Monolith Conical (MC6)

I have a niche and a monolith conical. Even going to the monolith the cup difference was noticeable but not necessarily better all the time. When the shot on the niche is well dialed, the sweetness is amazing. It doesn’t get much better. The flavor profile is slightly less complex but it’s tough to beat the niche, especially for milk drinks. The monolith definitely brings a slightly more acidic impression(still some sweetness, but brighter) with more depth to the espresso. I’d say the margin for error is a lot greater with the monolith and it’s much more forgiving. But the niche is easy to dial in. If your preference is milk drinks I would stick with the niche. I don’t think a flat burr grinder will give as good results with milk drinks with medium roasted beans. I think the niche really does the best job for what you’re looking for. Happy to answer any questions

Honestly it sounds like the niche is made for you. I think you’ll be extremely happy with it. ** this is coming from a guy that drinks similar style of espresso and had the niche for several years(still do) and upgraded to a monolith conical.. I can say, the niche is an awesome grinder**

Kafatek MC6 if single dosing.

The OP said milk drinks primarily. The SDRM is fantastic for straight shots and great for milk drinks. But the MC6 is better for punching through milk since it highlights some notes in the coffee in a blended way and rounds out the acidity more. The SDRM is predominantly a 80mm flat grinder so it highlights acidity more.

Your grinder is the most important piece in your espresso system. The brewer is the least important. That is, if you are going for the taste and experience. Decide if you want a grinder with a hopper or if you want single dose. The Zerno Z1 or Z2 ($1,500 to $2,500), Kafatek M6 ($2,500), Lagom P80 ($1,800) are just a few very good single dose grinders to consider.

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.

The Kafatek MC6 is great for medium and dark and really good for light roast. The SDRM may be even better at light roast so you should check that out as well. Both are far more interesting to me than the Key.

I use my MC6 for pour over and it’s my favorite pour over grinder. I like body and prioritize it over clarity but it is still really good at highlighting the tasting notes — best of both worlds in my view. The Max is more clarity focused. I have a flat burr grinder as well and prefer it for americanos (it dilutes better to my taste) but for espresso and pour over my favorite grinder of all is the MC6, even for light roast. Everyone’s tastes are different and of course if you can try all of the options, even better. The Kafatek SDRM is also an interesting option for you as it’s designed to work great for everything but it does come at the expense of body in my view.

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

I have 2 grinders - a DF83V with SSP MPs and a Kafatek MC6. My Kafatek does all my espressos (from light to dark) and my 83V does all pour over. I initially used the 83V for pour over and espresso but I began to really miss texture. I don't necessarily believe in the flat vs cone debate but I really enjoy having a conical and flat burr grinder

My first real grinder after my Breville was the Specialita. It's a great grinder but is really optimised for darker roasts and traditional espressos. After my Specialita I moved to a DF83V with stock burrs from that I upgraded to SSP MPs and now I have the 83V with MPs and a Kafatek MC6. The grinder is definitely one of the most important aspects of good coffee. There is significant diminishing returns beyond the Single Dose Pro their light roast optimised burrs (I forget their name). I think the SDP is a great next step if you want better build you could go for the Philos. However, the Specialita does not make "bad" light roasts. There are definitely ways to enjoy great light roasts on the Specialita. Generally, more expensive grinders can excel in clarity but that isn't always a good thing. I now seldom use my 83V with MPs unless it's for filter since the MC6 has very similar clarity. More expensive grinders can make light roasts more enjoyable since they will have great clarity and sometimes greater sweetness but don't let that prevent you from making great light roasts. Even when you get to big 80mm and 98mm burrs it isn't always a night and day thousands of dollars differences

Lagom 01 and Kafatek MC6. I love this combo