Just got the Libra a week ago, and... I won't lie it was an impulsive buy. There was an open box available in a store close to me, no trace of abuse, mint condition... And what can I say except wow! Just WOW! Excellent review, good call on the FH error (got it too). Thx for the review.
@@kieranhutton9718 Hey! :) It's been more than a month and I don't regret my purchase. There is some good and bad points, but overall it's mostly positive. On the up side and probably the best feature, I really like how easy it is to adjust the grind size without changing the quantity of coffee you want to use. You want a finer grind but keep exactly 17.6g for that double shot you like so much? No problem! Sticky beans in the hopper? No problem! Always 17.6g. It just work! Another good point is that the grinder is not too loud, well at least not loud enough to wake-up the whole house. Some cheaper Eureka will do better in that manner for a much lower price, but that's not the main focus of that grinder. On the downside and my biggest frustration is that sometime the grinder is unable to calibrate the load cell when I put my portafilter on the fork for no apparent reason. When this append, the FH error pop on the screen and the damn thing refuse to grind anything. Remove the portafilter, then back on, then off, then power toggle, nothing work... Until it does... I don't know why! Another thing I don't like about this grinder is that you can't really use it without a dosing funnel. The coffee get expelled from the burr at a way too high angle. No matter how I set my portafilter (Rocket 58mm), there was always some spill. Using the funnel that came with the grinder solved this issue, but it's another thing I need to take care of. I hope that help! Feel free to ask if there's anything else. :)
We bought our Italian made Libra about two months ago. I’m sure that the funnel came with the machine. A small, but exquisite detail was the etched Florence “Fleur de lis” on the funnel , as was all the details on what my wife and I are calling “ our Ferrari coffee grinder “ This machine was a little expensive, but we are so happy with the perfect performance every time , THE HIGH QUALITY SHINES . We can’t understand why your wife has ANY problem with using this machine, as we can’t imagine a more user-friendly, one-step machine that delivers perfect results every time.
Lol, I just wanted to be honest with the review. I love this grinder, but my wife had issues. But I guess she just wasn't used to using funnels. I totally agree with you, it's a wonderful grinder, and the integrated scale is sooo nice to have! Cheers!
Hi Tom, i found your videos a few days ago when i was searching for some reviews on home grinders, i just want to say thank you so much for making good, clear, informative and easy to understand videos, it helped me a lot. Good luck.
I really like my Libra, been using it for about 10 months now. Exact same experience as you, except I never managed a result with a dosing cup. Funnel use is mandatory. Found better results to not get the FH by not pressing down on the arms when inserting the portafilter.
This is the exact video I was looking for. I have a breville at the moment and wanted to make sure I can use that portafilter while I figure out which upgrade espresso machine I want to purchase
Great follow up Tom on your original review of the Libra. I just ordered one a few hrs ago to replace an old 12 year old Breville Smart grinder pro (In combo with Breville Dual Boiler). Glad I made the right choice. Interesting comment about the cheaper funnel with the inner lip. I have one, it was replaced by the supplier after one I bought with an outer lip was out of spec and too loose. I have no problem tamping and extracting with my old 12 year old Breville. Keep up the good work mate! Neal
I owned the Libra for a couple weeks and so desperately wanted it to work out. When it grinds it does fine, but endless “FH” (portafilter height) errors persisted despite adjustments to the fork. You can see some of these in the video - even if you consistently use the same portafilter these errors will happen. As you can see on the video, it also has a tendency to “walk” all over the counter on its own due to the repeated start/stops to adjust the dosage. I went back to my Specialita and returned the Libra.
Hallo Tom, wieder mal ein tolles Video. Bin ja eher bei einem Single Doser aber meine Frau hätte gerne eine Maschine mit Bohnenbehälter und integrierter Dosierwaage. Finde die Libra sehr interessant, vor allem andere GBW Maschinen kosten das dreifache. Gerne Update deiner Langzeiterfahrung. Viele Grüße aus Frankfurt
Ich finde die Muehle immer noch sehr geil. Ich tue aber auch nicht oft Singledosen. Das ist mir irgendwann zu aufwendig. Nur wenn ich zwischen verschiedene Zubereitungsmethoden oder Bohnen wechsele, mache ich Singledosing. Gruss!
