It’s a great time to be shopping for a new espresso grinder. The new Rocket Espresso Faustino offers smart improvements over the previous model, but how does it compare to another standby - the Eureka Mignon Specialita? We’ve got the tips to help you decide which of these coffee grinders is right for you!
Look and Feel
While all three of these grinders produce some great grounds, the Faustinos are quite different from the Specialita in terms of aesthetics. The Mignon Specialita shares many of the design ideas from the other grinders in Eureka’s Mignon line. Its square footprint is compact, and its glossy color options are eye catching. Finally, this grinder’s high-contrast screen is easy to read and striking. The Faustinos, on the other hand, are naturally quite similar to one another. Both of these grinders offer a similar footprint to the Specialita with the addition of the grounds chute on the front. The screen on the Faustino 3.1 is a particular highlight, being an upgrade from the original Faustino. These grinders also have an aesthetic borrowed from the Rocket Espresso Appartamento. The cut-outs on the sides reveal panels that can be customized with different colors, giving you more aesthetic flexibility.Performance
Under the hood, these grinders have a lot in common. All three of them use flat steel burrs, but the Faustinos have 50mm burrs vs. the 55mm burrs on the Specialita. This minor size difference shouldn’t really be noticeable, but it’s worth pointing it out. Both grinders also have a stepless grind adjust, which is a great feature for espresso. Instead of discrete grind levels, the dials on these grinders open and close the burrs like a screw. This gives you effectively infinite grind settings. This can make all three grinders tricky to dial in, but once you learn how it gives you far greater control over your espresso. Of the bunch, the Faustino 3.1 is the easiest to work with here because of its larger upgraded setting knob. All three of these grinders make short, consistent work of beans. We found each one provided more than satisfactory grounds in our testing.Programming
Another thing the Faustino 3.1, Faustino, and Specialita have in common is their programming. Each grinder can be programmed to a timed setting to easily recall your needed grind amounts. One benefit of the Faustino 3.1 here is that it offers three different dose settings. This means that you can recall one more grind time setting than what the Specialita can do. Otherwise, the programming on these grinders is relatively simple.Odds and Ends
All three of these grinders have some great fit and finish, and they all feel very premium. You’ll notice it immediately when you pick them up, as their solid cases and heavy internal components speak to their durability and quality. The improved screen and larger settings knob on the Faustino 3.1 clearly take the cake here, but the Specialita is a strong contender as well. The original Faustino is a little out of its depth here, as the new 3.1 model has no downsides compared to earlier models. The other thing to keep in mind when selecting a grinder is maintenance, which is also similar on these machines. With bottom burr adjustments you’ll be able to disassemble these grinders without losing your setting. Perfect for maintaining them without hassle. Otherwise, you can use a cleaning product like Grindz with any of these grinders to help between disassemblies.