Transitioning between espresso and brew grinds on a Eureka Mignon

The Eureka Mignon series has carved out a stellar reputation in the home coffee community, celebrated for its quiet operation, compact footprint, and, most importantly, its exceptional grind quality for espresso. Its stepless micrometric adjustment allows for the tiny changes needed to perfectly dial in a shot. However, this precision can present a challenge for the versatile barista who enjoys both a morning espresso and an afternoon pour-over. Switching from the ultra-fine setting required for espresso to a coarse one for brew methods, and then back again, isn’t always straightforward. This article serves as your comprehensive guide to mastering this transition, helping you minimize coffee waste, maintain consistency, and get the most out of your high-performance grinder.

Understanding the Mignon’s adjustment mechanism

Before diving into the “how-to”, it’s crucial to understand why the Eureka Mignon behaves the way it does. The heart of its functionality lies in its stepless micrometric adjustment system. Unlike “stepped” grinders that click between a set number of grind sizes, a stepless grinder offers infinite adjustment points along its range. This is achieved via a worm gear that you control with the adjustment knob on top of the grinder.

A key design feature of the Mignon series is that this knob adjusts the height of the lower burr, not the upper one. This is a significant advantage for consistency, as it means you can remove the top burr for cleaning without losing your “zero point” or your general grind setting. However, it also means that the space between the burrs is what you’re controlling directly. Making a large adjustment from fine to coarse can involve several full rotations of the knob, which can be difficult to track without a system.

This design is what makes the Mignon a king for espresso, where a minuscule turn of the dial can change your shot time by several seconds. But it also sets the stage for the main challenge when switching to brew: managing the retained grounds caught between these finely-tuned burrs.

The challenge: Grind retention and purging

The biggest hurdle when making large grind adjustments is grind retention. This term refers to the coffee grounds that remain inside the grinder—in the grinding chamber, between the burrs, and in the exit chute—after a grinding cycle is complete. On a Eureka Mignon, this can be anywhere from 2 to 5 grams of coffee, depending on the specific model and the beans used.

When you are only making espresso, this retention is less of a problem because the retained grounds are roughly the same size as the new grounds being pushed through. The issue arises when you make a dramatic change. Imagine this scenario:

1. You grind coarsely for a French press. The grinder now retains several grams of coarse coffee particles.
2. You then adjust the burrs much closer together for espresso.
3. When you grind your next dose, those old, coarse particles are still in the chamber. They can block the new, finer grounds from passing through, leading to an inconsistent grind and potentially choking your espresso machine.

To combat this, you must purge the grinder. This simply means grinding a small amount of coffee beans (typically 5-10 grams) after making a significant adjustment from coarse to fine. This new coffee pushes out the old, retained grounds, ensuring that what ends up in your portafilter is the correct, consistent size for your espresso.

A practical guide to switching your grind setting

Navigating the transition becomes simple once you establish a consistent workflow. The key rule to remember is this: always make grind adjustments while the motor is running, especially when going finer. This prevents coffee beans from getting jammed between the burrs and stalling the motor.

Going from espresso to brew (fine to coarse)

This is the easier direction. There is little risk of jamming the grinder as you are creating more space between the burrs.

• Step 1: Note your setting. Before you touch anything, make a note of your current espresso setting. You can write it down in a notebook, use a small piece of tape, or put a dot with a dry-erase marker on the dial itself.
• Step 2: Turn the grinder on. Start the motor without any beans in the hopper.
• Step 3: Adjust coarser. While it’s running, turn the adjustment knob towards “Grosso” (coarse). As you do this, count the number of full rotations you make. For a pour-over, this might be 1.5 to 2 full rotations from your espresso setting. For a French press, it could be 3 or more.
• Step 4: Grind your coffee. You are now ready to grind for your brew method.

Going from brew to espresso (coarse to fine)

This direction requires more care to ensure a clean transition and avoid inconsistency.

• Step 1: Turn the grinder on. Again, always start the motor before making an adjustment.
• Step 2: Adjust finer. While the motor is running, turn the knob back towards “Fino” (fine) by the exact same number of rotations you counted earlier. This will get you back to your espresso starting point.
• Step 3: Purge the retained grounds. This is the most critical step. Add 5-10 grams of coffee beans to the hopper and grind them completely. Discard these grounds. This purge dose has pushed out the old, coarse particles that were trapped inside.
• Step 4: Grind your espresso dose. You are now ready to grind your actual shot. Be aware that your first shot may still require a small micro-adjustment to be perfectly dialed in.

Tips and tools for a smoother workflow

While the process above works perfectly, a few tools and techniques can make switching between grind sizes even more seamless and less wasteful. Many Mignon owners modify their grinders for what is known as a “single-dosing” workflow. This involves weighing out the exact amount of beans for one drink at a time and grinding them through completely.

This approach is often enhanced with two popular accessories:

• Single-dose hopper: A small, angled hopper that replaces the large, standard one. Its design helps feed the beans into the burrs more smoothly with minimal popcorning (beans bouncing around).
• Bellows: A flexible, accordion-like pump that sits on top of the single-dose hopper. After the beans have been ground, you can pump the bellows a few times. The forceful puff of air pushes out almost all of the retained grounds, dramatically reducing waste and the need for a large purge.

Using a single-dosing setup with a bellows can reduce retention to less than 0.2 grams, making the transition between brew methods nearly effortless. You still need to follow the core principles, but the amount of coffee used for purging becomes negligible.

Summary of workflows

Action	From Espresso to Brew (Fine to Coarse)	From Brew to Espresso (Coarse to Fine)
Preparation	Note your current espresso setting (e.g., dial number).	Ensure you know your target espresso setting.
Grinder State	Turn the motor ON.	Turn the motor ON.
Adjustment	Turn the dial towards ‘Grosso’ (coarse). Count the full rotations.	Turn the dial towards ‘Fino’ (fine) by the same number of rotations.
Purging	Not strictly necessary, but good practice to grind 1-2g to clear the chute.	Crucial. Grind 5-10g of beans to purge old, coarse grounds. (Less if using bellows).
Result	Ready for your brew method.	Your first shot will be a “dial-in” shot. Adjust as needed.

Conclusion

While the Eureka Mignon is undeniably an espresso-first grinder, it is more than capable of producing excellent grinds for other brew methods. The key to successfully transitioning between fine and coarse settings lies not in a special feature, but in a disciplined workflow. By understanding the stepless, bottom-burr adjustment mechanism, you can appreciate why certain steps are necessary. Always remember to make adjustments with the motor running and to be diligent about purging retained grounds when moving from a coarse back to a fine setting. With a little practice, and perhaps a few helpful accessories like a single-dosing bellows, your Mignon can be the versatile centerpiece of your coffee bar, delivering exceptional results from espresso to French press with confidence and consistency.