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

Your grinder is the most important piece in your espresso system. The brewer is the least important. That is, if you are going for the taste and experience. Decide if you want a grinder with a hopper or if you want single dose. The Zerno Z1 or Z2 ($1,500 to $2,500), Kafatek M6 ($2,500), Lagom P80 ($1,800) are just a few very good single dose grinders to consider.

Zerno z1 or z2 if you can wait. I personally use the DF83V and that is massively underrated, but still if you have the budget, Zerno.

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.

Z2 would be an end game grinder like. Honestly I love it very much . It’s similar to EG-1 , but it’s much cheaper. The motor is very strong , so you might be able to use around 500 rpm for pour over. I think Z2 would be very good choice for you, but we don’t have any feedback yet, so you still need to take this risk.

That is exactly why you would be spending that much money, for exact precision in alignment when swapping. Plus, you can’t beat the 800 watt brushless servo motor with the rpm range it will offer. The question is can you wait?

I did the same thing, plus added the ULF burrs. That way I have two options for filter and I can also use the lab sweet for espresso. It can’t come soon enough, although I’m willing to wait for them getting closer to perfection. I’m sure there will be plenty of reviews on YouTube and the forums as soon as they start landing.

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

Buying a Z2 over a Lagom 01 for the same money is crazy. One burr (SSP 102HU) on the Lagom 01 and you have S-tier pour over and espresso. It has a better workflow, cleaner operation, and it’s rated for commercial use and has been used in demanding commercial environments for years - so it’s battle tested. The Lagom 01 is also the official Brewers championship grinder. I have the two easiest grinders on the market to change burrs on, the EG-1 and the Varia VS6 (5 min change on the EG-1, sub 2 min on the VS6) and despite having multiple burrs for each - you’re basically going to just find one burr you like and leave it in the machine, so burr change ease is somewhat moot. In the “one grinder and one burr to rule them all” segment - the Lagom reigns supreme. The 102HU would be my first choice and the Mizen my distant second. My .02 - figure out the burr you want/need for your use case - then buy a good grinder than runs it. Worry less about the grinder and more about the burr you think you want. Based on what you’re saying, it’s 102HU. I have the Lagom 01, EG-1, Kafatek M98V, Max 2 and SDRM along with more than a dozen others (including an 078) - and if I could only have one grinder to do everything, without hesitation it would be the 01 with 102HU burrs. I would argue the 102HU is THE best high clarity espresso burr on the market, and in the top 5 pour over burrs. Mega impressive.

Mizen is a different burr than the 102HU - they are the two standard options for the Lagom 01. The Mizen is more of a general all rounder and isn’t as clear, focused, sharp and acidic as the 102HU option. It’s still very clear - but it is more laid back. With water dialing, the right brew method and grind size - you can make either burr sweet, but the 102 Mizen will be more so. For that matter though - the P80 grinder at $1500 with the stock 80 Mizen burr actually sounds like it might be the best fit. It’s a very solid 80mm grinder for around the price of the Z1 - and with that one burr will do espresso and pour over very well. It certainly has a better workflow than the Z1, Z2 or Philos - and it has a much smaller footprint than any of those three options or the Lagom 01.

Z2 is absolutely out, in hands and I’ve used it. Have you? https://preview.redd.it/1tp0x0jfgvqg1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ca4ecde2baeb1e2fb9a73f8f24bec7c19b66aca (Not my photo)

With an (essentially) unlimited budget id get Drippers: v60, Orea v4, column, bird (not really a dripper but still) Kettle: brewista/stagg/fish - whatever here all good Papers: all the normal stuff but also siberist in all sizes for my drippers Grinder: two zerno z2 with ulf and ditting special steel burrs Water: RO system and full suite of water drops for remineralization I’m not doing the math but imo about as crazy as one can go and well under 10k