The Eureka Mignon Magnifico is similar in almost every aspect to the Eureka Mignon Specialità. The only major difference lies in the burrs. The 55 mm burrs are treated with Eureka's patented Diamond Inside cryogenic treatment. However, compared to the Specialità we previously tested, this process had no impact on particle distribution, retention, or grinding speed.
For this reason, we refer you to the review of the Eureka Mignon Specialità on our blog, and in this video and article, we have focused only on the clear differences. The video also includes a taste comparison of several espressos from both grinders.
Differences between the Eureka Specialità and Eureka Magnifico
It is quite peculiar how frequently Eureka releases new grinders onto the market. During a recent count, I identified over 30 espresso grinders. However, a closer look behind the scenes quickly clarifies things. In some cases, the grinders only differ by details such as design or burrs. Many grinders belong to grinder families, such as the Eureka Mignon family. In addition to the Specialità and Magnifico, this includes the Perfetto, Manuale, Zero, or Turbo.
The Specialità and the Eureka Mignon Magnifico differ in the manufacturing and hardening of the burrs. Both grinders use 55 mm burr sets. However, the Magnifico's burrs have been treated with Eureka's patented -193°C cryogenic process. According to the manufacturer, this leads to an increased crystal structure, which reduces the wear of the grinder.
For 65 mm burrs, Eureka states that up to 1300 kg can be ground with them. We did not grind this amount of coffee! However, we can assume that at least 500 kg of espresso can certainly be ground with conventional Eureka Mignon Specialità grinders.
With a weekly consumption of 1kg of coffee, which hardly any normal household would ever go through, this would mean a lifespan of a good 10 years. With the Diamond technology, the lifespan is extended even further.
We saw the Eureka Mignon Magnifico for around 490 euros, while the Eureka Mignon Specialità costs around 440 euros. These additional costs will certainly pay for themselves over the duration of use.
Effects of the burrs
In any case, the burrs have no effect on the use of the grinder during normal operation. In terms of taste, we had individual espresso shots where the Specialità tasted slightly better, and in other shots, the Magnifico was marginally ahead in comparison.
The noise level and retention differ only insignificantly. The speed of the two grinders was also comparable in our test.
Only when measuring the temperature of 6 shots at 30-second intervals did the Specialità heat up to an average of 37.2°C, while the Magnifico remained at only 34.4°C. For some situations under higher load, this may be an argument in favor of the Magnifico.
Both grinders are consistent and, in principle, easy to use in terms of operability. The particle distribution of the Magnifico has a slightly higher proportion of fines, but a narrower main peak - both values are, however, close to the micron values of the Specialità.
A shared weakness of both grinders is the adjustability of the grind size. The grind adjustment dial is small in diameter and has few markings, making it difficult to adjust back and forth to the exact same spot.
Grind adjustment dial on the Eureka Mignon Specialità.
Conclusion on the Eureka Mignon Magnifica
Anyone who chooses a Eureka Mignon Magnifica is certainly making a good choice. The extra cost will pay off in the long run, although the durability of the Specialità is already very good.
Another positive aspect is that the ground coffee heats up less when using the Magnifica. This has an influence primarily when the grinder is to be used at a higher frequency in shared apartments or, for example, at a party.
Upgrade for the Eureka Mignon series
We have now produced our own wooden lids that fit espresso grinders from the Eureka Mignon series. The Eureka lids are produced by Moritz in Dinslaken. They are newly available in both our Swiss and our German shop.
