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Eureka Specialita vs XL

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  • Eureka Specialita vs XL

    About to take the plunge and buy a new grinder.

    Realistically, would most people notice much difference in the cup between the Specialita with 55mm burrs and the XL with 65mm? And enough of a difference to be worth half as much money again?

    Both would be a big step up from what I've had, so from that point of view the Specialita should be fine, but I don't want to regret the smaller burrs down the track.

    My wife only drinks milk based so probably wouldn't notice a difference but I often drink straight espresso, and probably will even more often with a decent grinder.

  • #2
    It might be an unpopular opinion but I think once youre into the good grinder territory there isnt actually much in it.

    Different grinders might present coffee tastes differently but its hard to say one is right and one is wrong or better or worse they are just different.

    I reckon you are primarily buying workflow and aesthetics in the good grinder range.

    I also dont think that there is a reliable scientific method of even determining if x grinder is 'better' than y.

    Eureka's are great, plenty of users here who like them.

    On that note I'll bow out, don my asbestos undies and wait for the flame wars to begin

    Cheers

    Comment


    • Dimal
      Dimal commented
      Editing a comment
      Well said SanderP...

  • #3
    My understanding is that with all things being equal, the larger burrs will just grind coffee faster than smaller burrs assuming both are designed to equal spec.

    There may be a case for larger burrs running at a lower RPM and thus transferring less heat to the grounds, but I'm not sure how noticable that would even be. Or for commercial applications where you need to pump out shot after shot quickly and consistantly.

    For home use I'd say either grinder will serve you well, and are both popular choices here.

    Comment


    • #4
      Thanks for the replies.

      In this case, according to the specs the XL with bigger burrs actually runs about 300rpm faster, which seems unnecessary to me as the bigger diameter should already grind faster and will have more centrifugal force.

      I'm not phased by the Specialita taking slightly longer, the speed difference is irrelevant to me at home (the Specialita isn't slow).

      But there are those who say bigger burrs give "more consistent grind" and "better taste". But like SanderP said above, once you go for a grinder at this level does it 55mm to 65mm really make much of a taste difference?

      Comment


      • #5
        the XL will be a better grinder but not 50% better.
        I have a Niche Zero to suit my workflow and oh man was there people with strong opinions about conical vs flat burr and all sorts.
        the only other grinder I was looking at was the Specialita - bang for buck an awesome grinder. I’d save the $400 and spoil yourself with baskets/tampers/distributors

        Comment


        • saeco_user
          saeco_user commented
          Editing a comment
          We (myself included) use too many adjectives without qualification:
          Better workflow?
          Better Speed?
          Better Alignment (grind consistency)?
          Better Build quality?
          Better (quieter) noise level?
          Better grind range?
          Better (less) retention?
          Better (easier) cleaning regime?

        • masonb88
          masonb88 commented
          Editing a comment
          Don’t forget quantifying:
          X seconds faster workflow
          X milliseconds faster grind
          X percentage more consistent grinds

          Oh and then controls:
          Based on X type beans, weighing Y grams, performed in Z environment.

          You’re right that “better” isn’t conclusive - but on paper the XL will perform (grind) better (faster, consistency) than the 55. But only incrementally

          The other things are then about use-case which the individual needs to assess.

          So, people generalize statements to “better” “worse”
          I’m ok with that

        • saeco_user
          saeco_user commented
          Editing a comment
          Sorry, wasn't having a go. Bad day stuck at home - shouldn't have taken it out on your post.

      • #6
        You can't go wrong with either Specialita or XL.

        If you can reliable taste the difference in the cup between them - your name might be James Hoffmann.
        I can't. But my inner upgradis is telling me XL is better.

        XL is twice faster.
        But I feel like it was hacked together to create premium product with higher margin.

        I can explain.
        I am sorry in advance if my explanation is confusing.

