Patented precision, award-winning design, and some issues value noting.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Featured picture courtesy of LIGRE

What to know:

• After placing the LIGRE Youn espresso machine to the take a look at, we experiment with the LIGRE Siji espresso grinder
• The grinder options 55mm flat metal burrs and a patented grind-by-weight system correct to 0.1 grams, in addition to an automatic, sensor-driven hands-free system

A grinder is never the romantic buy in a house espresso setup. That position belongs to the machine. However spend sufficient time pulling pictures and it turns into clear that the grinder is the place many of the actual work occurs—and the place many of the variance lives. 

The LIGRE Siji arrives with a case for being taken significantly by itself phrases: 55mm flat metal burrs, a patented grind-by-weight system correct to 0.1 grams, stepless micrometric adjustment, touchless grinding, and a design that gained the iF Design Award in 2024 and German Design Award Gold in 2025. 

It’s constructed as a companion to the LIGRE Youn espresso machine, and the 2 collectively kind some of the thought of house espresso methods at present obtainable. Examined primarily alongside the Youn—and briefly with a handbook espresso machine at house—here’s what prolonged use really revealed.

First Impressions: Quiet Authority

The Siji is compact relative to what it affords: 140mm vast, 224mm deep, 345mm tall, and 6.7 kilograms. The entrance panel is strong anodized aluminium, satin-finished, and uninterrupted aside from a touchscreen show that makes use of the identical clear design language because the Youn. Positioned aspect by aspect, the 2 machines kind a unified 600mm width with a 3mm hole—clearly designed to sit down collectively on a typical kitchen counter and appear like a single thought of system somewhat than two separate purchases.

The construct feels appropriately severe. Nothing flexes, nothing rattles, and the bean hopper lid closes with a satisfying seal—a sealing lip retains beans more energizing for longer and protects them from the motor’s waste warmth. The grinder additionally notifies you on the show when the hopper is empty and stops mechanically to guard the burrs.

The Expertise: Grind by Weight, Contact to Begin

The Siji’s standout characteristic is its patented grind-by-weight system. Insert the portafilter and the built-in scale zeros itself mechanically. Wait a second, and grinding begins with out urgent something—the touchless grind perform reads the portafilter’s presence and begins the method. The size constantly measures the burden of floor espresso within the portafilter, and predictive software program accounts for the espresso nonetheless within the air between the chute and the basket, stopping on the proper second to hit the preset dose. 

LIGRE claims accuracy to 0.1 grams, verified in stress testing with KUKA robotics over 50,000 repetitions. In on a regular basis use, the consistency is genuinely spectacular. Two preset doses (single and double espresso) are saved on the show and adjustable to a tenth of a gram. The stepless micrometric adjustment wheel is easy and exact, and the portafilter holder angle is adjustable by way of a patented eccentric mechanism on the rear wall.

One factor value flagging for specialty-minded customers: the Siji is a hopper-fed grinder with a 250g bean capability, and there’s no devoted single-dosing mode. Many house baristas working with specialty espresso grind solely what they want from a sealed bag to protect freshness and keep away from stale retention between classes. You need to use the Siji this manner, however the workflow isn’t optimised for it—the hopper and chute geometry are designed round a full or partial hopper somewhat than drop-in single dosing. For a grinder at this worth level, that may be a significant omission for a sure sort of person.

In Use

On medium and medium-dark roasts the Siji consists and dependable. Doses land constantly, the grind distribution is even, and the ensuing pictures—pulled on each the Youn and a handbook espresso machine—had been clear and repeatable. The 320W motor runs at 1,350rpm and is notably quiet; the sound design is likely one of the extra genuinely nice features of day by day use.

A notice on burr geometry for individuals who need it: the 55mm flat burrs produce a distribution that, whereas constant, tends towards the bimodal finish—extra fines than you’ll count on from a bigger flat burr grinder on this worth bracket, corresponding to a 64mm choice. For medium and darkish roasts that is largely a non-issue. 

For top-clarity mild roasts the place fines administration instantly impacts cup high quality, it’s a related attribute to grasp getting into. Mixed with the motor working at 1,350rpm—on the sooner aspect for specialty-focused espresso grinders, the place warmth buildup can have an effect on unstable aromatics in delicate beans—the Siji’s ceiling with complicated mild roasts is decrease than its spec sheet may recommend.

At finer grind settings required for lighter, extra acidic roasts, the Siji often hesitated—pausing mid-grind earlier than persevering with, or requiring a recalibration. It is a identified attribute acknowledged within the handbook with troubleshooting steerage. I encountered it often somewhat than constantly, however it’s value figuring out about if mild roasts are central to your workflow.

Upkeep

Retention is underneath 4 grams, although stale retained grounds from a earlier session can have an effect on the primary shot of the day with extra delicate beans—a brief purge dose is value making a behavior. LIGRE recommends servicing each 300kg via their customer support, and sells a proprietary grinder cleaner for normal burr upkeep. The absence of a detachable grounds tray is a recurring inconvenience—mud collects within the decrease space and desires vacuuming or wiping after classes.

Closing Ideas

The LIGRE Siji is a precision espresso grinder with a slim, well-defined transient: dose precisely, grind quietly, look thought of, and combine seamlessly with the Youn. On these phrases it largely succeeds. The grind-by-weight system is genuinely spectacular in day by day use, the touchless begin is extra handy than it sounds, and the construct high quality justifies the premium supplies declare with out a lot argument.

The reservations are actual however particular. For a specialty-focused person working primarily with mild roasts, single dosing from rotating baggage, and chasing excessive readability within the cup, the Siji asks for some compromise—in workflow, in burr geometry, and on the edges of its grind vary. For somebody constructing across the Youn on medium and medium-dark roasts, these compromises are unlikely to floor in day by day use, and the system works superbly collectively.

If you’re pairing it with a unique machine or working primarily with difficult mild roasts, it’s value auditioning alternate options at an identical worth level earlier than committing. However because the supposed companion to the Youn, the Siji makes a coherent and succesful case for itself—particularly if design issues as a lot to you as what leads to the cup. The LIGRE Siji is on the market on the LIGRE web site.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior on-line correspondent for Barista Journal and a contract copywriter and editor with a major concentrate on the espresso area of interest. She has additionally been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, offering content material to assist educate folks about baristas and their work.

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