$50 vs $500 vs $2000 Coffee Grinder! NICHE ZERO vs KEY vs CUISINART

[@ilcomendante]

Good stuff Kyle. This is why your channel stands out from the rest; friendly happy vibes and on point information (without making things too complicated). Wish you good luck on the journey ahead and looking forward to many more cups of joy 🥂👌🏻

[@KyleRowsell]

Thanks friend. It truly means the world. Some fun video in the works for the upcoming weeks 👀

[@stevenr5149]

As a 25 year coffee enthusiast, I am blown away by the quantity and quality of grinders below $700.00--both hand and electric. Great times! I contend that the best way(and maybe the most arduous), is to tweak the recipe for each grinder with the same coffee and brew method. Do NOT use the same recipe!! Only use the same Method(clever, V60, Kalita), then spend some time and tweak the brewing time, grind size temp etc to get the best pour-over for that bean/roast & method. I would probably not use the same recipe of a very uniform grinder that I would with a less uniform grinder if I wanted the best out of each. The most realistic comparison of sound between the Niche and a cheap grinder on KZbin. Kyle is not exaggerating. Again-A-level production! The sound/vitration of my Virtuosos gave me palpitations. The Niche STILL makes me smile every time. Best wishes to all.

[@KyleRowsell]

Hey! Great comment. Completely agree, but for the sake of this blind testing I thought it was the most objective way to compare results. Thanks for watching!

[@stevenr5149]

@@KyleRowsell Yes It would be more valuable if comparing something like a great SSP grinder and conical like the Niche for pour-over. Please don't spend 1 second of your life tweaking for the SUPREME brew--unless you are wearing a fake beard;).

[@NoZenith]

This video, among others over the last two years helped me choose the Niche over everything else on the market. This really drove home how this really is my endgame grinder. 200 more than I really wanted to spend but at the same time it was just so simple and straightforward and low mess and quiet and no Hopper and super easy to dial in for multiple Brew Styles in no time at all and then getting back to me espresso setting without wasting coffee... the ridiculous Simplicity of cleaning and putting it back together compared to pretty much everything else. Definitely loving it.

[@peaceful3250]

I envy Americans, Canadians and people in so many other countries who pay peanuts for the same products that are exorbitant here in Australia. I paid $1800 for my Niche Zero. We get ripped off across the board.

[@satyr966]

I do have warm feelings for that $50 Cuisinart, my first burr grinder. It was actually a step up from the blade grinder I had before that, and also from pre-ground supermarket beans. At the price, it was a handy way to dip a toe in the water, and it started my coffee journey. I saw James Hoffman's tip on catching the fines from a cheap grinder using a paper towel (long before I knew who he was), bought an Aeropress, and away I went. It was only a few months before I outgrew the Cuisinart, but I gave it away to a relative as I couldn't bear to throw it in the trash. I am hoping it will start her coffee journey, too!

[@GoFishingOrGoHome]

i did the exact same thing with my dear cuisinart

[@FunWithTheBugs]

Always delivering quality videos. Glad to see there was a distinction between the Quisinart and the other two. I have been through quite a few grinders in different price ranges and always thinking, is it just in my head believing the more the I spend the better cup I will get. 😁 Drip with homage 👍

[@KyleRowsell]

Thanks friend!

[@GoFishingOrGoHome]

Lol that cuisinart was my fist grinder i had it for 6 years and that 50000 rpm beast never skipped a beat. i moded the crap out of it and it actually performed pretty good hahaha

[@jacobherbert9160]

Great video thanks Kyle, the diminishing returns on grinders is crazy, but if moneys not problem the build quality of some of the expensive grinders is amazing. I own a Rok hand grinder and believe the grind quality is pretty close to the niche. It would be a really interesting test for you to do as the Rok grinder is considerably cheaper as a single dose option.

[@wynparksook5286]

I feel sorry for the Cuisinart! I agree that due to the diminishing returns, best value grinders will be those around $300-500 (Fellow/SSP, Niche, Lagom mini). Maybe a video on hand grinders in the similar fashion?

[@KyleRowsell]

Yeah that would be fun!

[@danielowen5902]

I'd like to see how quality hand grinders measure up to those electric grinders you mentioned.

