DF64 Gen 2 Coffee Grinder

perfect grinder

Fast and amazing grind - really brings out the flavour of the beans! Very happy with the purchase

I can’t say I’m an expert even though I’ve been making espresso for over twenty years and have tasted the best in Italy. I can say of all the equipment I’ve purchased, this grinder has by far improved the flavour profile of my shots, more than any other purchase I’ve made. I’m a middle of the road home espresso barista. Which means, I’m not interested in the fabulously expensive equipment nor the cheap useless equipment. This grinder fits the bill if you want to explore what each roaster or bean has to offer without braking the bank. I haven’t even broken it in yet and have been able to quickly profile a light roast and a dark roast with ease. It’s early days but I think we will be having a very interesting coffee journey together.

Finally found the right grinding for the new La Pavoni!

This is the first serious grinder I've ever bought. I had a Breville Smart Grinder Pro before and it really couldn't handle fine grinds for espresso.

Just better coffee.
The first thing I immediately noticed was how fine, consistent and fluffy the grind was. This translated directly into much better tasting coffee. I had some crappy Starbucks beans that someone left here and I couldn't even drink the espresso with those before. With the DF64 it turned it into drinkable (barely). And with good beans, the espresso is really delicious.

Solid build quality.
This thing is solid. You can feel it in the weight. I love the resistance when adjusting the grind size. It is not going to slip/move from vibrations. I didn't think I needed continuous grind setting, but I actually really appreciate the finer adjustment it gives. I also like how big the dial is, again for more precision. The new metal on/off switch is also really nice and a much needed improvement.

Single dosing is great
I didn't think I needed to switch beans very often, so I didn't know if I really need a single doser. But as it happens, I have actually been switching quite a bit. If I buy a bean that is ok, but not great, I use for milk-based drinks in the morning. In the afternoon, I make an espresso with the best bean I have. Another unexpected workflow improvement is the dosing cup. I used to put on the dosing funnel and break up all the clumps with a distribution tool. But with the dosing cup, I get much fewer clumps and decent distribution just by blind shaking the cup on the portafilter.

Amazing value
I was trying to decide between the DF64 and a Eureka Oro single dose. The DF64 was half the price. Sure the Italian design of the Eureka is beautiful, but I doubt the coffee is going to be any better.

The only negatives and they're minor.
Yes it is a bit messy. I have to clean up my counter at least once per week because the grinds are stuck to the side of the grinder and over the base. No I haven't tried RDT spray yet, but I will. Most of the stray grounds from using the bellows. Which BTW you really should use (see below). I've had been using it every time, and I still got a very serious/solid jam in the grinds chute. The brush wouldn't clean it, so I had to take the chute apart. The good news is that I was able to do so to clear it. The bad news is that it was pretty finicky getting it apart and back together. Once the cute cover is off, there are 2 other screws that hold the chute and its almost impossible to get them off without dropping a screw into the housing because they're kinda deep and not the easiest to access. This also makes it a little challenging to get it back on along with the declumper which has to be installed under the chute by the same screws. Since then, I'm whacking the bellows even harder in spite of the mess it makes.

SSP burrs
The cherry on top was finding out I won the draw for a set of SSP burrs. I'm hoping to install them today and I'll post a review for them too soon. Thanks DFGrinders.ca!