Mignon Zero

Look at Eureka Mignon Zero 55s Single-Dose Grinder, which is 300 usd.

This is gonna be too much info from a guy who has only owned one grinder. You’re gonna use this every day so I think you should get something you know will be good. I really like my eureka Mignon. They are very pretty, well made, easy to use. They excel at medium/dark roasts. Much different than what you are looking at so I won’t try to talk you into it. Their Zero is the best deal. If you are looking for a budget Chinese grinder, you might want to also look at the DF range. People love the DF64/54 and they have one in the style you are looking at, I think it’s called the CF64V. I haven’t tried it, but I think it’s widely used and liked. Just think you should scope it out and see what is out there, it sounds like you a nervous about pulling the trigger on this one. A lot of companies make these DF grinders from Turin to MiiCoffee, it’s all kind of the same and depends on where you live. I think you are shopping in euro prices so I’ll share a link for a shop I like in the euro for budget grinders. The prices will be much higher than the gray market sites but the owner is super helpful and they have a good warranty. Basically you won’t have to worry about alignment issues or something getting damaged in shipping. If the price is in the ballpark, you might want to consider buying from someone who has a warranty. Espresso grinders often need to be aligned, shimmed, etc. one thing I love about the eureka is they rarely have these issues. They also are pretty picky about who can sell their stuff. We only have about 4 eureka dealers in the US. https://www.thehomebaristas.co.uk/coffee-grinders

If your budget is 1000, spend $500 for a grinder and $500 for an espresso machine. So a Gaggia Classic e24 and a eureka Mignon zero. You can mod the e24 later. Profitec go is good too

I would get eureka Mignon zero

Nice!! I have had the cheapest model- the facile for years. I’ve modified it with the single dose kit (eureka sent me one for free!) and that’s why I think the zero is such an amazing deal. You get all the accessories that are worth well over $100. I feel like everyone who gets a Eureka loves it. And in 3 years it will work the same as it does now. It needs very little maintenance and is just a beautiful machine. I bought it based on looks and price but my girlfriend and I have grown to love it ! I would get another one in a second if it broke down. I can’t believe it was only about $250-$300 and people spend up to $750

Thumb rule for grinder/machine ratio should factor how much each contributes towards taste of the brew. Upto 70-75% of your output is influenced by the beans/roast & grind. Machine is at most 20% of the game. Keeping that in mind I followed the 1:1, ratio, of budget in mind. Just bought the GC Pro E24 in Lobster Red ($500) and ordered a black Eureka Mignon Zero Espresso ($400). Another strong contender for you to consider would be the DF64 v2. But you need to have a ballpark budget in mind before evaluating options. Are you planning on any mods? I reviewed Gaggunio, GaggiaMate Pro and finally ordered the Crema Tune v2 by Barista Gadgets. It offers pretty much what the other two do for about $100 less and 5-7 day delivery in the US. Good luck.

Anything but the Mignon

The quality control is bad. People have reported problems getting the machine to grind fine enough. Just search "Eureka can't grind fine enough." You'll get plenty of results. The people who affirm the issue often get downvoted into obscurity so the issue gets hidden. I've noticed it's mostly of the 55mm Mignons, like the specialita and zero. Also the design is outdated, with a tiny dial and oversized hopper. When you use one next to a grinder designed ground up for single dosing you really feel the difference.

Search for reviews of the X64 SD. If you see the reviews I've seen, you may want to remove it from your short list. I have a 064s and I love it! It's super quiet when running empty, but it makes a fair bit of noise when grinding beans. Check out some of the video reviews of it, listen to the noise, and decide for yourself. Zero 65AP is also a good choice and might be quieter.

I would add Timemore 064s to your list if you can get it during one of Amazon's frequent 20% off sales. It's great for all brew methods and all roast levels. If you go for the Eureka Zero, get the 65AP version. The original 55mm version is better for darker roast espresso. The 65AP will be be better for all roast levels and also for drip. https://preview.redd.it/cumdgxdk75lg1.jpeg?width=664&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d9468a0033cf5b4401b363c6ee402a11700efbe

Consider one of the Eureka Mignon grinders. They are flat burr, but (except for the new 65 AP burrs) they have the flavor profile of a conical burr grinder. When I used to own both a Niche Zero and a Eureka Specialita, the espresso brewed from both tasted nearly identical.

As a former barista I think you will be most comfortable with a Gaggia Classic E24. It will feel closest to the commercial machines you've used in the past. Don't forget to budget for a good grinder. When brewing espresso, the grinder is much more important than the espresso machine. lf you really have a budget for $1K, an E24 for $450 will leave you $550 for a grinder. Spend as much of that as you can stand. If you want to single dose, Timemore 064s would be a great choice. Get it at one of Amazon's frequent 20% discount sales. If you want to grind-on-demand with a hopper, then one of the Eureka Mignons.

After having a Rancilio for 10 years I bought a df64 Gen 2. I wasn't satisfied with it so I got a Eureka mignon zero 55 for $300 from Seattle Coffee Gear. That's the best grinder that I've owned...

Agree and Eureka 55s is same price as DF so why should I go with a DF?

Eureka Mignon Zero 55s > DF54 in terms of quality at the same price point

Eureka mignon zero 55 s. Very sturdy and low retention. Impressively Quiet

The 55s is actually made in China for the Asian market I believe. But it is still a solid machine. That’s why it’s also a good chunk cheaper than the other eurekas.