Eureka Mignon Manuale 65 – A Quick Review
I recently grabbed a Eureka Mignon Manuale 65 from Taobao for 1,099 RMB (~$150 USD). It doesn't seem to be available outside of China, so I wanted to share a quick review.
For workflow context, I pair this with my Cafelat Robot. For price context from where I live, Shador 64: 800 RMB (~$110 USD), Mignon Manuale 50: 900 RMB (~$120 USD), DF54/60: 1,500 RMB (~$200 USD), DF64: 2,600 RMB (~$350 USD).
The Review: Good, Bad, & Ugly
The Good: The value. Italian made 65mm burrs that come well-aligned out of the box. 310w motor grinds incredibly fast and quiet enough. Good build quality.
The Bad: The accessories. The included 150g hopper and bellows are useless because air leaks straight out of the bean slide/gate when pumped. The height-adjustable fork only work for spouted portafilters.
The Ugly: The workflow. I have to manually hold down the momentary button while trying to manage the Robot basket. The ACE system and the metal/rubber exit chute retain grounds and clogs. Static is also a mess, RDT is mandatory.
TL;DR
For the price, 65mm flat burrs, 310w AC motor and great build quality, it is unbeatable value, but the stock workflow is a total pain. If you love to tinker, it punches way above its price. If not, get something that works for you out of the box.
The Mods and fixes
I have a 3D printer and attempted some fixes. Now I have little retention and static, plus mods that suit my workflow. I can link/upload the files but I am too lazy. I might if people asks.
- Single-Dose Hopper: Remixed a hopper with popcorn shield, paired with a cheap DF64 bellows.
- Anti-Static Chute: Swapped the stock chute for a Specialita chute I remixed to fit, printed in ESD PETG (anti-static plastic). ESD PETG is magical, grounds refuse to stick to it, also reprinted my tamping station with this material.
- Big Dial: Installed dial system with a remixed stock knob sleeve instead of the screw on one, so I can lift the top lid for cleaning without losing zero.
- 15° Tilted Base: Tilted to help with retention.
- Locking Switch: Replaced the momentary button with a locking switch, so I can hot start easily.
- Ioniser: Built a catch-cup stand with integrated battery-powered ionizer. I tend to forget to RDT when I am half asleep in the morning. Ionizer is fool proof.
- Burrs: I might try out a set of Chinese MP burrs (AA19-64B2).