Niche Coffee Ltd - Duo

When I had a Niche Zero I almost bought a Fellow Ode with the SSP Burrs for brew usage. Got a Niche Duo instead just to keep the counter tidier.

I have the Niche Duo and Niche Zero. I use the Duo for filter, Zero for espresso. I like them both. 🤷‍♂️

Have owned all the grinders on your list, at one point or another. Agree that Duo might be your best bet. Ability to play with other 83mm burrs is a good hedge against future curiosity. Recommend getting second (filter) burr option, because having the extra carrier for fast(ish) swaps is nice. Cannot recommend the Eurekas. Good build, very pretty, but burrs are proprietary and the grind chamber/chute design is antediluvian. Fine for hopper base on-demand grinding, but crap for single dosing. Even with the mods (tilted base, bellows), retention is terrible. Eureka’s attempts at single-dosing focused grinders are not honest efforts. Just a new model name and superficial accessories. And their new dial is just…stupid. Still not enough ratio to overcome the thread lash in their adjustment screw. The rev counter is nice enough, but a big dial like [this](https://www.amazon.com/ARO-EspressoTM-Eureka-Mignon-Adjustments/dp/B0CLCB8VQ6/ref=asc_df_B0CLCB8VQ6) is much more effective (and not stupid looking, imho) Libra portafilter contact sensor was unreliable. I heard they fixed it, but I had given up already and moved on. When it worked, it was…ok. Weight accuracy wasn’t bad, but irrelevant because it was a hot mess of sprayed grounds. RDT absolutely necessary in my environment (20-50%RH over the year), but the extra moisture caused caking/clogging in the chute. From a taste perspective…it’s ok. Blendy, decent body, not a lot of clarity. Little unkempt and harsh. Good in milk drinks. Niches — good workflow, probably among the best, even compared against titan grinders at 5x the price. Personally, not a fan of Mazzer burrs. Harsh and bitter finish. The Zero doesn’t have any options for their 63mm conical, so you’re kinda stuck. The stock Duo espresso burr was, to me, a cleaner version of Zero profile. Other options: Mazzer Philos. The grinder itself is a bit pricey, and rumor has it that the i200D and 189D burrs are big improvements over Mazzer traditional flavor profile — but it’s a good platform for 64mm burr space, where you are spoilt for choice and the burrs are cheaper than 83mm. Hope that helps

As a niche duo owner, big fat NO on it. I even switched to SSP MP, which improved the taste, but the retention is horrible. You have to shake it, bump it, and pull every move possible to get the last gram or two out.

I have owned the following burr grinders, in order: Breville Barista Express built-in, Niche Zero, DF64, Niche Duo. Currently, I use the Niche Zero and Duo, only, with the former servicing my decaf, and the latter servicing my regular. My only brew method is espresso (on a simple garagist-built E61 machine). My main method of puck prep (for my own drinks) is a blind shaker and tamping. Sometimes I use an OCD, if my blind shaker dump is clumsy, even though it seems to mitigate the benefits). My first-gen DF64, despite regular cleaning, is highly self-fouling, and just will not stay in operation, so I stopped using it. At one point, I had all three. I have not tried the gen 2, but I appreciate that it does fix some of the most obnoxious design flaws of the original. As far as delivery of coffee grounds for delicious espresso, I think all three grinders are highly capable. My favorite of the three is the Niche Zero, for a number of reasons. Although its medium-size conical burr does give higher grind variability than the bigger flat burr, the difference is not highly perceptible in espresso. It runs quietly. It's reliable. It doesn't take up much space. It's visually-pleasing. It's easy to work with. The cost is high, but it is not a bad value for money. The glaring weakness is the funnel size not being big enough to fill a pour-over basket. This isn't a problem for me, but the Duo does solve the problem. (However, it's not why I got the Duo.) Unfortunately, while it solves some problems, and offers marginally more uniform grind results, the Duo is louder, takes up more space, costs more money, and for my brew method, delivers a slightly better result, but it's on the verge of imperceptible. The original DF64 was awful to use. Big footprint. Heavy. Loud. Extremely messy. Cheap-feeling parts, and a start-stop switch in the worst possible place for comfort. So, Gen 2 fixes those things and still delivers a really nice flat burr grinder at a price below, or near, the Niche Zero. Sounds great to me; I wouldn't refuse to buy it out of arbitrary loyalty, but I don't need a fourth grinder right now. This is not so for pour-over people (which I'm not) but if your brew method is immersion or espresso, then, at or above the quality of the Niche Zero or DF64, good use of the grinder (i.e. dial-in, puck prep, brew recipe) matters more than the differences in the grinder itself. So, my advice is to choose based upon what you want to operate, look at, listen to, and are willing to take the time to learn to master. That's more important than this brand versus that brand, or what type of burr. But, overall, my workflow experience with the Niche Zero was far more enjoyable and "joyful" than it was with the OG DF64; I would expect the Gen 2 DF64 to be an improvement. I wouldn't discourage anyone from getting one. I would encourage anyone to focus more on *the way that you use it*.

This, my gen 2 Ode makes fantastic v60/switch, Aromaboy and Aeropress brews. I also have a Niche Duo with both sets of burrs, the filter burrs are better than the ode, but not £500 better.

For espresso? It will slightly muddle everything which makes dial in a bit easier. So ... nothing much. For pourover? Its espresso grinder with ungodly fines production. Regardless of burrs, the coffee lacks clarity.

Niche makes a very approachable cups ... but for me, that defeats the purpouse of flat burrs and pourover. As for the DF, I will put it like this. People sometimes ask me, what 3D printer thay should buy. And I will ask them if they want a tool or project. DF is more on the project side of things.

Baratza for drip, niche duo for espresso. I thought it would have been obvious, because the encore can’t grind proficiently for espresso, plus the positioning.

I have the Niche Duo with the filter burrs. I drink light roasts and enjoy the coffee it makes, and with most beans I prefer it to the Comandante C40, which is my only other grinder and therefore my only point of comparison. On this forum, clarity-oriented hand grinders are commonly discussed, especially ZP6 and Pietro. Electric grinders are discussed a bit less, and in particular the Niche Duo with filter burrs is never even mentioned. Where does the Duo with its filter burrs stand compared to more popular grinders in terms of cup quality, clarity, and body? Can the crowd-favourite hand grinders ZP6 or Pietro beat my 83mm flat burrs in cup quality? Which electric grinder would be a significant upgrade, and why? I don’t really have a problem to solve as such, just the usual upgraditis with some fomo symptoms mixed in, and a desire to keep improving my coffee.

You like dark roasts? Then get definitely the niche. Only had problems with the df64 gen 2… Although it grinds good