Flat versus Conical

This is quite an interesting video:

And also this that showed most professional could tell the difference blind testing

If you are drinking back to back to back you will/may pick up differences depending on palette but on their own it’s alot more difficult.

Cuprajake - exactly. As I said before, my experience was that I couldn’t tell the difference between the Duo and the Zero - not a pronounced difference. But I’m sure if I had them side by side, I would.

I do think more then ever manufacturers are preying on consumer uncertainty, pushed even more by what’s found on line

That vid of lance is kinda as clear as mud as in he says they are at opposite ends of the scale but then they cross over etc, I suppose as long as the burrs are not in a zero we are good 😬 I really feel for the folks at niche come the time lance gets his duo, I’m hoping he looks at it with a new product eye with no bias of his previous niche zero thoughts.

Cuprajake I really feel for the folks at niche come the time lance gets his duo, I’m hoping he looks at it with a new product eye with no bias of his previous niche zero thoughts.

Yeah… That would be a very interesting time. Personally, I don’t think Niche played that card very well, from a marketing/keeping influencers sweet point of view at least.

LMSC yeah - But remember, a lot of people just go on google, type “single dose grinder” and then get greeted with some trash with a head line of “The <insert your name here> - My honest opinion”. And they will just take that as the gospel, whatever is said.

Remember that not many of us frequent forums and are informed as we are.

not sure re the influencer thing there are alot of instagram and youtubers with duos now. so alot do have them

MediumRoastSteam I mean the Zero benefitted from exactly that too, influencers all loved it and no way would it have been half as successful without them.

The issue now is that the Duo is coming out in a very a crowded SD market, a lot has changed in the short period since the Zero first came out yet it looks the same and lacks features of the moment like variable RPM, anti-static ion beams, even chaff knockers, etc.

The grinder landscape has changed dramatically.

Let’s not forget the niche was totally different to the norm

Before it was sold there was no real single dose option

Now there are lots of options

From using a duo, you really don’t need static rays or knockers with it, doesn’t even need rdt.

Variable rpm is still highly debated.

I think the single biggest thing with the duo is that most are thinking it’s no different to the zero. No excitement factor. But you need to use it.

Me personally I love the flat burr profile.

I’m happy with my Evo and the way it extracts

Some people want a 60s shot, spro overs etc I’ve never really tried those types of shot imo if that’s your bag just go for a pour over

FadedFrontiers anti-static ion beams, even chaff knockers, etc.

You could argue those are characteristics of unfinished products. If they were finished, then they wouldn’t need any of that nonsense? The Niche doesn’t, so they solved that problem. Personally, after seeing what a chaff knocker is like on a grinder which costs over £3k, I wasn’t impressed. I’d have expected that, for that price, a chaff knocker would not be necessary.

And if variable rpm means having to slowly feed beans in after a hot start then I’m definitely not interested

I’m not saying anti-static or variable rpm is necessary just that it’s up a sought after feature at the moment. The NZ’s design is all too familiar 6 years later where everyone wants the newest toy with the latest features. Even if the Duo even came out 3 years ago it would have capitalised on a lot more buzz, that’s just how far things have moved on.

If we held the NZ to the same scrutiny and skepticism as we are these other Crowdfunded coffee projects now would it have even seen the light of day?

FadedFrontiers If we held the NZ to the same scrutiny and skepticism as we are these other Crowdfunded coffee projects now

Believe me it was!

FadedFrontiers it was wasn’t it? I’m sure Hoffman said he dismissed it because of that

Alot can change in 5yrs.

I was very anti niche for a long time, I had one. Sold it. Didn’t rate it.

Then I wanted a kony but found more unicorn horns than konys for sale 🤣 the zero is the perfect wife grinder. As its set forget

In the morning the Mrs can dose 16.5g pull the leva and she’s done. No messing etc. No faff.

Still think the looks are very subjective

Now the could of quite easily made it look like a lever craft ultra thing, but I’d bet the majority of zero buyers have them next to their breville/sage.

People tend to get a bit caught up in things that often make no real world difference. I strongly prefer hand grinding and of course that’d be the conical approach and if I want a change in taste/texture I approach that with green selection and roast development. Those chasing certain flavor profiles with burr/grinder swaps are just pissing away money, time and effort for minute differences to say the least. I do find it hilarious when there’s so much buzz surrounding certain products and all the talk from the lame YT ‘influencers’ (a.k.a. B.S. artists) then soon after those items are available many of them end up in the buy/sell forums more often than not.

DavecUK well it’s a good thing some people had faith and backed it isn’t it! Comes with the territory with crowdfunding, if you like a project and want to risk backing it you get a potential reward at the end of it under RRP. People showed a lot more blind faith backing unknown grinder manufacturer Niche versus a company with a track record of grinders and coffee gear. I’m glad the gamble paid off, the NZ was successful and the naysayers proven wrong.