I have the Facile setup as a single-doser with an aftermarket bellows, works great but I like to make dark roast first thing in the morning as a latte, then switch to a lighter roast into the early afternoon for more speciality type roasts. The Mignon's aren't easy for switching beans and returning to the same position. Thinking of getting a Libre and just loading the hopper with the dark roast and being able to let it grind by weight while I get the milk out and make the whole process faster, then don't have to change the dial for the afternoon specialty stuff. Only thing is that it's kind of a bummer to not use the better burrs on the Libra vs. the Facile, but may end up passing down the Facile to someone else starting out and get a 64mm singler doser for that role.
Well, the burrs are similar, 55mm vs 50mm though. If you're going to single dose, the integrated scale might be superfluous though, as you'll weigh your beans ahead of time...
Is it suitable to use two different portafilters (regular one and bottomless, which weigh different)? Will it tare each one correctly and weigh the coffee accurately? Thank you in advance.
I have been using the 270 wi for years now, it always seems to work very well but is obviously noisy, if i upgrade to the Libra would the coffee taste different in a good way.... I really think grinding by weight is much better and it's very consistent and saves a lot of time....
I’m looking at either the libra or specialita. The scale factor is big for me, since I often flip between pour-over grind and espresso throughout the day. I use a catch cup, so a little concerned you had those issues. Look, for me, if I’m buying a Libra, the scale has to be worth it. I’ve read many reviews suggesting the scale is out, malfunctions, and so on. I’d be really annoyed if that were the case.
Well, it's a wonderful grinder, and works well for portafilters of all types, as shown here. But it's not really been designed to use with any catch cup. I think Eureka is making a catch cup though, to pair with this grinder. I might have seen something in a Host Milano video. Cheers!
Hi Tom thanks for the great demo! Could you confirm the fitment of the smaller funnel on the breville portafilter? The smaller Libra-specific dosing funnel is labeled as 53mm…with the Breville being 54mm did you have any fitment issues not shown in the video?
Yes, of those mentioned, I'd take this one. It helps the workflow and makes excellent grinds. DF64 is good if you want to single dose, but I don't single dose all that often.
Nice video! Can you explain why grinding into different portafilters had different output of grams of coffee? Aren't they just catching what the grinder spits out?
No, they output the same. 16 grams +/- 0.2 grams. That's the tolerance of the grinder. In actuality, it is almost always 0.1-0.2 grams low, regardless of the PF.
Why do you think the portafilter size is making a difference vs the grinder tolerance variation being about .2grams flux? All it does is weigh the portafilter, zero out and grind. Btw, 19-21grams has been a sweet spot for my pulls. I use the Minion, but its older model without weighing. The adjustment is hit or miss, but nice step-less.
The PF has nothing to do with the results. I think it just stops 0.2g early. You could set it for 16.2 grams for example, if you want 16.0 grams. It's quite consistent.
to be honest, i dont know why you bothered testing using the Timemore scale as is its not accute as a acaia scale... ive brought many of the timemore scales and they of always off by .1/.2g even using the 100g mass. Please use a better scale for these test and always double check the scale calibration using a mass
While you're right that I didn't check the exact accuracy of the scale, this test is more to see which different portafilters will fit in the Libra, since that was my main problem with the 270wi. But yes, maybe I'll go for the Acacia soon.
is the funnel to avoid spilling or to get the right weight for the system? (reducing noise and mess on the counter are both important secondary factors for me)
The scale automatically tares each time, so the funnel is not for that. I think its for getting the portafilter seated well in the cradle, and also to reduce spilling.
Hey Tom, I had the same issue with my Specialita (17gr in about 16 sec grinding instead of about 10). There were some faulty burr sets during some period. There's a topic on homebarista forum somewhere. I replaced the burrs with new ones and now it grinds much faster. I don't know if there's a difference in quality.
