Sculptor 064S

I just got the 064s. Have not had issues with popcorning at all, nor with getting beans stuck in the tray (two most common complaints online), but the retention is a little frustrating. I have to turn the knocker ring like 5-6 times *while* grinding every time, otherwise my dosing is f’d. Curious if anyone else has had that problem? I didn’t see many ppl mention it online prior to purchase

timemore sculptor 064s. £450 new from ebay. Why? on looks and cost. I like the design and the cost was good discount.

I would say spend a few extra quid and go for a timemore o64s. My personal experience with it has been very positive.

I own a niche and a timore sculptor 64s. The sculptor costs less tastes better for espresso and can do pour over.

I have a (kinda old) Baratza Virtuoso, Ode Gen2 and Timemore 064S. You can't grind for espresso with the Ode. The 064S is just a bit fiddly for espresso because the available range is compressed/coarse -- but I use mine every day. My Baratza experience is "emergency use only" but a friend is quite happy with the ESP (filter/drip).

I have a 064S. There are little things like the hopper being too shallow, surprise beans, totally random fines ejection, completely borked grind indicator and larger things like cleaning is a pain, shifting from coarse (Aeropress) to fine (espresso) can cause a bad shot and annoyance setting the zero point prompted someone to shorten the locator pin. If I were serious about a 064S purchase over the next few months I'd wait on the (2026?) version. [Kaffeemacher at Host Milano 2025 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzV1MyapI74&t=3356s) has useful images even if you don't speak German.

I would recommend Varia VS4 or a Timemore sculptor 064s on sale.

I would take another look at the Varia VS4! But I think in close second, probably the timemore 064s or as a budget option, CF 64v. Why do I say this? VS4 is very good in full grind range, and has low retention of coffee grounds. The timemore is probably slightly better, but in terms of workflow requires an extra step and is more messy (fines catcher, uses static electricity to catch fines and chaff, dosing cup needs to be cleaned out due to static cling every time). If you want to just enjoy your coffee. I feel like the VS4 is the ideal option, at $500. But the timemore, if you can get it for under $500, is a great choice. I wouldn’t get the DF64, just my 2¢

If you're using one grinder for espresso and pour over, I'd stay away from Eureka. Their biggest weakness is the turning dial, which is small and doesn't give you an indication of how many times you've rotated it. Going back and forth between espresso and pour over/drip would be annoying and harder than necessary to dial in. Baratza grinders are workhorses, but they're mostly plastic and loud. To service most parts of the machine, you have to pry open the bottom, which can bend the plastic and potentially rip off plastic tabs, which is kind of annoying. They're a good entry level grinder for people who can't afford something better, but if you can spend more, you might want to. For espresso, Aeropress, and pour over coffee, I've been served well by a Timemore Sculptor 064s. It has low retention, a brushless motor, solid metal build quality, is easy to dial in between different grind sizes, sounds less annoying than my old Baratza, and I think it looks good (which is subjective). I can't speak to the Fellow Ode 2 + Niche Zero option, but people do love them. James used a Niche Zero as his go-to espresso grinder for years. It has conical burrs, which gives a more full bodied (thicker) espresso. I'm sure others will chime in.

You present a conundrum for an enthusiast. Your husband "drinks more cold brews and sometimes hot coffee" and doesn't need any particularly impressive grinder, or anyway you haven't made a case that he would benefit from one. Get him a Baratza Encore ESP. It's inexpensive and practical. If you want something attractive and functional and well built and giftable and *way* more than he needs, a Timemore Sculptor 064S might be the ticket. Fellow grinders, in my opinion, are over-rated. If you want something outrageous and artsy and also really good at what it does, to impress your friends and cow your enemies, a Zerno Z1 (or Z2 available in May) should do the trick, though beware, any enemy who owns a Weber Workshops EG-1 will not be cowed.

