"I do not make espresso at home. I don't have an espresso machine at home." I have to admit that's the most shocking statement I've heard since I started subscribing to your channel.
@@roryg137 I've owned two home espresso machines and used probably 2-3 other from friend's home. I make 3-5 cups a day (not just for me, for my wife also) and doesn't find it an "absolute pain" and always looking forward to the first cup in the morning. The amount of wasted shots could be a bit annoying at first, yes, but once you get a hang of it, you learn how to minimize the waste. Even with Eureka Mignon Specialita I use, which is an excellent grinder but without digital preset for you to come back to once you switch between beans, I learn to take note for future references and no longer spend more than two pucks dialing in for known beans. For new beans, I judge them from their roast level and roast date and usually get it close to perfect in 2 or 3 tries at most. I also don't know anyone who is willing to make their own espresso at home say it feels like a chore to them. So yeah, I have to disagree with you there. That said, I get where you are coming from. Why would someone who has access to all kinds of professional espresso machines want a home espresso setup at home, right? Well, while that seems like a fair point, I kinda expect someone of his caliber to have professional setting at home, not just home espresso even though he is not going to use it much. May be smaller scale but pro level machine. I get that a chef probably doesn't want to cook at home after long hours in the restaurant kitchen but I bet every chef you can find have cookware at home regardless. See my point?
You can tell he's single without kids. I'm a mini barista making espresso for myself, wife, daughter, at least twice each almost every morning. Sometimes my parents and neighbors too!
niche customer service and design are amazing: i was cleaning the burr set and lost the two springs that calibrate/separate the upper and lower burrs. emailed support and they told me to look in the wooden base where they had stored two replacement springs. problem solved. when does design ever provide its own solutions? apparently with the niche it does.
Back when Maglite used incandescent bulbs, they would package a spare nested near the bottom where you unscrewed it, under the battery spring. I’m always impressed when designers think to do stuff like that.
I own a Wilfa Uniform without the scale but a regular plastic lid. The plastic lid increases the noise substantially since it is not a tight fit and has no weight to keep it down. It is a rattling noise which can be annoying. An easy way to counteract it, is by putting some weight on top. I still really like the grinder, but choosing between the version with or without scale, this is a relevant piece of information I did not have beforehand.
@@codymarwine8990 Might be hard and fussy to do aftermarket. I would think the manufacturer could include that as a design refinement without too much trouble, though.
Our over 15 year old Gran Macinino (Isomac) is still working great. It has a metal lid but I did find it rattling. Solution was to put a small bit of plastic/rubbery shelf liner across the back side of the hopper. Added just enough to stop the lid rattling and is grippy enough to just stay in place.
Well I also have the Wilfa without the scale and I have no problems with the sound. For me the experience is very muted and the grinder sounds great. Love this grinder 😍
I'm not even into coffee, i watch your videos because they are well created, throughly researched and they cheer me up. Crazy how much random coffee knowledge i built up
As much as I like an espresso, i enjoy my filter more every day. I have an espresso machine, filter, stove top, french press........ But the convenience of the filter, and the quality is just a winner for me.
As much fun as it is to watch James suffer through bad coffee and poorly made equipment, it's very nice to see him have a good time with pieces of kit he has a very obvious affection for.
Thanks James for a very accurate and good review. I developed the Wilfa Uniform and as you know its developed for filter coffee primarily. Your comments are regardless always spot-on and valuable. Thanks for the insight.
@concretehead2790id say dont worry too much about expensive kit when you are just getting into it. Grab yourself a hand grinder for 50 bucks and a plastic V60 and start with your kitchen kettle. Upgrade as you go! As you make yourself pourovers in the morning, youll find your pet grievances with your current setup, and your biggest pet grievance is the piece of kit you should invest in first. Lo and behold, over a couple of years, youll likely have spent far too much money. But you dont have to spend that before you start making coffee.
Rick Astley, I too like the new studio space. I don’t like the audio though, a bit to much of the room reverb; sounds like a kid on a iPad in echoey bathroom. They will figure it out, I know his professionalism will come through! Note: he said it was new and they are working on it!
Took delivery of my Niche grinder yesterday, bought on the strength of James’ original recommendation a year ago. I have been waiting several months for it. I’m very happy to report that I’ve had delightful espressos with it all day. It is a joy to use, it is quiet and looks beautiful. I’m grinding in the 20-25 range for espresso.
Been thinking about both of these grinders and the price difference is definitely a factor. I can buy two Wilfa for the price of a single Niche, that's a lot of spare change for slightly better espresso and a 58mm cup. I'd like a Niche, don't get me wrong, but £250 could buy a lot of quality beans and a dosing funnel.
I love that you showed the decibel meter with the FFT readout. Speaking as an audio engineer of 20+ years, I definitely prefer the tonal shape one of them. I love that the app displays the peak frequency as well. In short, our ears are most sensitive to the mid-range (we'll go with 250-2000 Hz). 2000 Hz is where the nasal sound transitions to the toothy sound in the back of the mouth just above the tongue. There is a brand of speakers that notoriously has harmonic distortion in the higher register of that range and all things being equal, will fatigue your ears faster. Looping that into this, though: lower frequency content in these sorts of appliances tends to irritate us less. It's one of those ways that sound does actually impact your nervous system. Mid-range sounds closer to the upper register tells our brain and body to "Pay attention!". The crossover of neurology and sound intrigues me a ton. In short, I submit this as food (or drink) for thought: that if you notice yourself having trouble focusing, examine the frequency content of your environment. Are there a lot of "grating", "bright", "shrill", or "metallic" sounds? That noise could also be adding mixed nervous system signals that rev you up. Thank you for adding this into your review. While completely niché, I will always be interested to see the tonal profile of any gear that makes noise. Please keep that up! It is something that impacts and informs my purchasing decisions (I recently replaced all my humidifiers whose frequency content closely resemble the items tested here). If you ever want to get super geeky on audio testing, let me know. I'd be happy to share a simple gear list if you ever want to be more accurate on this front.
I haven't really worked much with Klipsch speakers. The brand I was referring to is a professional level brand that appeals a ton to the entry and mid level professional markets. Klipsch lives in the consumer level of product.
Idk if I should tell you this but I only use a cheap $15 burr hand grinder.....that I sometimes mount to a cordless drill so I don't have to hand grind.
So from left to right, he seems to have the Lelit Anna, DeLonghi Dedica, Rancilio Silvia, Breville Bambino, and Gaggia Classic Pro. Looks like there's our new lineup for the next home espresso machine comparison
darieee I have one and I'm not verry happy with it. Tried to add unpressurized filter, but with it it either chokes or flows too fast. It's almost impossible to get a good shot. The regular pressurized filter is OK but you can't pull a great shot with it.
I'll guess either the Gaggia or Lelit will win because of relatively good price. Silvia will be third because of the cost. The rest are perhaps not as good.
My first ever grinder was the Zassenhaus Espresso grinder. I still use it from time to time but not useful for V60. Too much of a hit and miss, no control here. I then popped into Prufrock many years ago based on your recommendation and picked up my Wilfa Svart Aroma. It is superb!! I mostly brew Syphon, V60, Alessi 9090 1 cup and Neapolitan flip coffee pot (not so much these days). No problems with static, once I have finished brewing I take plastic container and shake over sink and job done, no drama. Yes there are some grinds still stuck but they don't bother me. Once a month I will give it a quick wash. Getting grinds out is easy. I like how the container has a little scoop/funnel area. Best feature is the top part of container, very easy to grip to get it in and out of grinder. This with digital scale, Brita water filter and KitchenAid long spout filter coffee kettle completes my setup. ✌
Hey James, I'm a former coffee professional, and largely purchased the Niche after watching your review. Sure, it's no EK, but it's absolutely my favorite home grinder that I've worked with. I think it strikes a great balance between price and quality. Really really happy with it, even using exclusively for drip. Can't say enough good things. Congrats on the new studio!
@@bhoywonder It's definitely worth it, but it's also a matter of prospective. If you're looking for a first home burr grinder, the Baratza grinders are great for the price. If you're looking to upgrade to a better burr grinder, or are used to having access to something amazing, the Niche scratches that itch really well. It's not going to the job of an EK43/Peak/Mythos, but it's probably my favorite grinder under $1000 USD.
Been using a Gaggia MDF for some time so most will be an upgrade! Might be worth the extra for the Niche now but do wonder if another might be an option
@@bhoywonder Yeah, if you have an MFD (50mm flat burr), you probably would see a modest difference with a grinder like the Barataza Vario (54mm Flat), but I think you'd get really nice gains from the Niche(63mm conical). The Niche also seems to be a lower RPM than other grinders it's size, but I feel like I'm getting much closer to cafe quality than I was when I used Baratza grinders or even a Mazzer mini.
I have had my Niche Zero for about a month now. Very happy so far. I was after a high quality grinder as an an upgrade for the inbuilt grinder in my Barista Express and I like the whole single dosing work flow. The Niche zero was really the only choice. No one else seems to make anything like it, which really surprises me given the positive reviews and obvious popularity of the Niche.
@@jamescrook8815 I wouldn't say there is any dramatic difference, mainly it is more consistent and easy to dial in (stepless rather than large steps on the Barista). However, I never found it easy to get recommended brew recipes to work with the Barista, i.e. 18g in, 36g out in 20-30 seconds was nearly impossible even paired with the Niche. I suspect this is because the pump pressure is a way too high 15 bar. The Niche helped a bit, but I have since upgraded to a Gaggia Classic Pro and this works way better. The Barrista Express is a good starting machine with well matched components but it has its limitations. For me the Niche was a first step in upgrading away from the Barista.
@@Ivijhhhhhhhbhvxer I wouldn't say I noticed in big change in flavour, but I don't drink exotic high grown light roasts, preferring medium roasts and milk. The difference was more consistency. The Barista Express was capable of producing good shots but was a bit hit and miss doing so. The Niche made it a bit easier to get good shots. Since then I have upgraded to a Gaggia Classic Pro, then added a VST basket and a Mr Shades 9 bar OPV, later on I added a PID controller. All of that, from the original Barista Express to the set up I have now, was a series of incremental gains, but the Niche Zero was a very important first step. Having said all that, I would not recommend buying a Niche Zero, or any other high end grinder, just to pair with a Barista Express, you won't get your moneys worth unless you are planning on a future upgrade to a better machine.
I just finished the most stressful shift ever. First day back after corona. New beans as well. The grinder stop working (no way to adjust the grind size). I had breakfast service of 200 people. 😩🙊 Insanity!
Was it one of these grinders or just general grinder woes? (not that it's necessarily a nock against any product, even the best will sometimes/eventually break)
Mariana Beirão I hope it was stuck on a setting which at least allowed you to offer everyone a decent cup of coffee, even if you couldn’t do different drinks. Better luck tomorrow and stay safe!
Good info on sound (from what an audiologist told me) older people lose hearing in the upper register first. What this means in context of this vid: As far as sound goes over 60 will prefer the "sound" of the uniform (as they can't hear it as much!). Much younger people (under 30ish) will prefer the sound of the Niche as "high" sounds are annoying to younger people. I hope this info helps you refine your reviews in context of sound.
