I feel your idea of budget and my idea of budget are a little different. But it was very informative, and my dream is still wanting the DF54. Anything higher than $150 is a luxury expense, so even buying the breville would be a luxury for me. 😀 I love your channel and have learnt a lot 🙂
When I was using my Breville grinder I bought a 3D-printed single-dose conversion kit w/bellows. It's simple and works great and you can stow that hopper away. They're probably a lot cheaper now than when I bought mine.
I've been happy with my DF54. It can at times develop a static problem which is quickly resolved using the included cleaning tool. Static seems to be more of a problem with darker roasts.
I went from "Sage dose control pro" to DF64 gen2. I still have sage which I use for pour overs only. Since df54 is similar to df64gen2, I think it's great too. Sage had espresso grinding issues with tuning in. Coffee particles were inside the burr cradle, causing instability and sometimes did not reach fine enough grind setting. So it had to be cleaned daily and still it was not very consistent (even when using same beans). On df64gen2 it has been a breeze to dial in different beans back to back. And cleaning about twice a week without removing any parts. Just so robust. Burr carriers and housings all sturdy metal parts like they should be. The price of df54 is unbeatable imho.
I think I spent 3 years using a Cuisinart Supreme Grind, then upgraded to an Encore that I used for 5 years before feeling like I had become enough of a coffee person that I'd indulge and spend $250 to buy a 1ZPresso K-Plus 3ish? years ago. Just passed the Encore on to my mother-in-law.
Best budget espresso grinder, in my opinion, is an 1Zpresso, like the J-Max. Obviously hand grinding has its drawbacks, but I think I’d rather have it than anything at the same price.
I love my J-MAX, but it’s not great for pour over and on mornings (weekends) when I’m making 4-6 espressos back to back, hand grinding gets up me arse! In addition, everyone else in the house flatly refuses to make espresso unless I get an electric grinder.
@@anthonytomlinson3311 ya know, every once and a while, it’d be nice and get up to someone else making ME an espresso. Like on Father’s Day, my birthday….
I love the J-Max as well and that’s exactly why I created a motor and a dedicated station for it to enjoy it more with variable speed settings. It’s crazy how much better it has gotten just by doing this as I can now play around with speed settings and more consistency than doing it by hand.
Amazing video! Shopping around for an all purpose first grinder. Torn between the fellow, encore esp with single dose hopper and the Df54. So much out there.. even considering slightly upping the budget. What is yyr opinion? :(
Please note: Breville SGP can be found for pretty good deals in resale markets and I got mine like-new off Amazon (Amazon Warehouse, now called Amazon Resale) for a little over 50% the retail price. If I was spending over 200 new, I'd go with the DF54 hands down.
Interesting how in your area the fellow opus is the cheapest among these grinders. In the EU, the Baratza ESP goes for 153 €, and the opus for 234 € tax included. What is interesting is that the DF54 is 236 € with tax, making it very, very attractive price wise.
Wow yeah absolutely! Thats a hard one to turn down. I know ! .. varied global prices makes stating price very sketchy 😂 especially also since im talking about it in Australian Dollaroos 😂
Am I right in hearing that if you’re comparing the DF54 and the Varia VS3 Gen 2, the Varia would be the top pick? 😮 trying to choose between these two currently!
I have the Sage Grinder Pro but I think it’s pretty poor. I’ve bought so many coffees that it’s not able to grind, anything medium and below and the Sage doesn’t have the power to grind and stalls constantly on the most obnoxious way. The video is very helpful though as the DF54 is the one I fancy buying. Probably over the VS3 and Niche.
Great video! I know is a jump in price... But how does it compare to the lagom casa (as espresso grinder, and as a all around grinder). Or, for that price... Do you consider another grinder to be a better option?
OK lets be clear - for the price of under $600aud - the DF54 Grinder is the best Espresso Grinder available. After that you're in Varia VS3, Lagom Casa and DF64 grinder money - Ill be up to comparing these in the mid-range category soon 🫶
I would say the DF54 is a better option overall. Has the dosing cup, better grind adjustment, better workflow - designed more for single dosing. The Eureka really should come with some little extras and it would be on par. The price of the Eureka in Australia just tips over $520 when not on sale - so I would add this to the range grinders. But really the Eureka and the DF54 are matched very closely here - and Id go for the DF54 every day.
