Niche Coffee Ltd - Niche Zero

A lot of the cost of an electric grinder is due to the motor. The motor also has to be controlled and driven by power electronics. This results in a larger grinder with more material and weight. More expensive and longer design cycles, more shipping and packaging costs. In reality I’d bet grinder manufacturers usually buy the motors from third parties who need to make a margin. Same is probably true for many burrs. They may also have to pay for certifications. Manual grinders are ridiculously simple, just a housing with a burr and maybe a few bearings. As a simple comparison people largely say that an 1Zpresso J ultra (which I have) grinds nearly identically to a Niche Zero which is 3-4x the price

Honestly, if you’re brewing medium and dark roasts for espresso, it’s hard to beat the Niche Zero for UX. If you want a flavor upgrade from your Ode for filter, I absolutely love my 078. The two of those together would still be well within your price range, especially if you can find a 078 secondhand ($600-650 is reasonable). A secondhand niche can be found for $500 or less very easily these days. You could probably find a nice 83 mm grinder and put some lab sweet SSP burrs in there and get a pretty good compromise, but if you’re changing grind sizes between espresso and filter constantly, it’s not going to be the most delightful experience. I have two grinders myself now, and I think it’s the way to go.

Yes, depending on how “light” and “medium” the actual specific roasters you’re buying from are - I drink very very light roasts for filter, and I think the 078 is amazing. Whether you’ll like the Niche or another espresso grinder best is more of a preference question; there are so many options these days (Lagom Casa, DF54/64/83, Eureka Mignon series…) that are all pretty good that you can kinda pick your favorite based on price, workflow, and aesthetics. My espresso grinder is a DF83 with SSP HU burrs, and if I were buying today at the $1000-and-under price point, I’d probably stick with that, except upgrade to the DF83V for a quieter motor and better feeding mechanism. Love the HUs though.

I also have the 078 and have zero complaints. I was using the Niche Zero before (for pourover and espresso) and this is a clear improvement. I haven't tested other grinders. I purchased it via the kickstarter.

I use the Niche zero for this application. Workflow still can’t be beat.

Niche is Chinese made.

1. Unless you're grinding for loads of people at the same time, the extra time to grind barely is barely an issue. It's only 10-13 seconds more than grinders like the DF64. That time flies by when you're prepping for the coffee. 2. The chute issue is overstated. All you do is once a week stick a brush up the chute and give a bit of a wiggle. That's it. Especially when considering the price you're paying, that is not a big drawback. 3. The stock burrs on the DF54 are great. Personally I prefer them over grinders like the Niche Zero. For the price you're paying, I don't think not being able to upgrade the burrs (at the moment) is that much of an issue. 4. The pricing between the df64 and df54 differs depending where you are. In the UK, it's a £160 difference which is not a small amount and is definitely a big enough jump in price to make someone consider whether it's worth paying that much more for just for a little quicker grind time. It seems even less worth it if you're not looking to upgrade the burrs.

This is the way. Not $1000 but my overpriced niche zero is 10x better than what I was using before lol

A Niche or a Niche Duo? The original Niche is a conical, I'd pick any of the DF over it. The Duo is interesting. The Niche was a game changer when it first arrived but grinders have come a long way. Could you get a Timemore 64s for that money?

# **Without philosophizing in the answer, you have two options: a handgrinder, or electric grinder.** — ## **🔹 Hand Grinders** ### **High-End Options:** - **1Zpresso K-Ultra** – External adjustment, versatile for both pourover & espresso. - **1Zpresso J-Max** – 8.8-micron steps, optimized for espresso but handles pourover. - **Kinu M47 Phoenix / Classic** – Precise & durable, great for both. - **Comandante C40 MK4** – Ideal for pourover; needs *Red Clix* for better espresso dialing. - **Timemore Chestnut S3** – Stepless adjustment, more suited for pourover. - **1Zpresso ZP6** – Produces ultra-clean grinds, excelling in filter brews. ### **Mid-Range Options:** - **1Zpresso JX-Pro** – Espresso-friendly with finer adjustments than JX. - **Timemore Chestnut C3 ESP** – Budget option with espresso-compatible burrs, decent for pourover. - **1Zpresso X-Pro** – Compact, external adjustment, slower but espresso-capable. — ## **⚡ Electric Grinders** ### **High-End Options:** - **Mahlkönig EK43** – The gold standard in specialty coffee shops. - **Weber EG-1** – Premium single-dose grinder for all brew methods. - **Lagom P100** – High-performance, SSP burr options for precision grinding. ### **Mid-Range / Prosumer Options:** - **DF64 Gen 2 / DF64P / DF64E** – Affordable single-dose grinders, great for both. - **Niche Zero** – Top-tier single-dose grinder for espresso & pourover. - **Eureka Mignon Specialita** – Stepless adjustment, solid for espresso & can handle pourover. - **Fellow Opus** – Budget-friendly, designed for both espresso & filter brewing. - **Baratza Vario+ / Sette 270** – Great entry-level grinders with micro-adjustments for espresso. - **Timemore Sculptor 078 / 064S** – New contenders with solid grind consistency. ### **Budget-Friendly Options:** - **Fellow Ode Gen 2** (Needs *SSP burrs* for espresso) – Excellent for pourover, but needs mods for espresso. - **Baratza Encore ESP** – Beginner-friendly with stepped adjustments. - **Eureka Mignon Crono** – Simple & effective for both espresso & filter. — 🔎 **Check reviews before buying**—grind quality & user experience vary. Preferences are subjective!

