Shipping July released today. it could of course be an April fools joke. Albeit a strange one… https://www.nichecoffee.co.uk/products/niche-duo?variant=43187239846019

@"Igm45"#p40972 Not an April fools joke….people have ordered.

Some time to launch! 😏 I see from the specs that it's physically bigger than the Zero….assuming this is - at least in part - to house a bigger motor for the flats?

I still believe it's April fool's, too good to be true….

@"[unknown]"#p41017 Have you seen he full manual you can download and read ?

@"MattH"#p41026 https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0081/2076/2450/files/N685_INSTRUCTION_BOOK_ROW_83F_1_080323_WEB.pdf?v=1680015642

Two excellent videos from Jake. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKdyBJ7TkhU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C90i5RVoBpo

@"DavecUK"#p41257 There are a couple of others there now too. (why does the plug change colour 🤔???)

> @"Del_UK"#p41290 (why does the plug change colour 🤔???) Dunno? RH Lead swaps colour as well in the starting clip

Can I chuck my hat into the ring? Right, first off, this is not an engineering review. I was lucky enough to be asked by Niche back in October, to accept the latest version of the Niche Duo. I had to sign an NDA and that was that. A couple of days later, a package turned up and I thought, I recognise that. On inspecting the packaging, it is quite clearly designed with the Zero experience in mind. The packaging has instructions printed on it for starters. Once you open the outer box, there is a strap/handle to help you lift the inner box meaning that you do not have to tip it upside down to force it out! I received a gleaming white model that arrived with espresso burrs fitted to it. A quick glance through the comprehensive handbook to make sure that there was nothing I needed to be aware of, and coffee here we come! When I dial in a new grinder, I always pull the first shot at whatever it arrives set to and take my reference from there. The third shot was spot on. 16 gms on an espresso setting takes me 16 seconds. I did not suffer from any static, the grounds were nice and fluffy. I believe the burrs originate from Mazzer (both espresso and brewed). Eventually, I thought it was time to try swapping the burrs over. Again, no help from Niche. They selected me as tester for their idiots instructions, and I feel well qualified for that role. I have made a video that I will post and it took me 70 seconds or so to swap over. You raise the lid, unscrew the silver dial, remove the screw to tighten down the top burr set, then remove it. Push down on the bottom burr set and remove. The process is then repeated with the brewed burrs (these are a different colour, blue) in reverse of course. I am deliberately keeping this summary vague! I have no idea as to how they get a big flat to be retention free. Having swapped the burrs over many times, and since access allows with ease, whenever I clean it out the retention is minimal. If I remember I will weigh it at some point but as any Niche Zero owners knows, you learn to trust your machine and just accept the claims! https://youtu.be/63Iv5gUy1JQ https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqlKJZjg_ZPsfdrHkp5cDIoL_KjSXhE5E5st-00/?igshid=Mzc1MmZhNjY=

@"Del_UK"#p41290 because I have a white extension lead, which I took out of the vid 😂

Niche duo - 83mm flat

MediumRoastSteam

Loonster What about non-taste benefits? Do the coated espresso burrs produce less static than the stock?

(I’ve heard this is a benefit of coated burrs. Not sure how true it is, or how much of a difference it makes if true.)

As far as I know someone said that titanium coated burrs, or any form of coating is a good choice in a domestic environment as the burrs won’t rust when using RDT (moisten the beans) to avoid static.

I have no clue if the claim is true or false. For the coffee I drink, I never saw the need to use RDT with the Niche grinders, although I did experiment a few times with very good results.

For me however, the bare thought of adding water to coffee prior to grinding doesn’t seem right. Maybe it’s more beneficial for other grinders and/or environments.

tompoland

MediumRoastSteam As far as I know someone said that titanium coated burrs, or any form of coating is a good choice in a domestic environment as the burrs won’t rust when using RDT (moisten the beans) to avoid static.

Suspect this is unproven. No evidence has emerged either way.

I would have thought that well seasoned burrs would be so well coated with oil that they would be protected. To date, I’ve never had any rust on uncoated burrs and I routinely RDT.

(Slighly off topic but interesting: there was also the rather exciting reports surfacing a year or two back of some titanium burrs leaving flakes in the dosing cup along with the grinds. It wasn’t SSP but other than that I’m hesitant to mention the brand in case I misremember.)

dfk41

tompoland My memory does not go back that far now Tom. Whatever point I was trying to make is lost in the fuddle of a mind that has suffered two cardiac arrests (out of hospital). I can say with certainty, that you were not intended to be a target though. Re influencers, yes, the longer the Duo is out there the more positive the reviews but the early birds were not so keen, or at least the ones I heard. The burr swapping capability simply backs up the design quality. Again, I think the point I was making was the bullish way that the knockers came out telling us that with stock burrs it was mediocre but with the latest xyz burrs they transform it. I even remember gasbag Hedrick telling us on I think one of the DF grinders that even though his was not fitted with a certain burr he just knew they would be fantastic for espresso…..how he knew that of course remains a mystery.