What is better for filter/aeropress baratza esp or the fellow ode gen 1?....the ode gen1 is now on sale for 160€...or should I opt for the df54?..Who are the best resellers for df grinders in europe? I am now using the 1zpresso q2 s heptagonal. It is great but I'm considering the convenience of an electric grinder.
The question I have is am I going to wish I bought the cf64p or the Df64v gen2 for an extra $300aud or will I be happy with the df54? The main pitfalls I see are - grind time 30 seconds is a long time and the fact that replacement burrs do not exist at the moment.
So it’s the DF54 I’m talking about - not the DF64 - but yes the DF54 is uniquely priced at the high end of budget and low end of mid range - makes it tricky 😅
I'm surprised you're so kind to the Breville grinder, you complain about retention in some of the other ones that probably have less retention than the Breville. I'm pretty sure the encore has less. Also I believe the Breville machines with built-in Grinders are basically the same grinder as the Smart grind Pro so its not really an upgrade.
Ahaha I know I know! Though I’m surprised, that you’re surprised, I’m not being kind to all grinders 🤣 Yet with the hopper - at least you have timed dosing right! So retention isn’t an issue for someone using it as such. I’ve got no issue with someone using the grinder in that way. The Encore ESP just doesn’t fit either using a full hopper or single dosing, well. The BSGP has the attachments to grind straight in to a portafilter - that works fantastic, for both 54mm and 58mm. Better adjustment on the grind settings versus the other two - and compared to the inbuilt Breville - it’s true - though with the standalone - it’s much easier to tip upside occasionally to clear out the mess 😝
I just upgraded to the J-Ultra from the SGP but haven't had any good coffees, they taste too bitter. I've tried dialling in but I think I'm doing something wrong (brewing with the Flair Neo).
Maybe try a slightly coarser grind, you might be over-extracting. It it’s also the profile tbh. The J-ultra tends to grind super fine and has the ability to add bitterness
@AlternativeBrewing First do not want to pit subjective tastes against you or anyone but curious to verify/compare why you think Hoffman noted how traditional the espresso was from VS3 when others say it’s thin texture and higher clarity than Lagom Mini let alone the Encore ESP..? There was that old comparison C40, Lagom Mini and VS3 latter thinnest most lingering flavor plus the VS3 vs Eureka flat and think the Opus. Interesting how James noted sweetness from Opus and you noted almost sugar sickly sweet espresso from it so more aligned consensus that grinder but James totally different experience from the Varia. Thank you
Hey Laurel , all good - I know! - that was the one thing I was surprised at with JH and what he said about the Varia - I dont agree with it - doesn’t change his perceived flavour profile of the Varia VS3 though 😅 Not sure whether he had the Gen1 or 2 - but even still it’s a very subjective thing this. Even with consensus on-line - we’re not tasting the same things - so it’s hard to really nail down flavour profiles of grinders. There is some clarity around comparison of grinders when tasting their espresso side by side and how each might make a coffee taste differently, but a grinder on its own, as JH did, he wasn’t doing taste comparisons or blind tasting- - is more likely to lead to different results too.
The DF54 is in a different league when it comes to purely espresso. SGP has really high retention, stepped grind settings,with large step sizes and inferior burrs when it comes to espresso. Even the Baratza ESP which is cheaper than the SGP beats it for espresso.
KINGrinder K4, bought it for 80 bucks. Grind is good (I do enjoy the espresso it makes in my La Pavoni at least). And manually grinding for espresso doubles as a gym workout as well saving even more money.
Yea ... the Baratza Sette 270 right? - I'd place this over the Encore any day of the week. It's good value and I should have included it - overall - at the same price point as the DF54, build quality and performance are no match.
Mine is supposed to be delivered this week. It's my first electric grinder. How is it dialing back and forth from espresso to filter? Any quirks I should watch out for?
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Best straight forward video I've seen on the subject. No long drawn out ramblings. Thank you.