Thank you chatGPT but the Niche Zero is terrible at pour over. I’d say not even really capable of it. The brews stall 8/10 times and the taste is awful.

TL;DR I do a minimum of 70% of my grinding by hand with an OK hand grinder. The rest of the time, I have a Niche Zero. I don't make espresso. I'm thinking about selling the Niche and buying the best hand grinder I can afford. Should I? Longer version: I make one or two cups of coffee every day, and 5 days a week that means an Aeropress at work. On days when I'm not at work I mostly brew V60, but I might also brew using a syphon or French press. When at home I have a Niche Zero grinder and I love the workflow. I very rarely grind more than 18g of coffee at a time. However, whilst the Niche isn't a very loud grinder I have kids who sleep lightly and it often wakes them up. Beyond that, it takes up a reasonable amount of space on the kitchen counter. Again, it's not massive, but it's not tiny either. To the point - for the past 6 months I have been toying with the idea of selling the Niche and replacing it with a hand grinder. It's one of those ideas which you think you've put to bed and then in a couple of weeks it comes back again... I don't know which hand grinder (feel free to recommend the 'best' ones) but I'd really love to hear experiences from others that might have done the same thing. Has it worked for you? Do you regret it, or miss having an electric grinder? Am I mad for considering this?

Surprising that no one has recommended a niche zero. Goes well with Bambino, just upgraded from baratza encore esp which is not bad either. The niche zero might be more expensive than 500$ with shipping. On my research, it is a tried and long lasting machine. I drink predominantly milk based drinks so the difference between a flat burr and conical burr, IMHO did not matter much. Niche zero has a great workflow, looks solidly built, and I expect a good customer service too but haven’t needed that. The thing with df64 in my mind is that I might go into a bigger rabbit hole with trying to change the burrs.

why dont you like DF grinders? Form factor? Honestly I dont know if you will ever need something more than a Niche Zero or a Mignon specialita. I think you need to upgrade your table first though

\> I would prefer a single dose as I use 3 types of coffee beans I use here and there. Agreed, go with a single-dosing grinder. \> I am thinking of getting the DF54 My strong recommendation is to get one via a retailer who can support you if there are issues and not direct. My own experience of buying directly from Turin is woeful; their customer service was non-existent. If you buy from an in-country retailer, they are responsible for sorting any issues. \> Would you recommend a DF64 instead or try and get a DF54? I had a v1 DF64 previously - IMO, it is probably the best value grinder on the market today, given its price and its ability to have different burrs. Given you say you don't mind loud noise (and it is, IMO a very loud grinder), this seems like a good option for you (but buy via an in-country retailer). \> Off topic, but it seems like the DF series is way more favoured than the Niche. I am not so sure. There is a lot of talk and recommendations for them, but when you see pics of people's setups, there are an awful lot of niche zeros out there (inc. with me - I have one alongside an Option-O P64 and some hand-grinders). The Zero is not favored so strongly as the flat grinders for pour-over, it tends to get used primarily for espresso, which IMO is is very good for. Plus, has the best workflow and sound (quietness) of any grinder I have used. \> On another note, I am thinking of getting a Lagom Casa A superbly well-built and capable grinder. Option-O are legendary in the business.

I would get a niche zero and option o 01 with SSP HU. The mizen does good with dark espresso (see if she likes it) and is great for pour over but is less acidity than ssp hu. Or go all out and get kafatek mc6 and 01.

Former niche owner here. Moment I changed to a zp6 it was miles different and a lot better for filter overall. The good thing with niche despite the market of grinders out there, it retains good resell value even now with how old it is. If you drink mainly filter then I'd just make the move to a hand grinder and spend the rest on more coffee...or whatever.

Just seen your username. You'll definitely fetch around 400£ for the niche rn sometimes even more. I managed to sell mine for 420 a few months back after having it for almost 3 years.

Eagerly awaiting my Casa. I have the Ode 2 w/ Gen 2 and SSP MP burrs, but I get far more enjoyable coffee out of my Kingrinder K6. Richer fruit notes, more rounded sweetness. I experienced the same with pourover from a friend’s Niche Zero, so my current theory is that my palate just likes the profile of coffee from conical burr grinders better. Worst case, the Casa will do espresso duty and I’ll just hand-grind for filter.

Niche Zero if you can slightly increase your budget. DF64 otherwise.

Eureka Mignon grinders, while flat burr, have more of a conical burr flavor profile. I own a Niche Zero, and I used to own a Eureka Specialita, and the espresso produced by both of them tasted nearly identical. It was only after I traded the Specialita for a Timemore 078s that I understood what espresso from flat burrs could taste like. Since you are interested in SD, check out Eureka Mignon Zero.

Niche zero- I have it as a dedicated espresso grinder but only because I bought it after I got the fellow ode gen2.

People also give it bad reviews for espresso- especially after Lance posted a video about it… I think it does a good job at making both- jack of all trades, master of none probably sums it up. I’m happy with it and I would be happy as a single grinder- perhaps you could also just get a hand grinder for pour over if you wish for more every now and then.

It isn't a flat or conical thing...You can have flat burr grinders that have a profile that has less clarity than a conical. I think it is best just to not think of it in terms of that. What I can definitely tell you though is the Niche is fantastic for espresso but not so much for pour over. Of course this depends on the type of pour over you want but unless you're looking for that extra body, I think you would prefer a grinder with a different profile.