r/DF64

Looking for a little advice from those that have used the DF64 Gen 2. I'm looking to purchase a grinder to go alongside my Profitec Go and am looking to stay below $400. I am thinking hard about going with a J Ultra as I currently love my K Ultra for pour over coffee. I've also hand ground as my primary method for the past 5 years. That said, I've been researching electric grinders for espresso specifically and the issues people run into, at least as reported online, give me pause. I assume there's a fair amount of reporting bias, so wanted to ask:

Is the alignment "issue" in the DF64 II a real issue that impacts the shot? I'd really love to not purchase a grinder that then relies on tinfoil shimming.

Compared to the hand grinder experience that I'm already comfortable with, it just works and I'm familiar with their workflow. That said, if I'm pulling back to back shots that's where an electric grinder would obviously win. I’m pulling shots maybe 2-3 times a day and work from home. Just trying to make that final decision between the two. I'm also aware of the flavor profile difference between conical and flat and honestly I enjoy both similarly. It just feels from everything I've read that the J Ultra offers a fantastic grind, great small adjustment for fine tuning, obviously with some elbow grease, but without the quirks. Maybe I've already decided but would love to hear from those that have experience with the DF64!

I’m facing a bit of a first-world problem.

Today marks exactly 2 years and 1 day since I bought my DF64 Gen 2 with stock stainless steel burrs (got it on sale for $319). I've had great results with it, and since I clean and maintain it regularly, it’s still in pristine condition.

Recently, I was gifted a brand-new DF64 Gen 2 that already has SSP HU (High Uniformity) burrs installed. Unfortunately, I don't have a gift receipt, so I need to choose between two paths:

Sell my current 2-year-old grinder (with stock burrs) and upgrade to the gifted SSP HU unit.

Sell the new SSP HU unit as-is and keep my trusty original setup.

I primarily drink espresso straight up (medium to light-medium roasts mostly).

• New Interest: I’ve also recently gotten into cold brew, and I'm dabbling a bit more with coarser brews.

Here are the specific questions I'm wrestling with:

• SSP HU vs. Stock: For someone drinking straight espresso, is the jump to SSP HU burrs a noticeable and worthwhile upgrade over the stock stainless burrs, or are the stock ones already hitting close to the ceiling for flavor?
• Dual Grinder? I briefly thought about keeping both—using one dedicated to espresso and dialing the other in for coarser grinds (like cold brew or pour over). But I know there are much better grinders designed for pour over vs espresso.

Would love to hear your thoughts on what you'd do in my shoes!

I just received it today. Took it out of the box, measured 10g of beans, set the dial to 2 (dark roast beans) and hit the button. Nothing really came out. I can hear the machine running but no grind coming out. I went back through the manual it came with but nothing jumps out that I should have done differently. I did spritz the beans once with water.

Anyone have suggestions?

Anyone have good recommendations from a reputable dealer to buy a new DF64? Thanks!

Own an Ancaso I-1, loved it for the last few years but feel I want a more modern machine. Saw an advert for a gen 1 DF64. Wanted to know if it’s a worthy move at that price. I know it’ll need a few mods. Uk based making 1-2 drinks a day max with single dosing. Using a sage bambino for the moment, plans to upgrade next year.

Any guidance appreciated

Hi there!

Recently I was grinding some coffee for some cold brew, can't remember at what number, but pretty coarse. When grinding, I noticed a whole bean came out of the grinder. Even though I ground the beans quite coarse, it's not a "whole bean" coarse. How could this have happened?

Does anyone have a functional design for a portafilter and dosing ring?

I have checked various duty print libraries, but can’t seem to find anything good

I bought a new DF64V gen 3 in March, and finally got delivery in lateJune, about a month ago. I do lever-pull (robot and flair classic) espresso drinks as well as pour overs. I'm not an expert in either, more of an advanced beginner. Previously, used manual or electric rotary burr grinders. I wanted more convenience, precision, and ability to play with flavors.

Since arrival, there have been issues. I need help figuring them out. The machine is nearly silent when empty, but since the first use it has had a high-pitched whine after every grind. This happens every time, even if I feed just one bean. RPM setting and fineness don't matter. It goes away if I change the grind setting to coarser while it is on but empty, and gets worse if grind setting is made finer. For example, if I grind at 35, it goes away at 36, but comes back at 35 and gets worse as I go lower. I have taken the burrs apart and cleaned them, and confirmed that it is caused by retained grounds. I checked zero point. I have not checked alignment yet. I am guessing I have an alignment or electronics issue, but would appreciate advice. I can work around this, but is it normal?

Also, at the end of every grind, the rpm speeds up, I believe to maximum rpm (1800). It lasts a couple of seconds and goes back to the set rpm. However, it seems that the high-rpm grinding is finer, or has more fines, than the rest of the grind. It only affects a retained bean or two. This causes problems with grind consistency. Is this normal behavior, or is it trying to clean the retained beans? Or some other issue?

It has also stalled several times. I always do a hot start, and usually grind espresso at 1000 rpm, pour over at 800 rpm. Medium beans for espresso, and light to medium for pour over. No extreme light roast. It even happened on pour-over coarseness, around 75 setting. Again, is this related to the retained beans? The stops were sudden, without any indication of motor strain. I did get an error code. I don't slow feed, but there is some sort of slow feed/anti-popcorn device built in.

There are more fines than I expect, or size inconsistency.. Draw down for pour over is extremely slow, even with coarse settings like 80, it can take 6-8 minutes. And espresso requires a setting in the mid-30s with medium-roast beans. The excessive fines is my biggest issue. It really interferes with pour over.

I have been told by customer service that this is normal behavior for a flat burr grinder, and that it should go away after break in. Is this normal behavior for a new machine? What can I do to reduce fines?