Appreciate it - trying to keep it concise 🤘
Legend. Thanks for keeping things real and simple. The amount of grinders out there is so confusing. Thanks.
Glad you got some value out of it!
Straight to the point, thats very helpful thanks!
Haha, you beat James Hoffman to the punch by 1 day! Great minds think alike. DF54 it is!
hahaha awesome - it's a tale of the tapes - regardless DF54 takes the win fs 🙌
I feel your idea of budget and my idea of budget are a little different. But it was very informative, and my dream is still wanting the DF54. Anything higher than $150 is a luxury expense, so even buying the breville would be a luxury for me. 😀 I love your channel and have learnt a lot 🙂
I’m glad the video was helpful, even if the budget was a little different!
Agree about the Fellow Opus. Just looks so good on the counter 😂
Thanks!!! was stuck between varia and the df54!
Which one you picked. They both same proce range here in AU
When I was using my Breville grinder I bought a 3D-printed single-dose conversion kit w/bellows. It's simple and works great and you can stow that hopper away. They're probably a lot cheaper now than when I bought mine.
I've been happy with my DF54. It can at times develop a static problem which is quickly resolved using the included cleaning tool. Static seems to be more of a problem with darker roasts.
Static is definitely a pain in the neck, so glad your cleaning tool is doing the trick!
The Baratza with the single dose silicone hopper billow is everything I need.
I went from "Sage dose control pro" to DF64 gen2. I still have sage which I use for pour overs only.
Since df54 is similar to df64gen2, I think it's great too.
Sage had espresso grinding issues with tuning in. Coffee particles were inside the burr cradle, causing instability and sometimes did not reach fine enough grind setting. So it had to be cleaned daily and still it was not very consistent (even when using same beans).
On df64gen2 it has been a breeze to dial in different beans back to back. And cleaning about twice a week without removing any parts. Just so robust. Burr carriers and housings all sturdy metal parts like they should be.
The price of df54 is unbeatable imho.
I think I spent 3 years using a Cuisinart Supreme Grind, then upgraded to an Encore that I used for 5 years before feeling like I had become enough of a coffee person that I'd indulge and spend $250 to buy a 1ZPresso K-Plus 3ish? years ago. Just passed the Encore on to my mother-in-law.
Sounds like a great journey through the world of coffee grinders!
Best budget espresso grinder, in my opinion, is an 1Zpresso, like the J-Max. Obviously hand grinding has its drawbacks, but I think I’d rather have it than anything at the same price.
Got my jx pro pre owned for 100$ what sa steal for me 😂
I love my J-MAX, but it’s not great for pour over and on mornings (weekends) when I’m making 4-6 espressos back to back, hand grinding gets up me arse! In addition, everyone else in the house flatly refuses to make espresso unless I get an electric grinder.
@@coreycannon4511 😂 Sorry to hear about all the others in your household! I’m also lucky to be the only coffee drinker in my house
@@anthonytomlinson3311 ya know, every once and a while, it’d be nice and get up to someone else making ME an espresso. Like on Father’s Day, my birthday….
I love the J-Max as well and that’s exactly why I created a motor and a dedicated station for it to enjoy it more with variable speed settings. It’s crazy how much better it has gotten just by doing this as I can now play around with speed settings and more consistency than doing it by hand.
Amazing video! Shopping around for an all purpose first grinder. Torn between the fellow, encore esp with single dose hopper and the Df54. So much out there.. even considering slightly upping the budget. What is yyr opinion? :(
All purpose still the DF 54 at this price point - or go a Fellow Ode 👌
Lagom Mini with excellent build quality is all you need for great espresso 🎉
I agree - great grinder, for the price! 👍
Great salesman
Please note: Breville SGP can be found for pretty good deals in resale markets and I got mine like-new off Amazon (Amazon Warehouse, now called Amazon Resale) for a little over 50% the retail price. If I was spending over 200 new, I'd go with the DF54 hands down.
Interesting how in your area the fellow opus is the cheapest among these grinders. In the EU, the Baratza ESP goes for 153 €, and the opus for 234 € tax included. What is interesting is that the DF54 is 236 € with tax, making it very, very attractive price wise.
