What to buy?

Damian

I'm looking for a grinder to pair up with a Using with a Decent DE1+ machine
Use - Mostly single-dose use, 1 to 4 shots per day (mostly 2 at separate moring times)

Some considerations
Budget range $500 - $1500 or so
My space (460mm tall )has overhead cupboards, size is a consideration but definitely not a deal breaker
Quality of grind or end taste and consistency are priorities, no good having a DE1+ and crap grinds
Low retention is definitely a consideration

Some machines I've considered
Baratza Sette 270Wi
Niche Zero
Decent
ECM S64/Profitec T64

I would love your suggestions, thoughts, etc....

Brett_H

Damian wrote:

I'm looking for a grinder to pair up with a Using with a Decent DE1+ machine Use - Mostly single-dose use, 1 to 4 shots per day (mostly 2 at separate moring times) Some considerations Budget range $500 - $1500 or so My space (460mm tall )has overhead cupboards, size is a consideration but definitely not a deal breaker Quality of grind or end taste and consistency are priorities, no good having a DE1+ and crap grinds Low retention is definitely a consideration Some machines I've considered Baratza Sette 270Wi Niche Zero Decent ECM S64/Profitec T64 I would love your suggestions, thoughts, etc....

Hey there and welcome! I'd be interested in a review of the Decent. A video would be awesome also. I have to say, of the grinders you've listed my choice would be the Baratza because it's a bit fancy like your machine!! Interested to see what others think.

Koffee_Kosmo

My personal opinion is The largest conical grinder you can afford KK

Brett_H

Here's a thought.... as the DE1 needs grind consistency to do it's thing perhaps KK's suggestion isn't as crazy as somebody with a 460mm clearance thinks. There is no way on God's green earth a Robur at 730mm will fit but what about a K10 with a reduced hopper?? I've one of these also and it's superb. With the big conicals to get best effect you really must modify them by removing the auto-stop and cleaning up thee chute with a Dremel for grind retention-busting. It's really gut-wrenching to buy a beautiful new unit then have to hack it immediately out of the box but that's the price. You'll pay a bit more than 1500 but unlike your machine you've got your grinder for life if you get the right one. The only thing they need is the very occasional new burr-set, switch or start-capacitor and they're good for the next 10 years.

Brett_H

P.s. what's your location? If you're in Brisbane I can show you the K10 with reduced hopper and Robur. Ask KK just how busy I am but I get the occasional 10 minutes here and there.

Damian

Thanks for the replies. I'm in Mudgee NSW Brett, thanks for the offer, bit far. In my head, I know KK is probably right and I may keep an eye out for a used opportunity, even if just for peace of mind, try for myself. However, I took up an offering of new Sette 270WI at a good price. I figure it will do for the next couple months and then serve as a reasonable back up. I also decided to get Niche Zero which will be at least a couple months away. Although it's not yet proven, everything about it suits, single-dose, 63mm conical burrs, easy fit in space, no retention, etc... Just hoping it performs, time will tell, early indications have been positive.

Koffee_Kosmo

Damian You are in luck I have my BNZ MD74 available and comes with a spare set of burrs It’s a good as a Robur - but takes less space Tomorrow I will measure the height and report back Edit HWD - 630mm x 200mm x 310mm based on the BNZ web site KK

Simon

Damian wrote:

Thanks for the replies. I'm in Mudgee NSW Brett, thanks for the offer, bit far. In my head, I know KK is probably right and I may keep an eye out for a used opportunity, even if just for peace of mind, try for myself. However, I took up an offering of new Sette 270WI at a good price. I figure it will do for the next couple months and then serve as a reasonable back up. I also decided to get Niche Zero which will be at least a couple months away. Although it's not yet proven, everything about it suits, single-dose, 63mm conical burrs, easy fit in space, no retention, etc... Just hoping it performs, time will tell, early indications have been positive.

Interested to see how you find the Sette 270Wi mate, have had my eye on this for awhile and possibly my next grinder.. has had some great reviews so far, am just concerned about durability moreso.

