When I started this website, I said I won’t do reviews, and now, I am doing a review. But I am doing a review on the Wilfa Svart Coffee Grinder. Well, it’s probably not going to be a very well structured review, I just want to get my thoughts into a post because I recently bought it.

So the Wilfa Svart is an electric coffee grinding machine with a conical steel burr grinder intended for domestic use. It’s well-built with a DC motor that moves at a slower speed to ensure coffee beans don’t overheat. It’s powerful and compact and performs to a high standard compared to other coffee grinders in the same category. But because of the quality of this machine and the result it produces, it’s a bit pricier.

So let me break down all the good and bad things about the WIlfa Svart.

An ideal coffee grinder for filter coffee

As a domestic coffee grinding machine, I think the Wilfa Svart is ideal for filter coffee. Whether you are using a pour-over V60, French Press, Aeropress, or even a Moccamaster, the end result is you get evenly ground coffee to make a delicious brew with. That’s what attracted me to the Wilfa as I wanted a reliable coffee grinder to brew with different manual brewers.

The Wilfa’s grind setting is categorized into 5 settings (Steep, French Press, Filter, Aeropress, and Moka). The grind setting is quite varied between coarse and medium-fine so you have plenty of options for a filter coffee. As with anything with coffee, it takes time to adjust to find the right grind setting for your brewer of choice. But I think the Wilfa is relatively easy to use and actually enjoyable.

To add, I have read reviews and seen videos the Wilfa Svart it’s not really suitable for espresso coffee. I would have guessed that from the finest grind setting only going down to a Moka Pot recommendation. But as I don’t have an espresso machine, I can’t really comment. However, I will say I have used the fine grind setting for the Moka Pot and made milk-based drinks and it’s led to tasty beverages.

Powerful, quick and not too noisy

The impressive thing about the Wilfa Svart is in its performance, specifically how quickly it grinds coffee. If you are brewing a cup worth of coffee, say between 14 to 16 grams then it takes a matter of seconds. Even with more coffee grounds, it does not feel like it takes long at all. It honestly feels really powerful every time I use it.

There is also a timer function where you can adjust how long you want the grinder to be on for. The purpose is for dose management but I don’t care for it as I will be weighing my coffee beans before every brew. The hopper also has a UV filter that protects the coffee from the sunlight. Again, it’s not useful to me as I won’t be storing my beans in the hopper. However, the timer is helpful for when I can put the machine on and walk away knowing it will turn off. That means there won’t be an annoying noise in the background when I also trying to make some toast or something.

Talking about the noise, it’s not too bad. When you initially turn it on, it does start with a bit of unexpected in your face sound. But that noise mellows out straight away. Then when the coffee is all grounded, the noise where the burr grind is just running is pretty quiet. That is a nice welcome because my last coffee grinder actually got louder. I don’t feel as bad using it in the morning when the kids are sleeping.

But somethings are really annoying…

I already like the Wilfa Svart, maybe even love it. But, it’s annoying. Like a little sister annoying. The Wilfa Svart has some traits which make my life harder when making coffee. One of the things that I do not like is the plastic basket (UV Filter again – do they not know the UK does not get much sun) where the coffee goes into when its ground. Firstly, the plastic basket does not feel very solid compared to the rest of the machine. It’s very light and feels so fragile that I can break it with my bare hands. I am so scared to drop this thing because I don’t have any hopes it won’t get damaged.

Secondly, the basket is a rather awkward shape. Initially it was quite difficult to pour the ground coffee into any brewer. If you don’t do it slowly or use a spoon then you are likely to make a mess. My previous coffee grinding machine was easier to get ground coffee out from and that was half the price. I would have just preferred if a better thought process went into this. Now I must add, as of writing, I have got used to pouring the ground the coffee out but it still feels like it’s a challenge.

There are few more issues but these are more nitpicks and don’t really bother me but might bother others. I would have preferred if the grind settings were categorized by Coarse to Fine rather than by a recommended brewer. I just don’t like the setting is described by the brewer you are using. The Filter Brew setting is way to coarse for normal pour-over. Also, when you have set the hopper to the grind size you want and turn it on, the hopper actually moves slightly and I have had to hold it for a brief period. I don’t know if the movement will impact the end result but still annoying.

Also, you will need an adapter as this is a 2-pin plug. It’s not a criticism of the product at all just letting people know as I only have one adapter for the Wilfa Svart and my electric toothbrush.

Is it worth it…

In terms of price, the Wilfa Svart sits in a grey area for me. In the Speciality Coffee world where hand grinders are worth more then £200, then Wilfa Svart is cheap in that sense. But for the consumer who may not be invested in making specialty coffee at home then it’s hard to justify them buying it. However, if you have just gone into brewing coffee at home and want to experience a better quality of coffee then purchasing the Wilfa Svart will be a great choice. I went through a hand grinder and then Delonghi KB79 but knowing what I know now, I would have happily bought the Wilfa Svart first because it is has the quality to show.

The Wilfa Svart is priced variably online. I got it just under the £100 mark (on Crema, website here) with International Shipping so it was a steal for me. However, I have seen it near £200, i.e. Amazon (no link, it’s too expensive on there) but I would have probably paid up to £125 for it.

For me this coffee grinder is worth buying if you are intending to use it for filter coffee. It just fits so nicely in my kitchen and I think it looks good enough to fit into any home. Yes, there are the niggles that are annoying but it doesn’t greatly impact the end result which is good ground coffee. Ultimately, this is the standard for a coffee grinder when you are brewing with specialty coffee at home.

Conclusion

So that’s my review, hopefully, it was actually helpful enough to help you to make a decision if you should buy the Wilfa Svart. I could have compared it to other coffee grinders but I think the Wilfa Svart and along with the Baratza Encore sits in its own category where it’s a step up in quality from the cheaper domestic coffee grinders that are widely available. The result would have been obvious. I also did not want to rate it because this is more of a recommendation but…8.5/10.

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