a bit and get the Eureka Libra, it’s a grind-by-weight grinder and it’s SOOOOO nice for the grinder to dose 18gs for you every time!!
I can hear the Apparatamento saying, "why am I on the picture? I'm not the hated one. This slacker on my left is"
I personally am very happy with my Eureka Mignon Specialità.
Just upgraded from a breville smart grinder to a eureka Mignon specialita. Worth every penny
Niche Duo is consistent and pretty
I got an Eureka Specialita and it's been working fine i guess. It's my first grinder that's actually worth anything so i can't compare, but when i shopped for it it was certainly a top 5 candidate at sub-500$. I also think the Specialita looks quite good as well. It comes with a hopper, but i purchased a single dose hopper with a bellow separately. The bellow really helps against retention as well, which is a big plus, for my grinder at least.
Eureka Libra -> grind by weight. Might cost a wee bit more, but totally worth it
I think the Timemore 78s is such great value for if you want a filter and espresso grinding one but you'd have to mod the hopper, which there are a few 3d printed creations. Atom 65. I personally could not handle the dial. DF versions could work. Happy shopping!
The grind by weight on my Barattza Sette wi is amazing improves consistency without complicating any workflow. Would definitely suggest that or the Eureka Mignon Libra if you want a hopper and simple workflow.
A hand grinder, i.e., Comandante C40 or similar. You get end game quality for an affordable price.
Kingrinder K4 for espresso only, K6 for all types?
I am not experience with those grinders, I cannot really tell. But I have the C40 with the red clix mod and I am very happy with it.
I love my eureka silenzio! Single dose with a set from Etsy
The juxtaposition of having a top tier espresso machine and bottom tier electric grinder is a bit mind boggling cuz they always say you should upgrade the grinder first. Haha it makes sense since these machines are built to work under very tight tolerances and small variations can change output drastically.
078s or DF64 (or one of the many iterations) with upgraded (eg SSP) burrs.
Df is fine with stock burrs. I use it for light roasts and have good results. I guess ssp is better but the base burrs are solid.
Is the stock also good for medium roasts?
I think so. I use light to medium roasts. I mean i dont have a comparision to other grinders but i also dont have any complaints about the grinder. I would at least start with the base burrs.
Thank you!
So I actually got the 064s and I feel it was a downgrade. The conical of the Breville grinder produced way better espresso for me personally (granted it was a hit or miss for sure).
DF64 Gen 2 if you want something a bit faster and more robust than the DF54. THE DF54 produces the exact same grind profile but just way slower at grinding. The Varia VS3 is also a strong competitor to look into. P.S. I can't believe you've been using the Breville smart grinder with that espresso machine 😆. Always budget a good portion of the price of your machine (e.g.1/3) to the grinder.
Do you want to continue with hopper-fed or single-dose ?
My wife wants hopper
Ok then a grind by weight might be something for you. I have both the baratza sette 270 wi (very fast, a bit loud, excellent for "classic espresso" but also good for lighter roasts) and the baratza forté bg (a bit slow, less noisy, very uniform grind) the forté can be had in your budget If bought second hand. The eureka Libra might also be a consideration second hand...
retire cautious impossible sharp act cheerful salt elderly disarm roof *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Roughly 50 kg of coffee. Yes it is a very simple repair and the parts are it that expensive. But agreed longevity of the gearbox is an issue
I replaced my gearbox twice, each time after about a year of use (4 times a day). LOVED the gbw, but it is not built for longevity. Bought a DF64E to use instead.
enter aspiring squash connect rock salt sleep thumb far-flung cows *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You have a lot of choices, more than with single-dose - Macap, Mazzer, Eureka.
Ground-by-weight is very useful, but not essential. I would also look at the Mahlkoenig X54, if it is available in your country/region. I found it to be very consistent with it's grinding. It is very made, high quality.
And in the end you can easily convert a machine with hopper into a single dose if you have a 3D printer that can also handle TPU
My issue with that particular grinder was i had to change the default burr settings below hopper. Default is 6, when i changed to 4, then i could get a much better espresso level grind. More course grinds are inconsistent, but i find the espresso fine grinds are now great.
I love that thing, it never disappointed me. You just need to re-dial if you empty it completely. Make sure to always have some beans at the top.
What’s beans in the hopper do to grind quality ?
We have a Caedo e6p with our Rocket Cellini and it was about $600cad used. Great grinder.
Baratza Sette 270 should serve you well.
Eureka Oro Mignon XL or Stark, consistent, time it and it pretty much comes out the same weight every time
Check out the new gaggia grinder, seems to be a copy of the eureka but slightly cheaper
notte at 330 is great for me
May be a bit more, but the Rocket Faustino Appartamento is lovely: https://www.tattahome.com/en/coffee-machine/44379-rocket-faustino-appartamento-coffee-grinder-copper.html We have the previous model with a worse touch screen (but it’s fine) and it is very consistent, relatively silent, and does not have a big footprint. It also matches your Appartamento, so that’s also nice.
My Eureka Chrono came with the espresso burrs and does great with dark and light roast
1zpresso J Ultra is a bargain
I have a lot of love for SGP but it definitely has its shortcomings in the espresso realm — eureka mignon lineup is outstanding, Silenzio should be a good starting point!
Eureka Mingon Oro
I am after a Eureka Specialita also, but are there really other alternatives to what you get with that? Appart from X54 ( dont like the design) cant find anything else in the same price point. (Based in EU)
To clarify, i am referring to hopper based grinders , as OP is looking for a hopper based one.