Lelit Anna, De'Longhi Dedica, Rancilio Silvia, Sage Bambino Plus, Gaggia Classic! I've gotta see this!Just a little sad I don't see Ascaso Dream PID here :(
In my opinion, yes. In short, Wilfa’s flat burr gives a unique grind that helps with pourover extraction; Niche’s grind settings is stepless & essentially limitless so it is more towards Espresso but no problem with pourover.
For those who desire a perfect dosing cup but don't wish to purchase a Niche Zero with it: a little glass pesto jar will fit under most grinders, can go into the microwave to warm up the beans prior to grinding them and fits a 58mm basket perfectly for easy filling. #upcycling
Microwave your beans?? I've never heard of doing that... Wouldn't that be the worst thing you could do to them??? what are the benifits? Know this is an old comment but been watching a lot of James and never heard of doing this..
@@brei.z there's a video by James Hoffman about microwaving beans. I rarely do it anymore, but sometimes it's fun to experiment. It's supposed to result in a more even grind...
@@brunocyclistThanks, I Binged sooo much of his channel recently that I'm suprised I missed that one.. Very interesting.. Barely use a microwave for anything so seems crazy to do that to good beans but hard to argue with results..
I would like you to do a series like this on your highly-rated gear. Sturdiness is an important feature. I know it'd be difficult since you raffle off the things you've purchased with patreon but I'd still like to see some practical testing of sturdiness in otherwise well-heeled kit.
The calibration point is very useful wen u turn the black ring accidently wen u cleaning and u have no idea where it was before. Then wen u tight it up till the end, u can line the dot on the ring and the calibration point, and u have the same setting again.
Had a niche for about a year also; interestingly my grind size for espresso is more like 12-18; much lower - though that could be calibration related. I've never tried re-calibrating though. Can't say enough good things about the niche for espresso. Grind levels are predictable and once you get the knack of it - you can eyeball changes for things like age of beans, etc and nail it every time. Makes all round delicious coffee.
I'm also around there for espresso, didn't re-calibrate either. I just love it for espresso and other varieties of coffee. It is super consistent and foremost it's very easy to use.
@@geeksomeguy If it's in your budget, yes. Was using the built in grinder on my Breville Barista Pro, which was inconsistent. The Niche has provided excellent results and improved my shots tremendously.
@@rolandmarandino9310 How light or dark roast is your coffee though? i found I had to go much coarser for lighter roasts than I would with medium or darks.
I bought the Wilfa Uniform grinder after watching your last video. I got the one without the scale. And it is perfect for v60 every day. The nice thing also is it doesn't have that black paint so there is no scratches. And the auto stopp works perfect every time. Thanks for a fantastic review James it led me to the perfect grinder for me.
I've just (4 days ago) received a Niche to replace a Mazzer Luigi for espresso and an old Cuisinart for filter, and I'm really enjoying it. I was using a single dose workflow on the Luigi, which was fine, but tedious, and the Cuisinart was... okay. The Niche feels sort of like a smartphone to me; it's so pleasant to use that the feedback that I get from using it makes me want to use it even more! The results are excellent, it's easy to operate owing to having so few features (and those it has are well implemented), and ultimately it's helping me make more delicious coffee more consistently across all of my extraction/brewing methods. I largely decided to pursue it off of your recommendation, James! For a while I was considering selling a kidney and getting a Kafatek Monolith (which would look ridiculous next to my Gaggia Achille, but that's part of the point), so consider this a thanks from both my wallet and my renal system.
We have the Niche and use it for a Moccamaster. We max out the funnel with 50g of coffee and need to stop at half since at the end the static builds up so that close to 50g of ground coffee in the cup it starts shooting out all over the place. So we go in two steps. Other then this I am still super happy with it.
Could I possibly give a note about your Camera B setup (specifically the closeup when you took a dip)? It's very professional and well framed and all, but to my eyes it feels like a more sterile TV setup rather than the slightly more intimate framing I'm used to from your videos. Possibly it's just new and something I'll get used to, but I really love the "sitting across the table from you" perspective we get from your videos and that B angle felt like it clashed with that a bit. Absolutely love you and your videos to death so I hope this isn't coming off overly critical. You certainly never asked for my opinion here, and I sincerely apologize if this attention is unwanted.
It's a new setup and we've got a lot of experimenting to do. It took me a while to work out how to get the best out of the desk setup, and it will be no different here. Plus the set needs to grow, develop some character etc. Part of the journey, and comments like this are very helpful, so don't worry at all about sharing this kind of feedback.
@@jameshoffmann Thanks for another satisfying video. About the new setup, from where I sit the audio is annoyingly 'brittle' = sibilant and lacking body (low frequencies missing in the balance). I suspect that the environment is also rather 'hard' causing more sound reflections, adding to a mildly distracting echo. I think a lavalier (wireless?) would be the best solution allowing for close miking and consistent quality... It's like making espresso!
I absolutely agree with and share your opinion on how the B angle breaks the welcoming "sitting across the table from you" perspective. Every video is beautifully shot, as this one, and I applaud they experimentation and learning. I am sure they will find a balance and new experiences, as well as they do with the coffee.
I have the Niche and surely you were one of the big reasons for me to choose it. Super happy with it, so flexible and easy to dial different coffees. I would add the following things: 1- Auto timer when you are grinding 2- Turn off the light when is in off mode, in the night, the red light bothers me a bit Overall I feel like the perfect home grinder for an espresso/latte lover like I am.
I feel like adding an auto timer or a auto turn off (when nothing else is there to grind) would not be overcomplicated and would definitely improve the grinding experience.
I got the silver Uniform because I didn’t want the scale and it was on offer at £230, which was incredible value. I love it. But it did take a while to change my recipe to suit it, compared to what I did on my previous grinder, the cheaper Wilfa. I think I grind coarser and quicker, I guess because it’s extracting more evenly. (Would love to know what setting James used, out of interest). My tiny quibbles: - I’d like the grind guide wheel that they print on paper on the inside of the lid. - The edge of the ground bin is quite sharp. If you tap it on your worktop you dent your worktop. - A bean occasionally gets left unground in the hopper. But these are tiny niggles. It’s a fantastic grinder.
I use the Niche Zero every day, amazing experience, good coffee, and easy to clean. It's very easy to change the grinding setting which makes it perfect to try different brews.
Just in case anyone looking to buy, I just purchased the Wilda Uniform (without scales version), for £230 from Hamlet, also great deals on the Sage Precision brewer at £180, inc Amazon, John Lewis….just starting my real coffee journey, looking forward to discovery of tastes along the way 👍
I have had the Wilfa Uniform for a bit over month now. I really like the coffee it makes, but the two complaints that I (and others) have should be noticed and not shrugged off in case that you care; 1) It is SLOW. Depending on how much (and what roast?) you grind, it might even take longer than the machine's "well, I think there couldn't be anymore coffee left, so I'll shut this before auto shutdown" (1 min). 2) The plastic lid doesn't isolate the sound, almost not at all. It is light and fits loosely, so just by the physics it can't make grinding sound any less... Grinding? I'm considering adding some bitumium mat or computer case sound isolation stuff there, but knowing myself I actually will never do that. For me both of those issues are not a problem at all. I'll just adjust a bit on my "what to do and when" schedule and I don't find myself bored at kitchen at the morning. And the sound is just some noise that happens when you grind coffee and my day isn't really ruined by that. Would recommend to a friend who I know that likes coffee and sees the value on bit more expensive grinder. So if you're reading comments after over an year and a half of the release of this video and wondering if that Wilfa is any good, it is. And if you don't mind spending money on the grinder that you'd be likely be using every day, go ahead. It's worth it.
You were the one who inspired me to start my coffee journey! I can personally say the Niche is a solid piece of equipment in terms of functionality and build.
I've had the Niche about a week and I agree the bean funnel is just too small. Other niggles are the silly rotating wooden false feet and the narrow base making it look and act top heavy and a little unstable. I have however loved using it and I'm relieved that I'm enjoying the espresso as the Niche is a big departure from my Mazzer Major with its large 83mm flat burrs. I also have a Baratza Encore for grinding for my other coffee makers ranging from a sizeable collection of Cona vacuum coffeemakers to my aeropress. I guess the Niche could replace both the Mazzer and the Baratza which would be very popular with my better half. The Wilfa does look interesting though. Hmmmm. Decisions.
I have a Mazzer Major Electronic E for espresso, that I generally like to use, but I'm acutally considering replacing it with a Niche Zero. I've always felt like I waste to much coffee with all the grind retention.
Hey James, Recently due to Covid we have been running the Niche (as a trial) in the cafe, after my initial hesitation... as with most changes to work flow... I'm really enjoying it!!!! Not so much for commercial use as it does slow down production but it really is one of the best partners to the la marzocco linea mini (which we are also recommending) for home espresso needs. I've only recently started watching your videos and have to say thank you, your helping to re ignite my curiosity for coffee rather than it simply being my way to help people start their day and pay my bills. Stay awesome Shaun McGeachin
My Niche arrives in a few days! Great to see this! Looking forward to a potential Fellow Ode grinder review in the near future if possible! I’ve been debating Ode v Uniform (scale-less)
I know it's been a long time already. But I was thinking about a Niche but for me here in Germany it seems just impossible. Did you wait for a production run and bought it of their website? Cause if not I would love to know where you got it from. All I find is prices close to 1000 Euro or having to wait, because it's not in stock :(
That's irrelevant. The test was checking comparative noise levels, not absolute numbers. The phone was positioned identically in each test so it all zeroes out.
@@truckerallikatuk Actually, it wasn't the same for both grinders. Notice that the second one shows more often values below 80 whereas the first one shoots over the 80 mark more often. This means that there could be an average difference of 2 dB between the grinders. That actually means that the Niche is half as loud as the decibel is a logarithmic scale.
It's true, it's possibly irrelevant. But James is quite rigours, so I was just saying that if one of the grinders is more shaky (I don't know if it's the right word because I don't speak english) there will be some potential fake numbers :)
THAT's the size of the DE1+ next to the Niche Zero? Jeez. I'm sitting here with a Niche next to a ACS Vesuvius which dwarfs...well...small buildings. Trying to talk myself out of buying a DE1+ and this is not helping.
Y’know, at first i was like “why is there a channel entirely about coffee” - now, I’m 5 minutes into the video and completely engrossed. This guy can seriously talk about coffee stuff.
I have the Wilfa Uniform. I do like the scale on top. I do not put the scale back on when I grind, only benefit is just a minimal noise reduction. I keep the scale out to weight the beans and then the V60 or Aeropress brew. Then it is neatly stored on top of the grinder. My only complain is on the scale tho, they could save the bluetooth and add a timer. Or just add a simple timer. (and have an open bluetooth protocol to use with brewing apps) The Niche collector bin on portafilter is just great. Those small things.. I wonder how the new Fellow Ode will compare against these two. Cheers JH for the good reviews and videos
Ordered the Niche based on your initial review and couldn't be happier. It replaces a Rancilio Rocky step grinder which served me well, but two years ago acquired and rebuilt a 1988 Olympia Cremina (thank you Doug and Barb at Orphan Espresso for the "How To" videos) and have been wanting to upgrade to a stepless ever since. It's just perfect for my needs. Love its small footprint and ease of use. Very satisfied with the performance. It was about a two month lead time to North America and arrived a bit ahead of schedule. James, thanks for all your videos and book. They've been a real help learning the basics.
