DF Grinders - DF54 V3 All-Purpose Single Dose Coffee Grinder

First thing, before anyone else says anything. Get a good grinder. Preferably an electric one, will be easy for you in the long term. DF54 is a good option, according to me (that is the cheapest). I doubt you want to roast coffee beans by yourself--that's a whole different ballgame. Better to get roasted beans from some good vendors. The rest depends on what kind of brews you plan to do? Some additional information would be helpful. French Press, V60, Espresso, Pour-over, Moka etc.? The equipment you need would depend on what kind of brew you want to make. If you're not sure, you can visit some good cafes near you (preferably small, indie types rather than something like Starbucks), and try different brews to see what you like. That will give you an idea about the kind of brew (and the beans) you can start with. You can also watch videos by coffee connoisseurs like James Hoffman, Lance Hedrick, Coffee Chronicles (underrated acc. to me) on YT to know more about coffee brewing! Hope it helps on your coffee journey.

There you go! You will need an espresso machine with a decent steaming wand. Lot of budget options--and some you can make it work for you with some workaround. Depends on your budget--I use a DeLonghi ECP33.21--extremely budget option, got it for around 10k, but it makes nice espressos with some temp-surfing. And with the wand workaround, it gives good microfoam for lattes. If you do not want the hassle of temp-surfing you can look at espresso machines with PID controller (technical term for a temperature controller--allows the espresso machine to set a temperature and hold it while brewing). The cheapest I've come across for that are the HiBrew models (Chinese), available through Fix Coffee. If you want non-Chinese machines, the cheapest with PID controller would be the Lelit Anna with PID (there's a non PID model as well)--available through Something's Brewing and Coffee.plus. The only issue is that it uses a non-standard portafilter size (57mm) so finding third-party accessories for it would be a pain. If you want to go with standard 58mm portafilter options, then you're looking at a whole lot of options like Lelit, Breville, Rancilio, Profitec (all brands, multiple models with each brand, with different feature set). Then there are tampers, WDT tools, portafilters, milk frothing jugs, and not to mention the most important thing--the beans themselves. It's a crazy world out there. My suggestion would be look at some James Hoffman and Lance Hedrick videos (and some from Tom's Coffee Corner, if you don't want to get too technical). Here's some links to start with: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb3IxAr4RCo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb3IxAr4RCo) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUc3lvF8mHM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUc3lvF8mHM) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwyNCbaQx0M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwyNCbaQx0M) Please note that these are baristas and specialists and some of their equipment would be quite fancy and expensive. But there are cheaper options available, and while expensive equipment can make good coffee, so can the cheaper ones (as these specialists themselves point out repeatedly). So don't be afraid to take the plunge if it seems too complex--it's a crazy, super crazy, but wonderfully rewarding hobby, especially if you enjoy coffee and the process of making it--nail down things one at a time, and you should be good to go.

I got it for around 27k from Fix Coffee. I think there's a discount code for first order (WELCOME10). With that, you can get it for around 26k. [https://fixcoffee.shop/products/df54-54mm-flat-burr-coffee-grinder](https://fixcoffee.shop/products/df54-54mm-flat-burr-coffee-grinder) If that's a bit steep, you can look at manual grinders. I would recommend 1ZPresso X-Ultra at the minimum: [https://fixcoffee.shop/products/1zpresso-x-ultra-manual-coffee-grinder](https://fixcoffee.shop/products/1zpresso-x-ultra-manual-coffee-grinder) Any electric grinders below DF54 are not good, I believe--and as most reviews will tell you. There's the Baratza Encore ESP. But that has mixed reviews. Any grinder you get, you want to make sure that you get one that is for Espresso (Espresso requires a finer grind than most other types of brews, and more importantly, the ability to finely adjust the grind size to get a good brew). P.S. - Not shilling for Fix Coffee here 😂 - but I've purchased a manual and electric grinder (DF54) from them--they were the cheapest, and provided good buying experience.

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.

We have a gaggia classic pro, df54 grinder for espresso and a moccamaster and baratza encore for brew coffee or French press. We are new but have been pulling nice shots with the Gaggia and df54, making espresso, cappuccino, lattes and incredible iced espresso drinks This setup should be close to your budget and fill your needs

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.