Well, for me at least....

I first saw this grinder by Elektra, called the Nina, last year at the SCAA show, and this year, they brought the updated version, and it looks even better than before. Here's what I like about this grinder

- specially developed conical burr blades - these are custom made for this grinder, not off the shelf.
- incredibly quiet. You have to stand next to it to believe it.
- incredibly fast. A double dose takes about 4-5 seconds, start to finish.
- Two patents - one for the system inside the grinder that leaves an unbelievable 0.1-0.5 grams of ground coffee left inside between uses, and the other patent is for the swing arm tamper / portafilter holder design.

And what's new this year is the best news. They've upgraded the holding plate for the portafilter so it's now adjustable and usable with almost any commercial portafilter. In the past, it would only work with Elektra portafilters. And the other new development is that they have two versions of this electronic, auto dosing grinder - the tiny stepped version (for grind fineness settings), and a new stepless version with their own unique stepless grinder selection.

This is a kick ass grinder. And it's the official grinder of the 2008 Australian National Barista Championship. Elektra wasn't even invited to submit a grinder for the WBC Certification, which is a shame. This one would have kicked butt. Here's some photo love of this $2,100 wunderkind that grinds great, wastes no coffee, and works fast and quietly.