The scale is actually one of my favourite things about the Uniform. I need to use it every morning to dose coffee and having a convenient, uncluttered spot to keep it is great. (That's being said I dose directly into a moccamaster so don't need to use the scales twice)
Just received my Niche after a 3 month wait and I'm over the moon with it. Feels solid gives a great grind once you have a play with it. A bit of a cliché but it does feel like a future classic just with simplicity and quality build.
I own both (without the scale for the Wilfa). Originally, I just had the Niche, but I brew quite a lot of espresso and quite a lot of pour-over. Moving between the two on a single grinder loses quite a lot of coffee, as one needs to put through some beans at the new grind setting to avoid the old setting contaminating the new set. So I use the Wilfa for V60 and the N iche for espresso. It works well - I like them both.
Great vid as usual. I recently got a Niche and it have replaced my two previous grinders, one for brew (Wilfa Svart) and one for espresso. Wonders for my limited counter space. This has worked great and I'm very happy with my new setup. Brew in the morning and espresso in the evening is my routine. I am a little concerned though that changing the grind like that every day will wear the mechanism down. Should I worry?
The 'mechanism' is effectivly a thread and 2 springs. There's not really anything to break. Plus, I recently discovered if you unscrew the wood base, there's 2 spare springs hidden in the base :)
After a year with my Wilfa, I'd fully agree with you. I got the scale and grinder separately, and I've only tried the scale as a lid option once before deciding it's idiotic. The brushed stainless has held up very well, however mine has a persistent issue with turning off itself mid grind and requiring a power-cycle before it restarts. I traced it down to buildup of coffee on the outer edge of the burrs that caused additional drag, which tripped the overload protection. It's not a big issue once you know about it, a proper cleaning every week solves it, but it's such a slight buildup that if you don't know what to look for, you could essentially miss it. The best indicator it's happening I've found is that lowering the burrs becomes hard or impossible (like if you want to go from drip to espresso), and the burrs seem to be grinding together.
Other RUclipsrs: I love this product, here’s an affiliate link, please buy it! James Hoffmann: I stock this product, but I think it’s the worse product for a lot of people, and I don’t want you buying it from me anyway.
I used to have a relatively cheap small flat burr grinder, OBH Nordica 2409. While it did grind coffee, the settings were limited, and the process was not very pleasant, it was tricky to clean and the sound of the engine revving away when the beans ran out was not fun. So after a lot of research (looked at the Wilfa as well) I did get a Niche, yes it was far more expensive, but it was also far superior. I can adjust the grind to my preference, it is easy to use and the grind-result is much much better than the old grinder could achieve. As I grind mostly small amounts, 1-2 cups at a time, I have no issue with the size of the hopper. I can see that some might wish the hopper to be larger, though if the size of the hopper increased I think the size of the dosing cup would also have to increase, since a full hopper generally gives me a full cup as well. Anyway I am very happy with my Niche and would highly recommend it if you like playing with your grind-settings, and love a good quality grind. IS it expensive, yes, but it is also built to last as far as I can tell, so it will be a long term investment.
This is very weird to say and maybe it's just me but sitting james from older studio felt like a youtube reviewer. Standing james feels like those tv advertisement shows which try to sell weird stuff. I do understand the pros of standing which include more comfortable hand movements and superior coffee making position so maybe u can grab a seat while talking and stand up for demonstration? Just something i felt regardless absolutely love your videos...
I own a wilfa with the scale. I actually like it - I don't have another kitchen scale, and what better place to store it than on top of the grinder! It takes some getting used to in terms of dialling in, but once you get there you make smooth cups every day. I love it.
I absolutely love my niche grinder and agree with everything you've said here, although there is one major gripe I have about mine. The disc in the top and the bolt that screws down the middle to keep the burrs in place comes loose pretty often. I've used tools to crank it down and try to keep them from loosening but it seems every couple of weeks I have to tighten it again. Now I just check it every day and make sure it's nice and tight. Otherwise, incredible grinder
I used to have the same problem. However if you tighten the bolt whilst putting a finger or something like pen in the hole it should tighten slightly more enough for it not to loosen by itself.
I bought my Wilva Uniform last year after seeing James' review of it. I'm very happy with the grinder and don't feel like I need anything else, or want something more from it. I have the version in stainless steel, without the scale, so I'm not experiencing James' frustrations. The grinder it's easy to use, to adjust and to clean. The coffee retention is insignificant, as about the static issue I do the water trick before grinding and all is well. Now, about the taste, I can confirm that coffee grinded by the Wilfa Uniform brews with a sweet, pleasant and aromatic taste, as James says. I noticed this difference from the first cup...which made my Kruve sifter completely useless as there was no need to sieve the coffee anymore. Also, regrinding the beans, or grinding them one by one with the Wilfa brings interesting and delicious results in the cup. If it is slower than the Niche is because it is designed to grind at a slow speed so that it doesn't heat the beans. But it's not that slow that you'll have the water boiled before the grind. As about it's loudness I find it to be normal...it's a coffee grinder after all, it's noisy by default and since that noise comes together with a good coffee flavour I'm not bothered about it.
Any cleaning tips once the chamber is opened? Brushed the hurts but the bit under the bottom burr has some retention and don’t really want to turn the machine upside down so doesn’t get grounds on the threads
@@joelraivid5581, try to use the brush provided by Wilfa to "agitate" those fines and once they're lose extract them with a vacuum cleaner. That's how I clean it.
Hello James. Thanks for this "second" review. I got my NiChe a month ago. My experience is flawless so far. Your review is honest and pretty accurate. I would add that we could consider another factor in all this very logical et technical way of analyzing a product: the pleasure factor. Is the object well designed, well made, well thought, or looks good? A great friend of mine offered me a beautiful handmade Laguiole corkscrew many years ago for my birthday. It is a small object that gives pleasure to the touch, to the feel and to use every time. This pleasure doesn't fade or diminish over time. I feel the NiChe grinder may well fall in this category for me. It is a pleasure to see on the kitchen counter, a pleasure to use and even... to hear! Just think of this little dosing cup. You know it is another good idea materialized. "A perk that comes with the grinder" as you said. A little more pleasure that comes with this grinder I would say. I cleaned my new grinder for the first time a few days ago and even this process makes you realize how well made the components are. In short, this kind of object may do a little more than what it is supposed to do for you. It may put a smile on your face because it's designer put love in his work and it is tangible. I think you do the same in your work James. Thank you.
I just ordered the Niche having seen it in so many vids of yours. It looks like a genuine pleasure to use. I will likely have it by November and can make it a Christmas present to myself. Thank you for all your reviews!
Can’t help but to notice the Delonghi Dedica in the background which I got one in my kitchen. Hope it’s possible to share tips on brewing better coffee on this machine :) Looking forward to the WLCT on 3 Oct!
Been using a Niche ever since getting one off their kickstarter when they first were advertised. Only gripe is (and I have talked to them when they came to a forum coffee event) was the possibility of a smaller tumbler. They were interested in the idea, but set-up costs would limit what size. I have mine paired with a La Pavoni with a 51mm basket so the provided tumbler is useless (although I do use it with my other machine). I'd've though a 49mm tumbler would be practical for both models of La Pavoni, as well as other odd sizes like Sage and anything else between 49mm and 58mm. I did suggest this to them but so far the idea has probably been shelved. Overall I think it is a very kitchen-friendly grinder and wouldn't look out of place next to a Kenwood Chef for example (not drawing comparisons here of course). The large Mazzer Kony burrs drop it into a league far outside many other home-use grinders without the cost (and massive coffee exchange of the Kony). Am I please with it? Definitely, especially as I paid the crowd-funded price (which is always a gamble) and I actually prefer using it to my Versalab M3, which is a lot more faff. For the coffee I like, which is predominantly milk based it is ideal and if I had arrived first after backing it, I doubt I would've got any of the other grinders I have or have had since (which I bought in-between backing it and it arriving).
James, thanks for your highly informative and entertaining video, as always! For noise measurement, please do not put your phone on the table. Just hold it in your hand. Also, make sure that your dB meter is uses the A weighting curve. Both things will make your measurement more closely reflect the human ear. Thanks!
This was mostly to test if one was much louder - I couldn’t find my proper meter which I wanted to use to give an accurate reading but it will happen in future reviews
I literally just bought a wilfa savant grinder last night. I feel like these videos are just as important as the intial review. Thank you for all of this, I have been falling more in love with making the best coffee I can and it definitely has something to do with all your videos.
Hello, Your RUclips channel has been a real discovery for me. I have gone from drinking Nespresso capsule coffee to buying a Moccamaster filter coffee machine and a Wilfa Uniform coffee grinder although the silver version without a scale. Cheaper and from what I see it will not have paint problems since it does not have paint. I am still in the process of learning how to adjust the thickness of the grind according to the type of coffee, roast and the amount that I will prepare in the Moccamaster Select. The problem of static electricity is solved with the trick of the water drop on the coffee beans and it also helps to give a sharp blow when emptying the coffee into the filter. If I could improve something, it would be to add a pedestal to be able to have the coffee grinder raised on the kitchen bench in case you accidentally spill any fluid that the grinder does not suffer the dire consequences. I think I will solve it by looking for a small round bamboo tray to which I will place some small teardrop shaped silicone legs that are sold in hardware stores. Regards and thanks for everything.
I have the Wilfa Uniform, and I am happy with the purchase. I do agree with all your points about it - the scale is almost useless, the grounds collector bin is weird and grounds stick in it, and the paint job is sub-par. I can forgive the scale, it's an easy mistake to make as a company, thinking you're bringing additional value to the customer when you add a feature. I can forgive the grounds collectors weirdness; the person who designed it was probably working with some really stringent design requirements. What I don't want to forgive is (1) the grounds sticking to the grounds collector, but especially (2) the paint job. The paint job is inexcusable - it should be Koenigsegg automotive grade paint (I believe they use 20+ megathin layers of lacquer for their cars), but what we get is a piece of metal that some student has dumped a spray can of bargain bin lacquer on, which he let dry outside in a rainy forest during wintertime.
I just love this channel, the videos are so informative and entertaining and I love the style and presentation. Also, I have an unhealthy obsession with coffee grinders.
Got the Wilfa Uniform, SS no scale, on your advice, had a few months now and love it. Brew coffee with the Severin Caprice which I hope one day you will review, also brew with Chemex, Hario V-60 & French press. Thank. you for all your vdo's enjoy them all so very much, thank you James my coffee guru.
I recently bought a Wilfa Uniform after I watched your video comparing grinders. I, too, don’t have an espresso machine & don’t plan to get into that “world”. I most often make coffee with either a Hario Mugen, a Hario switch, a Moka pot or a Clever dripper & sometimes will use a French press so the Wilfa is great for those methods. I’m very happy I watched your video before buying a grinder. My dream is to someday send you some coffee beans to try from my part of the world. Love your channel & content!
I'm on a budget these days, I might get one at the same time I get a proper espresso machine. For a medium grind aeropress, I do like my De'Longhi Burr .
