BK08 I wondered if you did a comparison to better understand the body/texture loss and taste notes gain
I have! I find the NZ produces notably thicker mouthfeel, with a sensation that coats your tongue and throat after drinking it. The flavours linger long on the palate. It is more prone to revealing astringency if you push extraction by increasing temperature or flow rate, and so I have found it less suitable for lighter roasts in my opinion.
The Philos is cleaner and brighter, and reveals more fruit flavours in the cup when directly compared to the NZ. It gives a mouthfeel which is less lingering, and more like single as opposed to double cream. It does less well with darker-roasted beans in my experience, not because shots taste unpleasant, but they taste less intense than they do when grind on the NZ, and I feel this intensity is a large part of my enjoyment of a dark roast espresso.
In milk it gives a flavour of milk chocolate as opposed to dark chocolate when using a medium/dark roast. I prefer this in a milk drink if I’m going for something chocolatey, so for me it is a win here.
For my use case, using a DE1 as opposed to something like a classic lever, my setup is more clarity-focussed, and so the Philos with the I200D burrs is a good fit. For someone who is all about texture, the Niche Zero may be a better option, or if you are after a flat, potentially the alternate I189D burrs from Mazzer, which they state are better for dark to medium roasts.