DF Grinders - DF54 (V2)

If I was you I would buy a df 54 and use it for espresso, then use the left over money for a hand grinder for pour over. The biggest thing I see is people frustrated with dialing in their espresso when they last used their grinder for pour over. You can use a drill on most hand grinders.

Because it's sold out maybe buy a hand grinder that can do both and switch back and forth for now. I have what would now be called the time more c3 esp. I bought it as the time more c3 and bought a modified adjustment plate on Ali express which tripples the number of positions to choose from. I will eventually get the df54 but I don't mind grinding for the one drink I have a day. I think the df54 is simply such a good bang for buck that it doesn't make sense to go for something else. But that's just my opinion.

If you can, go for a DF54. The Baratza Encore ESP is a solid grinder, but you already have a fairly similar one in you Barista Express. The DF54 is a Flat Burr grinder which is a bigger upgrade.

Go ahead and spend a little extra for the DF 54.

The DF-54 is around that price and really performs more like a much more expensive grinder IMO. I've had it for 8 months now and have no complaints.

A good hand grinder can work great, but from my own experience if you were trying to grind fine enough for espresso using a hand grinder, you had better have pretty buff arms. I have a DF 54 electric grinder which I do not love, but it gets the job done. I also have an 1zPreso X ultra. I used my hand grinder exactly once to grind for espresso. It took so long and my arm was so tired halfway through that I swore I would never do it again. However, it works great for coarser grinds that I use for drip. And I can take it with me when I travel. So it really depends on how you feel about a higher level of effort to grind for espresso by hand. I have never used the Barraza encore but everyone on here says you need the ESP version to make it functional for espresso. No matter what you choose, you are probably better off shooting for the US $200 and above range to get something decent. Although I’m sure you could find a good hand grinder used or on sale for a bit less than that.

This is what I would do in your position: get a bambino plus and a Varia V6. Here is my logic: I think you would love the Profitec Go (I do), but it will take a bit more time than you have right now to get it heated up and pull a shot. The Go is known for its fast heat-up time, but that’s “fast “ for people who don’t have toddlers. You could use a smart plug to heat it in the morning, but if you leave it on and let it go into Eco mode during the day it will take a couple of minutes to get to temp every time you go back to use it. For me it’s no big deal, but the Bambino will be more immediate. Once your kid(s) is a bit older you might want to upgrade your machine. By then you will have a better idea of exactly what you want. For the grinder I would skip the DF series for two reasons: 1) lack of consistency, and 2) tariffs. Get a grinder right away that you won’t feel the need to upgrade. I have a DF 54 and it is easy to use and pretty quiet, but I’m not happy with the consistency. I’m looking at Lagom Casa or more likely Varia V6, and I am hoping the new grinder I get paired with my Go will be my end game. All the DF machines (and anything labeled Turin or MiiCoffee) are from the same factory in China. The tariff situation is likely to make them much less economical than when I bought mine. Given you already know what you like in terms of espresso taste/quality, I would skip the built-in grinder. You’ll want something that will get you better tasting shots than what you can get with the quality of the built-in.

I got the df54 flat burr for $230. Worlds better then the esp or opus in build quality and looks. Also quiet as hell cause of the flat burrs. I love it so far and hasn’t made a bad espresso. I would go for that if you are looking entry level

Best you can go for is a flat burr grinder. Cheapest option is the DF54 for clarity.

Df 54 does French press, moka pot, and espresso for me. It works great with low retention, and I don't have to rdt. It's also easy to change the adjustment for different beans and brew methods.

I like this list because I bought the number 1 grinder after doing my research on Reddit and online in general. James Hoffmann did a comparison video of the most popular grinders and the only negative thing he said about the DF-54 that I recall was that he personally doesn't like bellows. He said more negative things about the other grinders he compared. Reviews I saw of the DF-64 said it is the loudest electric grinder of all other grinders in the low to mid price range so that makes it less desirable than the DF-54.

Agreed, I think if you stack these up side by side considering value for price you’ll find a nice bell curve with a bias toward the inexpensive. The most bang for your buck is the df-54.