Hi James, I bought the WILFA from your shop about 2 months ago. I agree with your comments on Filter vs. Espresso. I own a La Pavoni and I just cannot get the WILFA to grind for it, it's always a little off. I actually have better results via a manual grinder. It's very frustrating. However, for filter, it's fantastic - the grind size is always very consistent and, strangely, I like the mechanical sound it makes. Overall very happy, it's a good workhorse that I appreciate more everytime I have to use someone elses grinder
Thank you, James. The Niche has nearly perfected the home espresso grinder experience but for pour over, its a bit overkill. That said if you're looking for one grinder that does both and money is no concern, the Niche is a great pick.
Parrish - Wilfa has another grinder, the Wilfa Svart Aroma, which is half the price of the Uniform Grinder. James tested it against the Barazza Encore a while ago and he liked it a little better. The Uniform Grinder however with its flat burrs is really the top of the crop for filter coffee.
@@DCteamtraceur careful for upgraditise haha. I could still be rocking it on a Gaggia classic if it weren't for my love for restoring older (bigger) machines. If your looking for an upgrade define some features you miss or what your machine lacks. But also do keep in mind things like workflow and frequency of use, which breville/sage is very good at most of the time.
I adore my uniform - but I've actually had to make several tweaks to get the best out of them. First is having to adjust the zero point - I had burr rub at #4. Changing the zero point is easy, just a screwdriver. The second is burr alignment - mine needed a little bit of adjusting, once again on the top lid. Easy job too. There are several other things. The uniform has about 0.2-0.3g retention. If you continually use the grinder at the same setting, the machine will just hold and replace that amount, and give you zero retention. I guess the auto off actually shuts off a liiiittle bit early. What else to say....not much. It's a great grinder. 14-18 for single dose filter, 4-7 for moka pot. Zero it first.
I’ve just got one and been looking for instructions on how to do this. Mine seems way too coarse on 1: not as fine as my Porlex on the 8th click. Are there official instructions buried somewhere on their site, or do I need to sit down with it and look closely at how it fits together?
@@jrguk I'll tell ya - unscrew the top lid completely. Take the top lid and flip it upside down. There are 3 screws in the burr itself, and 3 screws around the burr, on the metal part surrounding it. Step one is to visually inspect the burr and ensure it's mounted properly. As long as it's not crooked or anything, it should be fine. Maybe look at the lower burr, too. Both should be well seated. As for adjusting the zero, you want to unscrew the 3 outer screws of the top lid I mentioned earlier. Take the metal part off and you'll see a whole bunch of screw holes in the plastic hopper. Now it's up to you to figure out which direction it is you should head towards, clockwise or anticlockwise, to make your grind finer. Each screw-hole corresponds to one click of adjustment finer/coarser on the uniform. Take this time to clean the inside of the hopper, too. Ideally with some rubbing alcohol or something that'll pick up the coffee oils and residues. Ideally, you want to set it until you get just a bit of burr rub at the finest setting, then set the zero point one screw-hole over. Meaning at the finest setting you get no burr rub at all. Hope this helps. Sounds harder than it is. About 10 minutes of testing and screwing around will get you there.
@@jrguk I forgot to mention - there's actually a way to get even better grinds out of the uniform. You can better "center" the burr of the top lid by loosening up the 3 screws, using paper or dollar bills stuffed around the edge of the burr and the housing, to perfectly center the burr, then tighten down, and remove your paper. Made a significant difference on mine. The bottom burr set usually doesn't need any alignment...it sits comfortably. But if you notice your uniform's auto-stop function stops...stopping, then take that burr off, and clean the chamber and the burr's underside. Slap it back together, problem solved. Another thing to watch out for is "walk". Where if you're grinding a particularly hard bean, your hopper can actually rotate and make itself finer during grinding. Simple fix. Wipe off the grease on the metal ring, the part with the bps, as well as the metal bits on the grinder itself that touch those bumps. You can wipe down the screw threads too if you need. Good luck! I suppose I ought to put a video out on how to do these...
One thing hate about the Wilfa is that when you adjust finer having ground coffee previously, you invariably encounter coffee locking the threading preventing the dial turning finer at all. Total removal of the top burr carrier is required almost every time a finer adjustment is needed, which becomes extremely infuriating.
@@northendj Unfortunately it doesnt help - the grinder being on would help with coffee stuck between the burrs, however this grinder suffers from coffee stuck in the actual threading of the adjustment mechanism
I own the Wilfa and am very happy with it. Your original review made the decision easier, thanks for that! I have the brushed steel one without the scale, and it looks like new after a year and two weeks of daily use. No troubles. One thing I would have wanted, is some kind of indication of where between 1 and 41 the ranges of coarse, medium coarse, and so on, lie. Coming from the limited steps of a Hario Skerton hand grinder, this took some getting used to. I find the grind setting table in the manual lacking. One thing I like with the lid is that you can lift and drop it slightly a few times to blow out residual coffee from the burr chamber.
@@CoffeeChannel Even then, I am not convinced that it is the best for the price point. My buddy got NEW ASCASO I for around €300 and it seems like a really nice grinder. Used Mazzer Super Jolly goes from €150 and modding it for zero retention is trivial.
You can also get a Eureka Specialita w/ 55mm flat burrs for around the same price new. You can single dose with it or use a hopper and get very near the retention performance with infinite steps for espresso.
I got the niche just this week and I absolutely ADORE it. It's a pleasure to use, really ergonomic and designed perfectly for its task. I replaced my old Gaggia MDF which was loud, large, stepped and had this god awful lever function to remove the coffee grounds which caused inconsistent quantities of coffee grounds and made single dosing accurately close to impossible.
I have a Wilfa Uniform. Its great for filter coffees and is very easy to clean. I agree with James' comments - I don't use the scale - its just a lid to me & it does suffer from grind retention.
I bought a Niche Zero a number of weeks after watching your initial review video. It arrives early October and this video absolutely cements the idea that I made the right decision in my purchase.
Important addition: Niche has a very unfair pricing policy! They keep the 20% UK VAT (as an additional profit I guess) when shipping to customers outside the UK. So you will have to pay double VAT, theUK VAT plus the VAT of your country! That makes the Niche Zero roughly 100 gbp more expensive to non UK buyers.
@@Hymhum VAT on goods after Brexit The EU and the UK have come to an agreement on trade matters. This article describes what the rules for value added tax (VAT) are if you import goods from or export goods to the UK. Purchasing products in the UK If you purchase goods from businesses in the UK, the seller will usually charge you 0% VAT. You pay VAT in the Netherlands, by declaring the VAT on your VAT return - on condition that you are an entrepreneur for VAT purposes. The British seller has to demonstrate that the goods have left the country, for instance by producing a freight letter or invoice.
The niche is a great grinder. Had it for about a year, two espressos per day in a cafelat robot. The single dosing experience and ability to make a tiny change to grind size and see the effect immediately is fantastic. Only issue is a manageable problem - feed rate of the beans significantly affects the grind.
"I do not make espresso at home. I don't have an espresso machine at home." I have to admit that's the most shocking statement I've heard since I started subscribing to your channel.
At times he secretly pre-grinds his coffee so he doesn't have to do it in the morning.
Bizarre
@@roryg137 I've owned two home espresso machines and used probably 2-3 other from friend's home. I make 3-5 cups a day (not just for me, for my wife also) and doesn't find it an "absolute pain" and always looking forward to the first cup in the morning. The amount of wasted shots could be a bit annoying at first, yes, but once you get a hang of it, you learn how to minimize the waste. Even with Eureka Mignon Specialita I use, which is an excellent grinder but without digital preset for you to come back to once you switch between beans, I learn to take note for future references and no longer spend more than two pucks dialing in for known beans. For new beans, I judge them from their roast level and roast date and usually get it close to perfect in 2 or 3 tries at most. I also don't know anyone who is willing to make their own espresso at home say it feels like a chore to them. So yeah, I have to disagree with you there.
That said, I get where you are coming from. Why would someone who has access to all kinds of professional espresso machines want a home espresso setup at home, right? Well, while that seems like a fair point, I kinda expect someone of his caliber to have professional setting at home, not just home espresso even though he is not going to use it much. May be smaller scale but pro level machine. I get that a chef probably doesn't want to cook at home after long hours in the restaurant kitchen but I bet every chef you can find have cookware at home regardless. See my point?
@@amarit2519 He explained in WLCT 2020 that James seeks to stick to ONLY home appliances because those are his customers.
You can tell he's single without kids. I'm a mini barista making espresso for myself, wife, daughter, at least twice each almost every morning. Sometimes my parents and neighbors too!
niche customer service and design are amazing: i was cleaning the burr set and lost the two springs that calibrate/separate the upper and lower burrs. emailed support and they told me to look in the wooden base where they had stored two replacement springs. problem solved. when does design ever provide its own solutions? apparently with the niche it does.
I had to look - it’s true. Spare springs at the ready 😊
Thanks!
Holy shit. That’s mad
"niche customer service and design are amazing" except they can't be arsed to refund the tax that you should not pay costing you a lot of money
@@petervansan1054 niche doesn’t want you as a customer. You sound like a colossal tool
Back when Maglite used incandescent bulbs, they would package a spare nested near the bottom where you unscrewed it, under the battery spring. I’m always impressed when designers think to do stuff like that.
I own a Wilfa Uniform without the scale but a regular plastic lid. The plastic lid increases the noise substantially since it is not a tight fit and has no weight to keep it down. It is a rattling noise which can be annoying. An easy way to counteract it, is by putting some weight on top. I still really like the grinder, but choosing between the version with or without scale, this is a relevant piece of information I did not have beforehand.
Could you add a rubber gasket to it to prevent the rattling?
@@codymarwine8990 Might be hard and fussy to do aftermarket. I would think the manufacturer could include that as a design refinement without too much trouble, though.
very useful information,thx. but，tast wise， are you satisfied with this grinder？
Our over 15 year old Gran Macinino (Isomac) is still working great. It has a metal lid but I did find it rattling. Solution was to put a small bit of plastic/rubbery shelf liner across the back side of the hopper. Added just enough to stop the lid rattling and is grippy enough to just stay in place.
Well I also have the Wilfa without the scale and I have no problems with the sound. For me the experience is very muted and the grinder sounds great. Love this grinder 😍
I'm not even into coffee, i watch your videos because they are well created, throughly researched and they cheer me up. Crazy how much random coffee knowledge i built up
@@andreakhaid I don't drink coffee (although I may start) I found the channel through a Tom Scott collaboration.
Wait one second. If James Hoffmann invites me around to his house, I will not be able to have an espresso?
It's true...
As much as I like an espresso, i enjoy my filter more every day.
I have an espresso machine, filter, stove top, french press........
But the convenience of the filter, and the quality is just a winner for me.
You'll get the best V60 you ever had or will ever have though!
EttaOslo hahaha I guess so.
If you've managed to charm your way into an invite to the man's house is the lack of espresso really going to be forefront of your mind?
As much fun as it is to watch James suffer through bad coffee and poorly made equipment, it's very nice to see him have a good time with pieces of kit he has a very obvious affection for.
So this is how you celebrate 500k subscribers....by having a gorgeous new studio! :) Love it. Congrats!
A happy coincidence! I look forward to growing into it.