        There is a removable plate which is holding the upper burr.
        The back of the burr is "r" shaped - there is a bevel ("rim") along the outer edge of the burr.
        In Specialita that plate got a cavity (milled channel) for that bevel so the burr sits flat on the plate.
        In XL the plate is flat (actually... I didn't take a photo... it might be not completely flat, it might have a channel but not deep enough).
        So burr sits on the outer "rim" of the burr. When you look from the middle there is a little (about 0.5mm) gap between the plate and the burr (it is accumulating some ground coffee there but that's Ok - it will never leave that gap).
        Also in XL the screws holding the burr are not perfectly centred.
        So it feels like it was designed for a smaller burr but they put 65mm there the last moment.

        The plate itself is fixed by 3 screes in Specialita vs 2 screws in XL - I can't see any logic behind this.

        I would say all this falls into "attention to details" bucket and I hope it doesn't affect performance and reliability of the grinder.


        The gap around the burr (between the burr and walls of the chamber) is a bit smaller in XL. So Eureka tried to reduce retention here. Although majority of ground coffee retained in the shoot and anti clamping spring which are identical in both grinders.

        The bottom (the base) of Specialita is plastic. The XL is all metal.
        XL is noticeably heavier. The body size is almost the same so I assume the weight increase is due to bigger motor.

        It feels like adjustment knob thread in XL is finer - requires more rotation for the adjustment. I mean it allows finer adjustment in XL. But I haven't tested it.

        The rubber jacket which holds the hopper is a bit tighter in XL. It might be to address some complains with hopper vibration in Specialita.
        While hopper is identical the hopper lid is snug in XL while it a bit loose in Specialita. This might be just my copies of hoppers.

        The power switch in XL is covered with some rubber cover and a bit harder to flick compared to Specialita.

        When XL is starting the body shakes a bit - probably the motor weight is too high compared to the body weight. Maybe some soft start would help with it. But I am sure Eureka engineers tested all this and it should not be a problem.
        Specialita is completely still.

        Specialita grinding is effortless.
        XL grinding feels even easier than that.

        Both grinder are great.
        If you buy XL it will help you to shut your inner upgradis up.
        Otherwise every time you use Specialita it will be reminding you the bigger burr could be better and faster.

        But like I said before I believe you have to be very sensitive to notice the difference in the cup.
        Last edited by gerbi; 19 September 2021, 04:22 PM.

        Comment


        • bernardd
          bernardd commented
          Editing a comment
          Very detailed summary. I've found pretty much the same with my XL.
          It's a classic "Italian" piece: overbuilt and a bit quirky.

          The "body shake" you mention is an anti-clockwise jerk caused by the heavy motor starting to spin the other way (preservation of angular momentum). That could probably have been fixed by ramping up the rotor speed ever so gradually but that might have stressed the motor initially. I don't think it'll hurt the machine, beside the rubber feet maybe.

          The XL does have a more powerful motor than the Specialita and it also spins faster (1650rpm vs 1350rmp), that coupled with a larger burr makes it much faster than the Specialita. It's also very quiet. They've added more dampening compared with the Specialita.

          The square hopper fits the art deco-ish look of the machine very well, but it's not ideal for single dosing. Some beans won't glide in sometimes, not everyday though. Not a deal breaker by any mean.

          The chute is more of an issue. It may retain some coffee depending on the grind and bean type. Not always but often. A tap on the side of the grinder brings it out. There may be significant chaffing, again depending on the beans. The water spray trick fixes that one.

          Cleaning is a bit of chore. It's not hard by any means but it takes some time. It obviously wasn't a high item on their feature list when they designed its predecessor (the original Mignon); Some screws are hard to reach, the chute has multiple finicky parts. The burr can be hard to remove, specially the first time around. I had to view multiple videos online on how to do it.

          There is certainly no issue with the grind quality. The grind size is very consistent and there's no clumping. It's equally good for filter or espresso.

          I initially wanted to order a Niche Zero but missed on their "lottery", so I bought this grinder instead. I have no plan to replace it with a NZ. I don't even think that a Lagom P64 would be much of an upgrade, zero retention aside. Eureka is coming up with a single doze Oro that could be more interesting if you're only single dozing, although I have no plan to change now that I have the XL.

      • #7
        Thanks Gerbi - a good comparison between the two

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