The Eureka Mignon Libra 65 All Purpose is the first Eureka grinder to combine an integrated scale ("Grind-by-Weight") with 65mm burrs – an exciting concept for home baristas. It promises consistently accurate dosing at the touch of a button and is designed to master both espresso and filter coffee. We extensively tested the grinder for several weeks in everyday use – in our home kitchen, in our coffee school, and in the lab. The focus was on build quality and design, retention, grind quality in the cup, as well as operation and special features. By the end, you'll know if the Libra 65 All Purpose is the right grinder for your home.
Design
The Eureka Mignon Libra 65 All Purpose features the familiar compact Mignon design – an angular cube approximately 39 cm high, 12.4 cm wide, and 19.2 cm deep. The integrated scale on the front distinguishes it from the many other Eureka Mignon grinders.
Below the spout is a sturdy platform or fork, which can hold a portafilter or an included metal dosing cup. Our test unit in Ferrarot looked sleek and elegant; alternatively, Eureka also offers white, gray, black, and special colors (chrome, dark blue). The clear touch display on the front shows the target weight in grams and subtly blends into the design. Overall, the Libra is a Mignon, or rather a Eureka, like the manufacturer's numerous other models. Unmistakable, a little boring, but always recognizable as a Eureka. If you don't know it, the weighing device is not noticeable.
Workmanship
The build quality of the Libra 65 All Purpose is impressive in our test. The housing is largely made of metal (die-cast aluminum) and feels robust and high-quality. All parts fit precisely; nothing wobbles or rattles. Weighing 6.5 kg, the grinder has a solid stand – important so it doesn't slip during grinding.
The bean hopper holds approximately 350g and sits firmly in its receptacle. The new large grind adjustment dial on the top is striking: it's made of aluminum, offers good grip, and turns smoothly. Eureka has made a significant leap here – earlier Mignon models had a tiny, fiddly dial that annoyed many users. Now we have a "King-Size" dial with a scale that even counts rotations. This patented solution allows for very precise adjustments and makes it possible to return exactly to the starting point later – ideal for switching between preparation methods without losing track. Overall, the workmanship of the Libra 65 leaves a high-quality impression, as one would expect in this price range (~€700–800 depending on the variant).
Recommended specialist dealers
We look for specialist partners for you that we know provide good work and good service. We are in close contact with these dealers. These are affiliate links. If you order via this link, it won't cost you more, but we'll receive a small commission, which we'll invest in new test equipment. We are still working on it and are looking for competent partners for you in the DACH region.
- Germany [Partner Link]: Stoll Espresso
- Austria [Partner Link]: Die Röster
- Switzerland [Partner Link]: deon
Retention
Regarding retention, the Libra 65 All Purpose scores with improvements over its predecessor. Eureka has reduced the grinding chamber and now "blindly" screws the upper burr from behind – meaning there are no visible screws in the grinding area where coffee grounds could accumulate. In our test, we measured a total retention of approximately 2.1g, of which around 1.5g is temporary. Temporary means: with each grinding process, about 1.5g of old coffee is replaced by fresh coffee, the rest (approx. 0.5–0.6g) remains as permanent retention in corners. This value is very good for a hopper grinder with a bean hopper. For comparison: many classic espresso grinders have 3g or more retention. Thanks to the clever design, Eureka has even pushed the retention value below that of its predecessor despite larger burrs – a welcome development.
However, one must not forget that a scale grinder always works with a full grinding mechanism. So, if you brew an espresso once a day, the first shot the next day will inevitably contain a small amount of old coffee in the puck (the ~0.6g mentioned). In practice, this is hardly noticeable, but for very sensitive palates, it can cost a touch of freshness. Those who absolutely want every gram fresh would rather opt for a single-dosing grinder. For typical home use, however, the Libra's retention is not a problem – on the contrary, in everyday life, one positively notices that Eureka has worked on this.
Grind Quality
What ultimately matters is what ends up in the cup – and here, the Libra 65 positively surprised us. The new 65mm flat burrs are designed as "All Purpose." A narrow main peak (142 µm!) is contrasted with a relatively low fine particle content of 27–28%. The narrow main peak contributes to clear and complex cups, while the fine particle content is particularly important for espresso preparation to build up sufficient resistance in the portafilter.
