This is the Weber Workshops EG-1 v3 and it cost me $4,730.66 after shipping, tax, and import fees to the United States. Well, closer to $4,360 if you take out the Moonraker and paper filter dock.
Now I’m sure you have a lot of questions about this machine and I’m hoping to be able to answer them all either in this article or in the (future) full review. But first, you’re probably wondering, why did I buy this?
I’ve been reviewing coffee equipment for a few years now, and there’s always been this air of mystery surrounding the Weber Workshop grinders.
Mainly because a) they’re incredibly expensive machines and b) there simply aren’t a lot of reviews out there covering grinders of this caliber - because of point A.
Personally, I’ve been eyeing this grinder ever since I first had a chance to handle one at SCA expo Boston back in 2022. As someone who appreciates good design and engineering, the EG-1 has always been that holy grail of attention to detail whilst bringing an incredibly enjoyable workflow and of course, taste in the cup.
When you’re in the market for a grinder in this price range, there are really just a handful of options that I’ve seen out there, not including commercial machines.
2 of those options include either a Weber Workshops grinder or an Option O.
I took into consideration 2 main factors before making a purchasing decision. First, what kind of coffee do I enjoy? And second, how much of the coffee brewing process matters to me?
So first, after almost 4 years now into this hobby, I’ve learned that personally, I enjoy a light roast cup of coffee for filter brews with a good level of clarity, not too harsh acidity, and generally a richer more textural experience with the mouthfeel.
For espresso, I like a more traditional syrupy style shot, especially blended with milk since I am enjoying something like a cortado or flat white, 90% of the time.
The 80mm core burrs on the EG-1 may be better suited for my preferences in this case.
And second, I love a slow coffee routine with a very hands-on experience. It’s largely why I’ve kept this Profitec Pro 800 on my coffee bar more often than not, because the lever is just such a fun and enjoyable way to brew coffee.
The EG-1 supports that narrative with all the little unnecessary yet enjoyable gadgets and bits that it comes with.
Aesthetically, this grinder looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. It’s got a telescope or microscope like design, with dials, magnets, and buttons here and there.
Similarly, I moved from shooting on Sony to Fujifilm for this more analog and tactile experience.
The P100 in my opinion is not the best looking grinder. It’s got a very sleek and minimal design language but it doesn’t feel like, at least from the exterior, that a lot of attention to detail has gone into the design. Not saying it hasn’t, as I’m sure there has been. It’s just not my personal cup of tea, or uh coffee.
So that’s why I bought this machine.
So what’s the actual buying process and unboxing experience like of a $4,000 espresso grinder?
UNBOXING
This grinder took about 11 days to get me with an entire week excruciatingly stuck in customs, and for a grinder of this caliber and price, the unboxing experience was pretty anti-climatic, if I’m being honest.
The grinder arrived in what I’d call a very average level of packaging. Housed in foam cut to size which is then inserted into a cardboard box slapped with a Weber sticker.
Now, I’m not expecting something like the Decent machine suitcase or this recent manual lever espresso machine briefcase I saw, but I really do wish it had something a little more exciting about the unboxing.
Maybe even a crate like an Option O grinder would’ve been kinda cool.
Taking it out of the box, the first thing you notice about the grinder is it is huge and heavy. Setting it up was pretty straightforward following the online guide, and from there, things are ready to go.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This has been on my bar for nearly a month now at the time of recording. I have been using this single grinder for both filter and espresso for the most part, and the stepped adjustments have actually made this easy to do so. But more testing will be needed before I can make any definitive statements there.
First impressions with this machine are, it’s big. It’s roughly the height of the Profitec Pro 800 and has a very wide footprint. The telescopic shape makes it appear to use more volume than it actually does.
The quality of the components here are all really nice, as expected. But, there are a few very minor nitpicks that I’ve already noticed that I’ll talk about more in the full review after I have more time with this grinder, but overall, it’s solid.
The magnetic collar and components, while all very nice, are harder than you’d anticipate to remove the components until you really get a feel for it and aren’t nervous about scratching it.
And in case you’re wondering, I will have a separate dedicated review of the Moonraker as well.
WORKFLOW
Using a grinder like this has been very enjoyable. I’ve got a handful of reels now over on my Instagram page that showcase the steps in my espresso puck preparation, including some using my new sunglasses that can capture that POV footage. Thanks Zuck.
I have noticed that using the magic tumbler while preparing espresso for a crowd is a little slow and can get a little annoying while you stand here in the corner making coffee whilst constantly sounding like you’re ringing a bell.
QUALITY
Coffee wise - I have had just about 0 complaints. Again, I’ll talk more about this in the full review, but my brews have been striking that perfect middle of juicy, sweet, rich texture yet high in clarity and my espressos have really had their flavor notes highlighted, even in my primarily milk based drink consumption.
I’m really excited to delve more into this grinder and run all sorts of coffees and brewing methods through it.
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