If you are an espresso lover, you will know that a reliable espresso grinder is an essential piece of equipment to own. A high quality burr grinder will go a long way in ensuring you pull well-balanced, delicious espresso shots. And that is why we are excited to review the Eureka Mignon Silenzio.
The Eureka Mignon Silenzio is a dedicated home espresso grinder that punches above its weight. Its key feature lies in its name- Silenzio. It has an in-built sound dampening material to make it significantly quieter than its competitors.
Eureka Mignon Silenzio
The Eureka Mignon Silenzio is an excellent home espresso grinder. It is packed with 50mm flat stainless steel burrs and stepless adjustments to give you precise control over the grind. It also has a superb build and integrated noise insulation making it one of the quietest grinders on the market. This is an excellent coffee grinder at this price point.
About Eureka
Eureka is a respected company in the coffee industry. It was established in 1920 and has become known for the high-quality coffee and espresso grinders it produces. All of their coffee grinders are made in Italy and hand-assembled to ensure exceptional craftsmanship. They have a wide range of grinders in their line-up to cater to a variety of budgets. The Eureka Mignon Silenzio espresso grinder is part of the range of Mignon grinders, with its key distinction being its quiet operation.
Eureka Mignon Silenzio Review
Specs:
50mm flat hardened steel burrs | Steel casing | Stepless adjustment | Sound insulation | 1-14 second timer | Doserless | Dimensions (h x w x d): 13.87″ x 4.75″ x 5.5″ | Weight: 12.34 lbs | Burr speed: 1350 RPM | Bean hopper capacity: 300g
Design
The Eureka Mignon Silenzio is a stunning coffee grinder with classic Italian styling. The Silenzio has a unique design, with a square body and hopper. It is available in either a black, white, or chrome finish to pair with your prized espresso machine. The grinder is compact to fit easily on your benchtop. As a reference point, it is a similar size to the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. The bean hopper can hold 300 grams of beans at a time and has a shut-off gate to close the hopper, allowing you to empty the beans quickly.
The Eureka Mignon Silenzio has an exceptional build, weighing a solid 12 lbs. It is loaded with a quality motor and burrs, surrounded by a thick metal case. This is a durable coffee grinder that is known to outlast most espresso machines. As we mentioned above, one of Silenzio’s key features is its superior sound insulation. Eureka has carefully encased the motor in thick sound dampening material and included rubber components to mute any noise and make it extremely quiet when grinding coffee. These all render the Silenzio significantly quieter than its competitors (but not wholly noiseless).
The only complaints some users have had concerning the build are regarding the plastic hopper and portafilter holder, which aren’t as well built as the rest of the grinder. However, we would consider this relatively inconsequential. Eureka has invested money where it counts- on a quality motor and burrs.
Burrs and Grinding Speed
The quality of the burrs is the single most important consideration when it comes to a grinder. The Eureka Mignon Silenzio has 50mm flat hardened steel burrs. 50mm is a moderate size for burrs but is not on a par with many prosumer grinders. The burr spins at a high speed of 1350 rpm. The high RPM is often the case with flat burr grinders, as it means the grinder can grind the beans quickly before allowing heat to transfer. The smaller burrs and motor means that the grinding speed is limited to around 1-1.6 grams per second at a fine (espresso) level and 1.7-2.3 grams per second at a medium (drip) level.
The burrs are made of hardened steel which makes them durable and resistant to chipping. Steel burrs are also razor-sharp, delivering uniform grinds. It pays to note that steel burrs often need to be seasoned or broken in before performing at their best.
Grind Consistency and Adjustment
The Silenzio produces a consistent grind size, particularly at the fine settings. The grind consistency does decline at the medium to coarse settings with more fines (as is often the case with many grinders). The grinds fall out of the chute light and fluffy, with little clumping. This is primarily due to the ACE (anti-clumping and electrostatic) system employed, which splits up any clumps as the coffee moves down the shoot. The coffee grinds fall evenly out of the chute, like a waterfall, directly into a portafilter. Eureka were so sure of their system they didn’t even feel the need to include a grind catcher underneath.
