Femobook - A4Z Electric Coffee Grinder

Got the A4z for grinding for pourover; or more precisely right now with technovorm mochamaster (spelling?) It grinds enough for 10 cup coffee maker, and coarse enough to use. It is small and very heavy-comes with travel case. It takes about 3 minutes to compltely cycle through a grind when full. The grind seems uniform. I believe it has a feature that breaks beans apart before actually grinding them; so maybe that is why it is slower. Must be careful not to fill to brim with beans, otherwise the brush that rotates to keep the bottom of grind area clean will fall off in grind cup every time- I am surprised I have not brewed with this small piece lost in ground beans, and then even worse thrown brewed beans in garbage, along with brush.Just do not overfill, or make sure tiny little magnetically attached brush still there. One thing this grinder seems to do better than my ode gen 2 with stock burrs, is it produces much less coffee fines; so filter does not get clogged with fines; and has more uniform grind.

I’m quite enjoying a Femobook A4Z for drip and pour over. 

fwiw, everyone who buys the A4Z seems to love it. I got mine about 6 weeks ago and have essentially given up on my plan of eventually buying a multi-thousand dollar giant flat burr grinder for pourover. The coffee coming out of this thing is everything I've ever wanted from a grinder.

Used one at SCA Expo, it’s pretty legit. Iirc Femobook and 1zpresso are related in some way

Femobook A5 or A4Z depending on how much clarity you want. Lagom Casa would also be another option

No. The conical burrs in the A4Z are better than the 78mm flat ghost burrs in the 078.

I do have some expensive grinders - but I don’t necessarily think you need to spend a lot to get good results. I would take an A4Z every time over the 078, and it’s considerably less expensive, smaller, better built and a superior workflow. I’ve heard other folks online like the coffee chronicler and others mention they also much prefer the A4Z’s cups to the 078, but I have yet to hear the other way around. Not saying it can’t/wouldn’t happen - because there are bound to be folks that prefer the more subdued 078 profile, but I haven’t heard it yet. I will say the 078 has a very interesting and unique mouthfeel - so it does have something different going for it with the turbo burrs - but I just don’t like the cups from it, and I don’t particularly like using it either.

Use specialized coffee water and upgrade your grinder and the combo will be a night and day difference. You do not need to spend $1k, or even $800 on an 078 to get amazing results. A $500 Femobook A4Z or a $260 Millab M01 hand grinder will both outperform an 078 for filter. If you’re not opposed to hand grinding (it isn’t much time or effort) the Millab M01 is the best price to performance ratio on the market right now, knocking the ZP6 from it’s former top spot.

What’s completely laughable is your ignorant and dismissive comment which clearly shows you haven’t done your research. This [Q grader](https://coffeechronicler.com/femobook-a4z-a5-review/) in his review posted AFTER my original review and comments about the 078 vs A4Z as well as multiple other industry professionals and Q graders who I have physically stood next to and tasted multiple beans with (A4Z vs 078) side by side have all agreed with this conclusion. I also own these two grinders as I type - the A4Z and 078, pic posted below, and have meaningful time with both platforms across a wide array of different coffee’s. The A4Z provides a clearer, more vibrant, more dynamic cup - period. The A4Z’s performance in cup in terms of flavor separation, clarity and acidity is closer to a big 98mm or 102mm (like the Lagom 01 behind it) than it is to the 078. These are qualities that typically require larger, more powerful and expensive equipment - ergo “better” so if it can perform like larger and far more expensive products and do so in a way that is closer to these more expensive grinders than the 078 can - it is objectively better by definition. Identical story on the M01, which I also own and have done back to back tests with others (actually yesterday with the M01). Now - will everyone like the A4Z cup more? No. Some people want softer, more muted and less intense cups. I in no way said anyone would prefer one over the other - I merely stated these less expensive options will outperform the 078 and many higher end flat burr grinders. Technology has changed this space greatly - and there are flat burrs that taste more conical like than most conicals and visa vera - it’s no longer black and white, now that there are tight tolerance ultra low RPM conicals. The whole BS confirmation bias of the most expensive gear always being the best, and the thought/presumption that to get the best cup of coffee, you need to spend thousands on a large and expensive Titan grinder is absolute rubbish. I own multiple “Titan grinders” and have two more being custom made for me, not because they make objectively better coffee, but because I appreciate the engineering effort, enjoy vaporizing a 15 gram dose of beans in 2 seconds and generally find these big tools entertaining to use. It puts a smile on my face and keeps me having fun in this hobby - but I absolutely don’t suggest others buy expensive grinders for “better cups of coffee” - because they just aren’t. Most of the popular YouTubers will essentially say the same thing, despite their profession being hyping up gear. Grinders at the A4Z and up level are really more about personal preference, workflow, engineering excellence and emotion than they are about “being better” or feeling like you’re missing something in cup, because you aren’t. My entire point in my message above was you don’t need to spend $1k to get a good grinder. You don’t even need to spend $500. The 078 is a nice grinder - and it’s likely to stay on my counter as a dedicated funky co-ferment grinder when the two additional big boys I am waiting on show up later this year. It’s been hyped up for a few years now, and despite its issues - it’s still solid, but if you have a cup from the 078 then follow it up with a cup of the same bean from the A4Z, it’s like someone turned the lights up in a dimly lit room. https://preview.redd.it/ydmmf96jfanf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cce492bbaaf2064e24650e31f989c7d1a08ca8fc