@@jameshoffmann please review bodum pour over..plss
2.1 mil now
Thanks James for a very accurate and good review. I developed the Wilfa Uniform and as you know its developed for filter coffee primarily. Your comments are regardless always spot-on and valuable. Thanks for the insight.
@concretehead2790id say dont worry too much about expensive kit when you are just getting into it. Grab yourself a hand grinder for 50 bucks and a plastic V60 and start with your kitchen kettle. Upgrade as you go! As you make yourself pourovers in the morning, youll find your pet grievances with your current setup, and your biggest pet grievance is the piece of kit you should invest in first. Lo and behold, over a couple of years, youll likely have spent far too much money. But you dont have to spend that before you start making coffee.
This new little studio environment looks lovely, James
I miss the '70s Melita cups on the shelf :p
Agreed 👍
Looks perfect to transition to cocktail making of an evening. Or first thing of a morning, whatever
Rick Astley, I too like the new studio space. I don’t like the audio though, a bit to much of the room reverb; sounds like a kid on a iPad in echoey bathroom. They will figure it out, I know his professionalism will come through! Note: he said it was new and they are working on it!
Took delivery of my Niche grinder yesterday, bought on the strength of James’ original recommendation a year ago. I have been waiting several months for it. I’m very happy to report that I’ve had delightful espressos with it all day. It is a joy to use, it is quiet and looks beautiful. I’m grinding in the 20-25 range for espresso.
Been thinking about both of these grinders and the price difference is definitely a factor. I can buy two Wilfa for the price of a single Niche, that's a lot of spare change for slightly better espresso and a 58mm cup. I'd like a Niche, don't get me wrong, but £250 could buy a lot of quality beans and a dosing funnel.
I love that you showed the decibel meter with the FFT readout. Speaking as an audio engineer of 20+ years, I definitely prefer the tonal shape one of them. I love that the app displays the peak frequency as well. In short, our ears are most sensitive to the mid-range (we'll go with 250-2000 Hz). 2000 Hz is where the nasal sound transitions to the toothy sound in the back of the mouth just above the tongue. There is a brand of speakers that notoriously has harmonic distortion in the higher register of that range and all things being equal, will fatigue your ears faster. Looping that into this, though: lower frequency content in these sorts of appliances tends to irritate us less. It's one of those ways that sound does actually impact your nervous system. Mid-range sounds closer to the upper register tells our brain and body to "Pay attention!".
The crossover of neurology and sound intrigues me a ton. In short, I submit this as food (or drink) for thought: that if you notice yourself having trouble focusing, examine the frequency content of your environment. Are there a lot of "grating", "bright", "shrill", or "metallic" sounds? That noise could also be adding mixed nervous system signals that rev you up.
Thank you for adding this into your review. While completely niché, I will always be interested to see the tonal profile of any gear that makes noise. Please keep that up! It is something that impacts and informs my purchasing decisions (I recently replaced all my humidifiers whose frequency content closely resemble the items tested here). If you ever want to get super geeky on audio testing, let me know. I'd be happy to share a simple gear list if you ever want to be more accurate on this front.
Is it klipsch
I haven't really worked much with Klipsch speakers. The brand I was referring to is a professional level brand that appeals a ton to the entry and mid level professional markets.
Klipsch lives in the consumer level of product.
@@shaunwall8334 ah ok. I assume you would prefer not to say the brand name. Thanks for the response
@@shaunwall8334 so is it Kef then? Or Bowers and Wilkins?
We demand ANSWERS ;)
Idk if I should tell you this but I only use a cheap $15 burr hand grinder.....that I sometimes mount to a cordless drill so I don't have to hand grind.
Wow, I wish I could do the same. I have to crush my beans on concrete with an old rusty hammer.
@@ActuallyJamesS I have no teeth left, I wore them down by eating mashed avocado on rock hard sourdough toast for every meal.
I have a hand grinder too. What a great idea. I'll definitely try it. I have it to grind for Turkish coffee.
So from left to right, he seems to have the Lelit Anna, DeLonghi Dedica, Rancilio Silvia, Breville Bambino, and Gaggia Classic Pro. Looks like there's our new lineup for the next home espresso machine comparison
Dedica. No further questions thank you.
darieee I have one and I'm not verry happy with it. Tried to add unpressurized filter, but with it it either chokes or flows too fast. It's almost impossible to get a good shot. The regular pressurized filter is OK but you can't pull a great shot with it.
Bambino is gonna win
@@SteveLi123 I love my Bambino. They were like £200 back in Jan
I'll guess either the Gaggia or Lelit will win because of relatively good price. Silvia will be third because of the cost. The rest are perhaps not as good.
My first ever grinder was the Zassenhaus Espresso grinder. I still use it from time to time but not useful for V60. Too much of a hit and miss, no control here. I then popped into Prufrock many years ago based on your recommendation and picked up my Wilfa Svart Aroma. It is superb!! I mostly brew Syphon, V60, Alessi 9090 1 cup and Neapolitan flip coffee pot (not so much these days). No problems with static, once I have finished brewing I take plastic container and shake over sink and job done, no drama. Yes there are some grinds still stuck but they don't bother me. Once a month I will give it a quick wash. Getting grinds out is easy. I like how the container has a little scoop/funnel area. Best feature is the top part of container, very easy to grip to get it in and out of grinder. This with digital scale, Brita water filter and KitchenAid long spout filter coffee kettle completes my setup. ✌
Hey James, I'm a former coffee professional, and largely purchased the Niche after watching your review. Sure, it's no EK, but it's absolutely my favorite home grinder that I've worked with. I think it strikes a great balance between price and quality. Really really happy with it, even using exclusively for drip. Can't say enough good things. Congrats on the new studio!
Definitely worth the investment or would you consider any others before going for one?
@@bhoywonder It's definitely worth it, but it's also a matter of prospective. If you're looking for a first home burr grinder, the Baratza grinders are great for the price. If you're looking to upgrade to a better burr grinder, or are used to having access to something amazing, the Niche scratches that itch really well.
It's not going to the job of an EK43/Peak/Mythos, but it's probably my favorite grinder under $1000 USD.
Been using a Gaggia MDF for some time so most will be an upgrade! Might be worth the extra for the Niche now but do wonder if another might be an option
@@bhoywonder Yeah, if you have an MFD (50mm flat burr), you probably would see a modest difference with a grinder like the Barataza Vario (54mm Flat), but I think you'd get really nice gains from the Niche(63mm conical). The Niche also seems to be a lower RPM than other grinders it's size, but I feel like I'm getting much closer to cafe quality than I was when I used Baratza grinders or even a Mazzer mini.
Is size the reason you wouldn’t just buy a second hand Mazzer?
I have had my Niche Zero for about a month now. Very happy so far. I was after a high quality grinder as an an upgrade for the inbuilt grinder in my Barista Express and I like the whole single dosing work flow. The Niche zero was really the only choice. No one else seems to make anything like it, which really surprises me given the positive reviews and obvious popularity of the Niche.
Hey, did you notice any difference from the barista express grinder in taste to the Niche.
I have an express and thinking of upgrading.
@@jamescrook8815 I wouldn't say there is any dramatic difference, mainly it is more consistent and easy to dial in (stepless rather than large steps on the Barista). However, I never found it easy to get recommended brew recipes to work with the Barista, i.e. 18g in, 36g out in 20-30 seconds was nearly impossible even paired with the Niche. I suspect this is because the pump pressure is a way too high 15 bar. The Niche helped a bit, but I have since upgraded to a Gaggia Classic Pro and this works way better. The Barrista Express is a good starting machine with well matched components but it has its limitations. For me the Niche was a first step in upgrading away from the Barista.
@@davethetaswegian exactly my experience with the Barista Pro 😕
@@davethetaswegian anything else you can tell us of your use of the niche with the barista express? Did you notice a different on flavour?
@@Ivijhhhhhhhbhvxer I wouldn't say I noticed in big change in flavour, but I don't drink exotic high grown light roasts, preferring medium roasts and milk. The difference was more consistency. The Barista Express was capable of producing good shots but was a bit hit and miss doing so. The Niche made it a bit easier to get good shots. Since then I have upgraded to a Gaggia Classic Pro, then added a VST basket and a Mr Shades 9 bar OPV, later on I added a PID controller. All of that, from the original Barista Express to the set up I have now, was a series of incremental gains, but the Niche Zero was a very important first step. Having said all that, I would not recommend buying a Niche Zero, or any other high end grinder, just to pair with a Barista Express, you won't get your moneys worth unless you are planning on a future upgrade to a better machine.
I just finished the most stressful shift ever. First day back after corona. New beans as well. The grinder stop working (no way to adjust the grind size). I had breakfast service of 200 people. 😩🙊 Insanity!
Was it one of these grinders or just general grinder woes? (not that it's necessarily a nock against any product, even the best will sometimes/eventually break)
@@AdamCooperman it's a commercial Mazzer with doser.
Mariana Beirão I hope it was stuck on a setting which at least allowed you to offer everyone a decent cup of coffee, even if you couldn’t do different drinks. Better luck tomorrow and stay safe!
@@Samhaiine Sounds like the burrs got jammed, need to take it apart and give it a good clean
@@f3lix126 I think they are dull or jammed yes!
Good info on sound (from what an audiologist told me) older people lose hearing in the upper register first. What this means in context of this vid: As far as sound goes over 60 will prefer the "sound" of the uniform (as they can't hear it as much!). Much younger people (under 30ish) will prefer the sound of the Niche as "high" sounds are annoying to younger people. I hope this info helps you refine your reviews in context of sound.
lol I'm 29 and Niche is indeed much more pleasant sounding!
@@gediminasa.1914 Same here :D
The Wilfa Uniform was pitched higher and more annoying. I'm nearer to retirement than 29 lol!
36, the Niche all the way.
The Wilfa made me clench my teeth together to fight the sound....
I see the foreshadowing of a 500gbp espresso machine comparison behind you
Albert C. Gaggia classic for the win!
Lelit Anna, De'Longhi Dedica, Rancilio Silvia, Sage Bambino Plus, Gaggia Classic! I've gotta see this!Just a little sad I don't see Ascaso Dream PID here :(
So waiting for that review. I am in the market ^^
Ollie Bokeh. That’s what I have at home =]
Bambino isn't even $500 Australian so surely it isn't 500 GBP?
I own both. I got the Wilfa because of James and I also upgraded to Niche as I start working on Espresso. They are both satisfactory investments!
I heard Wilfa better for filter and Niche better for espresso, correct?
In my opinion, yes. In short, Wilfa’s flat burr gives a unique grind that helps with pourover extraction; Niche’s grind settings is stepless & essentially limitless so it is more towards Espresso but no problem with pourover.
Which has less retention? Which is easier to clean?
Stopped drinking coffee a while ago but still watching jame's grinders review in the morning while drinking tea :)
For those who desire a perfect dosing cup but don't wish to purchase a Niche Zero with it: a little glass pesto jar will fit under most grinders, can go into the microwave to warm up the beans prior to grinding them and fits a 58mm basket perfectly for easy filling. #upcycling
Microwave your beans?? I've never heard of doing that... Wouldn't that be the worst thing you could do to them??? what are the benifits? Know this is an old comment but been watching a lot of James and never heard of doing this..
