KIt is often said that coffee grinders are more important than the espresso machines themselves. This is of course an exaggeration. Behind this exaggeration is a well-intentioned warning. Anyone who spends a lot of money on an espresso machine should not skimp on the grinder. Some manufacturers therefore offer both at the same time, including Zuriga as of recently. The Swiss have developed their own coffee grinder so that the E2 and E2-S espresso machines have a partner befitting their status.
The G2 shares the same minimalist design concept as the machines: chromed steel with walnut and glass elements, the surface broken only by a few buttons and inscriptions. Because there’s more to twist and turn on a grinder than on a machine, the design of the G2 isn’t quite as consistent and minimalist as that of the E2. But standing side by side, both devices form a harmonious unit.
The G2 is a grinder with a disc grinder. Such devices can be found in most cafes, but often also in the kitchens of ambitious espresso makers. Nevertheless, there are still mills with a conical grinder. Anyone who has a fully automatic coffee machine at home will always listen to a conical grinder crushing beans. In addition to its compact design, the conical variant has two other advantages. Firstly, components heat up less because they rotate more slowly. Secondly, a conical grinder has no dead space because the material to be ground is completely loosened and falls down. In the case of mills with a disc grinder, there is always a residue that is thrown out the next time you use it. That’s why the Baratza Sette 270 has been our favorite so far. Zuriga has managed to reduce the amount of residual flour in the dead space to at least 1.5 grams.
In the test
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Zuriga G2
The possible heat generation from grinders only becomes a problem when a dozen visitors show up at once and all want espresso. Then the steel discs can heat up and the beans can get warm, which is frowned upon by professionals. Zuriga is trying to reduce heat build-up for another reason. Heat can affect the arrangement and behavior of the components in the mill – albeit minimally. Then the mill might no longer work precisely. The developers have therefore decoupled the two discs from each other so that the heat generated on the rotating disc is transferred to other components as little as possible.
As in many other mills, the upper disc of the G2 does not move while the lower one rotates – in this case at 1200 rpm. In contrast to the competition, the upper disc is also fixed when the degree of grinding is adjusted. Normally, a coarser grind is achieved by moving the top disk away to create more space between the disks. In the G2, the differential spacing is controlled by moving the lower ones up and down.
No lump formation
The G2 grinds the beans like Swiss clockwork. The ground material falls into the sieve without lumps and forms a uniform mountain. This is by no means standard. We’ve had a few grinders, such as the Eureka Mignon, in trial operation, which kept leaving small lumps in the sieve during the grinding process – which is not dramatic if you dissolve them. Zuriga prevents lumps from forming with a kind of flap that sits where the flour leaves the discs and makes its way down the chute.
The G2 offers a classic timer so that users can always obtain the same amount of flour for one or two cups. This presupposes that the desired quantity is determined beforehand by weighing and that the type of beans is the same. As an empirical guideline, if the beans are not roasted too darkly, one elapsed second corresponds to about one gram of flour spent. The G2 displays the elapsing time on a nifty display consisting of 65 tiny LEDs located behind the surface. As an alternative to the timer, the timeless variant can be selected using a small rotary switch. The mill then grinds until you press the reference switch a second time.
Quiet and precise
In daily use, the G2 shows how precise and easy to use it is. As soon as the beans are filled into the 250 gram glass container with a walnut lid, you quickly get closer to the right degree of grinding and the right amount. The scale for setting the degree of grinding is clear, in contrast to some other grinders it can really be adjusted steplessly, nothing snaps into place while turning. The G2 grinds fairly quietly, making even less noise than the Mahlkönig X54 we tried last year. Since changing the degree of grinding affects the amount of flour, it must be adjusted accordingly. That too is well done. If you press the rotary switch once, the time shown on the display can be increased or decreased by turning it left or right up to a tenth of a second.
Products from Switzerland have their price. Since Zuriga already charges 1680 euros for its E2-S espresso machine, it was clear that the G2 would not be in the lower price segment. At 890 euros, it is not in the upper range either. There are mills that move beyond 1000 euros. Anyone who already owns the E2-S will not be able to avoid the G2, as both form an unbeatable optical duo. But if you make your espresso with a product from the competition, you should also take a look at the Zuriga grinder. It impresses with high-quality workmanship, fine materials, precise technology, style and compact dimensions. The G2 can be seen in Germany in the recently opened Zuriga Store in Munich.