DF Grinders - DF64V

I have 4. A C40 and a Zp6 for pour over (one stays at work). And a DF64V and a niche zero for espresso. Got the Df64V to try flat burrs for espresso so might sell the niche but tempted to keep it for dark roasts.

Df64 gen 2 or ode 1/2 with the right burrs can be a very capable choice…same can be said for an 064 or any other decent 64 platform. For hand grinders it has to be zp6 or pietro I would imagine. Pietro would be out of the budget range but either could be found used also.

Great 64mm flat burr grinding platform for its price and is built like a tank. It's well-liked in this forum.

It is the internet, with a global reach. Many of the subs and forums get dominated by people who need to tell why they are right and you are wrong. Having owned a DF64 and found it to be one of the loudest, most unreliable grinders backed with no customer service, I have had in 40 years, I would say well done you dodged a bullet. Anything by Option O gets my vote (I have a P64 now, owned a Mini and tested a Casa and P100). The cheaper Eurekas I like as hopper fed grinders, but not single dose (the adjustment is not consistent). Niche Zero (I have one) is bombproof, quiet and lovely adjustment. However, more of a traditional darker to medium roast grinder. A used Mazzer SJ or Mini would be bombproof and a good find.

I’ve had my DF64 Gen 2 for about a year and a half now and I absolutely love it if that helps! I think it’s a great value because it’s good out of the box but also really easy to upgrade being a 64mm flat burr grinder

My first machines were the Breville bambino and the baratza encore esp I upgraded my grinder after 9 months maybe because it broke down on me 3 times I got the df64 gen 2 grinder and still use my bambino so it’s definitely worth it. Bambino is still going strong but I would recommend getting the df64 gen 2 grinder because it’s great haven’t had any issues with it.

DF64V (stock DLC burrs) for when I’m lazy; J-Max for normal espresso; ZP6 for pour overs

The obvious answer would be the DF64v, the DF64's slimmer and prettier sister. I'm not in love with the wooden block for the catch cup to sit on, it's weird that they didn't stick with the tried and true forks, but it's undeniably a lot closer to the sleek elegance of the lagom P64. The other 64mm flat option but in a different form factor would be the timemore sculptor 064S. Quite a good looking machine imo, by all accounts very good, although a bit more of a pain than most to gain access to the burr chamber.

I have a Timemore C2, 1Zpresso K-MAX, DF64 gen 2 and for Christmas just got a Fellow Ode Gen 2. After hand grinding for 4 years; the Ode has been such a welcomed addition to my setup. I LOVE it. It's honestly such a joy to use. I use the DF64 strictly for espresso, I didn't want to faff around between espresso grind/filter grind and purging loads of beans each time. It can do filter quite nicely, but wasn't worth the faff when the KMax was giving me the results I wanted. The only real negative with the Ode is that if you're spritzing your beans, sometimes they can get stuck to the walls in the hopper. But I 3D printed a hopper with steeper walls and that's solved this. \*subjective\* As for taste, the Ode gen 2 is producing some of the cups I've ever had. A noticeable improvement in clarity and flavour separation in naturals. TL;DR - Ode Gen 2 still good - highly recommend.

Ode gives me cleaner, sweeter cups with better flavour separation and clarity. However the DF64 *can* be "brighter" and has put some "spark" into a few dull coffees, though it also brings a little astringency. The DF64 reminds me of a really good conical burr hand grinder. It gives me VERY similar results to my Kmax. Again though, these are just my findings and my personal opinion :)

The answer is absolutely yes, and the best recommendation will depend so much on what kind of beans you like, what kind of drinks you like, and your budget. But if it were me, these would be my top choices for a two-in-one (I do both pourover and espresso, but I lean towards pourover these days): If you're willing to hand grind, 1zpresso K-Ultra or Comandante would be outstanding. Kingrinder K6 on a budget. A lot of people find this tedious but it's actually my preferred method and I swear by my 1zpressos. You won't beat a hand grinder for price to quality, and you'll save space. For electric, Lagom Mini would be fantastic and space saving, or a Lagom Casa. Timemore 078s for a slightly higher budget. If you want to blow your budget, you've got TONS of options. Lagom P64, Zerno Z1, WPM ZP-1, Acaia Orbit, Lagom O1...we could go on. The DF grinders are an option I guess...Excellent bang for your buck but I personally do not like them or recommend them at all (I have a DF64 Gen 2 and...let's just say it's gonna be gone soon).

A lot, but for this specific post, two things: 1) If he switches from filter to espresso often (which I do), the grind setting will shift a little each time (ie if you go from 10 to 50 back to 10, the 10 won't behave like 10). This is because the rubber feet and flimsy wave spring that hold the upper burr are bad design with loose tolerances and too much room for inconsistency in the amount of tension they apply. The grinder works best if you lock the burr tightly in place to seat it, then adjust back and stay at or near the same setting. 2) I don't think it's a good filter grinder. I got it as an upgrade (with DLC and SSP Lab Sweet v3 burrs) and it's just strictly worse than my hand grinders for filter.

Yeah the DF54 and DF64 are espresso grinders first and foremost. My hand grinders smoke my DF64 Gen 2 for filter.