My Eureka Mignon Silenzio has stopped working after 18 months of light use. It's just dead, no power. I have cleaned out the burrs and chute in case it was clogged (it wasn't). I've also removed the base and checked for any loose wires or damaged or burnt-out components (none obvious). It all looks immaculate, it just doesn't work any more. I did buy it from an overseas store (it was way cheaper than buying local) and so took the risk on having no ACL coverage - these grinders have a reputation of being reliable workhorses so having done my research I never thought it would break down so quickly. The warranty is 12 months, and there's no wiggle room on that. Unfortunately I also live in a regional area where there are no appliance repair people readily available, so my $500 grinder has become an expensive doorstop in less than a year and a half. It's very wasteful.
For completeness, while it was working the grinder was ok, although I hated the timer knob and always had the thought in the back of my mind that I should have bought the Specialita instead (although at the time my thinking was more electrics introduces its own potential set of problems, and I didn't think the knob would be as annoying and imprecise as it was). The grind adjustment knob, as in every review, was small, fiddly and also annoying. The worst part was the speed of grind, which was way slower than expected (around 2 seconds per gram) and not mentioned in any reviews I'd found before purchasing - with most beans the full timer wasn't long enough to get 18g out, so I had to set it up to grind 9g and grind twice per shot, which was also somewhat of a niggle. I did ask about this after purchase, but was told it was 'normal', and no further correspondence was entered into. I note the burrs have now been upgraded to 55mm size, so the current model may be a bit faster (mine is the 50mm size).
If I could just swap out my machine and pay the difference I might instead pony up for the Libra for the grind by weight functionality, given the high annoyance factor of the timer knob on the Silenzio coupled with the regular need to adjust the grind fineness that I've experienced - even though I always use the same beans, the grind and timer need adjustment every few days anyway, as the beans age I guess, so it's not been a 'set and forget' machine as I had assumed it would be. However knowing what I know now, and being $500 down without any options for repair or recourse, I will never buy a Eureka grinder again.
I'm hoping the DF64 Gen 2 I've just ordered has much greater longevity, and will happily give up the hopper convenience for reliability. Initially I didn't want a single-dose grinder, but now I'm not so definitive on this, and it may overall actually prove more efficient given the bean/grind/shot variability I've experienced from day to day, as It's quite irritating to have a perfect shot one day and then a way out one the next with the same workflow.
Anyhow, apologies for the essay, but I wish I'd known all of this before I bought my Silenzio.
Purchased in for $493.
Quiet, Quick, but needs a couple improvements – Firstly, the Eureka Mignon Silenzio is a great grinder, period. It could be perfect. It's weight speaks quality, it grinds very quietly. The grinds come out of the spout neatly and accurately and without clumps and low retention. So far so good, all the basics checked. If they improved a few things, it would be perfect. 1. Include a single dose hopper. Most buyers spending this kind of money are going to want to weigh out single doses. 2. Increase the diameter of the grind adjustment wheel. Because the grind is very sensitive to small movements of the wheel, a larger wheel with 2/10s hash lines would be easier to see and adjust. (update 3 years on, they have made the wheel larger, but there are now better aftermarket add-ons which are much easier to adjust the grind). Change the actuating button to a less slippery material, or shape. The portafilter moves around trying to stay in contact. I used the timer mode even with single dose, pressing the button to start, then moving the portafilter to evenly distribute the grinds. 4. Change the portafilter rest to something solid. The supplied metal piece is wobbly. 5. Put the front decal on straight! Mine was crooked. Not okay for $700+! This is a superb grinder, 4.5stars. I can't give it 5 yet.
Purchased in for $699.
Excellent, Quiet, and Low Maintenance – This grinder replaced our 4 year old baratza preciso. We've had this grinder for 3 months and imported it directly from Italy to save a few hundred dollars. It's surprisingly quiet, yet quick, and can handle some.of the oiliest, darkest beans known to coffee lovers. Maintenance is virtually non-existent, unlike the preciso with its cheap parts that cracked often and cost me enough to replace the machine entirely over a 4 year period. I don't know if I'll ever need to do maintenance, but they do recommend it at some insane number of shots. If this machine weren't so good at grinding coffee I'd be upset by the display which as it turns out can actually have it's brightness altered, so I can't complain there. I will complain that it'll stay on 24/7 unless one manually turns it off by the button on the side. I have yet to measure the power draw while idle, it's most likely 1 or 2 watts though. The other gripe I have is the portafilter holder, it's darn near Olympic difficulty to get it at the right angle and twist it about to comfortably hold a portafilter without it moving to one side while grinding. I'm not Olympian, so I've done my best and place a coffee jug nearby to keep it from straying.
Update 06/11/19: This machine has been motoring along nicely, though we did have one issue with a particularly oily bean. The chute became clogged and grinds caused the machine to halt! Since then I perceive it to be a little louder and that the dial needs to be an entire level lower to reach the desired grind. So I guess my criticism is that I wasn't watching, and the machine doesn't want you to perform diy maintenance.
Purchased in for $530.
VERY QUIET Coffee grinder – Without coffee it is just a whirl of quietness. With coffee in it it is VERY quiet considering what it does. It is about 3 times quieter than the Sunbeam Burr grinder I had after decibel testing. At $800 it is not cheap but it is very good quality. The adjustment is very fine and it spits out coffee without it going everywhere or clumping. Looks great plus has a built in easy to use manual timer. Two months in and it's been great, would buy another.
Purchased in for $800.
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Update. Year on. Amazed at how quite it is. Grind consistent. Basket holder slips after a month or so. No issues otherwise