Cafés face a growing challenge of keeping customers engaged in an ever-expanding beverage market, but could selecting the right grinder be the key to creating the cup of coffee that keeps them coming back for more?
As global beverage trends shift, the traditional hot coffee is being challenged as the go-to caffeinated drink. From bubble teas to matcha lattes to iced signature drinks, Gen Z and Millennials are being drawn away from traditional espresso-based beverages.
For baristas, café owners, and roasters, this shift signals a wake-up call. According to Marco Tesconi, Cimbali Group Grinder Category Manager and Global Business Development Keber Burrs, if coffee is to remain culturally and commercially relevant, the quality of the cup needs to meet the rising expectations of an increasingly selective market.
In an environment where knowledge of coffee quality and attention to various types of coffee-based beverages is growing, Marco says grinding is emerging as a key element in meeting the new needs of consumers – whether they are baristas, restaurateurs, or enthusiasts.
“The grinder is the first point of contact with the beans,” says Marco. “If you don’t get this step right, everything that follows – flavour, aroma, extraction – will fall short. It’s time the grinder got the attention it deserves.”
Espresso culture thrives on precision. Experienced baristas know every variable matters, from water temperature to dose weight. Yet, some cafés still treat the grinder as an afterthought.
“We talk endlessly about espresso machines,” Marco says. “But too often, the grinder is treated as a simple motor that makes things smaller. That’s a missed opportunity.”
What people should care about, according to Marco, is granulometry – the science of particle size and shape. It’s not just how fine or coarse the grind is that matters, but also how uniform those particles are and what shape they take after passing through the burrs. These factors influence how water moves through the coffee bed, how flavours are extracted, and whether the result in the cup is nuanced – or flat and bitter.
“Different burr shapes will produce different particle geometries,” he says. “Some create spherical particles that allow water to flow more easily. Others create flatter, star-like shapes that slow water down and increase extraction. This dramatically changes the cup even when the recipe stays the same.”
Precision grinding
To bring granulometry into the everyday café workflow, Cimbali Group has developed the Casadio Ermes Dual Grinder, which it launched in partnership with Keber Burrs to provide precision, versatility, and intuition for both espresso and filter coffee.
Thanks to its vertical burr design, the Ermes Dual is engineered to deliver a seamless transition between on-demand and single-shot modes, and adapt to different brewing methods with a single touch on the display.
“We started with the burrs, not the motor or the frame,” says Marco.
“Everything was built around the goal of achieving the optimal particle shape and minimising friction. The 75-millimetre flat burrs allow for a more direct ground coffee flow and complete emptying of the grinding chamber.”
At the core of the Ermes Dual is its digital micrometric adjustment system, which displays the exact distance between the burrs in real time to provide precise and repeatable adjustments.
“The grinder also offers five programmable grinding profiles, ideal for cafés with a varied menu, such as single and double espresso, decaf, filter, or special brews. This optimises service times without compromising on quality,” says Marco.
Designed with baristas in mind
Behind the mechanics of the grinder is a user-friendly interface with a full-colour digital display, designed to make the Ermes Dual approachable for new baristas while giving experienced professionals the feedback they need to work with micrometre precision.
Recognising not every café can invest in top-tier equipment, Cimbali Group deliberately priced this model in the mid range.
“We want burr technology to be available to more people,” Marco says. “If quality is only accessible to high-end roasters or big-budget cafés, the industry doesn’t move forward. The Ermes Dual is designed for the everyday café that cares about quality.”
The team at Cimbali Group believe the grinder is not only a great fit for high-end specialty shops but also busy multi-site operations. For café owners trying to build customer loyalty, baristas competing in championships, and roasters seeking to preserve the integrity of their beans, the grinder aims to be the tool that ties it all together.
“People spend 95 per cent of their equipment budget on espresso machines. But without the right grinder, the machine can’t perform. It’s time to change that mindset,” Marco says.
“We can confidently say that every coffee, when ground with this level of care will express its full potential.”
For more information, visit casadio.com and keberburrs.com
This article appears in the October 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