So first off, I would take an M01 over a Pietro ANY day. It’s not worth the effort for me to sell my Pietro - but if anyone in my coffee club is looking to buy one and we’re going to the same meetup - it’s gone. Same to be said with my ZP6 and K Ultra. The M01 isn’t going anywhere. Second - I did cancel my pre order and wrote the M01 off, however some of the folks in my coffee club who own quite a few high end grinders, all had incredible praise for the M01 and the pineapple burrs. The list of grinders they felt the M01’s profile bested was a laundry list of heavy hitters. Given how reasonable they were with the discount and no tariff - it was a no brainer to give it a whirl.

About a half dozen people bought off my review have been trading DM’s with me and they’ve all been really happy with its performance as well. The only caveat I’d toss out there is that the auto stop feature on mine seems to be buggy from time to time and it stops grinding too early when there are still beans in it. I contacted Ply at Rogue Wave about it and sent him a video - it’s the first time they’ve ever seen that and are working with Femobook on next steps. I’ll update ya’ll on the fix/resolution - but I still like the grinder, and based on it seemingly being a one off issue, would still recommend the grinder. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - since the A4Z exists - the only reason to buy an 078 is if you do batch brews and need to grind more than 35 grams in the catch cup each time. The A4Z is the best pour over grinder I’ve used under ~$2,500. This is an amazing feat for such a small, battery powered grinder - being compared against big 78mm flat burr grinders with specialized filter burrs. The fact that this reviewer is also saying it’s as good or better than 64mm SSP brew burr setups say a lot. To go a level up beyond that into 80mm, 98mm or 102mm requires spending multiple thousands of dollars. The 078 is dead. Long live the A4Z. Per my original review on the A4Z - I’d select it 10/10 times over a Pietro as well. For the same money you get a MUCH better workflow, an electric motor, more consistency, finer adjustments, better build quality and more pronounced tasting notes.

I think it’s a fair point - and the fact that the coated Pietro burrs will easily last multiple lifetimes worth of home grinding use. The big difference though is having to operate the Pietro isn’t pleasant, and that annoyance adds up BIG time. That combined with the cups (for me) being less tasty on average (some beans the Pietro gets the nod) - the Femobook is a much better package. You buy a hand grinder to get better burrs/quality in cup for less $. If you can get as good or BETTER quality in cup for the same $ with an electric grinder - then the value prop of the hand grinder all but evaporates - especially given the fact that Pietro is incredibly large/heavy for a hand grinder so there’s no major size or travel benefit, which is typically the case between electric and manual grinders. As I said in my initial review - there’s a compelling use case to have both a Pietro and an A4Z - they offer different enough profiles that both are immensely enjoyable to own/have.

Been using my A4Z the last few days traveling - it’s a kicks ass grinder. I also enjoy hand grinding - but not with the Pietro. For the light roast coffee I drink, it’s a pain to use, and I prefer cleaner cups. https://preview.redd.it/isvdjfex7yyf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7a95fdcbba6ac025aaeeacdc77337b6e8c5c87e

If that’s your goal - the Femobook A4Z gets you that ease of grinding (electric) and cool factor, and is cheaper than the 078.

I also have a zp6 and while I love that there is now an electric version but I don’t think it gets a huge audience. For filter it’s not really a problem to grind by hand it’s really fast and not much effort. So unless you really want an electric grinder then the price for the upgrade is quite steep. I can totally see the value for an espresso / alround forward grinder of them

Sounds like my experience too! Had an Ode 2 and didn’t love it. Now have an a4z for single dose and a Wolf’s Uniform if I ever want batch…

I actually have the A4Z! And I agree it seems to have totally flown under the radar considering how much love there is for the ZP6. I bought it directly from Femobook at the Taiwan coffee show last November. I had never heard of them before, but when I stumbled across their booth and checked out the machines I thought it would be worth taking a gamble. They are really well made and super easy to take apart and clean.  I have a K Max from 1Zpresso as well. But I never did get a ZP6 so I don’t have a true basis to compare.  However, I do prefer using the A4Z over my K-Max. Both for the workflow and the final result in the cup. Anyway, I’ve been quite pleased with it. They seem like a cool company and I hope they’re successful. 