I think the Mignon line excels at espresso, due to the nice clumpless, fluffy grinds. But sure, you can use it for other brew methods too. My boss uses a Specialita as his daily driver for pour over. I tend to stick to espresso myself, because that's my favorite. Cheers!
Depends on pricing and preference. I know in Australia Niche is twice the price which automatically turns me away. The Mignons are hopper based unlike the Niches but can obviously still be used in a single dosing manner. There’s heaps of good options for grinders (Mignons, DF83 v2, etc), but let value for money in your region be mostly your guide.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I can't seem to find the funnel you used anywhere to buy in the EU, there's an info page on Eurekas site about the 54mm one but I can't find anywhere to purchase it, can you add a link here or in the desc?
Could anyone give me some coffee bean recommendation? I just bought my first machine de longhi stilosa and ordered a king grinder and bottomless portafilter. I have no experience with this but am enjoying learning. I mostly drink cappuccinos for now.
Libra looks like it would pass my wife test moreso than say the Oro. Personally the Oro speaks more to me but this seems easier for my wife to just click the button and go with a "close enough" shot.
Yes and no. My wife doesn't like it, because she cannot get the PF placed correctly for the scale. I can without issue. So I guess your mileage may vary. She loves the Specialita though.
I think it can be calibrated, it not directly you can do it in your head. At least for this video it was mostly consistently .01 low, then I think twice was .02 so actually if it were calibrated to drop it .01g it would have been dead on about 4/6 times. Also since it's going by weight vs. time, if you change beans or grind size you don't have to recalibrate anything to get the same weight output.
Thanks for watching, comments welcome!
Thanks for making this video. A side question, when you bring out your Gaggia, you seem to have a few addons on the upper right side. Waht are those?
Just got the Libra a week ago, and... I won't lie it was an impulsive buy. There was an open box available in a store close to me, no trace of abuse, mint condition... And what can I say except wow! Just WOW!
Excellent review, good call on the FH error (got it too). Thx for the review.
Glad you like it! My favorite is that I can adjust the grind while grinding, and don't have to worry about weighing. Nice!
@spoutnic19 Can we get an update on the grinder? Heavily considering the purchase… How has it been performing so far?
@@kieranhutton9718 Hey! :)
It's been more than a month and I don't regret my purchase. There is some good and bad points, but overall it's mostly positive.
On the up side and probably the best feature, I really like how easy it is to adjust the grind size without changing the quantity of coffee you want to use. You want a finer grind but keep exactly 17.6g for that double shot you like so much? No problem! Sticky beans in the hopper? No problem! Always 17.6g. It just work!
Another good point is that the grinder is not too loud, well at least not loud enough to wake-up the whole house. Some cheaper Eureka will do better in that manner for a much lower price, but that's not the main focus of that grinder.
On the downside and my biggest frustration is that sometime the grinder is unable to calibrate the load cell when I put my portafilter on the fork for no apparent reason. When this append, the FH error pop on the screen and the damn thing refuse to grind anything. Remove the portafilter, then back on, then off, then power toggle, nothing work... Until it does... I don't know why!
Another thing I don't like about this grinder is that you can't really use it without a dosing funnel. The coffee get expelled from the burr at a way too high angle. No matter how I set my portafilter (Rocket 58mm), there was always some spill. Using the funnel that came with the grinder solved this issue, but it's another thing I need to take care of.
I hope that help! Feel free to ask if there's anything else. :)
Considering the time savings, its hard to believe that you can get a home grinder with this high accuracy. Tough to beat
We bought our Italian made Libra about two months ago. I’m sure that the funnel came with the machine. A small, but exquisite detail was the etched Florence “Fleur de lis” on the funnel , as was all the details on what my wife and I are calling “ our Ferrari coffee grinder “
This machine was a little expensive, but we are so happy with the perfect performance every time , THE HIGH QUALITY SHINES . We can’t understand why your wife has ANY problem with using this machine, as we can’t imagine a more user-friendly, one-step machine that delivers perfect results every time.
