Cheers, that looks like a really solid & nice looking grinder. Whilst it's almost double the price, I think I could stretch to that, if it's a lot quicker as you say.
I like the transparent container on the Hario Mini Mill, as you can easily see what's coming out. But not much of a deal breaker.
If you get the C2, let us know what it's like?
I got it about a week ago. Not used it a lot but a few times. I can't compare it to the Hario Mini Mill which is probably better than the Hario Skerton tbf, but it's much nicer than the Hario Skerton, worth the extra cost imo.
The build quality is better and the grind seems to be more consistent. The slimmer profile to the Skerton means it's nicer to hold when grinding, and I have medium/large hands. Also the burr adjustment is just turning the mechanism at the bottom, whereas you have to remove the screw/washer at the top of the Skerton and adjust it that way, but because you are turning the shaft when grinding, the screw gets tight and I sometimes have to use pliers to get the top screw undone.
That's just build quality/design alone. The speed of grinding is probably worth it in itself. It takes about 30-40ish seconds for me grind 16g (depending on how coarse/how fast I can be bothered to grind), and it grinds a lot smoother as well; the Skerton would snag as I grind.
The only downsides are that it will only fit about 20g ish depending on roast level, whereas the Skerton could do 60-70g. So if you're doing a batch of cold brew or whatever, you'll have to do it in multiple lots, not a major issue though.
Also the C2 isn't designed for espresso, apparently because the design of the burr, it'll take agesss to grind fine enough for espresso use. But I knew that going in and it's not an issue for me.
I ordered the ‘Dualit’ Mignon. Looks like the specialita model so it’s way cheaper than anywhere else right now.
Thanks for the advice. I’ve been using a Gaggia Classic for a decade, about to tinker with it to improve things and I’d like to get the same amount of time from a solid grinder. Reviews say the Eureka models are built well and should last, and it appears to be a different league to my other options in terms of potential performance. Coffee is a small hobby and I probably make 2 espressos per day so the payoff is fine over time. As said, second hand value good too, so I chose this on the same principles I chose the Classic originally and that’s served me great.
I’ll come back with some feedback when it arrives.
I was looking/deciding between the Sage Smart Grinder Pro and Eureka Mignon Specialita a few months ago. My sister has the SGP and for the price (especially when it's on sale, which is fairly often) it's a very decent grinder. Decent enough to get a reasonable grind out of it. She wasn't looking for something to play around with though, and I helped to dial in the grind/time. She just wanted a low fuss way to get a decent espresso at home.
In the end I went with the Eureka Mignon Manuale, because I knew I was going to single dose, so the extra buttons/display and timing function wasn't of too much use for me, also because it's quite a bit cheaper than the Specialita, but I wanted a step up from the SGP, which it is. Build quality is miles better than the SGP, 50mm flat burrs, and most importantly it has stepless adjustment.
A bit later on I bought a £30 single dose hopper and bellow as the grind retention isn't great, with the plus side of it looking better and nicer to use than the plastic hopper that it came with.