Tom, you get pleasure from what you do and I have no issue with that. At the end of the day, it is all just opinion anyway

drdre89

tompoland Surprisingly the white outsells the black two to one*

Oh I should of got the white for resale value 😜

tompoland

drdre89 I know that was tongue in cheek but the Duo should hold its value very well, black or white. Black goes with your setup pretty well.

tompoland

Loonster not that I’ve noticed. New burrs all seem to produce mother loads of static. But that settles after seasoning. And some grinders produce less static than others through clever design.

Personally, I don’t see the point of coated burrs for domestic use other than they look pretty nice. Their main advantage is durability. But at a conservatively estimated life of 500kg, a Mazzer 151B burr is going to last me over 30 years ar the rate of two espressos per day. I should be so lucky for this to present as a problem in my lifetime.

(I struggle to keep a grinder for 3 years, let alone 30.)

DavecUK

tompoland Personally, I don’t see the point of coated burrs for domestic use other than they look pretty nice. Their main advantage is durability. But at a conservatively estimated life of 500kg, a Mazzer 151B burr is going to last me over 30 years ar the rate of two espressos per day. I should be so lucky for this to present as a problem in my lifetime.

This is absolutely the case, I would rather have an uncoated tool steel burr which I know is hard all the way through and no potential for surface coating defects. There is a friction reduction with coated burrs (varies with the type of coating), but unless the grinder has a torque issue, again in domestic use it makes very little difference. Commercial use they like to claim less heating of the coffee…which IMO isn’t really a thing.

drdre89

The new “big boy” in town

drdre89

Well my black Niche Duo arrived. Very nice packaging. Comes preinstalled with the Espresso burrs and it was preset to 11 on the dial.

I’m using medium to dark roasted beans and there was alot of chaff on my first few attempts as it was way too course, so my first few extractions were gushers and major channeling.

It is noisier than the Niche Zero (especially when you dial in finer) … eventually got a nice extraction at 6 on the dial … ( I would of thought for medium to dark beans that would be too fine) … but they state in the packaging that there is no need to Zero the burrs as it’s all setup already.

Taste was smooth , non-offensive (as the Niche Zero could get a bit astringent) and can taste the seperation of flavours. Am happy with it. I’m sure as I break it in will get better over time. 👍

Cuprajake

I would use it for a while let it season and start to be super consistent then if you find you are really low on the dial look at a possible recalibration

For what ever reason, the duo is calibrated at factory but I’m seeing a fair few be quite low on the dial.

MediumRoastSteam

Cuprajake the duo is calibrated at factory but I’m seeing a fair few be quite low on the dial.

I recalibrated mine. I was grinding a particular coffee at 0.5. Now for that coffee I’m at 4.

LMSC

MediumRoastSteam Now for that coffee I’m at 4.

That makes sense. Depending on the roast, I am usually between 3 and 5. I do drop to 2, if required. :-)

Cuprajake

I think this particular issue is causing a few problems myself.

People getting the grinder and having ‘issuses’

Couple in America have had this.

drdre89

Oh … I noticed the bottom burr was NOT secured properly. As I was finding it was alot noiser than what it should be … so I disassembled it .. and noticed the screw to secure the bottom burr was loose.
So I just tightened it with the supplied tool and fixed that issue.

But any new owners might want to double check that the bottom burr is secure.

Twotone2

My Duo came set up with 10 or eleven on the grind scale, I’ve hardly moved it since, pours are very consistent, I’m mainly medium/dark roasts.

That’s about a month since new.

wintoid

Mine arrived today. 8 days after I ordered it, which is good because I didn’t fancy a long wait. Didn’t even try the espresso burrs, they came straight out, and the filter burrs went in. Very easy process, because I’m terrible with my hands. No drama. Made a couple of Switch brews this morning at 30 on the grind dial, and we’re enjoying them already. Probably going to edge finer, but this seems like a total no-grief experience.

DavecUK

I think sometimes the factory can be conservative with the touch point (e.g. not really touching) meaning you end up grinding much lower on the grind scale. just remember when recalibrating to find the lowest touch point out of 3 positions, it must be on an absolutely clean grinder.

Another thing to remember is a feature of lower burr speeds, which reduces fines. Much more of the grinding is being done by the burrs and less by the coffee milling itself. This is akin to throwing 3 or 4 beans at a time into a single dose grinder and wondering why you get a gusher at what is normally an espresso setting when you put 18g in all at once. So the burrs have to be closer together (in micron) than a single doser running at 1350 rpm.

drdre89

DavecUK I recalibrated mine. Worked out to be the exact same zero point as what came from the factory. They say in the manual “until you hear the burrs touching” … I don’t know what burrs touching sounds like but I think I done it right.

But in saying that, we all love a good gusher

Loonster

Maybe the grinder lost its calibration during the journey?

ST30B

I’ve had the duo for 1 week now.
Lowest I’ve been is 5 on foundry rocko mountain.
Doubt I will need to go that much lower with other beans as I’m firmly in the medium corner.
I will be leaving mine be for the time being.

Twotone2

ST30B ’ve had the duo for 1 week now.
Lowest I’ve been is 5 on foundry rocko mountain.
Doubt I will need to go that much lower with other beans as I’m firmly in the medium corner.
I will be leaving mine be for the time being.

I’ve just made some of the Foundry Rocco mountain beans (first try).

I’m grinding at about 11, the coffee beans are interesting, pretty fruity as espresso and nice in milk too, I’ll need to try an Americano next time.

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