Lol, I just wanted to be honest with the review. I love this grinder, but my wife had issues. But I guess she just wasn't used to using funnels. I totally agree with you, it's a wonderful grinder, and the integrated scale is sooo nice to have! Cheers!
Tom, you are very good at what you do. Great content.
Hi Tom, i found your videos a few days ago when i was searching for some reviews on home grinders, i just want to say thank you so much for making good, clear, informative and easy to understand videos, it helped me a lot. Good luck.
Awesome, thank you for your feedback!
I really like my Libra, been using it for about 10 months now. Exact same experience as you, except I never managed a result with a dosing cup. Funnel use is mandatory. Found better results to not get the FH by not pressing down on the arms when inserting the portafilter.
Thanks for sharing! I quite enjoy using it, too!
Thanks for putting together such a great test of the Libra grinder.
Professional & clearly spoken as well as expressed.
Glad you liked it! Thanks for the feedback!
"Special li tah" love it...Never a hard watch,I always watch hard thanks Tom
Thank you sir!
This is the exact video I was looking for. I have a breville at the moment and wanted to make sure I can use that portafilter while I figure out which upgrade espresso machine I want to purchase
Glad I could help! Cheers!
Great follow up Tom on your original review of the Libra. I just ordered one a few hrs ago to replace an old 12 year old Breville Smart grinder pro (In combo with Breville Dual Boiler). Glad I made the right choice.
Interesting comment about the cheaper funnel with the inner lip. I have one, it was replaced by the supplier after one I bought with an outer lip was out of spec and too loose. I have no problem tamping and extracting with my old 12 year old Breville. Keep up the good work mate!
Neal
Thanks for the feedback, Neal. I think you're going to like this sick grinder. Cheers!
I didn’t know about this grinder but thanks for previewing it.. it’s now on my buy list as well
This video answers so many of my questions. Thank you
You betcha!
To me after using the 270 wi , grinding by weight is the way to go They are very actress every time.... That's why i am thinking about the libra....
Love watching your channel mate. Great to relax and improve my skills or find out about mods / new products!
Glad to hear it! Happy coffee drinking!
I would really like a libra. I have aCrono currently that I have put the espresso burgers into. I have to say the results have been very nice.
I owned the Libra for a couple weeks and so desperately wanted it to work out. When it grinds it does fine, but endless “FH” (portafilter height) errors persisted despite adjustments to the fork. You can see some of these in the video - even if you consistently use the same portafilter these errors will happen.
As you can see on the video, it also has a tendency to “walk” all over the counter on its own due to the repeated start/stops to adjust the dosage.
I went back to my Specialita and returned the Libra.
Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. Grinders with scales are a little touchy. Works great for me, but sometimes my wife has issues.
Hallo Tom, wieder mal ein tolles Video. Bin ja eher bei einem Single Doser aber meine Frau hätte gerne eine Maschine mit Bohnenbehälter und integrierter Dosierwaage. Finde die Libra sehr interessant, vor allem andere GBW Maschinen kosten das dreifache. Gerne Update deiner Langzeiterfahrung. Viele Grüße aus Frankfurt
Ich finde die Muehle immer noch sehr geil. Ich tue aber auch nicht oft Singledosen. Das ist mir irgendwann zu aufwendig. Nur wenn ich zwischen verschiedene Zubereitungsmethoden oder Bohnen wechsele, mache ich Singledosing. Gruss!
I think to buy it as my first grinder for espresso. What do you think about it? Is this worth this money?
The portafilter fork works best if you add some door seal on the top part. It will make the fit much better and no issues of falling portafilter
Thanks, but what do you mean by door seal?
@@syl1085 try google door frame seal. Check the pictures.
I have the Facile setup as a single-doser with an aftermarket bellows, works great but I like to make dark roast first thing in the morning as a latte, then switch to a lighter roast into the early afternoon for more speciality type roasts. The Mignon's aren't easy for switching beans and returning to the same position. Thinking of getting a Libre and just loading the hopper with the dark roast and being able to let it grind by weight while I get the milk out and make the whole process faster, then don't have to change the dial for the afternoon specialty stuff. Only thing is that it's kind of a bummer to not use the better burrs on the Libra vs. the Facile, but may end up passing down the Facile to someone else starting out and get a 64mm singler doser for that role.