[@stevenr5149]

@@KyleRowsell Do that one while you are still young, or have an help to grind ;) Yeah, so many great great hand grinders. When I bought my first Lido, that was it. Again, great times.

[@KyleRowsell]

@@stevenr5149 my large hand grinder reviews and comparisons took months. It was exhaustive ha

[@00Dawggg]

Cuisinart has been loyal serving me for the past 5 years and didn’t know what I was missing out on😢… luckily I have the Timemore 078s coming in soon

[@camelnoon]

Thanks Kyle . It was 4 years since Niche Zero launch in indiegogo. But the quality still on top of the mid-high grinder in the market. Really impressive.

[@KyleRowsell]

For sure

[@galat1a]

I am so happy I bought the arco grinder. Cost 250eur and its great. Value for money

[@ugafan1779]

I have a Baratza 270 and have "upgraded" to the Niche but as you pointed out the law of diminishing returns and I have seen almost no difference between the two grinders. Great video. Jittery Joe's Coffee in Athens, Georgia......great local roastery and coffee chain.

[@KyleRowsell]

Glad this video resonated with your experiences!

[@AdastraRecordings]

I’m sure your ears are a lot happier though.

[@DmitrijPaskevic]

This is a perfect illustration of diminishing returns. Also, I love that you've invited a "normie" because it actually cemented the thesis even more in my mind. When KZbin coffee nerds compare $3k grinders and voice their preferences I'm almost eye rolling it. I know of upgraditis first hand but feel like everybody should just sense check it when eyeing a new expensive piece of coffee gear. And this video illustrates that well.

[@adamsmith_5]

Love this video, Kyle! I started out on the Cuisinart and recently upgraded to the Niche Zero. That Cuisinart sound made me laugh so hard. As a side note, I love you having Natasha on to taste test. The way that you coached her on what she tasted was refreshing seeing that she is likely your average coffee drinker. I often find this sort of interaction typical when I’m talking to my friends about coffee and telling them about how much flavor and clarity you can get out of your beans! I would love to see more coaching content like this!

[@KyleRowsell]

Love that feedback Adam! I’ll see if she’d be down, and others are interested, for more coaching and tasting moments.

[@entropy0917]

The Key is pretty, but I do not like the very long shaft with bearings far away from the burrs. Most all good grinders keep burrs and bearings close together. To me this is form over function and makes keeping precise alignment very difficult. Any play in shaft/bearings will be magnified the farther away the burrs are. Alignment on the original HG1 was a big problem with this same basic design. I know many people with this grinder are happy, but to me it is a flawed design and no way I'd pay 2K for one. Like your vids Kyle!

[@stevenr5149]

It does sound pretty sweet though.

[@NubRusty]

As a Niche fan boy, this video makes me happy

[@lillychambers-go4qz]

I have the cuisinart, which for me is my first grinder (I got a French press and wanted freshly ground beans.) I'm looking forward to upgrading. I'm going to buy a robot manual, and either a niche or a comandante. My favorite coffee shop is the wonderful local Double Shot in Tulsa. 🤤🤤❤️

[@dakotagunnar]

Cuisinart was my first burr grinder. Certainly wakes you up in the morning haha. Even though the particle size distribution is awful, it was still an upgrade from the blade grinder. I would never recommend the Cuisinart though. Something like the timemore hand grinder would be a much better option. Currently $58 on Amazon.

[@plorwax]

I started with blade grinder as well. Now I realize that it should be illegal to use a blade grinder for coffee beans.

[@stevenr5149]

Such a great point!--that you forget after a couple of decades.

[@dakotagunnar]

@@plorwax haha you live and learn. Unfortunately, many people aren't in the position to spend $100+ on a decent grinder. Given that scenario, I still question the pre-ground vs blade grinder dilemma. I think I lean towards pre-ground.. tough choice. Kyle should make that video.

[@AlexZapata-]

When I first got into coffee I decided to buy the Cuisinart grinder and I actually preferred a blade grinder over it 😂 (for what I thought espresso was at the time)

[@stevenr5149]

best response and best wishes!

