Option-O Lagom Mini

What it does well

It is tiny. Option-O lists a footprint of 9.5 × 6.5 cm and a weight of 1.5 kg. It called the Mini the most compact electric coffee grinder it knew of, and pitched it as a travel grinder too.

Grind quality impressed CoffeeGeek. Mark Prince found the V60 grind very even, with few fines, and visually close to a Wilfa Uniform. He also rated the espresso grind as excellent.

It is built for single dosing. Option-O claimed retention under 0.1 g and said no purging was needed. The magnetised catch cup centres itself on the base.

The build is high quality. Prince says the tolerances are among the best he has seen, and he praises the "buttery smooth" stepless adjustment. He also found it quiet, both idling and grinding.

Where it falls short

It is slow for espresso. Prince timed 18.5 g at 50 seconds or longer. Option-O's own figure is 45 to 60 seconds at espresso fineness for an 18 g dose.

It has a daily limit. Prince says it is designed for three or four uses a day and should not be expected to handle batch brew. He also found espresso grounds clump a little in the narrow catch cup.

The power supply drew criticism. Writing about the mini 2, Prince calls the original's power brick "an awkward, outlet-hogging annoyance." He adds that the original's motor kept running after the beans were ground.

Some early units stalled on very light roasts. Prince traced this to the power supply rather than the motor, and says it was fixed well over a year before his update.

Who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy one if you brew a single pour-over or AeroPress at a time and want electric convenience in very little space. It also suits someone adding a filter grinder beside an espresso grinder, as Option-O suggested.

Skip it if you make several drinks in a row, brew large batches, or pull espresso often. A shot's worth of beans takes close to a minute.

When buying used, ask which burr set is fitted. Option-O's page listed Obsydian and Moonshine burrs; CoffeeGeek says the Moonshine later became the standard set. CoffeeGeek also says the mini 2's Mizen burrs do not fit the original.

How it compares

For brew-only flat burrs, the Fellow Ode Gen 2 is the electric single-dose grinder still sold new that most filter brewers look at. It takes far more counter space than the Mini.

If you want one single-dose electric that also covers espresso, look at the DF64 Gen 2. DF64 Gen 2 vs Lagom Mini shows both dials across brew methods.

If you are open to a hand grinder, the Comandante C40 MK4 is similar in size and needs no cable. For daily espresso, a Niche Zero is the more practical single-dose choice.

Owning it

There is little routine upkeep. Option-O described the Mini as needing zero or minimal maintenance, and its general guidance is a clean once or twice a year. See how to clean a burr grinder.

Burrs are the main long-term question. Original-fit 48 mm burrs are no longer what Option-O sells new, so check availability before you buy. If you do swap them, see how to replace grinder burrs.

Option-O rated the motor for more than 600 hours of use. Prince works that out to two double shots a day for around 80 years.

The original warranty was one year with lifetime support. Your starting points for each brew method are in the settings chart.