Well, the burrs are similar, 55mm vs 50mm though. If you're going to single dose, the integrated scale might be superfluous though, as you'll weigh your beans ahead of time...
Is it suitable to use two different portafilters (regular one and bottomless, which weigh different)? Will it tare each one correctly and weigh the coffee accurately? Thank you in advance.
Yes it will. Just know that you'll have to adjust the PF holder to the depth of each PF.
I have been using the 270 wi for years now, it always seems to work very well but is obviously noisy, if i upgrade to the Libra would the coffee taste different in a good way.... I really think grinding by weight is much better and it's very consistent and saves a lot of time....
Amazing content! Spot on english!
Excellent .
I’m looking at either the libra or specialita. The scale factor is big for me, since I often flip between pour-over grind and espresso throughout the day. I use a catch cup, so a little concerned you had those issues.
Look, for me, if I’m buying a Libra, the scale has to be worth it. I’ve read many reviews suggesting the scale is out, malfunctions, and so on. I’d be really annoyed if that were the case.
Well, it's a wonderful grinder, and works well for portafilters of all types, as shown here. But it's not really been designed to use with any catch cup. I think Eureka is making a catch cup though, to pair with this grinder. I might have seen something in a Host Milano video. Cheers!
Hi Tom thanks for the great demo! Could you confirm the fitment of the smaller funnel on the breville portafilter? The smaller Libra-specific dosing funnel is labeled as 53mm…with the Breville being 54mm did you have any fitment issues not shown in the video?
No, the funnel fits fine on the Breville. Cheers!
Did you find issues sometimes it gives the FH error with portafilters?
Does it keep counter space clean from grinds ?
love your review!
It's a nice and quiet, clean grinder. I only get FH errors if the forks are not set up correctly for the portafilter. I find it works great. Cheers!
Great video Tom. Would you choose this over Mignon XL or another similar grinder (say DF64 or X54)
Yes, of those mentioned, I'd take this one. It helps the workflow and makes excellent grinds. DF64 is good if you want to single dose, but I don't single dose all that often.
Thank you for video 👍 any idea if it will work with 49mm portafilter of the Cremina please? Thank you 🙏
Ob boy, maybe. You'd need a wide spouted funnel for that.
nice video! How easy/user-friendly is it to adjust the desired end result (i.e. weight of the ground coffee)?
Oh, very easy. Just choose the weight on the screen.
Nice video! Can you explain why grinding into different portafilters had different output of grams of coffee? Aren't they just catching what the grinder spits out?
No, they output the same. 16 grams +/- 0.2 grams. That's the tolerance of the grinder. In actuality, it is almost always 0.1-0.2 grams low, regardless of the PF.
Why do you think the portafilter size is making a difference vs the grinder tolerance variation being about .2grams flux? All it does is weigh the portafilter, zero out and grind. Btw, 19-21grams has been a sweet spot for my pulls. I use the Minion, but its older model without weighing. The adjustment is hit or miss, but nice step-less.
The PF has nothing to do with the results. I think it just stops 0.2g early. You could set it for 16.2 grams for example, if you want 16.0 grams. It's quite consistent.
Interesting. So what method does it use to measure the amount of grind in the PF?@@TomsCoffeeCorner
Would you recommend this grinder for a small coffee shop?
@@yasserjalilyujavalle7755 Depending on your throughput, heck yeah!
to be honest, i dont know why you bothered testing using the Timemore scale as is its not accute as a acaia scale... ive brought many of the timemore scales and they of always off by .1/.2g even using the 100g mass. Please use a better scale for these test and always double check the scale calibration using a mass
While you're right that I didn't check the exact accuracy of the scale, this test is more to see which different portafilters will fit in the Libra, since that was my main problem with the 270wi. But yes, maybe I'll go for the Acacia soon.
is the funnel to avoid spilling or to get the right weight for the system?