[@BeedeeEx]

Great video! I've played with the idea of getting a Niche grinder, but not sure my palate is good enough to make it worth it. Fav coffee place right now - Narrative Coffee in Everett, WA

[@cybernessful]

I have Niche, DF64 and Key. Before I got Key, I tried to compare DF64 (standard burrs and SSP MP burrs) vs Niche and found the difference in espresso almost imperceptible, it was so subtile that I came to conclusion that all these talks in internet about how grinder affects the taste is BS. Then I ordered Key mostly for appearance and silence, without any expectation for a difference in a cup. To my big surprise there is a noticeable difference, Key is much smother than Niche, less bitter and astringent.

[@horseshoe_nc]

I made the mistake of getting that Cuisinart grinder. I simply don't use it. I picked up a Hario Slim hand grinder shortly after. The Hario grinds just as well, maybe better than the Cuisinart, without the ear piercing noise. However, I just ordered a new hand grinder, 1Zpresso K-max. Really looking forward to trying it out. I've been enjoying Fryeday Coffee Roasters in a nearby town.

[@mikegurv1818]

You will find that the K-MAX is an absolute game changer. It's on a different level.

[@horseshoe_nc]

@@mikegurv1818 that is what I was hoping for. It has fantastic reviews here on YT and on Amazon. So, I figured it would be money well spent. I do need to look up some good starting point grind settings for different roast levels. I usually go for medium roast coffee. My brewer is the Ninja Hot & Cold machine, uses #4 cone filters.

[@cutebabyseal621]

Nit pick: Should have asked her to rank the cups in the order which she liked them the most, rather than try to have her match a cup to a grinder. By having her try to guess which cup came from the "better" grinder, you are introducing bias. She's looking for things that could set one cup apart from the other rather than asking "do I like this one more than that one", which is what we really want to know. Ideally she shouldn't have even known they came from different grinders, just that we want want to know which cups she likes more. She might surmise there is some variable difference between the cups, but this way you prevent her from thinking about the specifics of what that is.

[@LanceHedrick]

Fun video, Kyle!

[@KyleRowsell]

Thanks Lance!

[@sarahdeschene3152]

Wake Coffee on Ambler, PA. (Philadelphia suburbs) Favorite coffee after run with friends. A little off the main drag. Folks like to talk about their coffee if you ask. They toast in back. Thanks for the review. I ended up doing what you said and bought a manual coffee grinder from 1Zpresso. Mostly making 1 cup at a time and I grind it while water is boiling. Took a while to get the grip strength for this but it was not too bad. Still covering a more expensive grinder but not enough to drop $500-$1000 yet.

[@nickl6827]

Fan of the channel and watch most videos. Another great video here and having owned the cuisinart many years ago and owning the niche today I couldn’t agree more. However, that niche grind cup being askew for most of the video drove me crazy. 😭

[@KyleRowsell]

If it helps, While editing, it drove me insane.

[@jonrosenthal7705]

Nice video, and an interesting comparison! Thanks so much for doing this. Most folks can't appreciate the effort that goes into doing a video like this, so I'm grateful for sure. TLDR - grinders may be purpose-built for different brewing methods, and espresso grinding demands precision adjustment plus grind quality. Meaning that the premise of comparing these grinders for paper filtered drip coffee may be flawed in terms of judging value or diminishing returns. Stipulating that I'm not personally familiar with the 2 higher end grinders here, the last one does appear to be designed more for espresso grinding and some of the higher build cost probably went in to the precision adjustment mechanism (plus it is super cool!). I'm an engineer and a long time espresso enthusiast (and amateur home roaster) and I can say that along with grind quality, I value the ability to make very precise grind adjustments for espresso and also the ability to index accurately so as to easily switch between specific grind settings for different coffees or roasts or even different espresso brewing baskets and dose weights. That ability may be worth spending extra money for some folks. I have a huge old-school Mazzer Robur and while the grind quality and adjustment precision are excellent, it is impossible to accurately switch between multiple settings (I could get close, but never exact). No matter how fine the adjustment threads are, adjustments in different directions will have small differences associated with thread tolerances and adjustment direction. The $2k grinder appears to address that issue with easily repeatable indexing. Looks cool from way over here, and I'd LOVE a closer look 😉 Thanks again for the video, and apologies for my loooooong comment.