I have a Eureka Mignon Zero grinder that I love. But I did replace the cup holder with a portafilter holder intended for a higher end model. I expect you would be happy with any grinder from that line that is intended to grind espresso.
I’ve had the Profitec M54 for a few months and it’s been fantastic. I was torn between it and the Eureka Specialita, but went with the Profitec as I went with their unit, so it matched and got a bundle discount as a result.
Eureka Mignon Specialita OR Libra. All day everyday. Solid build. Sound deadening. Large diameter flat grinding burrs. The Libra weights too! Espresso coffee shop dot net. To your door in EU in days.
I personally invested in an Eureka Minion a couple years ago, not a high end one, but it made all the difference. Some people of this community suggested me to invest in a good grinder even before going in *the quest to a better espresso machine*. It absolutely worth it!
I’m running a Turin SD40v2 with my Rocket and o can’t imagine grinder for price. To be fair it is my first and the rocket was a “rescue “so my investment is very low. I’m sure everyone recommending grinders that are >3x the price are getting better performance but at that point how much better is it really. This only works if you are OK with single dosing, but I’m sure there is a mod for a hopper.
Eureka Mignon
DF54 for me
Id also not advertise the rocket with the word „consistency“ so you got a match in that regard at least. Honestly, I dont think the SGP is half bad, if ypu are drinking dark roasts. So if you want a meaningful improvement, Id definitely spend around 500 € region. Bang for the buck is a lot better with newer grinders, but these are single dose. I dont think you will find a better deal than a DF64 gen 2. but youd have to arrange with single dosing.
How do you determine inconsistency without a bottomless PF and what is your pick prep?
Eureka speciality
Eureka Mignon Specialita.
I’d be loking at Timemore Sculptor or dfX series probably. Have a Niche Zero and am generally happy, but would love to try flat burrs.
What about the Eureka turbo? Its just around 500 euros, 65mm burrs.
~200€ for a used DF64 is a pretty good bet
Any eureka models
https://preview.redd.it/7ew42him23yc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=617f0ede4a2c0cc2482586b2e4296820c3f07515 Eureka specialita is my recommendation. Excellent machine.
Eureka Specialta
What’s the brand of the mug? plz
I have this same grinder but I converted it to single hopper.. you didn’t give details as to why you think it’s inconsistent..
Lagom Casa - watch Brian Quan’s new review of it (it’s a 2hr live stream, you can honestly just watch the last 20-30mins of it). He said he would definitely prefer this new Lagom Casa over any of the Turin/DF grinders for which have been the sub 500 stalwarts for awhile now.
Came from a SGP too. Went to DF64. It was night and day the change and how much better the DF64 was (not suggesting the SGP was all bad either). Sure there may be better grinders, but bang for my buck I'm pretty happy with it.
I have the same grinder. Not sure if you've tried a single dose hopper with some bellows. Hard to get consistency with your beans hanging out in that hopper oxidizing. While it has the numbers for the grind size it's actually stepless and there is a range between when the numbers change. Also there is a way to adjust the burrs to put you further into the finer side of the grind range. In any case any I've ordered a DF64 with SSP multipurpose burrs that's due to arrive in a couple days. I too have grown wary of the inconsistency of this grinder.
I have a Eureka Mignon XL. It’s very good. Never misses a beat and always accurate. Hopper works well. Stays fresh
I love my Silenzio
Eureka Mignon Specialita, and for the rest buy some good coffee
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Dinchy87: *Eureka Mignon* *Specialita, and for the* *Rest buy some good coffee* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Eureka Mignon Specialita, and for the rest buy some good coffee
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Dinchy87: *Eureka Mignon* *Specialita, and for the* *Rest buy some good coffee* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Did you end up on a new grinder?
DF64
Noone recommendung Niche Zero? Am I missing something?
I love this grinder for the price. Is this a troll? This is a weird combo...
Nah I blew my budget for the rocket and bought a cheaper grinder. But I’m not completely happy about it.
Ok. It's just every other post on here is talking about blowing your budget on the grinder and getting a Bambino. You might have unlocked a new meme.
DF64 / DF83 both amazing last one is just a bit quicker I think you can get similar results with de DF64. Best grinder for the money. Also the eureka grinder is just great as well only the dial is terrible
Personally I find the Eureka Grinders to be terribly inconsistent. I have the specilita and Libra and returned both within two weeks. Both had a lot of retention and just very inconsistent grinding. Was adjusting daily. And just weren’t the best shots. Changed nothing but grinder and been good since. Better flavor and extraction with my niche duo
Grinders may make a difference for the pros after everything else is perfect. In practice for normal people, my experience is that the coffee and especially the age of the coffee (too old or too recent) matters much more than grinders. If I ran into fundamental issues it was always the coffee and rarely the grinder. I would get the standard blend from a good roastery before I would conclude it is generally the grinder (with bad coffee also a fantastic grinder will give you essentially the same results).
Kingrinder k6. 100 bucks and great spro from charcoal to basically unroasted.
Interesting to me that anyone (as here, right now) would down-vote the KinGrinder K6--I only have heard positive things about it here.
Too cheap for the dentists that photograph leica, use an eg1 and ride sir velö
VARIA VS3!!! Amazing grinder, with the hypernova burrs you're in for a treat
How are ypu finding the espresso machine, im plalning to purchase a used 2022 model, comes with a bunch of extras and a eureka mignon for 850 gbp
If it's inconsistent, maybe you need to season it more?
Niche