Zerno - Z1

Not gonna lie, with this budget I would stick to the 064s and put in SSPs that go well with your taste preferences! Or stretch it a bit (double) and get the Zerno Z1! You will get the best grinder around for around 2k shipping + duty included Under 1k, you could upgrade to the 078, but that's not worth the hassle of resselling + buying again. And you get the same grinder quality, just bigger. So at your place I would keep the 064 and get new burrs if you want to experiment around and unlock "new" (more different) highs.

It was convenient, but I would have occasional inconsistencies that led me to think it was part of the problem. Usually it was pretty accurate, but occasionally the weight would be off just enough to be annoying. Also, the grinder retained a fair amount, which was a slight issue the next morning because you'd get some day old grinds. I don't think it was bad at all, and it certainly was convenient... But in the end I started ignoring the weight function by setting the target weight really high, and then single dosing. It also means I can use a couple sprays of water to reduce friction. That being said, now I have a Zerno Z1 which was a remarkable upgrade, and I wouldn't consider going back. The Vario was great for its price range though. It made some good pour over as well.

I am AuDHD and have this flavour of neurodivergent noise “fun” aka torture. I have a Zerno Z1 and it’s not especially noisy. It’s near silent with AirPods Pro in on noise cancelling mode. I also cannot hear it when I use my custom IEMs. I had the Niche Zero and the Duo. The Zero was pretty quiet. I think flat burr grinders have a higher pitched scream than conical - but the Z1 is fairly quiet to me. I sold the Niche grinders. I also have an “AliExpress copy” of the HG-1 grinder which cost me around £400 a few years back. It is very quiet because you control the speed of the grinding with the wheel. So this is mainly the sound of crunching coffee beans and a low mechanical rumble of intermeshing gears. Do not buy a Mazzer Super Jolly. That thing was loud! I am happy to record the sounds of these machines if you want. Oh and to fully answer your question, the Z1 doesn’t have much in the way of safety features so you can absolutely load the hopper with a measured dose of beans (I use 17.5 or 18g) and leave it switched on…. via a smart switch like a Kasa Smart Plug. I use these for some of my home lights. The smart switch can be operated from your phone or you can ask a home assistant like google home / Alexa or whatever to turn it on/off.

This list seems somehow outdated, and is missing some important items, that are popular and offering a great value. Hand grinders: **Kingrinder K6, K2, K0, Timemore C3S, C2S** Electric: **Zerno Z1**, soon also **Z2** (80mm, now in a prototype stage), **Mazzer Philos, DF64V, Sculptor 078s,064, and Lagom 01** (although grinders with burrs larger than 83 mm is a rather niche ultra-high-end, so not sure really, if EK43, P100 and L01 make sense to be included in such a list) Also: In this list, the **Fellow Ode2** is placed in "budget-friendly", while **Fellow Opus** in "mid-range/prosumer"?? :) Ode costs almost twice as Opus, and while Ode is rather popular for manual brews, Opus is not that popular neither for brew, nor for espresso, although technically "it can do both". (edit to add) Also missing, the **DF54** low-cost electric grinder.

I missed that. Hell. Sorry. You can buy my used Zerno v1 so I can get the v2

I have a Zerno z1 and a Weber eg1 but only because I’m an idiot

Hell yes. DF 83 v, Libra, Z1, J Ultra, Kafatek max 3 and Pietro pro. I have 3 set ups. Home, work, vacation. Oops. I have a Timore X Millab too.

Worth the wait, can’t rush quality

Great response - I might caution more research re: Philos and ultimate burr flexibility (Tom's Grinder Lab said due to differences in burr thickness compared to stock, tolerances and gaps are less than ideal for SSP burrs). It seems like a very good grinder w/its factory burr options, but the Zerno is still the apparent king of the 64mm platforms (bias disclosure, I have ordered one).

Zerno z1. Mainly for counter space and looks. I like the workflow and been getting great cup of coffee with the blind burrs. Easy to clean and swap. ~$1600. Also have a p80 coming.