[@leifolsen5681]

This is a great video Kyle! I am interested in your take on flat burr vs conical burr grinders - is there a noticeable difference, what are the benefits of both, etc. Looking forward to subscribing and continuing to follow your videos!

[@moonlitdi]

Would be really curious your thoughts on the Breville Smart Grinder Pro! It's serving me pretty well but I know it's nothing like the more expensive options

[@ChrisTrude]

Finally got over here from insta, so crazy how loud the cuisinart is, I generally set it to grind and close the pantry door until it’s done lol. Need to upgrade now for sure!

[@theor4343]

I like seeing the cheap false/block burrs compared against the conventional. One thing that I felt that deserved more attention was brew method. Given how fussy pour over is I would have thought there would have been a more stark contrast. Would French or aero press be harder to discern? For all those out there using a cheap auto dripper perhaps the cuisinart is the better value

[@timzlow]

Thanks for the honesty. If the 82burr on the Key doesn't perform as it should in filter, then I'd expect the difference is even less in espresso. In my opinion, if a company/person has to keep emphasing their ex boss to makes himsef acknowledged, then it tells us an idea. Also, just in my opinion. Key definitely looks good and feel good. However, for a grinder that cost USD500 and above, it's most of the time improvement on the workflow and built quality. And I really can't see in any way Key can beat Niche in any way when it comes to workflow. Especially pouring in beans through the funnel. All that are just my opinion. Thanks.

[@KyleRowsell]

Hey timz! No problem! If honest the key can really impress with lower rpm. The clarity is unmatched vs the niche. Worth $1500 more tho? Well that’s up to you! I don’t think Weber is trying to convince anyone on that. They know what they’ve made!

[@rusticitas]

Union Coffee in Lambertville, NJ makes fantastic espresso. I have yet to be able to get in the ballpark making it at home. (Sigh! Guess I’ll just have to keep going there. 😆)

[@pinkdiscomosh2766]

I’ve been wanting to buy the Niche for awhile but I keep hearing about all these “Niche Killers” and honestly, the Niche is tried and true and many people get amazing coffee out of it. I think I may settle in on my choice for the Niche. Thanks for the input.

[@nicholas5396]

Great video as always! Would love to see a similar with all budget priced electric grinders like the OXO conical, Baratza Encore, that Cuisinart one, and then add in the Ode from fellow as a nicer one. Do the taste test and everything to see where they all land for real world results.

[@KyleRowsell]

Will keep in mind!

[@sirlimpsalot7767]

great review! should do the same with a few hand grinders, throw a 25 dollar hand grinder up against a JX pro and comandante etc!

[@mtpastor4546]

Kyle, I wish you can do a comparison between Lagom Mini, P64 and Weber Key.

[@Ghostrander]

Before even watching this video, I used to own the Cuisinart and hated it so much I upgraded to the Niche Zero. The returns are WAY worth it on every level (except how many beans it can hold). You just gotta rotate the dial past the coarse grind setting to get proper size for drips and pourovers

[@KyleRowsell]

Very true. And it’s interesting you say this. After a year of seasoning my niche does pour overs in the 40s.

[@Ghostrander]

@@KyleRowsell that's good to know, it'll be a while before they get fully seasoned, so I'll keep an eye out. What I do know is that I had the best pourover of my life after getting the niche with a chemex and I knew my investment was worth it. Incidentally, while I hadn't planned on doing espresso anytime soon, I have a friend who happened to have a spare machine that I bought off of him, so being able to swap back and forth in the grind settings without having to waste beans will also add up in the long run. And a Cuisinart would never do espresso (it barely does a pourover... the static from the bin still gives me nightmares)

[@atharvadeuskar]

Wonderful video! I have a few ideas as to why some grinders like the niche produce more complex cups of coffee. I've been tasting cups from a Weber EG 1 and an Ek 43 (low uniformity burrs). The results were always me getting a very good cup from the Weber and probably the most direct cup but it does lack the complexity of the Ek which I prefer. It's so interesting that the industry has been advocating for evenness of grind to be a very important factor but in my testing, I'd prefer having just a bit of complexity you get from just a bit of uneven grounds. There's really not much evidence about this since grind size is a very complicated thing but it's very interesting for sure!