Wow yeah absolutely! Thats a hard one to turn down. I know ! .. varied global prices makes stating price very sketchy 😂 especially also since im talking about it in Australian Dollaroos 😂
Am I right in hearing that if you’re comparing the DF54 and the Varia VS3 Gen 2, the Varia would be the top pick? 😮 trying to choose between these two currently!
I would so so yes 🙌 if in budget I would go the Varia VS3
Is a new grinder coming out? This is the 3rd coffee people channel i follow that re-visit the subject in a few days!
Hahaha no - not that I’m aware of. All us coffee people sync up every morning with that first sip 😃
I have the Sage Grinder Pro but I think it’s pretty poor. I’ve bought so many coffees that it’s not able to grind, anything medium and below and the Sage doesn’t have the power to grind and stalls constantly on the most obnoxious way.
The video is very helpful though as the DF54 is the one I fancy buying. Probably over the VS3 and Niche.
Great video! I know is a jump in price... But how does it compare to the lagom casa (as espresso grinder, and as a all around grinder). Or, for that price... Do you consider another grinder to be a better option?
OK lets be clear - for the price of under $600aud - the DF54 Grinder is the best Espresso Grinder available. After that you're in Varia VS3, Lagom Casa and DF64 grinder money - Ill be up to comparing these in the mid-range category soon 🫶
now do same video for best budget grinder for filter coffee
I have one lined up 👍 Do you think this should include Hand Grinders?
How does the Eureka Mignon lineup compare to these? the Manuale price is within this range.
I would say the DF54 is a better option overall. Has the dosing cup, better grind adjustment, better workflow - designed more for single dosing. The Eureka really should come with some little extras and it would be on par. The price of the Eureka in Australia just tips over $520 when not on sale - so I would add this to the range grinders. But really the Eureka and the DF54 are matched very closely here - and Id go for the DF54 every day.
Thank you!@@AlternativeBrewing
What is better for filter/aeropress baratza esp or the fellow ode gen 1?....the ode gen1 is now on sale for 160€...or should I opt for the df54?..Who are the best resellers for df grinders in europe? I am now using the 1zpresso q2 s heptagonal. It is great but I'm considering the convenience of an electric grinder.
I’d go the 64mm Ode Gen1 here in this comparison 🙌
The question I have is am I going to wish I bought the cf64p or the Df64v gen2 for an extra $300aud or will I be happy with the df54? The main pitfalls I see are - grind time 30 seconds is a long time and the fact that replacement burrs do not exist at the moment.
Yeah - so if budget isn’t the #1 priority then yes absolutely save for the DF64v or even just DF64 - you won’t regret it!
It perform greatly in espresso and good in pour over too. And for its price i get flat burr and less spinning that a hand grinder imho
The breville smart grinder pro is just the exact same burrset as the barista pro
I just bought the ESP for $265 and the DF64 GEN 1 is like $430
at its cheapest. Seems like a different category if it’s twice as expensive?
But he talks about DF54, which is different grinder. The price is about $229
@@gozzoo123 Same grinder here in Australia as per his website.
So it’s the DF54 I’m talking about - not the DF64 - but yes the DF54 is uniquely priced at the high end of budget and low end of mid range - makes it tricky 😅
@ sorry, I meant the DF54, the prices I listed are for the ESP and DF54, I just got the name wrong.
Sk40?
I'm surprised you're so kind to the Breville grinder, you complain about retention in some of the other ones that probably have less retention than the Breville. I'm pretty sure the encore has less. Also I believe the Breville machines with built-in Grinders are basically the same grinder as the Smart grind Pro so its not really an upgrade.
Ahaha I know I know! Though I’m surprised, that you’re surprised, I’m not being kind to all grinders 🤣 Yet with the hopper - at least you have timed dosing right! So retention isn’t an issue for someone using it as such. I’ve got no issue with someone using the grinder in that way. The Encore ESP just doesn’t fit either using a full hopper or single dosing, well. The BSGP has the attachments to grind straight in to a portafilter - that works fantastic, for both 54mm and 58mm. Better adjustment on the grind settings versus the other two - and compared to the inbuilt Breville - it’s true - though with the standalone - it’s much easier to tip upside occasionally to clear out the mess 😝
I just upgraded to the J-Ultra from the SGP but haven't had any good coffees, they taste too bitter. I've tried dialling in but I think I'm doing something wrong (brewing with the Flair Neo).
