GIANT GRINDER SHOWDOWN - Sculptor 078S, Zerno Z1, Niche Duo, DF83

Review and Comparison of Zerno, Sculptor 078 078s, Niche Duo, DF83, and aftermarket burrs in the SSP MP, SSP HU, DLC, Mazzer and Italmills burrs. Which is best? What is the best premium grinder?

*Some of the links above are Affiliate links that can benefit the channel when you buy a product though them.*

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
1:54 - Sculptor Overview
4:04 - Duo Overview
5:27 - Df83 Overview
8:05 - Zerno Overview
9:39 - Standart
11:14 - Taste test (Sculptor)
15:47 - Niche Taste
17:22 - Df83 Taste
19:28 - Zerno Taste
21:17 - Burr Talk
27:54 - Final Thoughts
31:52 - Recommendations

[varunshetty]

You’re one of the few reviewers who clearly talks about whether the grinder is for filter or espresso. Thank you! Great review

[kencoleman]

Congratulations Kyle - because this was a really well done review of grinders in the price range that many coffee nerds are willing to pay and are interested in - and you were able to be thorough yet concise at the same time which is hard to do. Great job.

[Zirassi]

Thank you for testing the new SSP 83mm MPs! I have been waiting to hear about how they do in the DF83 and Niche Duo since they were released. It's hard not to feel vindicated about my grinder purchasing choices now- my generation 2 Zerno should be arriving in a few weeks! One small correction- the version of the grinder that's about to ship with blind burrs, ionizer, etc. is still just called the Zerno Z1, not the Z2 (that will probably be the big Zerno- which Vel wants to make compatible with 80mm and 83mm burrs!!!). It's actually the 100 Zernos from the first run (lacking the new features) that got the alternate naming- they are technically called "Zerno Z1 Launch Edition."

When you review the Generation 2 Zerno, I would love to see you try Espresso from both the SSP 64mm Brew burrs and the Ode Gen 2 burrs. The Zerno will do espresso with both, and I'd love to get your opinion on it (especially since I ordered my Zerno with Blind Brew burrs for Espresso). If feasible, it would also be cool to hear about how the Gorilla Gear burrs compare (one Zerno owner on reddit told me they make shots quite similar to the Ode Gen 2 actually).

[astronomical]

Just used my new DF83 v2 for the first time yesterday so the timing on this video is perfect. Very happy with my purchase!

[therealmekkor]

My wife accidentally broke our 1zpresso K ultra. To be fair to her it was having some troubles switching sizes but she switched sizes mid grind and it just locked up. All said and done the threading was stripped.

I put down on the Time More Sculptor 078S and I’ve been watching every review to make sure it was a good investment.

She likes pour over in a porous ceramic filter, I like black straight espresso or lungo shots.

Thank you for your comparisons, I feel better about my choice.

I don’t think I’ll ever find a perfect multi-purpose grinder. But I’ll settle for getting good enough for both of us.

[BensCoffeeRants]

Great summary. I forget if I mentioned this earlier but on my original V1 DF83 I have modded the declumper to open it up and get coffee to flow out easier, because the burrs are so quick to grind, I think the declumper held coffee back and reground coffee leading to more fines. I noticed more clarity but less body after opening it up more, but also a lot less retention and I don't usually bother even using the bellows.

[masika]

Thank you Kyle!

I would love to see how these stack up in a blind taste test versus some of the premium but significantly cheaper hand grinders (Commadante, 1zpresso). Feels like reviews tend to avoid directly comparing electric to hand grinders but price, especially these days, is not something to totally ignore especially if an X-pro at 130 USD could match or be like 90% the quality of these 600-1 grand grinders.

[erikngomez]

Can't wait for my 078 and 078s to come in especially after this video! The fact that the 078 is on your September table for roast profile speaks volumes to its taste and how well I will enjoy it being a huge purchaser of your coffee :)

[DmitrijPaskevic]

Can we just step aside and think about the return on investment on these things. It's very easy to contract upgraditus and go on a shopping spree. I bet the subtle differences between the burr sets are pretty minor for 99% of us coffee nerds. This explosion on the grinder market, driven by chinese manufacturers and the fact that coffee nerds have too much disposable income + youtubers feeding into it in order to create content is one hell of a combo. Let's just...stay sane guys

[mikni]

This got to show the importance of alignment.