[@stevenr5149]

I feel similar. I feel sometimes there is an inverse relationship between clarity and the nuanced & complex song of flavors that evolve and progress from the time it hits your mouth to the long of the flavor. For me, that is the most enjoyable and satisfying part of the experience. I just rarely need the main flavors to pop any more than they already do. Also no one talks about the cons of Clarity. We can't buy perfect beans every time. Clarity does not care. It will enhance clarity of distracting flavors as well. BUT we now have great high-end options for all palettes now. Awesome! ( The coffee community is catching up to the headphone community;)

[@atharvadeuskar]

@@stevenr5149 Umm, yes I get what you're saying. I just feel that a very uniform grind size will give you exactly that- a very linear coffee. This might be quite uninteresting when I'm tasting wonderful coffees like Geishas and I actually prefer the cup of a relatively low uniformity grinder(obviously NOT a very cheap grinder) since there are different layers to the coffee we get.

[@foxtrot.tango.whisky]

@Kyle Rowsell mate I remember you once mentioning how you sourced some replacement walnut wood parts for the Niche Zero and that it was a guy in Europe who made the "upgrade" parts. However I cannot for the life of me find which video it was where you linked the source to the manufacturer of the parts and I am desperately wanting to get the walnut Niche parts to better fit thr aesthetic of the Lelit walnut upgrade for the Mara X. Do you remember the vendor of the Niche walnut upgrade by any chance? I'd greatly appreciate any advice or pointers in the general direction of where I might be able to locate it. Thanks in advance Kyle Peace

[@guille_snapshooter]

i brew mostly filter coffee on v60 and aeropress my journey with grinders started with cheap supermarket hand grinder, with ceramic burrs, they are good to get you hook, but as a tool they suck. after i bought a electric grinder made by Oster, and i bet is the same as te cuisinart just rebranded, and the NOISE of that thing !, and the static also, real bad. now i just stick to hand grinders from 1zpresso, got a q1 and jx, and the quality is just on another level, and for a really good price !

[@daniwalmsley611]

"Single dose grinder" doesn't mean what you put in you get out, thats a low/zero retention grinder (which the Niche zero is also, hence its name) but rather it's what you said after, you lut in just the beans you want to use for that brew instead of dilling up a hopper

[@JusBThankful]

Cuisinart ftw in the nostalgia category...brings me back to my capresso infinity days...you know, sometimes it's nice to envision going back to a simpler time...🤯

[@KyleRowsell]

Haha many of us started with a grinder like the cuisinart.

[@codysaunders4941]

The best bang for buck burr grinder I've seen is the "new" Kitchenaid Burr Grinder. You can get it for around $170 and its very very good. The early models had a ER2 error problem, but mine that's a newer one has been amazing at making espresso for the past few months. Its so cheap Im honestly thinking about buying another to keep just incase my first one breaks.

[@Dekn33s]

Blank street coffee in Manhattan *chefs kiss* it’s amazing, small shop so you can’t really stay in but oh Lordy the quality of the espresso is impeccable and they sell their beans.

[@takkuen8]

Hey Kyle could you link the artist who did the design of your merch, love it!

[@nickflesher7608]

That shirt design looks sick!

[@KyleRowsell]

Glad you think so!

[@SariAlShammari]

If the Niche is good for James Hoffman it's good enough for me

[@NoZenith]

Yeeeap! Yours still treating you well?

[@richardwieczorek6624]

Love to get coffee at SpectrumCoffees in Bushwick Brooklyn

[@Precyze]

Loved how you had someone else who doesn’t really know know coffee as well as you taste test it too , thanks for the upload 👍🏽

[@KyleRowsell]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@TalLikesThat]

The drip shirt is awesome. I wonder how the Fellow Ode fits in there, after they fixed the lack of fine grinding. Great video!

[@franklinvanvolkinburg3337]

I get my espresso at Highfalutin Coffee in the Avondale neighborhood of Charleston. It's the best!

[@kanotrt]

Drip With Homage! Great tshirt, great video!

[@vickyburton2434]

I own the Barazta and love it! I thought it was an amazing machine for the price .