Brett_H

I too was headed for the Sette before lashing out and grabbing a Robur on special. I love the idea of a smaller grinder so keep us in the loop guys especially in regards to the Niche!!! If it live up to it's promise it will be a.... prepare for bluster... category killer 😃 :doh:

Simon

Brett H wrote:

I too was headed for the Sette before lashing out and grabbing a Robur on special. I love the idea of a smaller grinder so keep us in the loop guys especially in regards to the Niche!!! If it live up to it's promise it will be a.... prepare for bluster... category killer 😃 :doh:

Haha category killer, gotta be good 😃. Yeah for sure will update all as to how I find it if I end up getting one

K_Bean_Coffee

Nice short list Damien. If you’re looking for great value and great performance the Sette is really hard to beat. If you’re looking for great value, great performance and durability with quiet grinding as a bonus take a look at the Eureka Mignon Silenzio. This unit has really impressed me. So many choices it’s really tough. Good luck 🙂 Paul

LeroyC

Congrats on making the most sensible choice Damian, and the one I would’ve suggested - Sette for now, Niche Zero for later. Neither have been around long enough to really prove themselves, but for single dosing they are the only way to go really. By all accounts the Sette is a touch on the noisy side and a little messy if you grind straight into the portafilter as there’s no room for a funnel, but very easy to use, very consistent and has low retention. Grind quality is about what you’d expect for a $600 grinder. The Niche Zero is getting glowing reviews from its first 1000 or so owners. I’m sure we’ll hear of a few issues down the track, but hopefully they’re just minor niggles. It’s certainly one I’m considering, but I’ll wait until it’s been around for a couple of years before pulling the trigger. I look forward to hearing what you think of each grinder. PS. For the love of god don’t ever buy a Robur for home use if you want to single dose. Grind quality is amazing, but retention is extreme. I actually wouldn’t recommend Roburs for home use at all unless you are prepared to mod it heavily as mentioned above.

buzzramsey

Hi I normally don’t reply much on forums - I think I was a member here a long time back but couldn’t remember my details so joined again.... sometimes it annoys people if someone joins up then posts right away. Anyway... I wanted to post because I have a de1+ and used to use it with a sette but just upgraded to the niche when it arrived a couple of weeks ago. The sette was good, it had the benefit of being easy and accurate. It was loud as everyone says and it was a bit messy. The de1+ is awesome and I wouldn’t go back to any of my old machines, (la Pavoni, bes920, brugnetti aurora Hx lever) the feedback is great you can see graphically what’s going. It’s small, quick heating and there is a so many options. With the sette it was a pain to dial in, it was always in between settings. That’s ok if you stick with a profile once dialed but if you change profile it’s wasteful. There was always a big difference between profiles and the grind you need. Also it was difficult to avoid dead spots in the basket. I think it was because you grind into the basket - I could do it into the container but it was a phaf and messy. Overall, the sette was fine, but for a machine like the de1+ its sort of the minimum. Output is very drinkable but you can see that there is plenty of room for improvement. The niche, I got to say is great! I don’t have the beach space for a large grinder, I wanted a smaller one and as the only coffee drinker in the house I would struggle to get a monolith past the ministry of finance. I got the niche for gbp 350 and for that it was a steal. Dead spots are gone in the baskets, heaps Less mess, good grind quality visually and much improved on the graphs too. But for me, the best part is it’s far simpler to dial in. There is still variation in coffees but between profiles it’s far less noticeable and much more predictable. I think the de1+ will only get better with next firmware update as it will fix a few niggles and tame the pump vibrations which will make flow profiling easier to achieve. I tried it with the sette but it was too hard to dial in and I wasting heaps of coffee. I think it will be much better with the niche and the new software. Goodluck! I would post a picture but I can’t work our how. You know what the lot look like. Cheers buzz

Brett_H

Terrific first post Buzzramsey!!! Thank you for sharing your insight and experience. Those Niche do look good... It's a shame they don't do a silver or even stainless model. Maybe something they'll do in the future.