Eric shared a few things with me that should be made clear: "First, the Ultra that was offered to people in china at that price was without burrs, and really only a pre-sale price to gain some traction. We are now the only ones who sell it outside of China (People who live in China still get it from Zhang). Secondly, we aren't exactly just a distributor. We actually did a ton of R&D on the prototype we received and created the Blind burrs, as well as came up with the idea of RPM profiling, which Zhang executed excellently. I created the WDT tool you used, and the cup was a precursor to the dosing puffer, and funnel. I also had to make major modifications to the design which involved me machining parts for weeks to ensure the quality was up to our standards! It was a grueling task, but you can see that the grinder is excellent now." Also the burrs are SSP high uniformity burrs. This more than explains the price discrepancy mentioned. I'll add any other mistakes/corrections to this comment, should there be more!
@@saraviegas2141 the big box houses the motors computer. It ensures that the grinder stays at the correct rpm, and is what allows us to give the motor commands, aka use RPM profiling. Industrial servo motors are made to perform really complex operations.
I own a Levercraft Ultra and it's been an absolute joy so far. I use the variable RPMs to produce different grind distributions for espresso and filter coffee, and at a thousand dollars cheaper than the other 98mm burr grinders, it's an excellent value. Eric did an astonishing job transforming an otherwise okay grinder into a marvel of precision engineering, and he's been an excellent resource for taking my espresso brews to the next level.
@@albertl2452 If you read through the comments you'll see the Chinese version is now around $2k with burrs, so after shipping you wouldn't save much (of course it might be the sensible choice if you live in China).
@@qdzsy I'm thinking the "motor" of the grinder is actually an A/C Servo, similar to what is used for axis control on CNC machines. If I'm correct, that would make the black box a servo amp.
I'm a 19 years old apprentice in IT, drink the coffee from my mom's "cheap" coffee-machine but I'm still watching a video series about 2000+€ grinders. You're a fascinating man, James. How you articulate your thoughts, how the videos are made. It just feels very high quality. Keep it up!
HI James! Love the video! I think something you should try with your Ultra if you want more texture is to use the RPM profiling feature. It changes the burrs to act less unimodal, and gives you a ton more body! Just set up the profile to run from 200-800rpm and you will get much more body, with a little less clarity. Cheers!
Now that's a concept that would be quite impressive. Being able to choose which type of shot you pull by profiling the grind speed? That would be next level. Perhaps, even ultra.
I have no idea if my Kinu manual is unimodal (I assume not), but what I’m hearing here is that I can just hand-crank it faster as I grind, to get more body ;)
Yea, and then they say that the big box is for RPM profiling when in reality it's just servo inverter, could've used smaller servo with inverter built in.
This is a regular servo motor with a set of burrs on top. That's why it has this shape and a built-in heat sink. The large box is the inverter and the small one is the controller.
I love the different grinders, but I could use a 101 lesson on what exactly the different burr types mean for the grounds. What IS the difference between conical, flat, unimodal ect to the coffee beans/grounds
Perhaps you could do a video about the Electric Grinder you use? Do you ever sift out the Fines with some sort of metal sifter? I am fixated on sifting out the fines right now so as to prevent an over extracted taste. I suppose: the less fines there are the better quality the electric grinder? I have a lot to learn.
I realized today why I like your videos. You cause us to pause and consider the beauty in this world. From your tasting tips to your enjoyment at using a particular distribution tool, I thank you for adding this bit of thoughtfulness to my day.
If anyone is curious about the combination of weird body pattern, giant connectors, and a "control box" present in no other grinder; this grinder is basically a 1.6kW AC servo motor with a grinding head screwed onto the top (also explains the 4 bolt mounting pattern, it's what the motor has on the body). This explains the near silent operation, this motor is hugely overkill so it operated direct-drive with no loud gearing, very clever coming out of China where these motors are shockingly cheap. The control box is likely just an off-the-shelf servo drive/amplifier (would love to see inside!). At any rate this is a very neat home application of industrial-grade gear.
Now this machine I *LOVE* . I'm an engineer, and this is a good combination of all aspects. Aesthetically good, so quiet, unique design features, and does its job perfectly.
That's part of the shtick with selling very expensive things, if they looked like your typical grinder there would be significant loss made in marketing department.
It starts to feel like the discussions photographers with rangefinders, people specialising in fine art prints and audiophiles have and I love every second of it.
it just servo motor attached to burr and that's why the motor is so quiet. the heatsink on the grinder is heatsink for the motor. that big black box one is amplifier or the controller for the motor. and the small box is just display, switch and dial button for speed of the motor. im seeing this from the perspective of electrical engineer.