@@brei.z there's a video by James Hoffman about microwaving beans. I rarely do it anymore, but sometimes it's fun to experiment. It's supposed to result in a more even grind...
@@brunocyclistThanks, I Binged sooo much of his channel recently that I'm suprised I missed that one.. Very interesting.. Barely use a microwave for anything so seems crazy to do that to good beans but hard to argue with results..
James really just flexing bringing in the decent when he had 3 or 4 capable espresso machines the whole video.
I've got dead rat morning breath
I would like you to do a series like this on your highly-rated gear. Sturdiness is an important feature. I know it'd be difficult since you raffle off the things you've purchased with patreon but I'd still like to see some practical testing of sturdiness in otherwise well-heeled kit.
The calibration point is very useful wen u turn the black ring accidently wen u cleaning and u have no idea where it was before. Then wen u tight it up till the end, u can line the dot on the ring and the calibration point, and u have the same setting again.
Had a niche for about a year also; interestingly my grind size for espresso is more like 12-18; much lower - though that could be calibration related. I've never tried re-calibrating though. Can't say enough good things about the niche for espresso. Grind levels are predictable and once you get the knack of it - you can eyeball changes for things like age of beans, etc and nail it every time. Makes all round delicious coffee.
I'm between 10 and 9 for Espresso
I'm also around there for espresso, didn't re-calibrate either. I just love it for espresso and other varieties of coffee. It is super consistent and foremost it's very easy to use.
@@geeksomeguy absolutely worth the price. Huge burrs, great built quality. Actually very reasonably priced.
@@geeksomeguy If it's in your budget, yes. Was using the built in grinder on my Breville Barista Pro, which was inconsistent. The Niche has provided excellent results and improved my shots tremendously.
@@rolandmarandino9310 How light or dark roast is your coffee though? i found I had to go much coarser for lighter roasts than I would with medium or darks.
I bought the Wilfa Uniform grinder after watching your last video. I got the one without the scale. And it is perfect for v60 every day. The nice thing also is it doesn't have that black paint so there is no scratches. And the auto stopp works perfect every time. Thanks for a fantastic review James it led me to the perfect grinder for me.
Been a while, but what setting are you on for V60?
I've just (4 days ago) received a Niche to replace a Mazzer Luigi for espresso and an old Cuisinart for filter, and I'm really enjoying it. I was using a single dose workflow on the Luigi, which was fine, but tedious, and the Cuisinart was... okay. The Niche feels sort of like a smartphone to me; it's so pleasant to use that the feedback that I get from using it makes me want to use it even more! The results are excellent, it's easy to operate owing to having so few features (and those it has are well implemented), and ultimately it's helping me make more delicious coffee more consistently across all of my extraction/brewing methods. I largely decided to pursue it off of your recommendation, James! For a while I was considering selling a kidney and getting a Kafatek Monolith (which would look ridiculous next to my Gaggia Achille, but that's part of the point), so consider this a thanks from both my wallet and my renal system.
We have the Niche and use it for a Moccamaster. We max out the funnel with 50g of coffee and need to stop at half since at the end the static builds up so that close to 50g of ground coffee in the cup it starts shooting out all over the place. So we go in two steps. Other then this I am still super happy with it.
Could I possibly give a note about your Camera B setup (specifically the closeup when you took a dip)? It's very professional and well framed and all, but to my eyes it feels like a more sterile TV setup rather than the slightly more intimate framing I'm used to from your videos.
Possibly it's just new and something I'll get used to, but I really love the "sitting across the table from you" perspective we get from your videos and that B angle felt like it clashed with that a bit.
Absolutely love you and your videos to death so I hope this isn't coming off overly critical. You certainly never asked for my opinion here, and I sincerely apologize if this attention is unwanted.
It's a new setup and we've got a lot of experimenting to do. It took me a while to work out how to get the best out of the desk setup, and it will be no different here. Plus the set needs to grow, develop some character etc. Part of the journey, and comments like this are very helpful, so don't worry at all about sharing this kind of feedback.
@@jameshoffmann Thanks for another satisfying video. About the new setup, from where I sit the audio is annoyingly 'brittle' = sibilant and lacking body (low frequencies missing in the balance). I suspect that the environment is also rather 'hard' causing more sound reflections, adding to a mildly distracting echo. I think a lavalier (wireless?) would be the best solution allowing for close miking and consistent quality... It's like making espresso!
Maybe some key/fill light tweaks as well...adjust the angle, soften it (assuming camera gear/setup is the same). I am NO expert.
There is also a huge difference between the shots from different cameras. Also the motion in the 2nd camera seems kinda funky.
I absolutely agree with and share your opinion on how the B angle breaks the welcoming "sitting across the table from you" perspective. Every video is beautifully shot, as this one, and I applaud they experimentation and learning. I am sure they will find a balance and new experiences, as well as they do with the coffee.
I have the Niche and surely you were one of the big reasons for me to choose it.
Super happy with it, so flexible and easy to dial different coffees.
I would add the following things:
1- Auto timer when you are grinding
2- Turn off the light when is in off mode, in the night, the red light bothers me a bit
Overall I feel like the perfect home grinder for an espresso/latte lover like I am.
I feel like adding an auto timer or a auto turn off (when nothing else is there to grind) would not be overcomplicated and would definitely improve the grinding experience.
I have the Wilfa uniform as well. I don't experience any lag from the scale at all, I was in fact impressed with how responsive it was.
I got the silver Uniform because I didn’t want the scale and it was on offer at £230, which was incredible value.
I love it. But it did take a while to change my recipe to suit it, compared to what I did on my previous grinder, the cheaper Wilfa. I think I grind coarser and quicker, I guess because it’s extracting more evenly. (Would love to know what setting James used, out of interest).
My tiny quibbles:
- I’d like the grind guide wheel that they print on paper on the inside of the lid.
- The edge of the ground bin is quite sharp. If you tap it on your worktop you dent your worktop.
- A bean occasionally gets left unground in the hopper.
But these are tiny niggles. It’s a fantastic grinder.
I'm also upgrading from the cheaper Wilfa Svart, is it a significant upgrade? Can you elaborate about the change in recipe too? Thanks!
I use the Niche Zero every day, amazing experience, good coffee, and easy to clean. It's very easy to change the grinding setting which makes it perfect to try different brews.
Just in case anyone looking to buy, I just purchased the Wilda Uniform (without scales version), for £230 from Hamlet, also great deals on the Sage Precision brewer at £180, inc Amazon, John Lewis….just starting my real coffee journey, looking forward to discovery of tastes along the way 👍
James if you finally cave and buy the 4k camera we could read the grind settings off the video without having to ask :)
This is one of the only channels I've subscribed to, and also used the bell for. I'm glad I finally got the time to get more serious about coffee.
Thank you again for a wonderful review James, we are very honoured to be featured on your channel again!
You guys ever thought about doing a cheaper not so pro version? 🤔
After this video, I am sure your R&D paused all problems and focused on a flat burrs machine with a bigger bean reservoir!
How can I buy a Niche Zero? Your website points to the three year old Indiegogo campaign. Is it possible to buy one in 2020?
@@narrowneck123 Indiegogo is the correct place to buy.
I just bought your grinder today because of these videos.
I have had the Wilfa Uniform for a bit over month now. I really like the coffee it makes, but the two complaints that I (and others) have should be noticed and not shrugged off in case that you care;
1) It is SLOW. Depending on how much (and what roast?) you grind, it might even take longer than the machine's "well, I think there couldn't be anymore coffee left, so I'll shut this before auto shutdown" (1 min).
2) The plastic lid doesn't isolate the sound, almost not at all. It is light and fits loosely, so just by the physics it can't make grinding sound any less... Grinding? I'm considering adding some bitumium mat or computer case sound isolation stuff there, but knowing myself I actually will never do that.
For me both of those issues are not a problem at all. I'll just adjust a bit on my "what to do and when" schedule and I don't find myself bored at kitchen at the morning. And the sound is just some noise that happens when you grind coffee and my day isn't really ruined by that. Would recommend to a friend who I know that likes coffee and sees the value on bit more expensive grinder.
So if you're reading comments after over an year and a half of the release of this video and wondering if that Wilfa is any good, it is. And if you don't mind spending money on the grinder that you'd be likely be using every day, go ahead. It's worth it.
You were the one who inspired me to start my coffee journey! I can personally say the Niche is a solid piece of equipment in terms of functionality and build.
I've had the Niche about a week and I agree the bean funnel is just too small. Other niggles are the silly rotating wooden false feet and the narrow base making it look and act top heavy and a little unstable. I have however loved using it and I'm relieved that I'm enjoying the espresso as the Niche is a big departure from my Mazzer Major with its large 83mm flat burrs. I also have a Baratza Encore for grinding for my other coffee makers ranging from a sizeable collection of Cona vacuum coffeemakers to my aeropress. I guess the Niche could replace both the Mazzer and the Baratza which would be very popular with my better half. The Wilfa does look interesting though. Hmmmm. Decisions.
I have a Mazzer Major Electronic E for espresso, that I generally like to use, but I'm acutally considering replacing it with a Niche Zero. I've always felt like I waste to much coffee with all the grind retention.
Yes retention is an issue on the Mazzer.
The MKBHD of coffee... Or maybe MKBHD is the James Hoffman of tech
@@sysanlots but he's not nearly as in-depth
James doesn't spend nearly as much time defending / excusing his industry's failings 🙃
Just googled MKBHD. If you’re comparing him to James Hoffman I’d better have a look.
It’s almost an insult to James….
I think James is taking MKBHD's course on video making
I'm curious if you'll review the Fellow Ode Grinder and how it'll compare to the Wilfa?
I wonder how the fellow ode brew grinder with ssp burrs (designed for espresso) compares to grinders like the ones featured in this video
James saying 'FOMO' is the highlight of my day so far. Maybe I need to get our more.....
Hey James,
Recently due to Covid we have been running the Niche (as a trial) in the cafe, after my initial hesitation... as with most changes to work flow... I'm really enjoying it!!!! Not so much for commercial use as it does slow down production but it really is one of the best partners to the la marzocco linea mini (which we are also recommending) for home espresso needs.
I've only recently started watching your videos and have to say thank you, your helping to re ignite my curiosity for coffee rather than it simply being my way to help people start their day and pay my bills.
Stay awesome
Shaun McGeachin
But how many does he have at the office?
My Niche arrives in a few days! Great to see this!
Looking forward to a potential Fellow Ode grinder review in the near future if possible! I’ve been debating Ode v Uniform (scale-less)
I know it's been a long time already. But I was thinking about a Niche but for me here in Germany it seems just impossible. Did you wait for a production run and bought it of their website? Cause if not I would love to know where you got it from. All I find is prices close to 1000 Euro or having to wait, because it's not in stock :(
@@Mikehaelohim I believe they can ship in October for their standard price
James, keeping the phone on the table can make the metering confused by the wood shaking bc of the grinder
That's irrelevant. The test was checking comparative noise levels, not absolute numbers. The phone was positioned identically in each test so it all zeroes out.
It was the same for both grinders, so it's even for both.
