The Eureka Mignon XL performed well in our espresso grinder test. A total of 24 espresso grinders in the price range of 100 to 2000 euros were compared. The grinder test was conducted over several months by Swiss master barista Michel Aeschbacher, his barista team, and in collaboration with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Many thanks for the support!
Eureka Mignon XL Oro - Compact Quality
The Eureka Mignon XL is positioned in the upper segment of home espresso grinders. With it, Eureka closes a gap in its own range between the more affordable Mignons and the entry-level professional class. With a price of around 680 € and around 800 Swiss francs, the Mignon XL belongs to the premium category (Oro designation) from Eureka, yet still remains firmly in the segment of espresso grinders for home use.
The Mignon XL weighs 7.2 kg, packed into a footprint 12 cm wide, 18 cm deep, and 38 cm high. Compared to the Mignon Magnifico and Specialita, it does not differ in width and depth, but it is 3 cm taller.
Dimensions and key data of the Eureka Mignon XL
- Flat burr grinder, 65 mm diameter
- Weight: 7.2 kg
- Width: 120 mm
- Height: 380 mm
- Depth: 180 mm
- 300-gram bean hopper
You can find the user manual for the Eureka Mignon XL here.
If you are looking for a quieter espresso grinder, the Eureka Mignon XL is a great choice. With a volume of 77.2 decibels, the grinder demonstrates relatively quiet performance compared to 23 other popular espresso grinders for home use. We considered values below 80 dB to be good.
The Eureka XL is available in chrome, matte black, white, gray, and Ferrari red. In our test, we used the chrome version. This is nice to look at, but very prone to fingerprints. If you choose this version, it's a good idea to keep a polishing cloth nearby just in case.
The stepless flat burr grinder has a diameter of 65mm and is treated with Eureka's patented Diamond Inside technology. Eureka claims the grinding disc has a longer durability of up to 1,500 kg of coffee ground. We did not test this, but based on the particle distribution below, we can provide an assessment of the quality of the grinding discs.
Recommended specialist retailers for the Eureka Mignon: Lücke Technik*
Good espresso is no coincidence!
In both the comparative tasting and the individual tests, we repeatedly enjoyed good espressos brewed with the Eureka Mignon XL. Occasional good and very good espressos can be outliers, but the Mignon XL provides several arguments for good consistency.
With a retention of 3.1 g, the espresso grinder is among the better grinders. We consider retention up to 3.5g to be good. Retention is the ground coffee that remains in and around the grinding chamber, which is not dispensed when grinding stops. During the next grinding session, the coffee in the retention area is dispensed first. Depending on how much time has passed since the last grind, a portion of the ground coffee may therefore not be fresh.
Over ten grind cycles with a set output weight of 18g of coffee, the Eureka Mignon XL showed a standard deviation of 0.27 g. This is also a good value.
| 17.50 | 17.50 |
18.00 |
18.00 |
18.30 |
18.00 |
18.10 |
17.80 |
17.70 |
18.10 |
Especially with cheaper espresso grinders, the grounds often heat up significantly, which can lead to a negative change in taste. With an average temperature of 34.4 degrees and a small increase over 6 grind cycles at 30-second intervals, the Mignon XL also delivered good results here.
The XL only places in the midfield regarding speed. The Mignon XL grinds 28.7 grams of coffee in ten seconds. That is quite a bit; it could be worse, but also better.
The espresso tasted velvety, strong, and complex - it was reminiscent of marzipan and brought out the best in our Apas Espresso. If you want to try the Apas, you can order it here in Germany/EU and here in Switzerland.
Particle distribution of the Eureka Mignon XL
Let's take a look at the particle distribution of the Mignon XL. We measured a total of seven different curves. For this purpose, we drew a sample of ground coffee each time and examined it in the laboratory of the ZHAW Wädenswil.
The Eureka Mignon XL was coded as Grinder 15 (M15). The tests were numbered; see the legend as well. T1 in red (see above) represents a check of the ground coffee upon delivery. The grinder was set very finely and shows a correspondingly high fine-particle content and a correspondingly low main peak.
