DF64 Gen 2

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.

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.

Dusk 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.

Redla what’s your preferred espresso and roast depth?

SSP HU are my favourite for light roast espresso. The DF DLC burrs are tops for milk based (stock burrs also good) . Gorilla Gear overall winner and my pick for medium-light espresso.