Prebreakers definitely makes a difference, I once swapped on the EK43. The old that was a feeder and didn’t do much of breaking and then to a Titus, this made a rather noticeable improvement on the quality of the coffee. I know Frank of Titus had a focus on this for some years. And even Mahlkönig went from feeder to prebreaker.

I personally think Timemore missed out on this, as they could have made a prebreaker rather then just a feeder in their grinders I’m very convinced it would have improved on especially the multipurpose burrs. Hopefully this will come in some later versions.

The thing about price being equal. Once you toss third part in the other, do depend on the country that you live in. Where I live the last batch would have been around €1600 the Niche Duo with SSP would be around €1285 and DF83 + SSP €1055. However once it get in full production I’ll bet on it ends near the €1900 of P64 & Orbit with SSP, making thirdpart options definitely a cheaper option. For North Americans yes it definitely isn’t worth it.

[gandkaidos]

This is exactly the content I’ve been looking for! Moving on from a niche zero and looking for a grinder to pair with a de1 pro. Very helpful!

[anjalirehan]

Great review!
How would you compare the taste and texture of espresso between the Niche Duo and the DF83 in stock form - Mazzer burrs vs ItalMil burrs - 530 rpms vs 1400 rpms.
Look forward to your response.
Thanks.

[barbsdee]

Hi I’m from the uk and just ordered a Wilfa Uniform grinder. I hope I’m not going to regret it after watching your video 🤦🏼‍♀️ I live in the UK, my son got me onto grinding beans, so much better than the instant most of us Brits drink! But now after 2 years I have learnt I can get so much more from my coffee beans if I upgrade to a better grinder. I usually buy my beans online from ‘rave’ and recently from ‘Square mile’ owned partly by James Hoffman (my knowledge on brewing coffee gained from his YouTube channel) I use a clever dripper and although this takes a little longer that putting a teaspoon of coffee from a jar into a mug and pouring over hot water, I love my morning ritual and the coffee. I’ve recently started watching your channel so thank you for all the tips, advice and reviews 👍🏼

[ryanbrown]

Thanks for all your reviews Kyle! You helped me pull the trigger on the Eureka Oro Mignon then eventually returning that and buying the Weber Workshops Key! I love it! I roast my own coffee on a San Fransiscan SF-1. I get my green beans from my local roaster Rocabilly Roasting Company here in Kennewick, WA.

[roseheda]

I‘m in the process of finally upgrading my home coffee set up from a Nespresso machine to the real deal, and have found your comparison and review videos to be incredibly valuable. I have learned so much about the different features to look for, and now have a better idea what I want and how much I will need to spend. So, thank you! To answer your question, I would undoubtedly buy the Niche if I didn’t have to pay import tax on it (19% here in Germany). Which means that I’m currently leaning towards the DF64 or 83.

[stillnessnmindelaine]

I in my 3d month of DF83 v2 from Joe Kolb’s espresso outlet. It’s been exceptional. Never more than .2 mg. Usually 0.1 to 0 retention. This has been its performance out of the box. I’m strictly espresso and using it stock. Could not be happier!

[bolerkai]

Thank you for this excellent review. I just received the Sculptor 078 to replace my Niche Zero, much as I love the Niche, I only drink pour-over! Also, looking forward to some nice coffees from September! Keep up the good work on all fronts, we coffee hobbyists (aka Wierd Coffee Persons) appreciate what you do.

[cpakkie]

Today I’m drinking:

Lilo Coffee Roasters, Osaka, Japan
Region: Finca Genesis, Las Flores, Santa Barbara, Honduras
Process: Honey Anaerobic
Variety: Paraneima

Got this from the Kumquat Coffee subscription and it’s great.

[coenwouters]

Thanks Kyle, still waiting on my 078s (launch day price) I hope it will be here before winter :)
Granted there are some quirks with the sculptor worklfow, I did it mostly for the looks, as the zerno is oyt of my budget. And any remaining budget will be spend on beans and maybe a new espresso machine in the future :)

[rvagalaxy]

Perfect timing! Swapping my entire coffee bar and starting with Fellow Stagg kettle, replacing Vario W grinder. Drinking Blanchards Coffee Richmond VA Kenyan Kiri AA. Fantastic local roaster. Can’t wait to try September!