I have been reading through the TONNES of excellent info on these boards about grinders and am down to three. I currently use a Breville Smart Grinder (which has been acceptable to date, but it's time to upgrade). Will be using it with a Rocket R58.

I am leaning towards the Eureka Atom based on reviews (great grind, great build quality, small footprint compared to the big boys, quiet). The most comparable grinder I could find in that price range was the Compak E5, which I admittedly know less about. I have read great things about the F4 as well, and it is a fair bit cheaper, so it remains on the list as well.

Any insights are welcome - Would I be saving money without compromising in the cup getting an F4? If I am 'settling' with the F4, then i would stretch my budget and am wondering if the Atom would be a poor choice over a Compak E5? Macap M4D was also in the mix, but reviews we not quite as stellar for it (could have just been the ones I saw).

I am set on a doserless machine, and I generally fill the hopper with every new bag - though once I finish a bag I am often looking for something new to try (like to experiment with different roasters, beans, etc.). $1000 is well past my initial budget, but I am stretching to try to make it work as these will all last a very long time.

Thanks!

+1 on the Eureka Atom.

The quietest grinder I've ever heard including hand grinders.
Member Seb recently purchased one.

Yes, effectively i have a new Atom and really like it. My only small complaint right now is that it make some static. I use an OE funnel to avoid any grounds around the grinder. Since it is new it might just decrease with usage (hopefully). But everything else is just superb. Last week it was side to side with many other grinders and did very well! Lowest noise level, superb fluffy grinds, good shots. 9/10 if you ask me considering everything, including the pricing. Here are some pictures:

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It's times like this I wish we had a "like" button.

Great photos Seb.

Thanks for sharing and showing.

+1 for the Atom.

Very quiet, relatively compact, sleek looking and easy to setup/use. Mine arrived without a manual but I was able to get one mailed to me. I have a pic of the white one with matching GS3 for my home setup. The Atom grinds relatively quickly, so dialing in the grind can be a little more difficult. However I have gotten consistent fluffy results. I am a bit uncertain about eventual maintenance on the machine.

Thanks for the vote of confidence in the Atom - I think that will be the grinder I go with. Great to see others are happy with it (especially considering the line-up of grinders it was grouped with in that picture Seb!). Curious about your maintenance concern though kingkv23.

Also, thanks for the pictures. Most of the shots I have seen are marketing / photo-shopped. It's a good looking machine in real life as well - especially next to a GS3 (drool).

I'm just going to throw my hat into the ring as well, don't overlook the compack E5. I had one before and I'm going back and buying another one again, the build quality is excellent the footprint is small and the motor is powerful 650 vs. 450 on the atom.

I am having the similar (actually more like the same) debate between 2 of the above grinders...

I know I can't base my decision purely on specs, but:
Power - Compak (550W)/ F4( 250W), Eureka Atm (450W)
RPM - 1370/ 1350/ 1400
time for 7grams (approximate) - 2.5 sec/ 6.5 sec / 2-3.6 sec(based on user experience in other post)
features - fan / no / silent tech (much quieter)
burr (mm) - 58 / 58 / 60
price - GBP 600 / GBP 410 / GBP 550 (est. only)
retention - ?????
flavour - ?????
static and clumping - ???

To me the difference seems to be power, special features and the ??? marks. I care about retention more because am lazy to clean and don't want to waste a lot of stale grinds.

Can anyone kindly explain the impact of power and the grinds?

Thanks for your hat Ash4889! I noticed that power difference too and much like emagguy I wasn't exactly sure what the increase would mean. My understanding of why power matters is for consistency (especially when grinding harder beans - like light roasts), in which case I can see the difference between a 250W and a 450W, but I'm not sure how big a difference 450 to 550 would be. My take on it (based on my usage) was that the quieter grind was more important that the extra 100W, but I could be wrong and that 100W would make all the difference! I have been told that both these grinders will produce excellent shots. I have pretty much dropped my interest in the F4 and will still leaning towards the Atom - will probably place an order today.

Emagguy, regarding your ???? below. Based on my research retention was minimal on both machines and shot quality is excellent. As mentioned by Seb, there can be some static. Again though, I've never used either machine, it's just what I have come across. If I do end up going for the Atom today I'll add a photo and my 2 cents once I've dialed in and worked with it for a bit.

Before you make up your mind take a look online of a couple of the video is of the atom, I was interested in it also because of the loud noise and looks. I changed my mind after looking at the videos because I noticed a lot of static, and the portafilter holder look like it was second-guessed. As to the power the E5 is 650 Watts not 550.