I have Mignon Specialita and it's OK, but if I had the knowledge that I have now when I bought my first grinder, I'd buy DF64. Now I'm eyeing a DF83V as an upgrade, but I'm currently out of money...
The things that piss me off the most are:
\- Freaking small adjustment wheel. You only touch it and the grind size difference is huge. (can be modded if you have 3d printer)
\- Has dumb burr size. They have their specific diameter and specific hole spacing so you can't buy different burrs then form Eureka.
\- Struggles with lighter roasts (my burrs are almost touching almost every time I try to dial in any light roast)
\- kinda high retention if you don't tilt your grinder with 3d printed base and don't slap it few times after grinding.
I’d go with a single dose grinder and both of you get beans you love. If they’re going to go stale before you get through the bag, go ahead and dial a shot in, put doses in the freezer and remember or write down the grinder setting that worked for you. In my house that looks like the super light coffees I enjoy in little glass cork top vials weighed out to 19g and either my mom’s or dad’s coffee (they live in my guest suite) in a set of vials with a different colored top so they know they’re theirs.
I’d go DF83v because if you do some studying you can see how different RPMs will lead to awesome results for both of you, even with different tastes.
It’ll seem like a lot of work at the start, I know, but after a few weeks it’ll be absolutely second nature and you’ll both be so damn happy with your individual coffees.
Not to bring 'doom and gloom', but from my experience with my wedding registry: unless you know someone who both A) really likes specialty coffee and B) is planning on dropping a few hundred on a gift, I wouldn't expect anyone to get it for you since most people either think of a 'coffee grinder' as a $5 blade grinder or as a useless appliance since you can just buy a tin of Folgers. I had much better luck getting my 'specialty items' using a general purpose fund on Amazon and used the registry more for 'boring' home items like towels, tables, etc. Again, not saying it's a bad thing to put on the registry (I think Amazon will even give you a discount on items that don't get bought), but unless you specifically know someone who will buy it, I wouldn't rely on getting it through the registry.
As for 'endgame' grinder, I'm planning on a 'budget endgame' DF83V that I'll upgrade/swap the burrs on as I want more. For my use case/requirements, I think most options over $800 are where diminishing returns start to happen
If you can afford it, the DF83V is a beast!
Also, the MHW 3-Bomber F74 Navigator would be in you budget and punches above its weight imo, almost on par with a Mazzer Philos for over 1k.
arw_86