(reducing noise and mess on the counter are both important secondary factors for me)
The scale automatically tares each time, so the funnel is not for that. I think its for getting the portafilter seated well in the cradle, and also to reduce spilling.
Hey Tom, I had the same issue with my Specialita (17gr in about 16 sec grinding instead of about 10). There were some faulty burr sets during some period. There's a topic on homebarista forum somewhere. I replaced the burrs with new ones and now it grinds much faster. I don't know if there's a difference in quality.
Thanks for the tip! I will probably have to do that...
Tom, which funnel you use that fits into Lelit 57mm portafilter?
I use the 58mm funnel from Lelit. It works fine. Cheers!
Would you recommend the libra for other (coarser) brew methods too? e.g., French press / cold drip
I think the Mignon line excels at espresso, due to the nice clumpless, fluffy grinds. But sure, you can use it for other brew methods too. My boss uses a Specialita as his daily driver for pour over. I tend to stick to espresso myself, because that's my favorite. Cheers!
So practically speaking, you can just put 16,1 or 16,2 i.e. And it will do the exact 16,0 you want right?
Yessir!
do you get any less on table with funnels on? I get that with the Vario
This grinder is clean - no issues with stray grounds for the most part.
Which one do you recommend between the turbo and the libra? There are much difference between The 65mm and the 55mm burrs for home spresso?
For me there's no difference, just speed. I'd prefer the convenience of the built in scale on the Libra. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thanks so much for The answer,
Do you know if a blink shaker would fit?
Can you measure the maximum opening to fit a cup.
Thanks!
My blind shaker doesn't fit, unfortunately. Max opening is about 65mm. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCornerthank you for verifying that!
Sorry I'm new to coffee, I wanna to ask if I were to get. Will any of you recommend this over niche zero duo
Depends on pricing and preference. I know in Australia Niche is twice the price which automatically turns me away.
The Mignons are hopper based unlike the Niches but can obviously still be used in a single dosing manner.
There’s heaps of good options for grinders (Mignons, DF83 v2, etc), but let value for money in your region be mostly your guide.
I much prefer the ergonomics of a hoppered grinder to a single doser. Cheers!
Can you get super fine, clump free grind with the libra?
Yes you can!
Will the stock 54mm bambino plus portafilter sit on the libra's mount/rest okay?
Yes, but you should use the 54mm dosing ring from Eureka for a good solid fit.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I can't seem to find the funnel you used anywhere to buy in the EU, there's an info page on Eurekas site about the 54mm one but I can't find anywhere to purchase it, can you add a link here or in the desc?
Scoring low Wife acceptance factor is a tough one 😂😂😂
And don't forget! you can calibrate it with your scale...
Could anyone give me some coffee bean recommendation? I just bought my first machine de longhi stilosa and ordered a king grinder and bottomless portafilter. I have no experience with this but am enjoying learning. I mostly drink cappuccinos for now.
Depends on your country. Try a local roaster if you can find one. They can also give you advice, and they should have the freshest product.
👍👍👍👍👍
Nice but they have to change the useless outdated monitor.
If it’s almost always .1 short then couldn’t you just increase your dose by .1 and hit exactly what you want every time?
Yes, that's true. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thank you! I love your videos!
Libra looks like it would pass my wife test moreso than say the Oro. Personally the Oro speaks more to me but this seems easier for my wife to just click the button and go with a "close enough" shot.
Yes and no. My wife doesn't like it, because she cannot get the PF placed correctly for the scale. I can without issue. So I guess your mileage may vary. She loves the Specialita though.
To me the margin of error doesnt seem good enough for the extra money over the specialita. 0.1-0.2gr is basically the same as the Specialita
I think it can be calibrated, it not directly you can do it in your head. At least for this video it was mostly consistently .01 low, then I think twice was .02 so actually if it were calibrated to drop it .01g it would have been dead on about 4/6 times. Also since it's going by weight vs. time, if you change beans or grind size you don't have to recalibrate anything to get the same weight output.
@@noControl556 I understand. I'm just saying it's not worth an extra 400$