I've just had one land on my bench and I'm impressed. I have had a couple of the DF64 originals and the Gen 2 is a world apart. I ground 2kg of the local supermarkets finest beans and barely paused other than to empty the catch container. Not only did the motor stay cool, the grinds themselves were barely warm. No chute blockages despite keeping the hopper topped up so a continous flow of beans was being ground. Other notable differences include the collar seeming to be made of steel versus the original aluminium thread which was easy to damage, super easy to thread the collar pretty much first time every time, no need to depress the collar when screwing it on, wave spring like the DF64V and current model DF83. Also of note was that it is much lower retention than the original, to the point where I don't think I'll need the bellows - early days but at this stage after 2kg of beans there was virtually no grinds left in the chamber other than the normal bits in the screw cavities and a vigorous use of the bellows dislodged perhaps 0.2 of a gram, virtually nothing. That beats the DF64V in terms of retention but as I say, I need to have it on my bench for a couple of months. Clever anti-popcorning device fits snugly thanks to the rubber gasket/ring around the outside. If you look at the pic of the seasoning it looks like a lot of static but compared to other grinders during seasing, there is much less static so the plasma generator thingy seems to work very well and the anti-clumper screen works extraordinarily well. The burrs are DF burrs and the same geometry at the DF DLC burrs in the DF64V but unlike the latter they are not DLC (diamond like coating) which won't make much difference to me but I'll eventually blind taste test to see if I can spot the difference but I suspect its unlikely. The size is the same as the original but instead of the vinyl wrap exterior the Gen 2 is powder coated. Bigger than the V of course, pic below shows it sitting inbetween a V and a Duo. Other pics show the burr, one side of the grind chamber after 2kg of beans, the wave spring, steel (my guess) thread inside the collar. If, as expected here in Australia, the Gen 2 is around the 1/3rd less than the V its going to present a dilemma for a lot of people between the V and the Gen 2. The V is slimmer of course and has variable RPM. Gen 2 appears to be a result of the manufacturer listening to feedback and acting on it. Plasma generator, steel collar, upgraded burr set (IMHO), less retention, powder coating, better anti-clumping. There will be a lot of Etsy 3D printing shops that will be disappointed at this grinder being pretty much a complete package. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/fclLwGX.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/fclLwGX.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://i.imgur.com/qQ6p0Hl.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/qQ6p0Hl.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://i.imgur.com/CYLHMEN.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/CYLHMEN.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://i.imgur.com/4vpGDzu.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/4vpGDzu.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://i.imgur.com/Fso41xy.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/Fso41xy.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

@"tompoland"#p54001 This sounds promising, I've got one due to be delivered any day now.

First two pours today. The inbuilt plasma generator genuinely renders RDT a thing of the past with this grinder at least. It may well be one of the lowest retention grinders I've ever used but I'll have to do a few tests on it before I confirm that one. The adjustment I made for the second espresso resulted in a predictable change to the poor time, so that is very encouraging. Surprisingly, the espresso espresso flavour is distinctly different from the same burrs with the DLC coating. I prefer the latter, however, it's just a different style of espresso and still quite interesting, but perhaps a bit more traditional and in offensive, but it's still definitely has a bit of intensity or brightness to it.

Third shot with milk this time. Delish. More coffee flavor punching through than choc-like that the V gives. Not better or worse but as mentioned above I'm really surprised that the same geometry without the DLC coating yields a distinctively differerent flavor. The inbuilt plasma generator is amazing. Zero RDT, almost zero retention (with no use of bellows) and the grinds all sitting at the bottom of the cup with scarcely a one on the walls. I can see it becoming standard in prosumer grinders.

I have bought quite a few grinders from https://www.df64coffee.com (7 in total) and they have given me a discount code for use with my last order, future orders and to share. The code is tompolandcommunity and it should shave 10% off anything you order from that website. I am not receiving commision on sales. df64coffee is an outlet/supplier, not the manufacturer. I've also bought a DF grinder from a local retailer and I'll continue to do that where the price differential is within 15% or so of df64coffee but I'll keep ordering from the latter where the price differential is substantially more or when I simply can't get a certain grinder locally as was the case with the DF64V and DF64 Gen 2 where availability here in Australia was several months after availabity from df64coffee. DF grinders are normally aligned at the factory. If you buy one you'll likely see thin metal shims. However df64coffee also check for alignment of each grinder prior to shipping. Every grinder I've recieved from them has arrived perfectly aligned. I noticed that some grinders came with two sets of shims, one thicker than the other. When I inquired why, df64coffee replied that the thicker shims were the type that they used. Make of that what you will; that the factory alignment is sub-par or that the extra care taken by df64coffee is impressive, or indeed, both. I've seen posts on HB and CS from people asking if df64coffee are kosher because their pricing is generally very sharp but they don't want to take the risk of buying from an unknown supplier. I'm happy to report that I've had reliable support from df64coffee. If I email them, I receive an auto-response to say that I should expect a personalized response within 3 days and to date they have been true to that. So not lightning fast but dependable and helpful nonetheless.