I agree it seems redundant if you have the ZP6 already. I was sort of holding out for 1Zpresso to make a ZP6 with a magnetic catch cup when I found the Femobook. I think my next grinder will have to be something with flat burrs and probably an order of magnitude more expensive than the A4Z. As far as capacity, i think 22-23g of beans about fills it up, depending on the bean and the grind. It would be nice for it to be a little bigger. Also the knocker would be nice. I use RDT and the blower and I get pretty low retention, on par with my K-Max (also using RDT).

The A4Z definitely isn't as portable as a hand grinder, but its actually not too bad. It comes with a nice travel case and, more importantly, it is actually battery powered and rechargeable (with a user replaceable li-ion batter). So you can pull it out of the case and grind even when camping. Its about the size of 2.5 K-Max travel cases side by side. I can upload a picture later if anyone is interested.

After owning the ZP6 for a few years I picked up an A4Z recently. The size and portability made it pretty attractive. So far it's performing well, maybe even better than the ZP6? It is difficult to compare though because the A4Z has more granular adjustments so you can't really calibrate and set them to the same setting. Also, I bought an electric screw driver (Fanttik S1) awhile back that I found fits perfectly on the ZP6. Definitely higher RPMs than the A4Z but effectively makes the ZP6 electric. A good option if you already own the ZP6 and are just annoyed with hand grinding all the time.

Femobook A4 is on sale for ~£200 (literally double your budget, I know), but you’ll never need another grinder. Slow rotation conical burrs, zero retention, no mucking about with bellows to blow coffee out or anything. Tiny footprint. Extremely well made. Portable when you need it to be. Femobook is a sister company of 1Zpresso. I moved from a huge Ditting 804 with 83mm flat unimodal burrs and was shocked by by how much I preferred the cups from the Femobook. Crazy good taste for the price point.

I have the A68 (larger version of the same burrs in the A4) but the A4 is essentially an automatic K-Ultra/Comandante and the cups from those hand grinders are absolutely fantastic. The A4Z burrs are nearly identical to the burrs in the 1ZPresso ZP6 which I own. I find the cups extremely clear, papery, and thin (similar profile to the competition burrs in my Ditting). Very unforgiving when you don’t want every single cup of coffee to be that transparent like you’re in a brewing competition. The trick to making hand grinders shine is a steady, slow pace (~50rpm), maintaining consistent RPM (which can be hard) and the Femobook solves that problem. I initially became curious about Femobook after going back to using my Comandante after years of using a Ditting with competition burrs in it and being very taken aback by how sweet the Comandante tasted with the same beans. It was quite hard to find a nice conical automatic that matched the slow speed of a hand grinder so I was happy to find Femobook.

As one of those folks who you traded DMs with and pulled the trigger on an A4Z as well as being a prior owner of a ZP6, I can say that I'm thrilled to have purchased the A4Z. The workflow, the grinder performance, and most importantly, the cups produced are at least a step above the ZP6, if not multiple steps. I definitely sense more complexity, more body in the cups from A4Z compared to the ZP6. Shoutout to u/Impossible_Cow_9178 for all of the help he's provided to so many via his thoughtful reviews and openness to engaging folks who have questions!

As one of those folks who you traded DMs with and pulled the trigger on an A4Z as well as being a prior owner of a ZP6, I can say that I'm thrilled to have purchased the A4Z. The workflow, the grinder performance, and most importantly, the cups produced are at least a step above the ZP6, if not multiple steps. I definitely sense more complexity, more body in the cups from A4Z compared to the ZP6. Shoutout to u/Impossible_Cow_9178 for all of the help he's provided to so many via his thoughtful reviews and openness to engaging folks who have questions!

I would say that the A4Z has more body and complexity compared to the Zp6 but still maintains high clarity. If you’re looking for something more balanced like the K Ultra, something like the Comandante c40 or lagom casa (I personally haven’t tried this grinder but have heard good things) might be some other options to consider in addition to K Ultra. I used to have the K plus (similar to k ultra) but found it skewed more acid forward than the C40. I love my A4Z though and would highly recommend to anyone searching for an electric, clarity focused grinder.

I love the A4Z too….for 2 months…I also come from the “Ode gen.2” and a “Zpresso ZP 6s”. The A4Z tops them both! It is so cool in the workflow and can compete with 2-3 thousand dollar grinders in terms of taste in the cup. It's just NOT one Electric ZP6, but has a larger full-bodied body, very nice sweetness and all the flavors come across well. No comparison to the ZP6 and the Ode 2. I've drunk pour over from many different mills, but none come close to the A4Z. I LOVE YOU!!!