[@robquick3814]

Great video, I had that Cuisinart for my second grinder after a blade grinder 😬 I’ll be running a taste experiment of my own hopefully tomorrow, I’ve got a set of Ssp multi purpose burrs coming for my ode. It will be interesting to compare them to the stock and to my lido OG hand grinder. Kind of wish I still had that Cuisinart just to see what i think of what I was happy drinking every day. Cheers!

[@KyleRowsell]

Thanks for watching rob! Report back your findings!

[@destine1547]

For the 50 dollar one, I have it and I’d say the sound isn’t nearly as bad when the hopper is full.

[@KyleRowsell]

Very true!

[@BensCoffeeRants]

RPM is probably ramping up when theres no load which itself might not be great for grind quality / consistently if rpm is changing based on how hard it is to grind the coffee.

[@destine1547]

@@BensCoffeeRants I also have a Hario Manuel burr grinder which I love but when I’m in a rush I can’t be bothered with it. I definitely want to taste test the two grinders to see what I find. I’ve been using the electric grinder with a full hopper and haven’t noticed anything notably off about the taste but I definitely want to compare after watching this video.

[@BensCoffeeRants]

@@destine1547 a larger higher end hand grinder like a 1zpresso k or j series would give you better results (also easier and quicker to grind with) I had something like a Hario before and I thought it was similar to my Baratza Vario but later realized they were both poor grind quality. Tons of fines giving lots of body but under and over extracting causing bitter and sourness as well as obstructing flavour notes. I did enjoy them still for many years with good coffees.

[@davethetaswegian]

I have had my Niche Zero for several years now. It wasn't cheap, but I have never regretted buying it.

[@KyleRowsell]

Glad to hear it

[@lucpaquet8908]

I have the cuisinart it work great of espresso

[@bubba_sawyer]

I started my coffee journey with that same or similar Cuisinart, then went to the Baratza Encore (huge difference), and recently moved to the Fellow Ode/SSP. It took a bit longer than I’d hoped to dial it in, but that thing is quiet, nice uniform grind, and the auto shut-off is great. Only real issue is the static.

[@javi_gonzo]

RDT 🤷‍♂️

[@bubba_sawyer]

@@javi_gonzo Yes, I need to to try that.

[@DS__112]

I'm also curious about the comparison between the Flat burrs grinder. Comparison of 64mm in the mid-price range with 98mm grinder in luxury Filter and espresso

[@ozpain1]

Love these comparison and taste test videos. Thank you Kyle! Hope one day you might review the oxo burr grinder 🤞🏽🤞🏽

[@KyleRowsell]

Maybe someday! Always open to helping you guys

[@JimboJason]

Thanks for the comparison! I would love to own a Niche someday, just not sure it's going to be much better than my Timemore hand grinder.

[@KyleRowsell]

There are many other cheaper options! I linked some in the description

[@JimboJason]

@@KyleRowsell That Niche is like coffee jewelry, I just want to see it in my coffee battle station! Thanks again for the review, I dig the chill vibe of this channel.

[@flexspec]

Found your channel. Very informative.

[@KyleRowsell]

Thanks!

[@Repeatpeteva]

I’d like to have seen a slightly higher entry level, like a Bodum or Capresso. While not Niche quality, I’d be interested to see if the difference is still as wide and obvious.

[@KyleRowsell]

Fair enough. Well… why don’t we do another one of these but different grinders?

[@AlanKlughammer]

You had my hopes up calling the Niche a $500 grinder. At closer to $900 CAD with shipping, I will have to stick with my 1ZPresso K-max. Not that I have been unhappy with it at all.

[@KyleRowsell]

It’s true, depending on where you are with shipping it can be more. Hopefully you can hear the idea of this video rather than the specifics like shipping etc

[@jules5350]

@@KyleRowsell in the U.S. with shipping it can be between $670 to $700, depending on the rate of exchange.

[@KyleRowsell]

@@jules5350 again, I hope you see the IDEA of what I’m teaching and showing rather than nitpicking the small details here. I think there’s important info to be heard and understood for the consumer. Especially in a world where “ENDGAME” is pushed on those who can hardly afford groceries these days.

