How Does It Compare?
We’ve been grinding with our Baratza Sette 270 for the last month—eagerly awaiting its arrival—and we asked ourselves, “What else we could compare to the Sette 270?” On this Crew Comparison, we decided to match it against the Eureka Mignon. In stores, we use the Mignon with our semi-automatic machines, such as the Rocket Appartamento, and we knew it would be a fierce contender against the Sette 270. Both feature time-based dosing with quality steel burrs that can grind beans from drip to espresso. When it comes down to deciding between the two, the nitty gritty details and the unique design will ultimately influence what you take home.
[caption id="attachment_12861" align="alignnone" width="474"] The anticipated Baratza Sette 270 has finally arrived.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13027" align="alignnone" width="474"] Oh hello, Eureka Mignon. Mignon means "dainty" in French. We can see where it gets its name from.[/caption]Grind
We’ll start the nitty gritty details with the burrs (pun intended). The compact Eureka Mignon is equipped with 50mm flat steel burrs that have been a constant companion for our store machines. It creates consistently fine grinds for espresso thanks to those steel burrs and even could make a consistent grind for our pour over samples. Needless to say, we’ve been impressed with the Mignon. If you’ve read our Crew Review on the Baratza Sette 270, it’s safe to say you probably know the phenomenal consistency, from espresso to pour over, of the Sette 270’s 40mm conical steel burrs. In fact, the Sette 270’s coarsest setting is the most consistent grind we’ve seen at that caliber. Side-by-side, the espresso grounds are nearly identical and well suited for a non-pressurized portafilter espresso machine, but the Mignon can go finer than the Sette 270.
[caption id="attachment_12859" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Sette 270 design create room for the bean hopper on top of the burrs.[/caption]Another reason the Mignon’s our go-to choice for in-store use is because of its simple controls. It features either a manual or timed dosing (although, we’ll tell you right now the timed controls are not as sophisticated as the Sette 270). The time dosage is on the right side of the machine and it’s just your typical twist timer like those old kitchen timers. You can time between 4 to 15 seconds or switch it to manual—how we have it in store—and dose until your container is full. The Sette 270 features three programmable buttons to set your timed dosage. The digital interface can be adjusted from 0 to 99 seconds and is incredibly user-friendly. It also features a manual button, which is activated when you press and hold the start/pause button.
[caption id="attachment_13026" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Mignon's turn-dial is easy to use but offers less precision than a programmable timed dosage.[/caption]One of the more user-friendly features on the Sette 270 is the grind adjustment. There is a stepped adjustment with 31 macro settings and a second set of stepless settings, which have the letters A-W as guides. The Mignon’s stepless grind adjustment offers limitless grinding options but once you lose it, you’ll need to dial in your grind all over again. Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate the amount of control with a stepless grinder, but it’s a blessing and a curse. For entry-level barista’s, the Sette 270’s professional grinding power with the programmable, user-friendly control is an easy go-to suggestion.
Grade
As we mentioned above, these grinders easily turn whole beans into beautiful grounds from espresso to pour over. The range on the Eureka Mignon might actually be a little better, in our opinion, thanks to the stepless grind adjustment. However, going back and forth on the Mignon can be frustrating, so we’ve always got our store models dialed into one machine—then we barely touch it again. You could get a decent French press grind on the Mignon, but then you’ll be wildly spinning the dial back to espresso…need we say more?
[caption id="attachment_13028" align="alignnone" width="474"] The stepless grinder is both a blessing and a curse. It creates limitless options but is difficult to dial-in if you lose your sweet spot.[/caption]The Baratza Sette 270 has 31 stepped settings and an additional stepless adjustment ring with guided labels for fine tuning the grind. With these guided markers, it makes it a lot easier to adjust for a range of brewing. We’re still not convinced it can make a coarse enough grind for French press, but we’ve tried it with AeroPress and it holds up well. AeroPress has more pressure, so we tend to grind between a pour-over and French press, which is why the Sette 270 performs well.
Glamour
Both grinders live up to their clever name. The Eureka Mignon, which means “dainty” in French, is compact and features angled sides that can squeeze between kitchen appliances. The Baratza Sette 270 get its name from the unique seven shape—sette is seven in Italian—and features 270 grind settings if you use the guides. The Sette 270’s shape isn’t all glamour, the motor lays horizontally and allows beans to flow from the hopper directly into your portafilter, decreasing the chance of grounds sticking and going stale. We don’t see a lot of static on the Mignon’s chute, but grounds are notorious for sticking to every surface and Baratza’s solution takes out the middleman—the chute in this case—and creates a direct shot.
[caption id="attachment_12863" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Sette 270 is named after its unique shape. Sette means seven in Italian.[/caption]The Sette 270’s unique shape also makes it wider—it’s nearly three inches taller than the Mignon. Of course, that does free space below the burrs for different brewing methods. The Sette 270 features three adjustable arms—the third one is there to help stabilize—that hold anything from a V60 to a portafilter. The dainty Mignon has the advantage with its square shape to be able to integrate easily in the kitchen, but it only has a portafilter holder. Some of our retail store Mignon’s we’ve removed the portafilter holder, so we could use it for pour over. In the few seconds, you’ll be grinding, holding your brewer there isn’t the worst feature.
[caption id="attachment_13029" align="alignnone" width="474"] The square-shaped Mignon makes it easy to fit into tight spaces on a home brewers counter top.[/caption]If you wanted to have an exact grind every time, the Sette 270 is the way to go. The three programmable options and intuitive digital display create a swift user experience. The Mignon, by no means, is hard to handle, but it’s turn-dial disappears on the side. You know what the say: Out of sight, out of mind. We generally use manual dosing, which is efficient for our in-store use, but some users might miss the digital display.
[caption id="attachment_12862" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Sette's 270 three arms easily support a portafilter.[/caption]Conclusion
Could you go wrong with either of these machines? We don’t think so! The Baratza Sette 270 is a powerful machine featuring reimagined design and functionality. However, we adore the Eureka Mignon and have made it one of our go-to grinders in store. That said, between the two, the Sette 270 is better suited for entry-level baristas or brewers looking for convenience. The digital and programmable display create an effortless user experience and the stepped and marked stepless adjustments allow you to learn how to dial in your grind. Both of these grinders will easily make you a delicious cup of coffee and it all comes down to the nitty gritty details. What do you think? Drop us a comment below and let us know if you’d take the Sette 270 or the Mignon!
Stay tuned this summer for the release of the Baratza Sette 270! Before you know it, you’ll be grinding with one of these guys.