Hello, I've had an A4Z for 2 weeks and I have to say, I'm really excited about the "Mühlchen". I come from an “Ode gen.2” and a “ZP6 special”. Sold both and I don't regret it. The A4Z has a much better flavor profile than the ZP6. More nuances and body with lightly roasted coffee. The workflow is unique and great for trading. This mill runs like there is no tomorrow, despite the small motor. The €490 is well invested. Even though she has only ground around 1 kg of coffee, the taste has been just great since the first cup (Kenya). Of course, it also depends on the type of brewing. I'll get back to you when I've put 5 kg of coffee through the grinder. Because it hasn't been ground or seasoned yet. For everyone from the EU! I got it with free shipping from tanat.coffee in France.

I’m going to assume you are talking electric grinders as opposed to manual hand grinders. In case you aren’t aware, there is a whole world of hand grinders out there, and you can get a hand grinder that will equal or exceed the quality of coffee from an electric grinder, for less money. But with a MoccaMaster, brewing full pots, hand grinding could get tedious. Do y’all drink light, medium, or dark roast? Dark roast, I’d probably recommend a conical burr grinder. Light to medium roast, probably a flat burr grinder. But there are exceptions - There are some conical burr grinders out there that do very well with light to medium roast beans. Encore is a basic (but good quality) conical burr grinder, with a couple of advantages - Excellent customer service, and also with thousands of these out there, it’s very easy to research grind settings. It’s about $150 on Amazon. You would not need the ESP version if not brewing espresso. Fellow Ode is also a good option. It has 64mm flat burrs, and the Gen 2 is on sale for $320 right now through either Fellow or Amazon. I’ve owned the Gen 1 version for a couple of years and just recently installed Gen 2 burrs in it. The fact that it uses 64mm burrs is a big plus - If y’all get real serious about coffee and/or decide to get into manual brewing like pourover and/or Aeropress, etc., there are many different aftermarket 64mm burr sets available. Another compelling (but unconventional) recommendation would be one of the rechargeable offerings from Femobook. These are remarkable grinders, essentially, rechargeable, electrified versions of 1Zpresso grinders like the ZP6. One charge lasts a long, long time. Like, weeks, at least. And then you don’t have to deal with a cord. The lack of clutter on the counter and ability to just put it easily in the cabinet when not in use, or travel with it easily, is attractive. These grinders have really captured my imagination lately, especially the A4Z version. Might be worth a look - they’re cool. The reviews I’ve read here have been just raving about how good they are. There are so many grinders out there! I’m sure other people would have good recommendations as well.

I have Femobook A4z since 10 days. It is better than the ZP6 I own since 5 months. It is better than the Timemore 078, which I also have since 5 months. If I knew about Femobook earlier, I wouldn’t buy Timemore 078. Anyway the one is for home (Timemore) and the other at my workplace. It is the best grinder for pour over I have ever had. Acidity, separation, body, juiciness, aftertaste. I am not missing anything with it.

Femobook A4Z is fantastic! I purchased it 10 days ago and I am impressed of the quality of the cups I get. Its burrs are very similar to ZP6 but it produces better opening of the taste notes, the acidity, separation, body, aftertaste are perfectly balanced.

Have seen femobook for cafe level service. Quite quiet solid, developed by the same people as 1zp as well.

Having used the A4Z and motorized ZP6, they are quite similar, hard to tell from blind. While the burrs themselves are different, I think a lot of the gain is due to consistent grinding and low RPM. Hand is jerky and can go too fast at times creating more heat damage or inconsistencies. I think the ability to feed slower also helps. At any rate, I don't really trust my calibration to coffee chronicler. I evaluated the millab m01 (pineapple) vs pietro and zp6 side by side and really enjoyed the m01 more than I was expecting.

I prefer the Pietro, M01 is the close second. IMO Pietro and M01 have similar peak complexity, but with different presentation. Pietro is more dynamic and juicy, whereas M01 is more laid back and layered. Not saying that Pietro doesn't have layering or M01 can't be juicy, it's more of a relative comparison when tasting side by side blindly. A4z is good if you want motorized, as it's the best bang/$ for motorized grinders.

I think it's very hard to find a grinder that can do filter and espresso well sub $1000. Maybe you can get that with the Lagom Casa - it seems to handle dark and light roast as well as filter and espresso. I haven't used it but it gets high remarks. Even that is over $400 I have a NZ for espresso and Femobook A4z for filter. The A4Z is definitely an end game grinder for filter for me. I love the NZ and despite what others say about light roast I think it does quite well. I don't drink a lot of straight espresso though and prefer my light roasts as pourover. I never thought in a million years that I would spend this much money on grinders, but I love them both.

I upgraded to Ode gen 2 and I hated it. It was so messy and clogged really fast. The cups were good I just hated the workflow. I had 2 separate units so I don't think it was just a bad unit. I ended up going for the Femobook A4Z based on someone's recommendation here and haven't looked back. I absolutely love it. I'm sure the 078 is great it's just such a beast. I wanted something with a smaller footprint.