I sold my smart grinder pro recently and have a k6. The k6 is way better, less retention etc. A manual grinder can be annoying but I use an electric screwdriver if I dont feel like cranking.
The K6 will be considerably better for both espresso and filter coffee, but a lot less convenient and more physical work.
I owned a SGP and replaced it with a Niche Zero which was a big upgrade. The Niche produces too many fines for my liking with v60s so I bought a K6 which was another big upgrade for filter. I tried the K6 for espresso and found I preferred it for light roasts to my Niche Zero as it's more acid forward!
The Niche is my preference for darker roasts but the K6 is really impressive.
This was exactly why I replaced mine. It was so massively inconsistent. The Niche was such a massive upgrade in both taste and stability. But so is the K6...
The grinder is the most important part. I went through the same thing as you looking at the Encore et al. I eventually settled on a Sage Smart Grinder Pro, which are alright for espresso but they have limitations. I've since changed to a pro grinder, a Macap M5D that I got for £100 secondhand.
DF54. The Smart grinder pro is not worth the money. The grind quality is lacking and it only took 25 months for mine to stop working at all. Conveniently (for Sage) just 1 month after the warranty was up.
I could make coffee with a smart grinder pro. I never made a coffee that i really enjoyed with it though. Someone else may be able to comment on whether newer models use a baratza burr set like the barista pro built in grinder, as that would change things a lot. Either way the build quality was pretty shitty
The K6 is absurdly high quality (build and grind) for the price and i love mine but i wouldn't want to hand grind every shot of espresso...
Personally I would probably look elsewhere. No experience with the DF 54 or 64 personally but people rave about them for a reason, provided you're happy with newer disruptor Chinese brand rather than tried and tested brands with history (i own a timemore sculptor atm. No judgement for challenger brands)
Baratza and mahlkonig have also recently released cheaper smaller grinders for the home which are worth a look, albeit probably also a slightlyhigher price point than you were thinking of
Top Electric Coffee Grinders on Reddit
1
Multiple Brands
DF54 Series
80% positive of 386 users
Great value for espresso, but clogs and poor for pour-over.
carneasadacontodo