[@coreycannon4511]

I just went to CBSA’s website. Duty and PST/GST (BC@12%) is another $170.61 CAD. SO, £500 + £70 shipping is roughly $881 CAD; add in 12% PST/GST and duty at $171 CAD and your total is right around $1050 CAD. I do have family in Alberta, so I could have it shipped there and save a little over $50 CAD in the PST but… At that price, I’ll stick with my J-MAX, which cost ⅓ as much and can do Turkish.

[@PQcoyote67]

I’m glad you recommended the Encore and DF64, from watching yours and other people, these are the 2 I have 😊. Thanks for all the great videos

[@KyleRowsell]

Thanks for watching Peter!

[@anikahill7364]

I’m an Australian, we have a $15 coffee grinder at Kmart and it works I guess but cheaper than $50!

[@christopherbrennan8308]

Got my Encore as a gift, upgraded the burrs in under a year… got in to espresso, realized the Encore wouldn’t cut it, spent $200 ish on J-max Hand grinder. All good since it’s usually just me drinking espresso or cortado’s or cappuccino’s. End game I would be willing to drop some coin on a Option-O P64 IF and only IF I already upgraded to my endgame Profitec pro 700

[@KyleRowsell]

I love the J Max!

[@dbster]

I enjoy your videos. Blessings!

[@tronowolf]

Bought the titanium Normcore from your other video, not disappointed at all!

[@IrregularTangent]

Does lagom 64 have more clarity and flavour then niche for you ?

[@calisson47]

enough about the grinders- I adore your Café range! Could I pick out water boiled on it from water boiled on some $500 range? Probably not.

[@LeoDodier]

I have the Niche, sure all can do course grind coffee, BUT can the less expensive one grind for expresso…the Niche does expresso well. That would be a better test.

[@collincaruthers9796]

Great video! I was using the cuisinart for a couple years and finally made the jump to the Fellow Ode…my goodness that was a JUMP in quality. So much more quality and sweetness.

[@KyleRowsell]

Thanks for watching

[@efusco]

Well...I have a grinder very much like the Cuisinart...and now I have FOMO. I think it's super convincing seeing how both of you easily identified the poorer cup of coffee. I don't really understand why the cup quality is worse (it would make sense for espresso grind due to channeling, etc.), I just don't understand the science well enough. I appreciate the recommendations you gave, I may just have to get a decent manual grinder so I can see for myself and maybe, someday, justify the cost of a $500 Niche... ugh. Why does EVERY new hobby have to be expensive.

[@patrickpourreau4234]

Thanks for the review, Kyle! The Cuisinart was my first electric grinder 😂 I’ve worked up to a baratza encore with M2 burrs and single dose hopper with bellows. I’ve been eyeing the Niche for a while now! I heard is was more of a espresso grinder, not as much for drip. Is that true? Sidetrack Coffee in Opelika, AL made the best coffee my wife and I have ever had! I went to school in Houston, so I feel like that means something 😂 oh, and Brew with Homage

[@ScottyMcCraigles]

Thanks Kyle! Always appreciate videos like this that provide clarity (like a flat burr 😉) regarding grinders, price ranges, and the law of diminishing returns.

[@KyleRowsell]

I think it’s an important topic!

[@ScottyMcCraigles]

@@KyleRowsell 100% agree. I think another interesting video idea would be trying and recommending different coffees, in terms of roast level and origin, for espresso and techniques for pulling shots based on these things. I found I enjoy light roasts a lot more than dark, however, the texture that you get in a darker roast pull seems to be lacking in my lighter roast pulls. Would love some suggestions on how to increase the texture in a light roast pull. I've tried higher temps, ristretto vs. normal vs. 20s preinfusion pulls, varying the pull's pressure, but can't seem to get more texture. Using a Breville Infusion machine and a Eureka Mignon Cron grinder.

[@karenbraithwaite4047]

Great job Kyle👍 I am so tired of drinking yucky coffee.

[@deTouni]

the niche is a great grinder and companion diggin into this coffee rabbithole - i did buy a bentwood last week, honestly i did not expect that the difference in cup will be so big. Every cup tastes very good, even when i mess puckprep, ratio..

[@KyleRowsell]

A bentwood! Dang! fancy!