@"tompoland"#p54181 Does this mean you've become…….. an influencer

Bella Barista now have a page up in anticipation of pre orders going live. I'm pulling the trigger as soon as they are available. Seems like a no brainer for the price, it can sit alongside my niche.

@"tompoland"#p54181 £515/$623 for a gen 2 DF64 with SSP MP burrs pre-aligned is very good price.

@"Dusk"#p54191 seems like I'm slowly sliding down that slippery slope. I am going to start a website and YT channel with grinder/burr reviews and compisions Q1 next year. I play around a lot with grinders/burrs and now that I'm semi-retired I want to do a series of blind taste tests between all of the 64mm and 83mm flat burrs that I have (27 and counting). So I may as well publish the results in case that is helpful in this new dawn of prosumer burr-swapping single-dosing grinders. Writing reviews, recording videos and publishing is a pain in the butt, however it provides me with the incentive and discipline to do the work in a relatively robust manner due to the thought that some may spend their hard earned based on a review and that thought has me more mindful of doing a thorough job of the review, (definitely still a work in progress for me). Some will doubtless see this as me going to the dark side, others will gain value. The knockers will knock of course but having been a relatively public figure in business over 40 years I've plenty of practice in studiously ignoring the habitually negative.

@"whinmoor85"#p54206 I suspect that DF will sell truckloads of Gen 2 at that price. I have the original DF64, the DF64V and the DF64 Gen 2 on my bench and the latter really is a grinder that I could recommend as being exceptional value for money. I could not put hand on heart and make that recommendation for the original DF64 or for the current DF83. (**I strongly suspect that the DF83 Gen 2 will be available around the end of this year or early 2024** and if DF do to the 83 what they did to the 64 (either model) it will likely be an impressive upgrade).

@"tompoland"#p54214 thanks for the code. really tempting - what do you prefer, DF64 gen 2, or DF83 v2?

DF64 Gen 2

Coffeestitch

Think this may be my first post. I have a new DF64 Gen2 (thanks @tompoland for code). When grinding for espresso the screw thread adjustment gets quite stiff close to its zero point (burrs touching). I have read somewhere on this forum or have listened too (think that was you Tom), that putting some food compatible grease on the threads eases this issue.

Does anyone have any experience with this issue and used the same or better solution to resolve?

Thanks in advance.

DavecUK

Coffeestitch Welcome to the forum.

Coffeestitch

I have improved my issue a lot as follows. Remove the adjusting disc, this has a grease on its threads already (mine did). Using a clean toothbrush I ensured the threads were clean and the grease evenly spread across all the threads, top to bottom. Likewise with the connecting threads on the body itself. Installing the upper burr holder I pushed it securely into all three slots on the body ensuring that it was sitting flat into the slots. Reinstalling the adjusting disc I gently ensured no cross threading (anti-clockwise / clockwise movements) to engage the threads correctly. Turning until a ting of the burrs (but not more) can be heard, I turned a fraction anti-clockwise until no ‘ting’ and I then had my dial ‘0’ at body true zero. I now should be able to calibrate back to this point after each cleaning.

Hope this makes sense? Unless you have a DF64 it probably will not.

tompoland

Coffeestitch good to hear and welcome.

Bobbyji

I received my Gen2 a couple of weeks ago and am really pleased with it’s performance, the flavor the DLC Burrs are putting out, and I’d like to also say that I don’t think that the machine is very loud at all. I mean it’s a grinder, it makes noise, but I don’t find it any louder than any other of the many grinders that I’ve owned/used…

btw Thanks Tom for the Code! It was the ‘push’ that I needed to try it out. I even bought the Tamper at the same time though I haven’t taken it out of the box yet and deciding whether a 58mm portafilter will be in my future, or if I’ll be a 54mm guy; then I’ll see about modding the Tamper portion of the Electric Tamper to suit or to sell it off.