Maybe try a slightly coarser grind, you might be over-extracting. It it’s also the profile tbh. The J-ultra tends to grind super fine and has the ability to add bitterness
@@AlternativeBrewing Thank you, I'll give that a try!
For filter coffee df54 or fellow opus?
Budget Filter grinder video up soon! Curious should Hand Grinders be in this video?
@ I think they should, it was definitely on my list but for ease of use in the morning I rather use a electric!
not recommended for filter?
Yes they all can - but this was focused on Espresso today 🙏
@AlternativeBrewing First do not want to pit subjective tastes against you or anyone but curious to verify/compare why you think Hoffman noted how traditional the espresso was from VS3 when others say it’s thin texture and higher clarity than Lagom Mini let alone the Encore ESP..? There was that old comparison C40, Lagom Mini and VS3 latter thinnest most lingering flavor plus the VS3 vs Eureka flat and think the Opus. Interesting how James noted sweetness from Opus and you noted almost sugar sickly sweet espresso from it so more aligned consensus that grinder but James totally different experience from the Varia. Thank you
Hey Laurel , all good - I know! - that was the one thing I was surprised at with JH and what he said about the Varia - I dont agree with it - doesn’t change his perceived flavour profile of the Varia VS3 though 😅 Not sure whether he had the Gen1 or 2 - but even still it’s a very subjective thing this. Even with consensus on-line - we’re not tasting the same things - so it’s hard to really nail down flavour profiles of grinders. There is some clarity around comparison of grinders when tasting their espresso side by side and how each might make a coffee taste differently, but a grinder on its own, as JH did, he wasn’t doing taste comparisons or blind tasting- - is more likely to lead to different results too.
Finally someone said this. Thanks.
My pleasure 🙏
How much better is the DF54 above the Breville Smart Grinder Pro…..? We only drink Espresso and we have owned the BSGP for about 4 years….
The DF54 is in a different league when it comes to purely espresso. SGP has really high retention, stepped grind settings,with large step sizes and inferior burrs when it comes to espresso. Even the Baratza ESP which is cheaper than the SGP beats it for espresso.
Yeah DF54 takes home espresso to the edge of Commercial Brewing whereas the BSGP is a home appliance and nothing more
@@AlternativeBrewing Bye bye BSGP, FB market place here we come...
Ahahaha 🤣
@@AlternativeBrewing you got your comparison video out before the Hoffman! 😁
KINGrinder K4, bought it for 80 bucks. Grind is good (I do enjoy the espresso it makes in my La Pavoni at least). And manually grinding for espresso doubles as a gym workout as well saving even more money.
Sette?
Yea ... the Baratza Sette 270 right? - I'd place this over the Encore any day of the week. It's good value and I should have included it - overall - at the same price point as the DF54, build quality and performance are no match.
Being "budget espresso grinder" theme, I would have expected some hand grinder to make the cut.
There's only one person who wants to hand grind espresso a couple of times a day and his name is Popeye.
@swempthebemp slap on some elbow grease to save couple 100 bucks ;D
@@Spiralem been there, done that. I'm living in the fast lane now buddy B-)
Yea I’ll make the another video for sure 👍 great suggestion thanks
I have no such problems with my Opus. Sounds strange.
It’s not the only thing tbh - it’s build is all plastic - it’s retention ain’t great - and being a stepped grinder for espresso - it’s not ideal 😕
Anything except the Varia VS3 which is a piece of crap. The dial constantly moving when grinding is annoying.
Anything?😳
Starseeker 55mm conical burr for E200 delivered to my house, excellent grinder for espresso and pour over coffee.............
Mine is supposed to be delivered this week. It's my first electric grinder. How is it dialing back and forth from espresso to filter? Any quirks I should watch out for?
@@MrEunderwood No just fine, the only thing i wish they change was the coffee exit nozzle.
ROK