Zerno - Z2 80mm

What matters more than anything is burr set and burr alignment. Burr set will set taste profile. Alignment will define consistency. Everything else is diminishing returns. For most, Mazzer Philos and Zerno Z1 (and the upcoming Z2) will be pretty peak for premium home grinding. You can get similar for cheaper if you want to invest time to align the burrs manually. You can spend a ton more but won’t make your coffee much better.

I’m so ready for it

P80 and Z2 will probably have similar performance. The burrs you choose will have a much bigger effect on the brew. Some people really prefer 98s but a lot of us like the 80 platform too. I'd suggest doing some research on specific burrs before making a multiple thousand dollar purchase.

I’ve got a z2 on preorder. Going ulf and lab sweet burrs.

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

Out of the options listed I would shoot for a p01, I’ve only tried the ulf burrs in the 80mm world and think that all the 98s I’ve tried are much better in terms of cup quality. If you had to choose between the z2 and p80 I’d go for the z2. Specs are really stacking up to be incredible and you have the option to pick a burr set from the onset. What I’d really push for is split the budget and get an espresso and filter grinder. Something cheap for the espresso since you primarily drink filter, and I’d personally chose a Pietro or used 078 with turbos for filter. Those two grinders hold their own against a lot of the 98mm stuff I’ve tried.

There’s prob niche grinders I’m not aware of but the obv ones are Weber EG1 and Zerno Z2. I run a zerno Z1 w SSP brew burrs, a Pietro Pro and a ZP6. They all have minor difference. The Pietro probably makes the most distinct cup but hand turning 3-4 times a day is laborious. IMO at a certain point when your beans are great and your water chem is dialed in, no recipe bc it’s just second nature.. at this point it doesn’t really matter at the high end of the high end when it comes to grinders bc the differences are negligible; it’s more of a shiny object quest. If cost is no object, I would go Z2 or EG1 with SSP brew burrs and SSP Multi Purpose burrs (red coating) just to switch them up every now and then.

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.