I love getting excited about grinders that I will never buy. I'm not the only one as far as I can tell! I don't see anyone complaining about the price, just people being enthusiastic about the same topic. Kudos to you sir!
I will never afford these either, but I greatly enjoy learning about how they work. Hope to save up for a hand grinder that can produce close to the same even particle size distribution. Some day...
Watching this one grinding is weirdly satisfying for some reason, reminds me of the fluffiness you would get from the Ceado grinder. The dosing bellow design is very simple and smart!
Its my favourite one out of all the ones you are reviewing. To me that grinder shows just how technology in coffee grinders are heading with how quiet and how quickly they grind
I’m new to this channel but man have I fallen hard for it. The cinematography, the music selection, the devices and of course the way James delivers content is so fluid and calming I almost rely on it to level me out after work. My only regret is not finding this sooner to get in on these amazing Patreon giveaways.
This one appeals to me the most so far. The engineering is very elegant, and I cannot believe how quiet it is. I feel like if you can put the grinder on top of the power box, it's still smaller than the other grinders, and if your kitchen accommodates putting the power box elsewhere then you really get a nice compact countertop setup.
Pretty sure the ancient ones come to James for coffee advice. It’s hard getting out of bed after eons asleep. They’ll be watching carefully for the grinder with the simplest workflow. Surely they’ll eat James first.
Since he films with a RED, who knows, maybe he complained into the grinder of how weird this long stopper in the bean hopper is and how nothing happens when he fills beans into it. Same complains about how big it is though.
James postponing all the details of the machines in each video, makes me feel like the big grinder showdown is gonna be more like a 2-hour movie. And I just can't wait for that!
once this week ends, i'm gonna miss coming home from work to a well-made james hoffmann video to accompany me :) just know that i'm cherishing every second of this.
Love these videos - very entertaining. I wonder, though, when things enter into the realm of excessiveness. I own a Niche grinder which I really like, and it makes excellent espressos. I also have a Mazzer as a backup or when I want to grind a larger batch of beans. If I bought a really expensive grinder (as these reviewed grinders are), and A:B’d the shots, perhaps I would notice a difference. But I would bet that my Niche would be as pleasurable day to day as the more expensive grinders. I roast my own coffee. The beans come from all over the world, primarily from very small farms or coops, and the results are constantly changing. For me, inconsistency is one of the pleasures of coffee. It would be great to have a series comparing roasters, and especially different coffees - for example wet vs. dry processed, or S. American vs. African coffees, etc..
The utter quietness of that is very appealing. All of these that you're showing here are way out of my self-value range, and so far the other ones you've shown haven't had anything I would call a "wow factor" that made me envious of them. That quiet motor though, very nice. Second most appealing thing in this series so far was the lack of screw holes on the burrs in the Weber EG-1.
Hey Mr. James! You should also try the Bentwood Grinder! And the company send the grinder - usually - in seven days after payment! It's a grinder that uses a unique set of burrs (63mm)
This is starting to sound like the sort of conversations that happen around high end hi-fi (especially turntables). Excellent results from all units, little personal niggles with some, and nuanced comparisons. Loving it! OMG this one was quiet!
@@svgs650r believe you me, if I was a billionaire, I would drop a large slice of a million on my hi-fi. As it is, I can't even afford a house large enough to hold the £50k aspirational gear that is currently my dream, let alone spend the money on the gear itself. And don't get me started on home cinema!
It is so beautiful. It strongly reminds me of a darkroom tool. Hours of working with the enlarger would become even more enjoyable if I could make my break with a Livercraft Ultra grinded coffee :-)
He's already done quite a bit of this, search for his comparison of xeoleo vs fellow ode vs Wilma uniform. He's also done a separate review of the Niche Zero.
The Levercraft Ultra looks like a coffee grinder that would be made from my grandsons Minecraft Video game, exploring new gaming adventures in coffee grinding, let the games begin. As always fun and superbly done.
I'm really looking forward to see how all of these grinders compare and contrast in the showdown. they all seem to have something that would make workflow unique and intresting
I have one and pair with my Versalab M3/M4. Currently I am using EK43 old burr for pour over only. Will order a high u SSP burr for SOE espresso later.
I don't own and cannot afford any of these at the moment, but I cannot miss any single video and cannot wait for the ultimate show down. It's just amazing to see more different grinders as I have only used a few commercial ones, like Mythos, Mazzer, EK43 (I am a part time barista). It's kind of like a learning process for me, as I have learned a lot more from these as well. I absolutely love the fact that coffee grinder manufacturers also involve in the discussion to give more information and clarification as well. Overall, quite an amazing series, and I cannot wait for the final episode where everything will be compared.
This grinder is in a class of its own, particularly at this price point. 1) it has all the top specs you want from an end-game 98mm grinder (no retention, etc.) 2) it is super quite, or well.. basically silent 3) it can be aligned and even tho it doesn't sound like a particular novelty, some other 98mm grinders can't 4) it is $1000 cheaper than competition, for the same or better performance. Last but not least, you can even actually buy it!
Thank you James for including closed captioning in the video - it's really nice to have that for the hearing impaired coffee nuts that watch your videos. Cheers!
For a disruptive tech to become adopted by a large crowd, it needs a creative audience to start it of. This grinder looks like a playful (but excellently engineered) piece of tech to get creative with. I'll swap my EK43 with this one any day!
Another great video James! I don't know why but I find this grinder quite appealing, even with the possible difficulty in getting to the burrs! It is strangely alluring and desirable! I like the fact that it comes in parts and different boxes. The strange looking little bellows looks nifty! That is not say that I don't like some of the others but this one is quirky and looks like it does a great job with the grind. Again I say that I think you're very lucky to get to play around with such magnificent engineering designs! Can't wait for the last two vids in this section!
Yes I had one of this directly from China manufacture with SSP high uniformity which I'm focus on espresso in my small coffee bar which perform well for 2 months. The set in this video is slightly different from the version I own, maybe I had the earliest model so the rpm control is directly on the big electric box but in exchange I have an infrared remote control which I can hide the box under counter and stick my controller on the grinder body to improve the workflow and space management. It's really quite even grinding is make really low noise compare to my other single dose like eg-1
I honestly didn't think I would find a simple coffee grinder series interesting, but I really do. I love these videos. Please do more like this in future. Perhaps a comparison between the espresso machines that would pair well this these grinders in the home kitchen.
Hey James, since we are on the topic of grinders already, you should make a video on what is your approach towards grinder maintenance. I was looking all over the internet for a comprehensive tutorial, but remain disappointed... Would love to see your thoughts! Keep up the great content
As a industrial robot service technician I recognized that motor right away. It’s the same motors used to drive robot arms. Looks very similar to what’s used on a yaskawa(motoman) robots. I suspect the big box is the servo amplifier electronics and the little box is for the encoder.
I had the same experience (except I got the Chiapas beans). No idea his cafe was there in East Austin till this series. Talked to Eric about his grinders and the Decent machines, and now have an Ultra on order.
With the quietness, controller box and the design of the motor section, I'd put down money thats a large stepper in there. Thoughts are percolating, plans are brewing.
You mentioned the heatsink fins seaming like a odd choice, I would bet that it's just using a commodity servo for CNC machines as the motor and everything else is designed around the motor. This also explains the motor connections and drive box, it would be interesting to see interesting to see inside the box, it's probably an off the shelf drive and a power supply.
I've seen this one up close, and pulled a few shots. I love the design, the feel and how fast and quiet it is. Seems to offer all features + and at $1k less. I will have one on pre order soon, after GME 🚀🚀🚀!!
the motor used for this grinder looks basically identical to a direct drive wheel base used in the sim racing industry. look up the VRS DirectForce Pro and you'll see that it's the exact same motor housing.
Evertime James talks about big burrs i need to giggle a bit and take a look at my Grinder with 140mm burrs that sits inside my kitchen and I can’t use it because i don’t have the right power outlet.... 😂
@@jameshoffmann it is a ditting 1403 that i got for free from a store. It’s a 400V 3 Phase motor inside. I Already thought about selling it and buy me the way smaller Ditting 807 sweet lab, it’s simply not that convenient to change everytime the power outlet when i move in a new flat. But it’s difficult to find reviews of Ditting Grinders in general.
Hi, James, glad you find this gem is China. I just ordered mine back in Oct and received it before the holidays. Maybe is will ease those potential buyer's mind, It's around 1700 USD in china when I ordered it, I think the 1100 price is for early birds and there was a change in model (the older one has the control nob and start/finish build-in the electrical box). there is few things I know about this grinder. 1st, it works with other burrs eg. ssp high-uniformity/low uniformity(?), ek43, ditting k804 and etc..2nd, the fin is part of the industrial servo motor it uses in the grinder(which usually has this kind of fin for cooling). I'm not trying to defend for him, I understand people are paying a premium for it. But it's hard for a small shop to bespoke a servo motor shall for them. I have never had my ultra to direct compete with other premium grinders, so I can't wait for your upcoming videos. And I really love your works and thank you for sharing.
Those motors are very silent and that one will last a lifetime in that setting, that driver box on the side while being chunky provides many smart control modes for that thick boy that spins the whole thing.
Thank you James for providing these unbiased grinder reviews and I look forward to the showdown. I am hoping that you will be able to provide a similar review platform covering grinders that handle coarser grind brew methods (French Press, Hario Kasuya V60, etc). I currently run a Baratza Virtuoso + for these methods and am curious about what is out there with a price point going up to $1000 max.
Is there a recommended resource for learning more about unimodal and bimodal grind distributions, and their affects on extraction. In addition to different burr sets and shapes (conical/ flat etc) and their affects?
Guys, don't feel missing out. This grinder is not available anywhere in china right now, other than buying pre-owned. People are saying the manufacturer wants to make changes to their branding (and raise the price).
Eric shared a few things with me that should be made clear:
"First, the Ultra that was offered to people in china at that price was without burrs, and really only a pre-sale price to gain some traction. We are now the only ones who sell it outside of China (People who live in China still get it from Zhang).
Secondly, we aren't exactly just a distributor. We actually did a ton of R&D on the prototype we received and created the Blind burrs, as well as came up with the idea of RPM profiling, which Zhang executed excellently. I created the WDT tool you used, and the cup was a precursor to the dosing puffer, and funnel.
I also had to make major modifications to the design which involved me machining parts for weeks to ensure the quality was up to our standards! It was a grueling task, but you can see that the grinder is excellent now."
Also the burrs are SSP high uniformity burrs.
This more than explains the price discrepancy mentioned. I'll add any other mistakes/corrections to this comment, should there be more!
Are you with Bejing Biden now? 😏
Another note the owner wants to add:
'Please give that grinder to RUclips user tabundo001'
I didn’t get what the big box is for? Did I miss it, or you never explained it?
@@saraviegas2141 the big box houses the motors computer. It ensures that the grinder stays at the correct rpm, and is what allows us to give the motor commands, aka use RPM profiling. Industrial servo motors are made to perform really complex operations.
@@levercraftcoffee3084 What is the difficulty with selecting and incorporating the VFD and controller as part of the main body? Heat? EMF?
"Five reviews over five days, and on the sixth day a big head to head."
And on the seventh day he rested.
For He looked upon his works and saw it was good.
@@danielseelye6005 and then contemplating on the thought of aeropress video
Judgment comes after...
Do we say "Sick-th day" like him or do we say "Six-th day"?
I honestly thing the head to head is incomplete without a cheaper Breville pro grinder thrown in the mix just to keep those expensive ones honest.
"But that's my job job... and I revel in it" and we like it that way ☆
With a wry smile and a bit of a glint in his eye? 😂
The look on his face was priceless! 😂
Can someone make a GIF out of that sentence?
Almost as strong as "Because I'm a fancy man"
I came looking for this comment 😂
I own a Levercraft Ultra and it's been an absolute joy so far. I use the variable RPMs to produce different grind distributions for espresso and filter coffee, and at a thousand dollars cheaper than the other 98mm burr grinders, it's an excellent value. Eric did an astonishing job transforming an otherwise okay grinder into a marvel of precision engineering, and he's been an excellent resource for taking my espresso brews to the next level.
Hi Miguel, I was wondering where could you get the cheaper version? Instead of through Levercraft?
@@albertl2452 If you read through the comments you'll see the Chinese version is now around $2k with burrs, so after shipping you wouldn't save much (of course it might be the sensible choice if you live in China).
Could you tell me what is the big black box is for? I understand the grinder itself and the control unit. But what does the big part does?
@@qdzsy Power supply
@@qdzsy I'm thinking the "motor" of the grinder is actually an A/C Servo, similar to what is used for axis control on CNC machines. If I'm correct, that would make the black box a servo amp.
I'm a 19 years old apprentice in IT, drink the coffee from my mom's "cheap" coffee-machine but I'm still watching a video series about 2000+€ grinders. You're a fascinating man, James. How you articulate your thoughts, how the videos are made. It just feels very high quality. Keep it up!
HI James! Love the video! I think something you should try with your Ultra if you want more texture is to use the RPM profiling feature. It changes the burrs to act less unimodal, and gives you a ton more body! Just set up the profile to run from 200-800rpm and you will get much more body, with a little less clarity. Cheers!
Now that's a concept that would be quite impressive. Being able to choose which type of shot you pull by profiling the grind speed? That would be next level. Perhaps, even ultra.
@@blueovalboy I think it’s going to be a feature a lot more grinders will have in the future.
Does it really make a big differenc to run it as a profile or just significantly higher rpm for Espresso and low rpm for pour over?
@@hulsterhulster5363 absolutely it does. RPM and RPM change the amount of fines in any given method significantly
I have no idea if my Kinu manual is unimodal (I assume not), but what I’m hearing here is that I can just hand-crank it faster as I grind, to get more body ;)
Some call it grinder week, I call it therapy week.
I call it bankrupt week... my poor savings account
“It’s quiet. Shockingly quiet. Beautifully quiet.” - my dad in quarantine, after buying his wife tons of art supplies.
What an absolute galaxy-brainer
reading between the line(s)...
she is not your mother?
Looks like industrial servo motor coupled with grinding unit on top
Yea, its probaly is. Strange, unnecessarily complex and expensive methot for coffe grinding.
Yea, and then they say that the big box is for RPM profiling when in reality it's just servo inverter, could've used smaller servo with inverter built in.
This is a regular servo motor with a set of burrs on top. That's why it has this shape and a built-in heat sink. The large box is the inverter and the small one is the controller.
I love the different grinders, but I could use a 101 lesson on what exactly the different burr types mean for the grounds. What IS the difference between conical, flat, unimodal ect to the coffee beans/grounds
Agreed.
agreed, that would be an excellent topic for a stand-alone video
agreed!
He did a video on grinder basics.
ruclips.net/video/7QYlExoEpvA/видео.html this other James video goes over some basics of how burrs differ! Hopefully this should help u out a touch
Would happily sit through 1 hour of grinder showdown
Agreed😅
At least !
Perhaps you could do a video about the Electric Grinder you use? Do you ever sift out the Fines with some sort of metal sifter? I am fixated on sifting out the fines right now so as to prevent an over extracted taste. I suppose: the less fines there are the better quality the electric grinder? I have a lot to learn.
@@humanhelp3969 I don’t sift my grounds as the taste often becomes a little bland.
I realized today why I like your videos.
You cause us to pause and consider the beauty in this world.
From your tasting tips to your enjoyment at using a particular distribution tool, I thank you for adding this bit of thoughtfulness to my day.
I like the idea of the designers of these things sitting down, watching the reviews and taking notes like crazy :-)
8:12 - that majestic rush of coffee 😱
I watched it over and over and over - majestic 🦄
"It doesn't seem to acknowledge the existence of filter coffee" - said with the utmost seriousness
Hm, I know how it feels.
If anyone is curious about the combination of weird body pattern, giant connectors, and a "control box" present in no other grinder; this grinder is basically a 1.6kW AC servo motor with a grinding head screwed onto the top (also explains the 4 bolt mounting pattern, it's what the motor has on the body). This explains the near silent operation, this motor is hugely overkill so it operated direct-drive with no loud gearing, very clever coming out of China where these motors are shockingly cheap. The control box is likely just an off-the-shelf servo drive/amplifier (would love to see inside!). At any rate this is a very neat home application of industrial-grade gear.
It looks like the coffee grinder Darth Vader would own.
For if you like your coffee a little on the dark side.
@@willbrophy2160 if i could like this twice i would
Lol, that’s exactly who I was thinking about when I saw the design!
I first thought it was a 3D printer or something interesting not a method of drug delivery.
Watching a new James Hoffman video every morning with my coffee in hand:)
Blissful morning
Now this machine I *LOVE* . I'm an engineer, and this is a good combination of all aspects. Aesthetically good, so quiet, unique design features, and does its job perfectly.
@Aaron Morrow It is a servo AC motor. The external box is the controller for the servo motor.
Powder outlet look like slide, cute😍
I'm increasingly impressed at how more and more like microscopes these grinders keep resembling.
That's part of the shtick with selling very expensive things, if they looked like your typical grinder there would be significant loss made in marketing department.
Just wait for the next one!
My wife thought my Monolith was a microscope. We actually have a microscope in the house; she wondered why it was at the coffee station.
@@GuitFishN 😂😂😂 I will be a hard day when she finds out. 🤔
It starts to feel like the discussions photographers with rangefinders, people specialising in fine art prints and audiophiles have and I love every second of it.
Did you see his video on developing film with coffee? Loved it!
@@michaeldimmitt2188 Of course!
Watching James Hoffman Daily is good for your health scientists say ! Love to follow this series daily
Today is my birthday, and watching James uploading for a whole week is my favorite birthday gift ever !
Living vicariously through this series☕️❤️
I’ve enjoyed having a new one of these every morning to watch. Bright spot in a bleak pandemic
Here for ASMR James Hoffmann and his quiet coffee grinder.
it just servo motor attached to burr and that's why the motor is so quiet.
the heatsink on the grinder is heatsink for the motor.
that big black box one is amplifier or the controller for the motor.
and the small box is just display, switch and dial button for speed of the motor.
im seeing this from the perspective of electrical engineer.
Watching coffee content by James while drinking coffee. The best way to start your day!
I love getting excited about grinders that I will never buy. I'm not the only one as far as I can tell! I don't see anyone complaining about the price, just people being enthusiastic about the same topic.
Kudos to you sir!
I will never afford these either, but I greatly enjoy learning about how they work. Hope to save up for a hand grinder that can produce close to the same even particle size distribution. Some day...
watched all 5 now and i take it back, love this grinder! How the grounds run down that chute into your portafilter is lovely and dang is it fast!
Ordered mine in august, can’t wait to receive it !
That bellows dosing tool is one of the most clever designs I've seen in a long time. Almost a shame the grinder does so well, it seems superfluous!
It's the best thing in all these vids.
Watching this one grinding is weirdly satisfying for some reason, reminds me of the fluffiness you would get from the Ceado grinder. The dosing bellow design is very simple and smart!
It's been such a joy to have a new video every morning. Love the series format :)
Looks like a coffee grinder for audiophiles. We love multi box solutions.
“Yeah, I got the seperate pre and power grinders, you get way more clarity that way...”
@@IainChalmers Lol!
Its my favourite one out of all the ones you are reviewing. To me that grinder shows just how technology in coffee grinders are heading with how quiet and how quickly they grind
This video series shouldn't have me feeling jealous. **looks at his
"But that's my job. And I revel in it."
You love to see someone who loves what they are doing
I’m new to this channel but man have I fallen hard for it. The cinematography, the music selection, the devices and of course the way James delivers content is so fluid and calming I almost rely on it to level me out after work. My only regret is not finding this sooner to get in on these amazing Patreon giveaways.
This one appeals to me the most so far. The engineering is very elegant, and I cannot believe how quiet it is. I feel like if you can put the grinder on top of the power box, it's still smaller than the other grinders, and if your kitchen accommodates putting the power box elsewhere then you really get a nice compact countertop setup.
Congrats to 700k! And what a beautiful grinder! :) looking forward!
For some reason I read Lovecraft. I though James was gonna visit Cthulhu in search for the dark arts of coffee.
same lol
He's already done so, clearly. One does not accumulate his level of coffee prowess without involving the supernatural
Pretty sure the ancient ones come to James for coffee advice. It’s hard getting out of bed after eons asleep. They’ll be watching carefully for the grinder with the simplest workflow. Surely they’ll eat James first.
It kinda looks like a RED camera system from some angles. :D
Since he films with a RED, who knows, maybe he complained into the grinder of how weird this long stopper in the bean hopper is and how nothing happens when he fills beans into it. Same complains about how big it is though.
James postponing all the details of the machines in each video, makes me feel like the big grinder showdown is gonna be more like a 2-hour movie. And I just can't wait for that!
Fascinating piece of equipment. I look forward to learning more about rpm profiling in the future!
once this week ends, i'm gonna miss coming home from work to a well-made james hoffmann video to accompany me :) just know that i'm cherishing every second of this.
Love these videos - very entertaining. I wonder, though, when things enter into the realm of excessiveness. I own a Niche grinder which I really like, and it makes excellent espressos. I also have a Mazzer as a backup or when I want to grind a larger batch of beans. If I bought a really expensive grinder (as these reviewed grinders are), and A:B’d the shots, perhaps I would notice a difference. But I would bet that my Niche would be as pleasurable day to day as the more expensive grinders. I roast my own coffee. The beans come from all over the world, primarily from very small farms or coops, and the results are constantly changing. For me, inconsistency is one of the pleasures of coffee. It would be great to have a series comparing roasters, and especially different coffees - for example wet vs. dry processed, or S. American vs. African coffees, etc..
The utter quietness of that is very appealing. All of these that you're showing here are way out of my self-value range, and so far the other ones you've shown haven't had anything I would call a "wow factor" that made me envious of them. That quiet motor though, very nice.
Second most appealing thing in this series so far was the lack of screw holes on the burrs in the Weber EG-1.
The quietness of this machine brings me so much joy.
Hey Mr. James! You should also try the Bentwood Grinder! And the company send the grinder - usually - in seven days after payment! It's a grinder that uses a unique set of burrs (63mm)
Yeah, some people at the Decent Diaspora is moving to the Bentwood Grinder, looks a interesting grinder...
Agreed! I wish see a test with that grinder there are not so many reviews testing the Bentwood
This is starting to sound like the sort of conversations that happen around high end hi-fi (especially turntables). Excellent results from all units, little personal niggles with some, and nuanced comparisons. Loving it!
OMG this one was quiet!
Yesterday I had a friend passionately espouse the virtue of a $750K stereo amp, WTF!
@@svgs650r believe you me, if I was a billionaire, I would drop a large slice of a million on my hi-fi. As it is, I can't even afford a house large enough to hold the £50k aspirational gear that is currently my dream, let alone spend the money on the gear itself. And don't get me started on home cinema!
It is so beautiful. It strongly reminds me of a darkroom tool.
Hours of working with the enlarger would become even more enjoyable if I could make my break with a Livercraft Ultra grinded coffee :-)
Imagining a coffee grinder rated for use only under a safelight
It would be nice to have a simular series on more affordable grinders in the under £500 machines.
James always makes interesting videos
He likes the wilfa svart and uniform. Also the baratza line and has reviewed them.
He's already done quite a bit of this, search for his comparison of xeoleo vs fellow ode vs Wilma uniform. He's also done a separate review of the Niche Zero.
For EU, due to Brexit, Niche Zero’s now cost over €740 (€140 is the new VAT) charges - now going with the new Eureka Mignon XL (€650)
@@renomarioni5144 Same with Canada the 55 mm flat burrs should compare favorably with the niche conical. Please post your experience and use case.
@@renomarioni5144 The question was about £, and the last I saw Niche Zeros priced at was £499.
"It doesn't acknowledge the existence of filter coffee!" that tickled my funny bone 🤣🤣🤣
Been loving the series. You are the doug demuro of coffee equipment.
The Levercraft Ultra looks like a coffee grinder that would be made from my grandsons Minecraft Video game, exploring new gaming adventures in coffee grinding, let the games begin. As always fun and superbly done.
Congratulations on 700,000 subscribers!
I'm really looking forward to see how all of these grinders compare and contrast in the showdown. they all seem to have something that would make workflow unique and intresting
Seriously James I would love to own this machine. It's style both in esthetic and grinding are so up my alley it brings me chills!
I have one and pair with my Versalab M3/M4. Currently I am using EK43 old burr for pour over only. Will order a high u SSP burr for SOE espresso later.
That extra box looks like an external hard drive. I love backing up data while making coffee.
I don't own and cannot afford any of these at the moment, but I cannot miss any single video and cannot wait for the ultimate show down. It's just amazing to see more different grinders as I have only used a few commercial ones, like Mythos, Mazzer, EK43 (I am a part time barista). It's kind of like a learning process for me, as I have learned a lot more from these as well. I absolutely love the fact that coffee grinder manufacturers also involve in the discussion to give more information and clarification as well. Overall, quite an amazing series, and I cannot wait for the final episode where everything will be compared.
Quote #JamesHoffman.
"i feel a little bit like a spoilt child"
😂😂😂😂😂 Great review and grinder. 👍
This grinder is in a class of its own, particularly at this price point.
1) it has all the top specs you want from an end-game 98mm grinder (no retention, etc.) 2) it is super quite, or well.. basically silent 3) it can be aligned and even tho it doesn't sound like a particular novelty, some other 98mm grinders can't 4) it is $1000 cheaper than competition, for the same or better performance.
Last but not least, you can even actually buy it!
The 01 and maybe 02 V60 brewer can be placed at the big cut at the portafilter holder, that is why they did that big radius cut in the holder.
Thank you James for including closed captioning in the video - it's really nice to have that for the hearing impaired coffee nuts that watch your videos. Cheers!
For a disruptive tech to become adopted by a large crowd, it needs a creative audience to start it of. This grinder looks like a playful (but excellently engineered) piece of tech to get creative with. I'll swap my EK43 with this one any day!
Another great video James! I don't know why but I find this grinder quite appealing, even with the possible difficulty in getting to the burrs! It is strangely alluring and desirable! I like the fact that it comes in parts and different boxes. The strange looking little bellows looks nifty! That is not say that I don't like some of the others but this one is quirky and looks like it does a great job with the grind. Again I say that I think you're very lucky to get to play around with such magnificent engineering designs! Can't wait for the last two vids in this section!
Please show us the burrs!
Loving this design and thank you for the in depth review
Yes I had one of this directly from China manufacture with SSP high uniformity which I'm focus on espresso in my small coffee bar which perform well for 2 months.
The set in this video is slightly different from the version I own, maybe I had the earliest model so the rpm control is directly on the big electric box but in exchange I have an infrared remote control which I can hide the box under counter and stick my controller on the grinder body to improve the workflow and space management.
It's really quite even grinding is make really low noise compare to my other single dose like eg-1
The design of this is absolutely incredible. I love the aesthetic quality
11:26 Quotable moments by James Hoffman.
This needs to be on a reel of James Hoffman essentials.
I would like to have seen the Ceado E37Z-Hero in the mix in this Grinder Showdown
I honestly didn't think I would find a simple coffee grinder series interesting, but I really do. I love these videos. Please do more like this in future. Perhaps a comparison between the espresso machines that would pair well this these grinders in the home kitchen.
Hey James, since we are on the topic of grinders already, you should make a video on what is your approach towards grinder maintenance. I was looking all over the internet for a comprehensive tutorial, but remain disappointed... Would love to see your thoughts! Keep up the great content
Loving this series~
As a industrial robot service technician I recognized that motor right away. It’s the same motors used to drive robot arms. Looks very similar to what’s used on a yaskawa(motoman) robots. I suspect the big box is the servo amplifier electronics and the little box is for the encoder.
Whoa, I just went to Levercraft in Austin for the first time to pick up their washed Ethiopian Guji. Didn't realize they made high end equipment.
I had the same experience (except I got the Chiapas beans). No idea his cafe was there in East Austin till this series. Talked to Eric about his grinders and the Decent machines, and now have an Ultra on order.
4 episodes in and I’m still happy about owning a Niche.
I hope in the filter test grinders are compared to a wilfa uniform, afaik the cheapest flat burr grinder out there.
Congratulations on hitting 700k subscribers James! You deserve this milestone so much!
With the quietness, controller box and the design of the motor section, I'd put down money thats a large stepper in there.
Thoughts are percolating, plans are brewing.
What a delightful week!
You mentioned the heatsink fins seaming like a odd choice, I would bet that it's just using a commodity servo for CNC machines as the motor and everything else is designed around the motor. This also explains the motor connections and drive box, it would be interesting to see interesting to see inside the box, it's probably an off the shelf drive and a power supply.
I've seen this one up close, and pulled a few shots. I love the design, the feel and how fast and quiet it is. Seems to offer all features + and at $1k less. I will have one on pre order soon, after GME 🚀🚀🚀!!
the motor used for this grinder looks basically identical to a direct drive wheel base used in the sim racing industry. look up the VRS DirectForce Pro and you'll see that it's the exact same motor housing.
Wow! A grinder I haven't heard about! If I hadn't just gotten my Niche, this would've been at the top of my list.
Evertime James talks about big burrs i need to giggle a bit and take a look at my Grinder with 140mm burrs that sits inside my kitchen and I can’t use it because i don’t have the right power outlet.... 😂
What do you have at 140mm?! I used to have a single phase VTA6, but those were only 120mm I think
@@jameshoffmann it is a ditting 1403 that i got for free from a store. It’s a 400V 3 Phase motor inside. I Already thought about selling it and buy me the way smaller Ditting 807 sweet lab, it’s simply not that convenient to change everytime the power outlet when i move in a new flat. But it’s difficult to find reviews of Ditting Grinders in general.
Hi, James, glad you find this gem is China. I just ordered mine back in Oct and received it before the holidays. Maybe is will ease those potential buyer's mind, It's around 1700 USD in china when I ordered it, I think the 1100 price is for early birds and there was a change in model (the older one has the control nob and start/finish build-in the electrical box). there is few things I know about this grinder. 1st, it works with other burrs eg. ssp high-uniformity/low uniformity(?), ek43, ditting k804 and etc..2nd, the fin is part of the industrial servo motor it uses in the grinder(which usually has this kind of fin for cooling). I'm not trying to defend for him, I understand people are paying a premium for it. But it's hard for a small shop to bespoke a servo motor shall for them. I have never had my ultra to direct compete with other premium grinders, so I can't wait for your upcoming videos. And I really love your works and thank you for sharing.
Where do you buy from in China ? What’s the name of the product/ company there? I have friends there that can buy and ship to me
Those motors are very silent and that one will last a lifetime in that setting, that driver box on the side while being chunky provides many smart control modes for that thick boy that spins the whole thing.
"That's my job. And I revel in it." I see this on next poster / shirt design.
A video everyday this week makes me very happy.
Thank you James for providing these unbiased grinder reviews and I look forward to the showdown. I am hoping that you will be able to provide a similar review platform covering grinders that handle coarser grind brew methods (French Press, Hario Kasuya V60, etc). I currently run a Baratza Virtuoso + for these methods and am curious about what is out there with a price point going up to $1000 max.
All I hear is “burrs”...
Thanks for all the hard work that has gone into this week of videos. Your commitment to the task does not go unnoticed.
Is there a recommended resource for learning more about unimodal and bimodal grind distributions, and their affects on extraction. In addition to different burr sets and shapes (conical/ flat etc) and their affects?
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Coffee R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn." -Levercraft
Indeed they replaced burr sets with a reciprocating shoggoth.
It looks like the electronic projects that I used to build as a kid using off-the-shelf aluminum cases and slotted pan-head screws.
Guys, don't feel missing out. This grinder is not available anywhere in china right now, other than buying pre-owned. People are saying the manufacturer wants to make changes to their branding (and raise the price).