@@dio52 one grinder may have better stabilization and cause the table the vibrate more. I agree it's probably a wash though
@@truckerallikatuk Actually, it wasn't the same for both grinders. Notice that the second one shows more often values below 80 whereas the first one shoots over the 80 mark more often. This means that there could be an average difference of 2 dB between the grinders. That actually means that the Niche is half as loud as the decibel is a logarithmic scale.
It's true, it's possibly irrelevant.
But James is quite rigours, so I was just saying that if one of the grinders is more shaky (I don't know if it's the right word because I don't speak english) there will be some potential fake numbers :)
THAT's the size of the DE1+ next to the Niche Zero? Jeez. I'm sitting here with a Niche next to a ACS Vesuvius which dwarfs...well...small buildings. Trying to talk myself out of buying a DE1+ and this is not helping.
The footprint of the DE1+ was one of the main selling points for me. I absolutely love what I can do with this machine!
Thanks for creating, creating and creating new videos.
Y’know, at first i was like “why is there a channel entirely about coffee” - now, I’m 5 minutes into the video and completely engrossed. This guy can seriously talk about coffee stuff.
I have the Wilfa Uniform.
I do like the scale on top. I do not put the scale back on when I grind, only benefit is just a minimal noise reduction. I keep the scale out to weight the beans and then the V60 or Aeropress brew. Then it is neatly stored on top of the grinder.
My only complain is on the scale tho, they could save the bluetooth and add a timer.
Or just add a simple timer. (and have an open bluetooth protocol to use with brewing apps)
The Niche collector bin on portafilter is just great. Those small things..
I wonder how the new Fellow Ode will compare against these two.
Cheers JH for the good reviews and videos
Now I know I can bring my Niche in my backpack without damaging it. Lovely.
Ordered the Niche based on your initial review and couldn't be happier.
It replaces a Rancilio Rocky step grinder which served me well, but two years ago acquired and rebuilt a 1988 Olympia Cremina (thank you Doug and Barb at Orphan Espresso for the "How To" videos) and have been wanting to upgrade to a stepless ever since. It's just perfect for my needs. Love its small footprint and ease of use. Very satisfied with the performance. It was about a two month lead time to North America and arrived a bit ahead of schedule.
James, thanks for all your videos and book. They've been a real help learning the basics.
Just bought Wilfa Uniform yesterday - the version without the scale 😎😎😎😎
The scale is actually one of my favourite things about the Uniform. I need to use it every morning to dose coffee and having a convenient, uncluttered spot to keep it is great. (That's being said I dose directly into a moccamaster so don't need to use the scales twice)
Just received my Niche after a 3 month wait and I'm over the moon with it. Feels solid gives a great grind once you have a play with it. A bit of a cliché but it does feel like a future classic just with simplicity and quality build.
Yes you can buy the niche dosing cup separately
Last time I was this early James was World Barista Champion
And this time he has a new set!
I own both (without the scale for the Wilfa). Originally, I just had the Niche, but I brew quite a lot of espresso and quite a lot of pour-over. Moving between the two on a single grinder loses quite a lot of coffee, as one needs to put through some beans at the new grind setting to avoid the old setting contaminating the new set.
So I use the Wilfa for V60 and the N iche for espresso. It works well - I like them both.
Great vid as usual. I recently got a Niche and it have replaced my two previous grinders, one for brew (Wilfa Svart) and one for espresso. Wonders for my limited counter space. This has worked great and I'm very happy with my new setup. Brew in the morning and espresso in the evening is my routine. I am a little concerned though that changing the grind like that every day will wear the mechanism down. Should I worry?
I wouldn’t worry at all about jumping around grind settings
Love the “one year on” concept.
The 'mechanism' is effectivly a thread and 2 springs. There's not really anything to break. Plus, I recently discovered if you unscrew the wood base, there's 2 spare springs hidden in the base :)
After a year with my Wilfa, I'd fully agree with you. I got the scale and grinder separately, and I've only tried the scale as a lid option once before deciding it's idiotic. The brushed stainless has held up very well, however mine has a persistent issue with turning off itself mid grind and requiring a power-cycle before it restarts. I traced it down to buildup of coffee on the outer edge of the burrs that caused additional drag, which tripped the overload protection. It's not a big issue once you know about it, a proper cleaning every week solves it, but it's such a slight buildup that if you don't know what to look for, you could essentially miss it. The best indicator it's happening I've found is that lowering the burrs becomes hard or impossible (like if you want to go from drip to espresso), and the burrs seem to be grinding together.
Other RUclipsrs: I love this product, here’s an affiliate link, please buy it!
James Hoffmann: I stock this product, but I think it’s the worse product for a lot of people, and I don’t want you buying it from me anyway.
Angus Groom that’s why we trust him
Daniel Tan exactly!
I used to have a relatively cheap small flat burr grinder, OBH Nordica 2409. While it did grind coffee, the settings were limited, and the process was not very pleasant, it was tricky to clean and the sound of the engine revving away when the beans ran out was not fun. So after a lot of research (looked at the Wilfa as well) I did get a Niche, yes it was far more expensive, but it was also far superior. I can adjust the grind to my preference, it is easy to use and the grind-result is much much better than the old grinder could achieve. As I grind mostly small amounts, 1-2 cups at a time, I have no issue with the size of the hopper. I can see that some might wish the hopper to be larger, though if the size of the hopper increased I think the size of the dosing cup would also have to increase, since a full hopper generally gives me a full cup as well. Anyway I am very happy with my Niche and would highly recommend it if you like playing with your grind-settings, and love a good quality grind. IS it expensive, yes, but it is also built to last as far as I can tell, so it will be a long term investment.
This is very weird to say and maybe it's just me but sitting james from older studio felt like a youtube reviewer.
Standing james feels like those tv advertisement shows which try to sell weird stuff.
I do understand the pros of standing which include more comfortable hand movements and superior coffee making position so maybe u can grab a seat while talking and stand up for demonstration?
Just something i felt regardless absolutely love your videos...
I own a wilfa with the scale. I actually like it - I don't have another kitchen scale, and what better place to store it than on top of the grinder! It takes some getting used to in terms of dialling in, but once you get there you make smooth cups every day. I love it.
I accidentally bought the Wilfa Uniform without the scale. After an initial frustration, I think this is what Bob Ross would call a "happy accident".
I absolutely love my niche grinder and agree with everything you've said here, although there is one major gripe I have about mine. The disc in the top and the bolt that screws down the middle to keep the burrs in place comes loose pretty often. I've used tools to crank it down and try to keep them from loosening but it seems every couple of weeks I have to tighten it again. Now I just check it every day and make sure it's nice and tight. Otherwise, incredible grinder
I used to have the same problem. However if you tighten the bolt whilst putting a finger or something like pen in the hole it should tighten slightly more enough for it not to loosen by itself.
@@Tazinio01 Correct; used the tool with my finger in the hole of the disc; tightened nicely.
Can't wait for the distribution tool video even though I don't make espresso 😅
I'm intrigued. I've seen them used and often wondered why James doesn't use one.
It’s got to be Matt Perger’s tool that he’s been promising forever.
I bought my Wilva Uniform last year after seeing James' review of it. I'm very happy with the grinder and don't feel like I need anything else, or want something more from it. I have the version in stainless steel, without the scale, so I'm not experiencing James' frustrations. The grinder it's easy to use, to adjust and to clean. The coffee retention is insignificant, as about the static issue I do the water trick before grinding and all is well.
Now, about the taste, I can confirm that coffee grinded by the Wilfa Uniform brews with a sweet, pleasant and aromatic taste, as James says. I noticed this difference from the first cup...which made my Kruve sifter completely useless as there was no need to sieve the coffee anymore.
Also, regrinding the beans, or grinding them one by one with the Wilfa brings interesting and delicious results in the cup.
If it is slower than the Niche is because it is designed to grind at a slow speed so that it doesn't heat the beans. But it's not that slow that you'll have the water boiled before the grind. As about it's loudness I find it to be normal...it's a coffee grinder after all, it's noisy by default and since that noise comes together with a good coffee flavour I'm not bothered about it.
Any cleaning tips once the chamber is opened? Brushed the hurts but the bit under the bottom burr has some retention and don’t really want to turn the machine upside down so doesn’t get grounds on the threads
@@joelraivid5581, try to use the brush provided by Wilfa to "agitate" those fines and once they're lose extract them with a vacuum cleaner. That's how I clean it.
Hello James. Thanks for this "second" review. I got my NiChe a month ago. My experience is flawless so far. Your review is honest and pretty accurate. I would add that we could consider another factor in all this very logical et technical way of analyzing a product: the pleasure factor. Is the object well designed, well made, well thought, or looks good? A great friend of mine offered me a beautiful handmade Laguiole corkscrew many years ago for my birthday. It is a small object that gives pleasure to the touch, to the feel and to use every time. This pleasure doesn't fade or diminish over time. I feel the NiChe grinder may well fall in this category for me. It is a pleasure to see on the kitchen counter, a pleasure to use and even... to hear! Just think of this little dosing cup. You know it is another good idea materialized. "A perk that comes with the grinder" as you said. A little more pleasure that comes with this grinder I would say. I cleaned my new grinder for the first time a few days ago and even this process makes you realize how well made the components are. In short, this kind of object may do a little more than what it is supposed to do for you. It may put a smile on your face because it's designer put love in his work and it is tangible. I think you do the same in your work James. Thank you.
I just ordered the Niche having seen it in so many vids of yours. It looks like a genuine pleasure to use. I will likely have it by November and can make it a Christmas present to myself. Thank you for all your reviews!
Can’t help but to notice the Delonghi Dedica in the background which I got one in my kitchen. Hope it’s possible to share tips on brewing better coffee on this machine :)
Looking forward to the WLCT on 3 Oct!
Been using a Niche ever since getting one off their kickstarter when they first were advertised. Only gripe is (and I have talked to them when they came to a forum coffee event) was the possibility of a smaller tumbler. They were interested in the idea, but set-up costs would limit what size. I have mine paired with a La Pavoni with a 51mm basket so the provided tumbler is useless (although I do use it with my other machine). I'd've though a 49mm tumbler would be practical for both models of La Pavoni, as well as other odd sizes like Sage and anything else between 49mm and 58mm. I did suggest this to them but so far the idea has probably been shelved.
Overall I think it is a very kitchen-friendly grinder and wouldn't look out of place next to a Kenwood Chef for example (not drawing comparisons here of course). The large Mazzer Kony burrs drop it into a league far outside many other home-use grinders without the cost (and massive coffee exchange of the Kony).
Am I please with it? Definitely, especially as I paid the crowd-funded price (which is always a gamble) and I actually prefer using it to my Versalab M3, which is a lot more faff. For the coffee I like, which is predominantly milk based it is ideal and if I had arrived first after backing it, I doubt I would've got any of the other grinders I have or have had since (which I bought in-between backing it and it arriving).
James, thanks for your highly informative and entertaining video, as always! For noise measurement, please do not put your phone on the table. Just hold it in your hand. Also, make sure that your dB meter is uses the A weighting curve. Both things will make your measurement more closely reflect the human ear. Thanks!
This was mostly to test if one was much louder - I couldn’t find my proper meter which I wanted to use to give an accurate reading but it will happen in future reviews
I literally just bought a wilfa savant grinder last night. I feel like these videos are just as important as the intial review. Thank you for all of this, I have been falling more in love with making the best coffee I can and it definitely has something to do with all your videos.
