KafaTek - Monolith Conical (MC6)

My suggestion is to stick with a conical. You’re already familiar with the niche. Truly endgame, there is only one option and that’s Kafatek. The burrs are arguably the best, everything else just is the best and it’s not even close. The machining utilizes the lowest tolerances in the industry. Nothing is pressed metal, everything is machined… every single piece of metal is machined. The Japanese made DC motors Dennis uses have a duty life that will greatly exceed your lifetime. The motors are also ambiguous in the industrial automation space… why does that matter? Well, even if Dennis decides to stop making his glorious grinders or maybe the motor goes bad in 30 years, you’ll be able to easily get one. If it’s used in industrial automation, it will be available for 100+ years from the manufacturer. Get the MC6.

Seconded. I have the MC6 and like the OP am a medium- medium dark roast milk drinks guy. MC6 is an incredible grinder.

I have two - I have a Kafatek MC6 for espresso and a DF83V with SSP MP burrs for soup and filter

MC6, I have it.

The main goal for grinders is uniformity in grind size. The cheap ones don't deliver this. They have very large and very small and everything in between. This results in a less than perfect cup. I've spent thousands on grinders starting with ultra cheap to one grinder that cost 3k. My advice would be to get a decent grinder before anything else. Right now I have a Fellow Ode for filter / pour over and a Kafetek Monolith for espresso.

I’ve owned the Key MK2, Kafatek, and Niche Zero (and many more flat burr grinders). I’m sticking with the Niche Zero. For me personally, it’s the best grinder for medium to dark roasts. You won’t get the most complex flavor notes, but you’ll enjoy a rich, chocolatey, nutty, and syrupy-thick espresso. It’s honestly the best and easiest conical burr grinder to use even for other people in the household. Also, this grinder is truly high-quality. With the Key and Kafatek, you must shake, because they produce a lot of fines in the grind and I don’t like to shake my grinds.

Believe me, you won’t experience a big change in flavors if you switch to the Key of Kafatek.