A numerical methodology which determines the quality (or robustness) of a posteriori error estimators is described. The methodology accounts precisely for the factors which affect the quality of error estimators for finite element solutions of linear elliptic problems, namely, the local geometry of the grid and the structure of the solution. The methodology can be employed to check the robustness of any estimator for the complex grids which are used in engineering computations. Copyright © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd