# Niche vs Eureka Oro vs DF64



## jen1979 (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm looking to upgrade from my Smart Grinder Pro. I make a couple of espresso drinks a day and my missus does a morning pourover. Originally I was hoping to find a grinder we could both use, but from other posts have concluded I should get a new grinder for espresso, and keep the Sage for pourover.

I've watched several reviews and really torn between the 3 grinders. I get on great with the Sage, feel like I extract a wide range of flavours and pretty consistent since I started WDT. How noticeable a difference will any of these make to me?

Niche is my favourite in terms of aesthetics, ease of use. My concern with it is lots of reviews say due to the conical burrs, the more unusual, fruitier flavours don't come through (I have a single origin subscription with Craft House Coffee and tends to be medium roasts with varying profiles). Is this something others have found?

The Eureka sounds more favourable in terms of the flat burrs possibly helping me extract a wider range of flavours. Not so keen aesthetically and the dial looks really fiddly, maybe I can get over that...

Think I'm near crossing the DF64 off the list, just as I'm not keen on making modifications etc, unless there are strong reasons others have for it.



I'm willing to spend up to £450 although hoping to be a bit less so if there's any others I've missed.


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## jackspro (2 mo ago)

Have you considered the Mahlkonig X54? It's a flat burr grinder and gets great reviews for espresso. It seems from a bit of reading and talking to others, with the addition of the blower it could single dose (I know you had mentioned not interested in mods) otherwise hopper fed and grinds direct to portafilter. I'm considering one at the moment...


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## jen1979 (Feb 20, 2012)

No I hadn't but will take a look. I'm not too worried about the single dose element, as current workflow is I grind to portafilter and then weigh from there.


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## jackspro (2 mo ago)

jen1979 said:


> No I hadn't but will take a look. I'm not too worried about the single dose element, as current workflow is I grind to portafilter and then weigh from there.


I think you should check it out, as if you aren't worried about single dosing then it's a very solid bet. Have spoken to a few with them and they are very happy with the results.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

the niche is good from a work flow point of view with very little retention, the others all need mods or blowers to help them, niche is conical vs the others which are flat, doesnt make much of a difference imo, 

the flats you can fit different burrs to them should you wish


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## newdent (Feb 20, 2021)

I'd say steer clear of the x54, it's quite a new grinder and people have trouble selling them on the used market. If you're going to get something at that burr size you may as well go for a mignon and save some money.

I've previously owned a niche, currently own a df64 and have in the past owned a mignon. The niche is really great for Espresso and it's certainly not going to make fruity coffees stop tasting fruity, it just has a tendency to add a little bitterness to the end of a shot where a flat burr with the same coffee would finish a little cleaner and taste a little brighter.

I would stick to flat grinders with 64mm burrs purely because there's a lot of burr choice in that space. I'd be more inclined to use the flat burr for pourover and conical for espresso if it were me but that's assuming you're using more traditional coffee on espresso.


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## jackspro (2 mo ago)

newdent said:


> I'd say steer clear of the x54, it's quite a new grinder and people have trouble selling them on the used market. If you're going to get something at that burr size you may as well go for a mignon and save some money. I've owned and niche, currently own a df64 and have in the past owned a mignon. The niche is really great for Espresso and it's certainly not going to make fruity coffees stop tasting fruity, it just has a tendency to add a little bitterness to the end of a shot where a flat burr with the same coffee would finish a little cleaner and taste a little brighter. I would stick to flat grinders with 64mm burrs purely because there's a lot of burr choice in that space. I'd be more inclined to use the flat burr for pourover and finish for espresso if it were me.


 Keen to hear your thoughts on avoiding the X54 other than it being hard to sell? I think it’s a great prospect from someone making espresso at home - flat burrs, timed dosing and Mahlkonig build and know-how. Seems easily converted with a single dose blower hopper too. Hoping to pick one up at a point, will feedback of course!


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## newdent (Feb 20, 2021)

I think lack of demand for something can be a clear indicator that a product has missed the mark. It's a lot of money for what it is.

I'd wait for a few reviews but the new rancilio stile looks very promising for £350 and the 58mm burr size has more options for upgrades as SSP will offer HU, brew and MP geometry for that burr size. But wait and see what the reviewers say first.

I still think a mignon is probably adequate and very cheap.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

iirc there were a few people moning about the x54,


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Some people would tell you 100mm burs for best flavor so I am not too sure I would take a lot of notice of comments about Niche comparing the grinders you have mentioned. I have managed to get the correct taste on very light roasts with my Niche. Maybe they would be even better with 100mm burrs. It's mostly a case of the usual - grinder setting, ratio and quantity of grinds.

Bad points about Niche. One for me is that I use an extremely oily dark roast bean. Probably the oiliest of the lot. They glisten with it and stick to the bean can. The burrs take several shots to settle down to a setting. Put another type of bean through and I have to go through that again. This would probably happen on any grinder. A 2nd grinder helps in this respect.  It's the bean I usually use but I try others. The other factor is time to run in the burrs but that to some extent is a factor on any new grinder. Expect Niche to take longer to get where it will finish up. The great points about it are very easy to adjust accurately and once settled zero retention, First couple of shots may be a faction of a gram short.

The DF64 seems ok to me for up to med roast and less. I have one and intend to sell. I try all sorts of beans so not ideal for me as a 2nd grinder. People shim the burs up and do other things. I haven't done much to it so a bit of a pass from me.

I have a mazzer mini electronic as well. Rubber lens hood for a puffer. Weight over the beans. With 2 spin up and a bit of a use of a brush on the burrs between spins I get very low retention without much effort. Tiny adjustments are needed to tune. Not easy, on these, the main problem. This will be my second grinder.

In need of a life I also have SSP burs. They need setting significantly finer than the usual types. That probably makes very fine adjustments harder.

 I used a Sage grinder for some time. Personally I feel they are under rated especially compared with similar, I weighed beans in with mine. My latest source of my oily beans would probably be too much for it for that use. The one on the Barista express was ok with my previous source but grind time needed adjusting as oil built up on the burrs. Not an easy adjustments to make via it's knob. My son uses the machine now and uses the leveling tool if needed.


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