K7 wrote:And "a dedicated chrome alluminium base, for an higher stability and reliability, together with a polished aluminum."

I wander what they charge for that revolutionary feature.

Seriously it's getting a bit silly calling it a new grinder, but it's classic Eureka.

The Mignon come fundamentally in two iteration a brew and a espresso with specific burrs.

Their entry level brew is; the Mignon filtro, for a little extra you get the Mignon Crone that comes with a timer or Mignon Filtro Silence that comes with a catch cup, silent technology and another dial knob. The big upgrade is the Mignon brew pro With a Touch screen and 55 mm brew burrs.

The espresso entry version is the Mignon Manuale that is upgraded with a timer in the Mignon Classico and Silenzo supposedly a silent version of the Classico whatever that means. For a little more you get the Mignon perfetto that comes with a touchscreen, a bit higher the Specialita and the Mignon Design both get an additional 55mm burr set and in the Design version a new multi fork and allot of exterior design choices and where the lower aluminium base is removed but fundamentally it's a Specialita in fancy dressing.

So this Stark really follow the same paradigm. Most other companies would call it a mk/V/Gii with those differences but Eureka call it new models it's really just odd.

malling wrote:The espresso entry version is the Mignon Manuale that is upgraded with a timer in the Mignon Classico and Silenzo supposedly a silent version of the Classico whatever that means. For a little more you get the Mignon perfetto that comes with a touchscreen, a bit higher the Specialita and the Mignon Design both get an additional 55mm burr set and in the Design version a new multi fork and allot of exterior design choices and where the lower aluminium base is removed but fundamentally it's a Specialita in fancy dressing.

So this Stark really follow the same paradigm. Most other companies would call it a mk/V/Gii with those differences but Eureka call it new models it's really just odd.

I actually think what Eureka has done with the Mignon makes a lot of sense. I like to think of the product range not as a succession of models, each a bit better than the previous, but rather as a collection of divergent use cases. If you don't need a touchscreen, timer or silent technology, why pay for it? I like the fact that, as a customer, I get to make this choice. Having everything made with the same mould (and hence the irritating button and portafilter fork cutouts we see on the SD) is I guess what makes this cost effective for them.

Having said that, I'm also stumped by the Stark. That really does look like nothing but XL mk II.

henri wrote:I actually think what Eureka has done with the Mignon makes a lot of sense. I like to think of the product range not as a succession of models, each a bit better than the previous, but rather as a collection of divergent use cases. If you don't need a touchscreen, timer or silent technology, why pay for it? I like the fact that, as a customer, I get to make this choice. Having everything made with the same mould (and hence the irritating button and portafilter fork cutouts we see on the SD) is I guess what makes this cost effective for them.

I agree. More choices to meet different needs is good IMO. I do think they could have done a little better job communicating the subtle differences in different models. People get confused and ask about differences between several version of the 50mm Mignon all the time. They could fix it with a simple comparison table.

Having said that, I'm also stumped by the Stark. That really does look like nothing but XL mk II.

I guess they gave it a different name because it's not just a color variation. You could argue the feet and PF holder changes are not meaningfully different, but still.

BTW, some people dig gold color and pay premium for it. Not a bad marketing strategy.

henri wrote:I actually think what Eureka has done with the Mignon makes a lot of sense. I like to think of the product range not as a succession of models, each a bit better than the previous, but rather as a collection of divergent use cases. If you don't need a touchscreen, timer or silent technology, why pay for it? I like the fact that, as a customer, I get to make this choice. Having everything made with the same mould (and hence the irritating button and portafilter fork cutouts we see on the SD) is I guess what makes this cost effective for them.

Having said that, I'm also stumped by the Stark. That really does look like nothing but XL mk II.

My point isn't that they should not offer it but more that it's confusing for the customers and hard to navigate, If it was just Eureka Mignon brew MK I-IV and Eureka Mignon Espresso MK I-VI, it would be far easier to understand that for every version it was an improvement with added benefit over the other, given them different names makes it a mess and very confusing.

Nwin23 wrote:It looks like the only difference is a rubber-coated portafilter holder??

The XL had that rubber coated PF holder as well

According to reddit, some people have received their Eureka mignon SDs. Can't wait for the reviews to come out.

I received my Oro Single Dose today in chrome. First impression is that it's everything I hoped it would be. I was able to spend some time setting it up and dialing in for espresso. Ground around 10 shots with it and it's impressive.
The finishes are excellent and it has some definite heft to it, no doubt because of the large motor. I really dig the fit of the wooden block that serves as the base for the dosing cup. It locks into place using a magnet and doesn't move. I haven't experienced any of the issues I've seen weirdos complaining about in YouTube videos. The parts fit together nicely and function as they should.
Grinding is really quiet. I'm very pleased with the sound and it's a huge difference from my old Pasquini. It's extremely fast as well. I was able to eliminate several steps from my old workflow with this grinder and shave a lot of time. The bellows is a nice addition and functions as it should. So far my average retention seems to be in the 0.2-0.3g range. I expect this to get better with a longer break in period.
My biggest complement of this machine this far would have to be the consistency of the grind size. It's the best I've seen in my limited experience. I can't wait to spend more time experimenting with this grinder in the next few days.

Triumphrider wrote:I received my Oro Single Dose today in chrome.

Great color choice. I am considering getting one too. I have watched a video review made by The Wired Gourmet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhYddqjHGwA), and he was complaining on few details, the most concerning one was the motor vibration. However, he was dealing with pre-production model. Did you notice such vibrations in the grinder you received?

I haven't experienced any of the issues that he has. I'm very familiar with his so-called review, and most recent follow up, and I think he's a clown. I strongly disagree with assessment of the vibrations coming from the grinder. When you're dealing with a very powerful AC motor on a tilt it's going to vibrate, but the vibration in my experience is totally reasonable and doesn't pose any issue in the least. My grinder is even resting on a bar mat and the vibration is so minimal that it doesn't shift at all.
I also think that this grinder is very quiet for what it is. It's a much stronger motor than what's on the specialita and it should be louder, but it is only slightly louder. I'm very pleased with the noise level.