Denis is obsessed with innovation. I remember being relatively new to the hobby, and being shared Kafatek product images when he was transitioning from vertical to tilted body models and thought to myself “what is possible with coffee?”
At about $2k couldn't justify the cost being so green, but settled on a 2nd hand Ceado E37S to single dose with a tamper in the grind chamber to add weight to the beans. I brought it from a guy in North Jersey that had switched to (iirc) a Miele built in. Later got my hands on an MC4 Duo from Denis, and hoped and asked for some kind of alternative to the Mazzers, but by the time the Shurikones came out, I moved to pour over almost exclusively. But love me some Kafatek bleeding edge tech. Memories.
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.
yuck777