Our goal: espresso with sufficient body and clearly defined filter coffees – without over-extraction due to fine particles. In practice, this balancing act works well. The challenges, as always, lie in the details – and are also determined by the coffee selection.
Do you want to learn more about what particle distribution means and the two curves shown above? Then the article about particle distributions provides the explanation.
Espresso
In our blind tastings, we brewed excellent espressos. However, the brewing behavior differs significantly from more classic espresso burrs with a higher fines content and a slightly broader main peak. Due to the lower fines content, the grind size for espresso preparation must be chosen finely. Although the x50 is not conspicuously low, the extraction behaves as one would expect from burrs with a very low x50.
Thus, it initially takes 10 to 12 seconds for the first drops to emerge from the portafilter. Afterwards, the flow quickly increases, but the total flow time remains short. Sometimes the espresso flowed for only 12 to 16 seconds – with very good results.
This brewing behavior makes even and very clean puck preparation absolutely necessary. This is easier with darker roasts. We drank strong, sweet shots with a full body and yet clear aromatics. Light roasts showed astonishing complexity – with a slight loss of creaminess and body.
A sign of consistency: After dialling in, we were able to return to the exact same grind setting multiple times – and achieved very reproducible results. The particle size distribution showed only minimal deviations in the main peak when switching between settings – a difference of only ~6 µm! This speaks for the precision of the grind adjustment and the stability of the grinding mechanism.
Filter Coffee
The Libra 65 also masters coarse grinds better than many classic espresso grinders. For our test, we brewed various filter coffees. In addition to our classic Amigo, for me, the quality of a grinder is best shown when I prepare Ichamama – the coffee with which I became Swiss filter coffee champion in 2014 and which we have had in our assortment every year since then.
Grinding to filter size required a significant adjustment – almost two full turns of the dial – but worked without problems. After each grind adjustment, we recommend grinding a few grams to empty the dead space and fully adjust the grinder to the new grind size.
The brewed filter coffee surprised us with a very clear cup and pleasant sweetness. The All Purpose burrs delivered one of the best filter coffees we have ever prepared with an "espresso grinder." We would gladly drink such filter coffees anytime.
All Purpose or all-rounder?
However, our test also showed the limits of the all-round concept: the Libra 65 can handle both espresso and filter – but not alternately minute by minute. If you have set it for espresso and spontaneously want to brew a cup of filter coffee, you have to adjust the grind significantly, sacrifice a few grams, and re-tare the scale. Switching "on the fly" is impractical in practice.
In this respect, the All Purpose capability is not designed for spontaneous flexibility. While the grinder can do espresso and filter coffee, it probably makes sense to commit to one primary use. Only occasionally will you deviate to the other style in everyday life. For frequent changes, a single-dosing grinder – perhaps also with All Purpose burrs – would be the better choice.
Operation
In terms of operation, the Libra 65 proves to be largely uncomplicated, but it also has a few peculiarities and problems. First, the positive: The touch display reacts quickly and intuitively. You can easily switch between two storable quantities (e.g., single and double) or grind manually. The display of the target quantity in 0.1g increments is clearly legible. A particularly big plus is that changes in grind size do not affect the dispensed quantity – the scale dynamically compensates for this and repeats the quantity output. For anyone new to the espresso hobby, this is a blessing: You can adjust the grind size freely, and still, for example, 18.0g end up in the portafilter. With time-based grinders, you have to readjust the time or manually reweigh after each grind size change, which complicates the adjustment process. A coarser grind leads to more coffee, a finer grind to less. The Libra takes this worry away – which is really fun and makes experimenting easier.
The new grind adjustment dial also contributes to good usability. Its size and integrated rotation indicator allow for very fine adjustments. In our test, for example, after brewing espresso, we adjusted the grind size to coarse for filter and later precisely turned it back to the espresso mark – the next shots were indeed almost identical to the original extraction. This reproducibility impressed us. With some grinders, it takes courage and confidence to leave a once-found "sweet spot" for fear of never finding it again – with the Libra 65, this problem is practically solved.
