Re: "...I have to admit I have considered the Eureka Mignon, but it would have to be a red one I wasn't sure if I would notice a difference in the coffee due to the burr sizes?..." The K6 is a 64 mm diameter grinding plate which makes it a "small" cafe sized grinder...not for high or more correctly - fast - production eg say 10 kilo per week well spread out over the week. The Mignon is a 50 mm diameter grinding plate which makes it a "secondary" sized cafe grinder ie for a secondary coffee eg decaff or something in small volume compared to the regular turnover. That is about volume production, and therefore the generation of heat by friction and ultimately whether a grinder cuts out or not due to the thermal cutout...... After that, only an individual can be the judge of whether he or she thinks there is a noticeable difference in the character of the coffees due ONLY to the difference in size of the grinding plates, when they are both virtually "cut" the same way. I have conducted my own test to see if I thought the above could be proved or not....ie, is there a difference in the character of the coffee, when the only difference between the coffees is the difference in the relative size of the grinders. I used a Mignon (stepless and 50mm plates) , and a Macap M9 (stepped & 68mm plates from memory). Both being regular commercial quality grinders with flat or planar grinding plates or burrs, therefore comparing apples with bigger apples, not apples to oranges. It wasnt a blind test. What we did was to adjust both grinders down to a point where it seemd the resulting coffees were pouring and producing equally (for my particular espresso brewing technique using my favourite espresso blend) and then we started cupping them off together. We made several pairs of coffees to compare. The result for us, was that we could not judge any significant difference on the palate between the coffees made, using the two different grinders, for that blend, my technique & my cupping machine............... I do have a reasonable palate and judge at Sydney Royal and if I dont think that I can pick a significant difference, I then make the assumption (whether rightly or not) that most of my clients probably cant either....... After that its up to you and you have to do what you want and buy what you like. We sell plenty of Mignons......and you have to look at the psychology of the sale as well as the perceived quality of the equipment. On the shop floor, we find that a significant proportion of grinder sales are actually made by the "other-arf"..... eg hubby buys the coffee machine he wants, and the other-arf really likes the minute size and look of the smaller grinder. Usually there is a BUDGETARY constraint over which the couple are not prepared to go, and most will turn off as soon as you mention the price bracket of a Mini Mazzer or Macap M4. Most sales are to regular people that want a great coffee machine and grinder combo for a commercial quailty coffee......and NOT to "coffee-geek" type people. The shop staff would starve if they were waiting for coffee geek types to make purchases....... Hope that helps, and there is no doubt in my mind that if there wasnt a "low" budgetary constraint in most cases, that the clients would buy the "best looking" grinder up to their ceiling whatever the model be for their particular taste (and I happen to like the soft symetrical round lines of the Macaps while others like whatever they like and so be it). Oh by the way the mignon does come in red but none of the above is mentioned to try and get you to buy one. It is just the stuff of reality as we see it from the actual business side of coffee on the floor in the shop rather than from a computer screen 🙂 Rgdz, Attilio] very first Crema site sponsor!