While the Silenzio is technically capable of grinding for drip coffee or french press- we wouldn’t advise it. And the reason for this is because of the grind adjustment system. The grind size is adjusted by turning a small dial on top of the grinder. The dial doesn’t directly move the burrs but instead moves a shaft inside the motor which in turn raises or lowers the burr. This system allows for minute changes to grind size which is ideal for espresso. However it does make it difficult to switch between brewing methods. If you want to switch between espresso and filter settings, you have to rotate the dial several turns, and then it is hard to find your way back to that sweet spot. This is why many owners use the Silenzio exclusively for espresso.
Dosing
The Eureka Mignon Silenzio offers a range of dosing options. The first option is manual dosing, whereby you grind however much you want by pressing the button beneath the grind chute. The Silenzio comes with removable portafilter forks so you can grind directly into a portafilter or a container.
There is also the option of time-based dosing. The Silenzio has a basic analog timer knob on the side that can be set anywhere from 2.5 to 20 seconds. Once you have dialed the grind time in, the timer will achieve a relatively consistent dose, but it is not as accurate as the Specialita. Users have also found the timing knob challenging to set up at first as there are no reference points on it. As a side note, if you are using time-based dosing, you will have to reset the timer if you adjust the grind size to achieve a consistent dose.
Finally, the Silenzio has a reasonably low grind retention, primarily due to the direct grind path down the coffee chute. This means that it can be used as a single-dose grinder. This is where you weigh out your beans and grind the exact amount you need. Some devotees have even created single dosing mods for the Silenzio coffee grinder- see here if you are interested.
Maintenance
With the ACE system, the Silenzio makes very little mess during use. Maintaining the grinder is also straightforward. The Silenzio has a unique system, with a bottom burr adjust (rather than top). This means that you don’t lose your grind setting when you open the burrs up to give them a clean.
When it comes to cleaning the burrs, the hopper has a shut-off gate that allows you to remove the hopper even if it is full of beans. You then use a Phillips head screwdriver to unscrew the screw holding the hopper in place and the screws fixing the upper burr in place. You can then remove the top burr and brush or vacuum out the burrs.
Who is the Eureka Mignon Silenzio For?
The Eureka Mignon Silenzio is a superb home espresso grinder. It is quiet and straightforward to use and offers excellent grind consistency at the fine levels. The Silenzio is a quality coffee grinder that is going to last the distance. If you are looking for an all-purpose grinder, we would suggest that another grinder might be better. While the Silenzio can grind for other brewing methods, the grind adjustment system makes it difficult to switch between different brewing methods. If you are wanting an all-purpose grinder you might want to consider the Baratza Vario.
Alternatives
Baratza Sette 270
The Baratza Sette 270 is another decent option if you are looking for an espresso grinder. It is a bit more affordable than the Silenzio but still has a lot going for it. It offers superb grind consistency at the espresso level, 270+ grind settings, low grind retention, and speedy grind times. All of these make it a great grinder for the espresso enthusiast. The one area it does fall down in is build quality- it just can’t compare to the Silenzio. Also, this is a loud coffee grinder when in use.
Eureka Mignon Specialita
The Eureka Mignon Specialita is the Silenzio’s older brother and shares a similar design with exceptional build quality. The Specialita is packed with larger 55mm flat hardened steel burrs which offer both a slightly better grind consistency and faster grinding times. It also boasts low grind retention so is another candidate for single dosing. The other key feature of the Specialita is the LED screen enabling you to accurately set timed dosing down to 0.1 seconds. This is another excellent espresso grinder but is a step up in price.
The Verdict- Eureka Mignon Silenzio
The Eureka Mignon Silenzio is a simple espresso grinder that functions exceptionally well for its price point. Eureka has prioritized build quality over fancy features- and it pays off. This coffee grinder has quality burrs to produce a consistent grinds, low grind retention, and a stepless grind adjustment. And we would be remiss if we failed to mention the quiet operation. This is what matters the most when it comes to a grinder. The Silenzio is a perfect espresso grinder that will serve you well.
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