This thing is a beauty. Now lets see if it mashes up some beans properly. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/wk7MciE.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/wk7MciE.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

How does it compare with the NICHE?

@"Grahamsphillips"#p40888 Just had my first go with it, so let this be my disclaimer that this is my early take. …Took a bit to get the grind size dialed in only because I thought "zero" was truly zero, but I digress. Its a stunning piece of engineering. Initially, the workflow feels not quite as smooth as the Niche. …It looks like the Femobook has a bit more of a static issue than what I'm used to, so I'm going to have to counter that with some measures. The magnet based assembly/disassembly is so impressive, but of course, the moment you pull things apart you'll find coffee grounds dropping everywhere, so it can get a bit messy.

I’d be interested to know if you can tell the difference, taste wise, between them.

@"MediumRoastSteam"#p40891 Yeah, I'll have a better grasp on that by tomorrow. …Today was just the initial unboxing and setup. I'll provide an update soon.

Did you find to be in the way the dreaded power brick?

@"sketchy"#p40890 the static should settle down after a couple of kilos

@"sketchy"#p40890 I did see on the Lance review on Youtube he mentioned rotating the lower funnel, and that would shake free the coffee which was stuck. Seems the cup has some little brushes to help with this ? Did you order this direct from the website (or were you a kickstarter backer ?)

@"[unknown]"#p40910 Yes, I ordered direct, back in November of 2022. The funnel does easily come off, and you do have to do what he describes to reduce retention.

Femobook A68 just arrived.

sketchy

root Yeah, with a full week under my belt, a few things. I’ll be picking up a refractometer to help with some more specific measurements, but I do believe the grind has fewer fines in it than the NZ, and hence a better grind But literally every other aspect of it, the NZ is just superior. The A68 creates a total mess of grinds with the static electricity, and has more retention than I was expecting (unless you rattle it around, etc.). The noise/pitch of the grinder is pretty painful, and noticed by the wife. But it does look cool. Way nicer than the NZ from an aesthetics standpoint.

MWJB

sketchy I’ll be picking up a refractometer to help with some more specific measurements

A refractometer can’t tell you anything about fines specifically, it can tell you how much you are extracting, which correlates to a finer/coarser grind overall, regarding the whole distribution (which is all you can adjust on a grinder anyway).

If a grinder had a wider distribution, you may notice that best tasting shots occur at a lower EY, but you still can’t deduce anything about fines from this. If you thought fines/silt were an issue, then grind a little coarser & if EY drop, pull a lightly longer ratio to get back in your desired range.

root

sketchy Thanks for coming back with those observations.

Does RDT improve the static situation at all?

I have noticed in videos that there are wiper brushes in the lower grinds funnel. It looks like the intended post-grind workflow would be to perform one rotation of this funnel to wipe off grinds stuck to the bottom of the burrs, then detach the funnel and tap it against the top lip of the grinds cup to dislodge grinds stuck to the inner wall of the funnel. Have you experimented with this sort of procedure to see if it helps eliminate some of the messiness?

sketchy

MWJB Correct. But it is an instrument of measurement, and when asked ‘how does it compare’ to the NZ, it may or may not provide a worthwhile data point. …That was the reason for my mentioning the refractometer. Didn’t intend for it to be conflated with the topic of fines.

As for the grinder, the static issue happens even when set for extremely course, which is the way it was from the factory, when I was first dialing it in.

sketchy

root Yes, there are techniques that help dislodge some of the grinds that are clinging due to static, or clumped at the base of egress. …One of those methods is to drop the funnel and tap it against the collection canister. But the laughable part about this is that while it helps in some areas, all of the fines clinging elsewhere, or at the point of egress will disperse in places you don’t intend it to.

root

sketchy Did the static situation get any better over the past couple of weeks? Did you get the refractometer to play around with? Interested in how you’re getting on with the Femobook.

sketchy

Yes, I have an update. The static situation has settled down somewhat, but not entirely. I’ve grown to live with it, and picked up a little mini-vacuum to satisfy my need to keep the work area clean. I JUST got the refractometer 2 days ago (delayed), so just at the beginning of my experimentation.

The occasional messiness aside, what I have grown really fond of with the Femobook is the absolute improvement in grind consistency. My shot pulls are extremely consistent, and only need an indexed adjustment as the beans age. I have not had this level of consistency with the NZ. So yes, I’m warming up to the unit for sure.

chlorox

How are you doing with the femobook after another week or so? I am curious if RDT helps to eliminate the static issues?

sketchy

chlorox Yeah, the issues of static have subsided a lot, and I’m actually really liking the unit much more than I did when I first got it. I honestly thought I made a mistake at first, but don’t think that way at all now. I think the big thing is that its just different the NZ. …There is no questioning the results. The grind is extremely consistent and have improved the consistency in pulled shots.

Plus it looks really cool.

sketchy

Update. Picked up the Acaia Ion Beam and this COMPLETELY solves the static electricity problem. Amazing little device, and worth every penny.

https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/d/2055-acaia-ion-beam-get-it

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