Quantity accuracy
Of course, we also checked how precisely the integrated scale actually doses. Our experience: After correct calibration, the scale is very reliable. Over many brews, the dispensed quantities hovered around ±0.1g of the target value, sometimes hitting it to the tenth of a gram exactly. However, the grinder does not achieve this accuracy immediately in every situation. We observed that it "learns" for 2–3 brews with a new coffee: The first shots with freshly added beans were about 0.5g off the target (e.g., 17.5g instead of 18g). After a few runs, the system settled in and then consistently hit the target. Eureka seems to use some kind of adaptive algorithm here that corrects the output – which takes a moment. Important: If you start each day with an empty hopper and weighed beans (as in single dosing), the scale does not work optimally. The Libra is designed to operate with a constantly filled bean hopper – only then can it "learn" and stop precisely. In normal use (one type of bean in the hopper for a longer period), however, we had no problems and could fully rely on the set grammage.
Unfortunately, there was also a small but regarding operation: In the test, it occasionally happened that the scale showed an error message. The display flashed "FH," and the grinder refused to start. This behavior occurred especially when the portafilter remained on the holder for too long before we started the grinding process – presumably a taring problem. The solution was simple but annoying: Briefly remove the portafilter, wait a few seconds, and re-insert it, then everything worked again. This phenomenon occurred rarely, but often enough that it was noticeable and annoying. Here, Eureka needs to improve via firmware, if possible. Due to this behavior, the scale occasionally feels a bit finicky. All in all, we still rate the usability positively – with a little routine (and knowing the pitfalls), you get along well. Most of the time, you enjoy simply hanging the portafilter and pressing "Start" without further thought.
Finally, a word on cleaning: the classic cleaning with cleaning powder works without problems. This is the standard cleaning that we recommend. Depending on the usage, every grinder should also be opened regularly down to the burrs. This is also possible with the Libra without further ado. However, the grind adjustment wheel must be removed for this. This is possible without losing the grind setting. However, a screw must be screwed into a plastic holder each time. We are not convinced that this benefits durability. We would rather recommend you remove the wheel and spare the plastic holder. Therefore, we only rated the cleanability as "average."
Special Features
The Eureka Libra 65 All Purpose comes with a few special features that set it apart from other home grinders. The central feature is, of course, the integrated scale already discussed in detail. Grind-by-Weight is still relatively rare in the home sector – only a few models, such as the Baratza Sette 270Wi, the Zuriga G2 GbW, or the Ligre Siji, work with automatic weight dosing. Eureka's implementation, in our experience, works well and reliably if the mentioned tips (calibration, beans in the hopper) are followed. Beginners especially benefit enormously from this, because you no longer have to worry about the grammage, and mis-shots due to incorrect dosing are practically eliminated. The Libra saves constant reweighing and readjusting, which makes brewing espresso more relaxed. Those who are already experienced will also appreciate the precision and convenience. Compared to pure timer grinders, this is truly a next step towards "achieving the target quantity and that's it" – especially when changing the grind size (e.g., from a light to a darker espresso), the Libra shows its strength by compensating for the changed flow time and still delivering the desired quantity.
Another special feature – and eponymous – are the All-Purpose burrs. Eureka advertises that you can cover all common brewing methods with a single grinder. Our tests confirm: The 65mm flat "High-Uniformity" burrs (as they could be classified) deliver very good grinding results in both the fine espresso range and the coarse filter range. However, as mentioned above, the term All Purpose should not be misunderstood: It is possible to grind espresso and filter, but not without manual adjustments and intermediate grindings. Ultimately, "All Purpose" here should be read more as the all-round suitability of the burrs, rather than an invitation to switch minute by minute between espresso and pour over. The specialty of these burrs is the particle profile with reduced fine content, which leads to sweet, clear coffees – in espresso with a slightly less powerful body than, for example, a Niche Zero (conical burr) would deliver, but with more clarity; in filter with high cleanliness, but minimally less complexity than true filter optimists (e.g., SSP Unimodal Burrs) allow. Overall, we are very impressed with what Eureka gets out of standard steel burrs here. If you like, you can optionally exchange the burrs for the coated "Black Diamond" burrs, which Eureka offers as an accessory. These have identical geometry and are primarily intended to increase durability – in terms of particle distribution or taste, there is no difference in our measurements. An upgrade to Black Diamond is therefore only worthwhile for heavy users who put a lot of strain on the grinder daily. For normal home baristas, the included burrs are perfectly sufficient.