Ha. Fellow Vivace enthusiast. Was the bean that started it all for me. Here we go: - Niche has great workflow but lamentable for pour over and lighter roasts. Don’t like the Mazzer conical, personally, for much of anything. Bitter, ashy finish and grainy texture. Vivace used to run Niches in shop and I always felt I could do better with a rolling pin and mortar and pestle at home. - Timemore 064s — good build, stock burrs are not bad for espresso and filter. I just spend a coupla months pulling Vivace+Lusso shots with it, alongside H&S ultralight pourovers. Been great. There’s also a plethora of options in 64mm space, sounds like Cast LS v3 might be for you and the wife. Burr swaps not the most straightforward on the 064s, but doable for the slightly mechanically inclined. - 078s is good but I am not a fan of proprietary burr sizes; not a lot of choices yet in 78mm. - DFs are a crap shoot in quality. - Philos - huge, well built. You can replace the burrs, but auger and fixed rpm are tuned for the mazzer i200 and i189 burrs. Which are fine if you like them. - Z1 next best choice in 64mm, but pricey and unobtainium. - Eurekas - avoid like the plague. Antediluvian burr chamber design. High retention. Stupid stupid stupid stupid burr adjustment mechanism, yes even the new one. Dialing in is frustrating, never mind switching between filter and espresso settings. Burrs are proprietary and are ok if you like dark chocolate + nuts. Never mind filter coffee, yikes. Re: used market - usual places. /r/coffeeswap. Home-Barista. FB marketplace. EAF Discord, but you gotta put in frequent flier miles. DM me, I can help you out. Re: Vectis - had a janky early build that needed lots of fixes and some significant modding. - But eventually, made the best coffee for me day to day. Easily preferred it to the LMLM, and even the Slayer, sometimes. Have fun

The Specialita is perfectly fine for commodity dark roasts. It is a reasonably well-executed - if overpriced - build of an old-fashioned design brief (hopper-fed weekly supply of beans, same beans week after week, rare adjustments of its crap grind size dial, chocolate and nuts in cup). It is lamentable for lighter roasts, and for filter coffee of any sort. Eureka insists on an unusual burr size and proprietary mounting geometry, and then offers perversely few options for different burrs. This is slowly changing with some of their recent marketing around their “Black Diamond” series, but these are mainly for their higher end grinders. If you do, in fact, enjoy or have curiosity about other roast levels/processing/brewing methods, the Specialita is probably not the best tool for exploration. The good news, is that a significant gain in clarity and performance in-cup can be had under USD$1,000. The 64mm flat burr space is festooned with options at reasonable cost. A good grinder will act as a platform for you to try different burrs, with a robust build that has a reliable single dosing workflow. This means low retention, controlled static, and precise grind adjustment. In this price range, the Timemore 064S is a good option. Its humble stock burr is a good all rounder for all bean types and brewing methods. You can explore effectively with it, and then decide that you want more acidity with SSP MPs for example, or prefer rounded sweetness with funkier processes and opt for the SSP Cast Lab Sweets. LeBrew and others are also competing in this space with economical options, but I haven’t tried them. The build of the Timemore is probably the best under $1,000, and benefits from modern niceties such as an augur, effective chute knocker, large front facing dial with minimal thread lash, and rpm control, which has quantifiable effect for some burr geometries. Burr swapping requires a bit of skill, but if you’re even a little mechanically inclined it’s straightforward enough. I cannot recommend the DFs anymore because their manufacturing quality is wildly variable and their materials choices (especially for the grind adjustment collar threading) are dubious. Above this range, returns in cup diminish rapidly; 80mm burrs have interesting high performance contenders, and availability was historically limited to the stratospherically priced EG1, or the commercial Dittings/Mahlkonigs. Far more accessibly priced platforms now exist in the Wug2, P80, and the imminent Zerno Z2. Are they worth it? Up to you, and most efficiently answered if you have a better sense of your own preferences. And those you can absolutely navigate with something like 064S and the plethora of 64mm burrs. Beyond 80mm, differences erode even further and fall into esoterica of flavor preference or clinical analyses of species/roasting/production nuances. Hope that helps

Bambino minus, with the extra cash get the timemore 064s. I have a 4 year old and live in an apartment. I also have a turin legato which is way louder than the bambino.

I haven't read all the replies to this thread yet. My only advice so far is to NOT buy any of the grinders you have shown. I have a Eureka Mignon Manuale which is very good, but I only use it for light roasts nowadays because I also have a Timemore Bricks 01s which cost me even less but I prefer it. My next step is probably going to be to replace the Eureka with a Timemore 064S or a Lagom Casa. I am just waiting long enough to avoid my wife's annoyance at yet more investment in grinders even though the coffee we share is already excellent!