Tests 2, 3, 4, and 7 overlap desirably well here. For these grinds, the same recipe was used each time. For this purpose, we weighed 18g of coffee and calibrated the grinder so that the grind size was set for an extraction of 45g of coffee in 25 seconds.
During T2 and T3, 6 espressos were drawn every 30 seconds in the meantime. We examined whether the temperature of the grounds increases and whether this has a significant effect on the particle distribution. We were unable to determine any such deviation. In fact, the average temperature of 34.4 degrees Celsius was not high.
Next, we adjusted the espresso back to the original brewing recipe (T4) and drew a corresponding sample. This was the baseline sample for determining the fine-particle content and the main peak. The Eureka Mignon XL has a fine-particle content of 21.63 percent. It therefore performs at the average (21.96%) of the grinder field here. In some cases, we detected a slight dryness in the aftertaste of the espresso, which could be attributed to the fine-particle content. However, this did not predominate.
The coarse peak had a width of 238. The average coarse peak was 249.6. It can be concluded from this that the Eureka Mignon XL has a slightly higher proportion of particles in the desired grind size range and thus performs slightly better than average.
Subsequently, we first set a Ristretto (T5) and then a Café crème (T6). Curve 7 shows the particle distribution when attempting to set "back" to exactly the same grind size, based solely on the markings on the grind adjustment dial. Unfortunately, this was not as precise as desired. The coarse peak was at 249 width after resetting and the fine-particle content at 21.4. The espresso ran slightly faster accordingly and had to be readjusted.
The grind adjustment of the Mignon XL Oro is not precise enough to switch flexibly between different drinks and beans.
Suitability for single dosing
More and more home baristas prefer individual portions when grinding coffee. The desired amount of coffee is weighed out, put into the grinder, and ground completely. This prevents coffee beans from aging in the hopper and allows for quick switching between different coffee beans. This also makes it possible to change the brewing recipe, from espresso to café crème and back.
For a grinder to be suitable for use as a single-dosing espresso grinder, it should have little retention, grind the grinding chamber as completely as possible during a long grind, and be precisely adjustable.
The retention of the Eureka Mignon XL is relatively small at 3.1 grams. However, even with long grinding times, at least 0.3 grams of coffee always remained in the grinder. That can definitely be improved!
Also, the precision of the grind adjustment will not always be sufficient to be spot-on when jumping from recipe to recipe and from bean to bean. Therefore: the Eureka Mignon XL can certainly be used as a grinder for individual portions, but will not be able to keep up with grinders specifically developed for this purpose. With an update like a bellows hopper, at least the performance regarding leftover coffee powder can be improved.
A powerful combination is the grinder with a knock box or grounds drawer.
And how easy is it to change coffee beans when the bean hopper was full?
When the Mignon XL's slider is closed, the bean hopper can be removed. The bean hopper itself holds up to 300g of coffee. However, we recommend not filling it up completely and instead adding coffee to the hopper more often. The bean hopper is transparent and not airtight. As a result, the coffee reacts with light and oxygen and ages more quickly. Rancid, off-flavors develop surprisingly quickly.
Under the bean hopper, below the closing slider, there are 15.2 grams of coffee. These must be removed before, for example, a different coffee can be used. In relation to many other grinders, this is relatively little.
Conclusion: Good espresso grinder for home
The Eureka Mignon XL convinced us as an espresso grinder for home use. It delivers at least good, and in some cases even very good, results in all areas.
Operating the grinder's display is intuitive and practically simple. The grind adjustment could be more precise, but it is, for example, more accurate and easier to set than the smaller grind adjustment of the Eureka Mignon Specialita or Magnifico.
The most important thing is that the espresso also tasted good across the various extractions. With the Eureka Mignon XL Oro, you are certainly choosing a good grinder.
If the espresso doesn't taste good with the Eureka Mignon XL, perhaps our article on espresso preparation or one of our coffee courses will help.
Additional tuning tip: our real wood lid for the Eureka Mignon series.