I ordered my Niche a few weeks ago, it's arriving in November (I hope)
Can't wait! My current grinder is such a pain in the ass to use
Me too
Same haha
Mine was shipped a few days ago. The wait is killing me 😂
Hello, Your RUclips channel has been a real discovery for me. I have gone from drinking Nespresso capsule coffee to buying a Moccamaster filter coffee machine and a Wilfa Uniform coffee grinder although the silver version without a scale. Cheaper and from what I see it will not have paint problems since it does not have paint. I am still in the process of learning how to adjust the thickness of the grind according to the type of coffee, roast and the amount that I will prepare in the Moccamaster Select. The problem of static electricity is solved with the trick of the water drop on the coffee beans and it also helps to give a sharp blow when emptying the coffee into the filter. If I could improve something, it would be to add a pedestal to be able to have the coffee grinder raised on the kitchen bench in case you accidentally spill any fluid that the grinder does not suffer the dire consequences. I think I will solve it by looking for a small round bamboo tray to which I will place some small teardrop shaped silicone legs that are sold in hardware stores. Regards and thanks for everything.
12:07 Ya know...it appears that the Niche dosing cup will fit in the Wilfa catch compartment. 14:46
I have the Wilfa Uniform, and I am happy with the purchase. I do agree with all your points about it - the scale is almost useless, the grounds collector bin is weird and grounds stick in it, and the paint job is sub-par. I can forgive the scale, it's an easy mistake to make as a company, thinking you're bringing additional value to the customer when you add a feature. I can forgive the grounds collectors weirdness; the person who designed it was probably working with some really stringent design requirements.
What I don't want to forgive is (1) the grounds sticking to the grounds collector, but especially (2) the paint job. The paint job is inexcusable - it should be Koenigsegg automotive grade paint (I believe they use 20+ megathin layers of lacquer for their cars), but what we get is a piece of metal that some student has dumped a spray can of bargain bin lacquer on, which he let dry outside in a rainy forest during wintertime.
I just love this channel, the videos are so informative and entertaining and I love the style and presentation. Also, I have an unhealthy obsession with coffee grinders.
Got the Wilfa Uniform, SS no scale, on your advice, had a few months now and love it. Brew coffee with the Severin Caprice which I hope one day you will review, also brew with Chemex, Hario V-60 & French press. Thank. you for all your vdo's enjoy them all so very much, thank you James my coffee guru.
James, quite a bit of sibilance in this video, try turning down the area above 8khz with the eq on your voice to tame that a bit.
I recently bought a Wilfa Uniform after I watched your video comparing grinders. I, too, don’t have an espresso machine & don’t plan to get into that “world”. I most often make coffee with either a Hario Mugen, a Hario switch, a Moka pot or a Clever dripper & sometimes will use a French press so the Wilfa is great for those methods. I’m very happy I watched your video before buying a grinder. My dream is to someday send you some coffee beans to try from my part of the world. Love your channel & content!
i dream with a Niche Zero, but its just outside my bugget, i im saving to get a Virtuoso+, would love to see a review of that tier of home grinders
I'm on a budget these days, I might get one at the same time I get a proper espresso machine. For a medium grind aeropress, I do like my De'Longhi Burr .
Hi James, I bought the WILFA from your shop about 2 months ago. I agree with your comments on Filter vs. Espresso. I own a La Pavoni and I just cannot get the WILFA to grind for it, it's always a little off. I actually have better results via a manual grinder. It's very frustrating. However, for filter, it's fantastic - the grind size is always very consistent and, strangely, I like the mechanical sound it makes. Overall very happy, it's a good workhorse that I appreciate more everytime I have to use someone elses grinder
Thank you, James. The Niche has nearly perfected the home espresso grinder experience but for pour over, its a bit overkill. That said if you're looking for one grinder that does both and money is no concern, the Niche is a great pick.
Any recommendations for a grinder with a price more in line with pour-over requirements?
Parrish - Wilfa has another grinder, the Wilfa Svart Aroma, which is half the price of the Uniform Grinder. James tested it against the Barazza Encore a while ago and he liked it a little better. The Uniform Grinder however with its flat burrs is really the top of the crop for filter coffee.
@@bjorngerlach7829 Thanks
Thanks James! I hope you have a great day as well!
I have a Wilfa Uniform grinder at home. It’s just perfect for daily hand brewing.
Some beginner espresso machines in the back! Future Comparison?
Yeah, the under £500 category!
@@jameshoffmann awesome! Looking forward to it!
I'm still stuck with a breville/sage barista express as my daily. Not a bad unit overall, but I'm really on the limits of it.
@@DCteamtraceur careful for upgraditise haha. I could still be rocking it on a Gaggia classic if it weren't for my love for restoring older (bigger) machines. If your looking for an upgrade define some features you miss or what your machine lacks. But also do keep in mind things like workflow and frequency of use, which breville/sage is very good at most of the time.
I adore my uniform - but I've actually had to make several tweaks to get the best out of them.
First is having to adjust the zero point - I had burr rub at #4. Changing the zero point is easy, just a screwdriver.
The second is burr alignment - mine needed a little bit of adjusting, once again on the top lid. Easy job too.
There are several other things. The uniform has about 0.2-0.3g retention. If you continually use the grinder at the same setting, the machine will just hold and replace that amount, and give you zero retention.
I guess the auto off actually shuts off a liiiittle bit early.
What else to say....not much. It's a great grinder. 14-18 for single dose filter, 4-7 for moka pot. Zero it first.
I’ve just got one and been looking for instructions on how to do this. Mine seems way too coarse on 1: not as fine as my Porlex on the 8th click. Are there official instructions buried somewhere on their site, or do I need to sit down with it and look closely at how it fits together?
@@jrguk I'll tell ya - unscrew the top lid completely. Take the top lid and flip it upside down. There are 3 screws in the burr itself, and 3 screws around the burr, on the metal part surrounding it.
Step one is to visually inspect the burr and ensure it's mounted properly. As long as it's not crooked or anything, it should be fine. Maybe look at the lower burr, too. Both should be well seated.
As for adjusting the zero, you want to unscrew the 3 outer screws of the top lid I mentioned earlier. Take the metal part off and you'll see a whole bunch of screw holes in the plastic hopper. Now it's up to you to figure out which direction it is you should head towards, clockwise or anticlockwise, to make your grind finer. Each screw-hole corresponds to one click of adjustment finer/coarser on the uniform. Take this time to clean the inside of the hopper, too. Ideally with some rubbing alcohol or something that'll pick up the coffee oils and residues.
Ideally, you want to set it until you get just a bit of burr rub at the finest setting, then set the zero point one screw-hole over. Meaning at the finest setting you get no burr rub at all.
Hope this helps. Sounds harder than it is. About 10 minutes of testing and screwing around will get you there.
@@jrguk I forgot to mention - there's actually a way to get even better grinds out of the uniform. You can better "center" the burr of the top lid by loosening up the 3 screws, using paper or dollar bills stuffed around the edge of the burr and the housing, to perfectly center the burr, then tighten down, and remove your paper. Made a significant difference on mine.
The bottom burr set usually doesn't need any alignment...it sits comfortably. But if you notice your uniform's auto-stop function stops...stopping, then take that burr off, and clean the chamber and the burr's underside. Slap it back together, problem solved.
Another thing to watch out for is "walk". Where if you're grinding a particularly hard bean, your hopper can actually rotate and make itself finer during grinding.
Simple fix. Wipe off the grease on the metal ring, the part with the bps, as well as the metal bits on the grinder itself that touch those bumps. You can wipe down the screw threads too if you need.
Good luck! I suppose I ought to put a video out on how to do these...
One thing hate about the Wilfa is that when you adjust finer having ground coffee previously, you invariably encounter coffee locking the threading preventing the dial turning finer at all. Total removal of the top burr carrier is required almost every time a finer adjustment is needed, which becomes extremely infuriating.
If you turn the grinder on while adjusting it finer, it should prevent this.
@@northendj Unfortunately it doesnt help - the grinder being on would help with coffee stuck between the burrs, however this grinder suffers from coffee stuck in the actual threading of the adjustment mechanism
I own the Wilfa and am very happy with it. Your original review made the decision easier, thanks for that! I have the brushed steel one without the scale, and it looks like new after a year and two weeks of daily use. No troubles. One thing I would have wanted, is some kind of indication of where between 1 and 41 the ranges of coarse, medium coarse, and so on, lie. Coming from the limited steps of a Hario Skerton hand grinder, this took some getting used to. I find the grind setting table in the manual lacking. One thing I like with the lid is that you can lift and drop it slightly a few times to blow out residual coffee from the burr chamber.
I really like the Niche Zero, it's my go to grinder. I think it's the best grinder for the price.
It is a nice grinder, but not so sure about the price part...
@@bozoc2572 I did not say it was the cheapest. Just the best for the price point.
@@CoffeeChannel Even then, I am not convinced that it is the best for the price point. My buddy got NEW ASCASO I for around €300 and it seems like a really nice grinder. Used Mazzer Super Jolly goes from €150 and modding it for zero retention is trivial.
You can also get a Eureka Specialita w/ 55mm flat burrs for around the same price new. You can single dose with it or use a hopper and get very near the retention performance with infinite steps for espresso.
I got the niche just this week and I absolutely ADORE it. It's a pleasure to use, really ergonomic and designed perfectly for its task. I replaced my old Gaggia MDF which was loud, large, stepped and had this god awful lever function to remove the coffee grounds which caused inconsistent quantities of coffee grounds and made single dosing accurately close to impossible.
I stumbled across your channel and it's been hours since I stopped watching...oops. Thank you for the wonderful content and education!
I have a Wilfa Uniform. Its great for filter coffees and is very easy to clean. I agree with James' comments - I don't use the scale - its just a lid to me & it does suffer from grind retention.
7:29 Manufacturers: HOW DARE YOU!
I bought a Niche Zero a number of weeks after watching your initial review video. It arrives early October and this video absolutely cements the idea that I made the right decision in my purchase.
I can confirm that it is an absolute pleasure to use! 👌
Important addition: Niche has a very unfair pricing policy! They keep the 20% UK VAT (as an additional profit I guess) when shipping to customers outside the UK. So you will have to pay double VAT, theUK VAT plus the VAT of your country! That makes the Niche Zero roughly 100 gbp more expensive to non UK buyers.
Learn something about brexit bro
@@Hymhum VAT on goods after Brexit
The EU and the UK have come to an agreement on trade matters. This article describes what the rules for value added tax (VAT) are if you import goods from or export goods to the UK. Purchasing products in the UK
If you purchase goods from businesses in the UK, the seller will usually charge you 0% VAT. You pay VAT in the Netherlands, by declaring the VAT on your VAT return - on condition that you are an entrepreneur for VAT purposes. The British seller has to demonstrate that the goods have left the country, for instance by producing a freight letter or invoice.
The niche is a great grinder. Had it for about a year, two espressos per day in a cafelat robot. The single dosing experience and ability to make a tiny change to grind size and see the effect immediately is fantastic. Only issue is a manageable problem - feed rate of the beans significantly affects the grind.
The nfc (Niche Flow Control) disk solves this, if you haven't got one they are great!