
Espresso grinder up to 500 euros: Lelit Steve reviewed
The Lelit Steve is a dedicated espresso grinder with 64 mm burrs. It is compact (23 cm deep, 14 cm wide, 39 cm high) and weighs 6.5 kg. Its design is distinctive and fits well with white Lelit machines.
🔧 Features & Operation
- Grind adjustment: Stepped (not stepless). Steps are smaller than the predecessor (approx. 5 s brew time change per click), but in testing a single click shifted brew time from 27 s to 18 s – too coarse for precise dialing.
- Display: New, with two programmable doses plus continuous mode. Easy programming via the plus button.
- Portafilter holder: Works with all common portafilters (ECM, Rocket, Arkel, Ascaso, La Marzocco, Lelit Mara), but the holder feels outdated and poorly designed.
- Bean hopper: Holds approx. 300–350 g, not removable – makes cleaning and bean changes very difficult. Four screws must be removed to access the burrs, and the plastic threads can easily strip.
⚙️ Grinding Performance & Precision
- Retention: Temporary 5.2 g, permanent 0.3 g → total 5.5 g. High; single-dosing is nearly impossible (2–2.5 g remain).
- Particle distribution: Main peak at approx. 240 µm (espresso setting), broad distribution with significant fines. Delivers full-bodied, sweet espresso, especially with medium to dark roasts. Light specialty coffees lose some complexity.
- Reproducibility: After returning to the same grind click, the main peak shifted to 267 µm and fines increased by 5 % – the grinder does not return exactly to the same point. Cause: play in the gear transmission and manufacturing tolerances.
- Dosing accuracy: Time-based, but output varies by up to 1 g (e.g., set to 18 g, delivered 18.5–19 g). A scale and manual adjustment are required.
📊 Other Measurements
- Grind speed: Approx. 30 g in about 20 seconds – fast.
- Noise: 82 dB, about 6–7 dB quieter than the predecessor. Pleasant grinding sound.
- Heat: Grounds remain cool enough; no negative taste effects.
🎯 Conclusion & Recommendation
The Lelit Steve can produce solid espresso in everyday use, but has clear weaknesses:
- Pros: Fluffy grounds, good particle distribution for medium/dark roasts, quieter grinding.
- Cons: Coarse grind steps, poor reproducibility, high retention, non-removable hopper, inaccurate dosing.
👉 For €400–500 there are better alternatives (especially single-dosing grinders with higher precision and lower retention). The Steve is best suited for Lelit enthusiasts who are comfortable with manual corrections and primarily use darker roasts. A clear „past wasn‘t all better“ – Lelit‘s grinder development has fallen short of expectations.
„When buying Lelit products, look for a female name – the espresso machines are more convincing than the male-named grinders (Fred, Steve, William).“