[@graycampbellcomposition]

Pinewood Coffee Bar, Waco TX!

[@n00bma5ter69]

Does any KZbinr ever mess up a blind taste?! Impressed you were honest about it 👍🏼

[@KyleRowsell]

Always honest! I was genuinely bummed I missed this one but it is what it is! Haha.

[@9abe9]

Good luck convincing her on keeping the Key now... Just kidding! What a nice video, and you guys look really nice together! I think a collab with the wife is really nice and fun!

[@KyleRowsell]

Eh! So glad to hear this! If there are enough comments about this maybe she’ll return 🥳

[@coreycannon4511]

@@KyleRowsell she is waaay prettier than you. No offence, brother.

[@littledevilz]

I think with the nature of conical burrs, the diminishing return is magnified compared to flat burrs. It would be interesting to do a similar one with flat burrs.

[@KyleRowsell]

Possibly. But even then, diminishing returns will be a factor. But I’ll do another with flat burrs!

[@coffeewitharthur426]

This made me decide on the niche.

[@rodeorock39]

Groundwork Coffee in North Hollywood!!!

[@simkool77]

Thanks for double confirmation that I'm very happy with my Niche, ie, no need for the $2000 Weber.

[@KyleRowsell]

You’re welcome!

[@TheAxxz]

Kyle can we get a review for the new 48mm burr of normacore v2?

[@skylermullet7625]

I have the Bodum electric burr grinder and I’ve also seen the Cusinart in action. I love my Bodum way more than the other one. Would you do a comparison with those two some day?

[@modmodmodifiedYT]

dang, I should have finished the video before hitting buy on the Cuisinart SUPREME link in the description.

[@KyleRowsell]

I mean… you may like it…

[@therealmacdaddio7222]

Arabica Covent Garden, London. They too use a slayer... and a amazing brews .. Check out their roastery in Riyadh just pure art..!!

[@KyleRowsell]

I sure will!

[@darylgrunau]

Watching while sipping coffee from my EG-1 💥

[@KyleRowsell]

Oh fancy fancy

[@rand9176]

Great content mate! So good to see the honest blind tasting. You could do this video again with with a different set of grinders - df64, p64 and EG1…

[@KyleRowsell]

Glad you enjoyed! And yes, we’ll do this again soon!

[@rohanlg790]

Really interesting video. I know it’s not super important but the look of the niche Grinder really annoys me. Where the Key is sexy but it’s more than I need from a home espresso grinder

[@raymartin3527]

The Cuisinart was my second grinder, I used it one time and returned it. I could smell the beans burning and the grinds felt warm to the touch and turned some very good beans Into horrible tasting coffee.

[@9abe9]

That sweatshirt looks siiick!

[@KyleRowsell]

I think so too 🔥

[@AdastraRecordings]

I can't be the only one disappointed you didn't try and pull a shot with the Cuisinart. I honestly think most people don't need to go any further than the Niche or the DF64, but I'd recommend most people to stay with conical burrs, they're a lot more forgiving when it comes to puck prep, I totally get Lance's argument about it being the AK47 of grinders, but the difference in difficulty in pulling a drinkable shot compared to flat burrs is huge, god shots are great, but man alive do you have to work for them, thankfully a blind shaker just made my life a whole lot easier as I was getting fed up of throwing coffee away after upgrading from a Sette to a Ceado E5SD, WDT is disastrous here.

[@timgerber5563]

Great review! Honestly, it should have been the cheapest 1Zpresso instead of the Cuisineart. It is crazy that you can even get an electrical grinder for 50$, that had to shipped, made, designed, etc. Question: When seeing comparison videos like this, I always wonder: How do you dial in these grinders against each other? Do you try to aim for a similar brew time or do you try to individually dial in each grinder, so the coffee is best?

[@KyleRowsell]

There are so many grinders we could have chosen but for the sake of the average viewer this one made most sense. For this video Dialling in was an average of grind size and drawdown time.

[@Syd7088]

I’m glad that I got a Niche.

[@gabrielmercier4727]

am i the only one who was annoyed by the dosing cup being misplaced lol? btw great video!

[@KyleRowsell]

No I was annoyed too 🙋🏻‍♂️