Eureka Mignon Specialita: Setup Guide Video

Congratulations on your new Eureka Mignon Specialita Espresso Grinder. Dialing in your coffee grinder isn't always easy. We discuss the steps to fine-tune your burr grinder for the best possible extraction.

Join Victoria as she demonstrates how to set up and dial in the Eureka Mignon Specialita Espresso Grinder.

Step one: Out of the box and onto the counter

Remove the grinder from its box and place it on a solid level surface.
Inspect the grinder for any damage. If you notice any, contact us immediately.
Insert the hopper and ensure the door at the bottom is pulled open. If you plan to leave the hopper inserted, feel free to lightly tighten the hopper screw at the back to hold it in place.
Plug the grinder in and turn it on.

Step two: Feeling the coffee

Put some beans in the hopper and grind them into your hand.
Feel the grounds. For espresso, they should feel similar to table salt. Not as fine as powdered sugar, and not as coarse as sand.
If too fine, adjust coarser. Too coarse, adjust finer.

Step three: Dialing the dose

Once the grind is in the ballpark, it’s time to start pulling shots.
First, grab a scale and tare the weight of the portafilter.
It’s worth noting that the Specialita is fantastic at single dosing, and for a flat burr grinder, we’ve found it has incredibly low retention.
If you’re only making a couple of cups a day, single dosing is ideal for keeping your coffee fresh.
If you plan to single dose, simply weigh out your beans ahead of time and grind them through.
If you plan to use timed dosing, now would be the time to fill your hopper. Use the portafilter to push the grind button on the face of the grinder. We find that when dialed in, the Mignon should dose 20g in around 10 seconds.
Now weigh the portafilter. Add or remove grounds as necessary to get to 20g if you’re using a triple basket, or 18g if you’re using a double basket.

Step four: Adjustments - shot time

Grip the tamper handle as though you were grasping a doorknob. Tamp straight down and simply lean your weight into it comfortably. The amount of pressure is not nearly as important as your consistency and ability to keep the tamp perfectly level so water doesn’t find weak spots.
Insert your portafilter and start the shot.
We’re going to be watching for the time of the first drops of espresso to fall between 6 and 10 seconds.
If they fall outside the window, you’ll have to adjust the grind setting: under six seconds will be thin and sour, so you will need to adjust finer; over 10 seconds will be bitter, so you will need to adjust coarser.
As the shot progresses, we’ll observe the total shot time: Our target output is 1.5oz (or 30g) liquid espresso in 25 - 30 seconds.
If it falls under 25 seconds, adjust your grind finer. If it falls over 30 seconds, adjust coarser.
Make small adjustments. This will be easier than making big changes and overcorrecting.
If you find that your ideal setting would be between two numbered settings, we suggest adjusting your dose. If your shot is pulling too fast, add a gram or so to slow it down. If it’s pulling too slow, try removing a gram to speed things up.

Step five: Time Dosing

Now that we have our grind dialed, we can set up the grind timer for consistent and repeatable dosing.
With the hopper filled try a timed setting of around 10 seconds.
Once the grinder stops, weigh the portafilter again. If the dose is too small, increase timed setting. If it is too much, decrease it.

Once you've dialed in your grind, it's time to start pulling shots! Check out our Espresso 101 section to learn about steaming milk, latte art, our suggested starter espresso recipe and much more!