The Tchibo electric coffee grinder with an integrated scale makes it into the comparison field of espresso grinders with a price of under 100 Euros. We tested the small grinder from Tchibo and report our impressions and findings in this review and video.
A coffee grinder with a scale makes sense!
Tchibo has created something unique on the market with its electric coffee grinder. For under 100 Euros, this grinder comes with a scale. That's quite something, and even with much more expensive grinders, it's the exception. Of course, the question arises as to how well the scale cooperates with the grinder. But before we answer that, a brief look at the operating principle and why it's actually ingenious.
Good coffee is very often a matter of proportionality. Too much coffee powder leads to the water not being able to extract enough from the brew. This manifests itself as a biting acidity in terms of taste. Too little coffee powder in relation to water causes the coffee powder to be over-extracted. This often results in unpleasantly bitter notes in terms of taste - which is also not delicious.
That's why proportionality is so important. While we usually work with a ratio of 1:2 or 1:2.5 for espresso, i.e., for example, 18 grams of coffee dosed into the portafilter and 36 grams of coffee as espresso in the cup, we brew filter coffee with a different ratio. A ratio of 60 grams of coffee per liter is recommended for preparing good filter coffee.
A scale is therefore one of the most important tools in coffee preparation, first to choose the correct brewing ratio. Only secondly are grind size, temperature, and pressure other important parameters.
It is absolutely sensible that Tchibo now equips a grinder in the entry-level price range with a scale. The importance of the scale is demonstrated and supplied directly. The crucial factor, of course, is whether the scale actually works.
How the scale works
On the grinder, the desired amount of coffee in grams or the desired number of cups can be programmed. Per cup, the Tchibo grinder calculates 7 grams of coffee. We place the ground coffee container on the scale, which is integrated into the base plate of the grinder. The grinder tares the ground coffee container and begins grinding. It's nice that the ground coffee container can also be replaced with a smaller cup, e.g. with our Kaffeemacher measuring cup (in the CH shop, in the DE/EU shop).
Let's talk about accuracy, and unfortunately, this is where the good idea evaporates. Tchibo itself states the accuracy as +/- 3 grams. In our measurement, we found a deviation of "only" 1.1 grams over ten extractions. So that's better than Tchibo's self-assessment. In relation to other grinders and in the assessment in our comparison test, we rated values above one gram as "poor."
Especially in the area of espresso brewing, fluctuations of 1 gram of coffee or more do not provide the reliability required for preparing good espresso.
Size and exterior of the Tchibo coffee grinder
The Tchibo electric coffee grinder is small and compact. With a width of 14 cm, a height of 35 cm including the bean hopper, and a depth of 23 cm, the grinder weighs around 2.1 kg. The bean hopper holds up to 450 grams of coffee and is removable.
The exterior of the grinder is made of plastic and polished aluminum. The conical burr grinder installed strongly resembles other conical grinders in the inexpensive price range. 26 different grind settings can be adjusted.
In addition to dosing by cup quantity and coffee weight, a time control is also provided. In this mode, the grinder grinds for as long as desired.
The removable bean hopper is a really clever solution. Professional barista Michel Aeschbacher expresses his delight in the test video that the hopper can be released at the touch of a button. With one handle, the upper part can then be removed, and only 9.4 grams of unground coffee remain. This is an absolute best value in our comparison.
Another positive aspect is that the bean hopper can then be reattached without encountering interfering beans. With many coffee and espresso grinders, the remaining beans must first be removed before the bean hopper can be replaced. This is not the case with the Tchibo electric coffee grinder. We really liked that.
How does the espresso taste?
An espresso can only be good if it exists. Sounds logical, but unfortunately this is not always the case with inexpensive and so-called espresso grinders. Many coffee grinders simply do not grind finely enough.
With the Tchibo grinder, too, we set the finest grind in our experiment to obtain a grind distribution that is fine enough. The grind is fine enough if it creates enough resistance to slow down the brewing water in the espresso extraction to approximately 25 seconds. In other words: the espresso should run through in the desired amount in approx. 25 seconds. This is a basic setting, which is then adjusted by +/- 5 seconds depending on the coffee.
With the Tchibo coffee grinder, we achieved brewing times of 22+ seconds. Depending on the coffee and espresso machine, extraction times of 25 seconds were also possible. So, in principle, a suitable grind fineness is achievable.
The scale of the electric Tchibo grinder is located in the platform for the ground coffee.
However, we are then already in the finest range, and there is no more room for adjustment downwards. Especially with coffees that might be a bit older, the grind setting cannot then be set fine enough.
The espressos we tasted were sensorily clearly characterized as espresso beverages. They had the typical viscous texture and a certain heaviness on the tongue.
However, with the second and third sips, a distinctly bitter note emerged, leading to a dry, astringent aftertaste. Such a flavor profile can also be well explained by the measured particle distribution of the grinder.
Particle distribution of the Tchibo coffee grinder
The particle distribution shows a relatively narrow main peak compared to espresso grinders in the same price range. However, the proportion of fine particles is relatively high. This can explain why an espresso setting was possible, but the dryness of the espresso predominated, especially in the aftertaste.
The best and highest quality espresso grinders primarily have a very high and sharp main peak. However, the Tchibo coffee grinder neither stands out positively nor negatively from its price-wise competitors.
In terms of speed, the Tchibo grinder was among the slowest grinders in the field. In 10 seconds, the grinder could grind 19.2 grams of coffee to espresso fineness.
The temperature increase of the ground coffee over 6 extractions was also tested. The Tchibo grinder reached an average temperature of 35.7 degrees Celsius and increased by 1.8°C from the first to the sixth grind. This was among the higher values, but should not yet lead to a taste change of the coffee due to grinding temperature.
As can be seen from the grind curves of tests 2, 4, 5, and 7, the particle distribution sometimes changes relatively strongly. The graph shown above essentially depicts the same recipe 4 times. In particular, the proportion of fines sometimes jumped from, for example, 21 to 23%. These fluctuations provide an explanation for why the results also varied in taste again and again.
Conclusion on the Tchibo coffee grinder
In comparison with other espresso grinders in price group 6 (up to 150 Euros), the electric coffee grinder from Tchibo scores in several aspects. We award the grinder a star for the idea of the scale. However, we deduct it again for the implementation of the scale. Overall, the usability is still better than that of its competitors. The controls are intuitive, and the solution for removing the bean hopper is unparalleled even in more expensive grinders.
At 81 decibels, the grinder is averagely loud, but it takes a very long time to grind the desired amount of coffee. The dead space, at 3.2 grams of coffee, is less than that of the Graef CM800 but greater than that of the Delonghi KG21 and the Rommelsbacher EKM300.
The grinder grinds fine enough for espresso for some coffees, but is then already at its finest grind setting. For many coffees, especially older ones, the grinder does not grind fine enough for espresso.
We cannot recommend the Tchibo coffee grinder for espresso with a clear conscience. Especially if the grinder is supposed to pave the way into the fascination of espresso preparation, we find too many counterarguments here. Above all, we fear that the grinder will confuse beginners when trying to find the right grind setting. Therefore, we recommend that you rather spend a little more money if possible, or look at the hand grinders under 100 Euros that we have tested.
Tip: Our esteemed colleague Arne from Coffeeness also took a look at the Tchibo coffee grinder.