Bob

Dusk

I can only assume the noise issue is about what you’re used to, I’d definitely never had such a noisy grinder so it was a bit of an unexpected shock. I’m more used to it now but I can still hear it running from the other end of my house!

Coffeestitch

Dusk I would tend to agree as a new DF64 user. I have not used another electric grinder to compare against though the DF64 does appear noisy. It’s not so much the noise but the piecing nature while grinding. After many years hand grinding, the convenience and the shear value (with Tom’s help) means overall I am very happy with it.

Dusk

Coffeestitch

I would agree, I’m very pleased with my purchase but I definitely find the noise piercing!

Arron24

Another order placed. Thank you @tompoland for the code, hopefully this improves my SB express until i save up for an upgrade :)

tompoland

If anyone is wondering what “the code” is referring to, it gives you 10% off DF grinders when ordering from df64coffee.com in Singapore.

Pease note that I don’t receive any comission and also if you can get the same grinder locally for say within 20% extra compared to df64coffee prices, I’d recommend you buy local (and especially if you are in driving distance to the supplier).

The code is: tompolandcommunity

BTW the DF64 Gen 2 will accommodate SSP burrs but note that I’m down to 3 on the dial with them for light roasts so I might run out of runway if grinding Nordic light beans for expresso. I’ve got some coming from Tim Wendleboe that should be here in a few weeks so I’ll try and remember to let you know how it goes. In the meantime I’m currently using the Gen 2 daily and its delivering wonderful espresso in the cup and the antistatic device is such a great idea that it will surely become a feature of an increasing number of new models.

capuchin

Thanks for these posts @tompoland . I’m seriously considering modding my niche now to add the antistatic; seems like an easy mod to do. Might try to find a broken one to play with though as I’m already curious about replacing the controller with a teensy to add a little extra functionality (auto off after grinding, timing etc)

tompoland

capuchin good luck, I always feel full of envy when I read about mechanically capable people like you. Would love some pics as you go along.

delta76

It turned out a reputable local company is carrying DF64 Gen 2 without SSP options, at fairly good price. Not ground breaking but basically just a̶ l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ m̶o̶r̶e̶ t̶h̶a̶n̶ no, cheaper than buying from df64coffee + shipping (even with the 10% code from Tom), and I don’t have to worry about taxes or warranty.

Would it be worth buying one if I already have Niche Zero? I love the workflow on NZ but have been wondering if I have missed out on the “note separation” that was promised from 64mm flat vs 63mm conical. Also light roast.

Dusk

I gave mine its first clean after almost 4 ½ months (yes I know I should have done it sooner). I measured about 1.5g of coffee that I removed so there was probably about 2g if I include all the bits that went over the kitchen counter. It looked really quite clean inside and there was just the odd bit of a more oily residue stuck in a few places, I also found how easy it is to pull apart and how well made it is. The top position for the burr carrier was even marked so it went back in the correct way and touch point for the burrs was perfectly at zero on the dial (I haven’t previously checked it).

tompoland

Calling all Gen 2ers.

I’m writing a review for the DF64 Gen 2.

I’d love to know what you like about it and what you’d change if you had a magic wand.

Also, how would you rate it for filter (something I personally still find a bit hit and miss in general, not just with the Gen 2).

All comments will be gratefully received and reviewed.

Redla

Pros:

Built like a tank
Flat burrs allow for much better clarity
Fast grinding

Cons:

Noisy
Grind adjustment isn’t very smooth
Dose cup rattles if not in the correct position
Still retains grinds despite the bellows and plasma generator
PITA to clean the chute (I’ve dropped the screws inside the grinder)

Redla

I’ll probably relegate the DF64 to a filter only grinder at some point and buy something strictly for espresso/milk drinks. I’m looking at the niche duo or p64.

Bobbyji

Tom;

I don’t care for the rubber ‘grippers’ on the forks that hold the portafilter/dosing cup in place, as they are prone to tear and/or wear-out. Mine are done for in less than 2 months. I think that the fork is an inelegant solution that may have had a better idea applied.

Also the On/Off Switch is starting to act up and I think that I’ll need to request a replacement pretty soon.

Other than these issues the grinder itself has preformed well, and is fast and efficient, albeit a bit noisy (but for a very short grind cycle…).

Cheers

Dusk

One of my rubber bits has also worn through after a few months, I think I will try something else in its place that’s a bit more sturdy.

tompoland

All very helpful observations thanks

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