Also noteworthy are the improved details compared to its predecessor Eureka Libra 55: Eureka has obviously listened to feedback. A magnetic dosing ring is now supplied ex-works, which sits neatly on any 58mm portafilter. With the first Libra model, we criticized that without a funnel, the coffee grounds scattered around, and a separate dosing ring was essential. The new Libra 65 grinds much more neatly directly into the portafilter – often practically scatter-free for lighter and medium roasts even without the funnel. The static has been noticeably reduced, the grinds land more centrally in the basket and build up more beautifully. Only with very dark, oily beans (or a high robusta content) is it still worthwhile to use the funnel to catch any electrostatic scattering. Also new is the aforementioned large grind size scale – a blessing for user-friendliness and precision. Overall, the Libra 65 appears more mature and well-thought-out than its predecessor. Many small improvements (larger burrs, less retention, scale firmware, accessories) add up to a significantly better overall package.
Conclusion
The Eureka Mignon Libra 65 All Purpose convinced us in the test with its versatility and reliability. It combines precise weight-based dosing with high grind quality – and all in a compact, living room-friendly form. For home baristas who want a worry-free grinder, it is an extremely exciting option.
Beginners in particular benefit: The scale takes a lot of frustration and potential for error out of the first espresso attempts because the quantities are always right, and you can concentrate fully on the grind size. But advanced users also enjoy the convenience of not having to constantly reach for the scale. In espresso use, the Libra 65 shows no weakness and excels with consistent, delicious shots. In the filter range, it also delivers good results, provided you are willing to manage the change with some "purge" grinding (intermediate grinding to remove coffee in the retention). You actually get two capabilities in one grinder here, but in practice best alternately as needed, not simultaneously. Of course, not everything is perfect. While the dosing accuracy was excellent after calibration, the grinder takes some getting used to when changing beans or recipes – spontaneous changes thanks to all-purpose burrs are therefore only possible with low hit accuracy for the first cup.
In addition, the scale requires a little patience and knowledge: If you stick to the intended workflow (leaving beans in the hopper, not waiting too long when intervening, etc.), everything works smoothly. Otherwise, there might be an error message or a gram deviation. However, these are manageable weaknesses that hardly matter in everyday life once you've gotten to know the Libra. The grinding speed is relatively leisurely at a good 1 gram/second – but completely sufficient for us in a home context. Better to grind a little slower and cooler: Even with several espressos in a row, the grounds remained cool (max. ~28–34 °C after five shots) and aromas were not affected by heat generation.
The noise level is in the upper range; we measured 84.2 decibels. The strengths of the Eureka Libra 65 All Purpose are clearly its weight-dosing system, the high build quality, and the all-round grinder that handles both espresso and filter equally well. Weaknesses are mainly the limitations due to the concept: as a hopper grinder, it is not ideal for frequent bean or profile changes, and the scale system has occasionally shown minor quirks.
In terms of price, the Libra is in the upper mid-range for home grinders at around €750. Given the performance offered – 65mm professional burrs, integrated precision scale, Eureka-typical quality – we consider the price-performance ratio to be good. You get a piece of technology that was hardly available in this form a few years ago, and with it, you can prepare consistently excellent coffee for years.
Who is this grinder suitable for? In our opinion, for ambitious coffee lovers who want to prepare both espresso (main focus) and occasionally filter coffee at home and value comfort and accuracy. However, if you change beans and preparation methods every day, you will be happier with a single-dosing solution or two separate grinders – the Libra does not play to its strengths there. In a normal household scenario with a favorite bean (or at least one bean per week) and the desire for maximum consistency, the Libra 65 is a bullseye.
It combines classic Eureka virtues (compact, high-quality, espresso-focused) with modern technology and true all-round capability. We give it a clear recommendation – the Eureka Mignon Libra 65 All Purpose is a successful upgrade of its predecessor and enriches the home barista market with a well-thought-out "do-it-all" tool. Especially in combination with a good espresso machine, you will have a lot of joy with this grinder – and discover many new taste details in your cup. Cheers to (weight-accurate) coffee!
You can find the comparison with other GbW grinders in the field in our Grind-by-Weight comparison.
