BUDGET FLAT BURR GRINDER SHOWDOWN!: Best Grinder Under $250

[@Gk2003m]

Urbanic 070s Update, 6 months later: as noted earlier, I modified mine for stepless operation. And it is working great, teamed with my ViaVenezia. Problem is that while the grinder/motor housing is steel, the base is plastic. Being slightly top-heavy, the unit vibrates and moves a little. Solution: steel plate inside the base. Works like a charm. You can also drop a magnet in there to magnetize the cup base.

[@LanceHedrick]

Great update! Pinning this comment.

[@markosverdhi]

Could you do me a favor and try grinding for turkish? If you happen to make turkish coffee with an ibrik, could you share your experience with that? I'm worried I'll get this grinder and it won't get quite fine enough. Thank you!!

[@rossbrown6649]

I converted one of these grinders to stepless by placing a large rubber "washer" between the back of the adjuster and the indexing pin, adapted by making a larger opening in it for the threaded section.

[@mattrubbo1961]

Dude!! This is exactly what I've been needing. Been holding off on espresso machines and grinders bc everything combined is out of my budget. Lance, you may have just given me a way to finally break into home espresso

[@LanceHedrick]

Yes! I LOVE this and it is EXACTLY why I do this channel. So glad to hear this

[@ezbacc]

agreed! the grinder on my Breville Barista express broke and it would cost almost 200$ to fix. I figured now is a good excuse to get a grinder but its overwhelming with all the different models and price point. Is the only option to get a Baratza sette 270wi for 750$ CAD to make it "worth while"!? Cant be right! So glad this video was made. Thanks Lance

[@LanceHedrick]

Absolutely! Thank you so much for watching!

[@mikkoutevsky3902]

@@LanceHedrick How does the Urbanic stack up against something like the Eureka Mignon Manuale? Similar price point, both capable of single dosing if you add a bellows. I'm trying to decide on a first electric grinder to go with a Gaggia.

[@5naxalotl]

i've been needing this for a different reason. for me, seeing mahlkoenig-shaped grinders on aliexpress, and thinking "i'm almost certain that is complete rubbish ... but what if one of these things is a hidden gem?" was driving me nuts. i needed an expert opinion, and oh look it's Lance shouldering the burden of simultaneously thinking like an expert and a normal person. this will soothe the agony while i decide whether my grinder or espresso machine is the weakest link

[@coocooforcoffee4248]

Okay Lance… I’m officially putting some respect ✊🏿 on your name 😁 sir! this in my opinion is one of the best videos out there regarding affordable grinders. This content is what the majority of people can benefit from 👏 not all of us can afford the Niche or DF64. Thank you!

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you! And love your handle. Must be a 90s kid? Haha

[@PurajitMalalur]

There isn't a single video remotely close to this one. It's amazing how much you appeal to my sensibilities and my approach to analyzing products, figuring out what to buy, what I want to know before getting into something.

[@bermchasin]

Hey Lance - I just wanted to say the Amazon grinders now come with a 200W motor for about $105. They have a slightly different bin, AND they are (nearly) infinitely adjustable out of the box. SO far so good. There are some extra fines present, but so far its done great except for having tons of static.

[@bermchasin]

update: the static is far more managable with RDT but still dont expect it to be clean. Still holding up well HOWEVER - one thing to note, if going from a setting of 4-5 (coarse like french press) back to 1 (espresso), the burrs rub like they are out of alignment. I just overadjust them to like 0.5 (past 1) and then they reset. Its not a "quality" grinder, but it might be a good option for entry tier.

[@LanceHedrick]

Please hit that like and subscribe if you enjoyed! The wonderful people in my Patreon allowed this video to happen. Consider joining at the link in the caption!

[@PilipinasKongMahal021]

Dimmer mod tutorial please.

[@christopher6895]

Hey Lance! I’m learning a lot and have a question; would you recommend these over the smart grinder pro for a mix of French press and espresso?

[@LanceHedrick]

Yes! I would for sure. Especially the urbanic of doing French press

[@iyabomarvel8506]

Wow great video!!!! Am I the only one that peeped the spectra breast pump in the other room? Haha only mama's zoom into stuff like that. Congrats on your sweet baby. 🥰

[@dow168]

"conclusatory" is a wonderful word that I shall never forget.

[@LanceHedrick]

Haha! Good. It's a fun one. Usually used in random with "remarks."

[@rossbrown6649]

Bought the Gevi burrs for one of your "not recommended" grinders I bought years ago to replace a Capresa given to a daughter-in-law, and since my wife prefers the brews ground with it, and not my espresso grinder, I figured I needed to make it work a little better. As noted, the new burrs are 1.05mm thicker than the original burrs, and bind up when installed. So, I have 3D printed a 2.2mm gasket to attach to the back of the front plate, and it all works fine again. One problem remains, my wife says her coffee no longer tastes like it used to.

[@festershinetop7444]

@rossbrown6649 Would you be willing to share the 3D print blueprint for that? I'm a noob, have never 3D printed anything, but would like to take this to my local library to give it a shot. Thank you!

[@stuartcampbell114]

Lance is the teacher we all should have had at school......and he changed my coffee life Thanks from Oz

[@LanceHedrick]

Wow thank you! Incredibly high praise..appreciate you!

[@Tristan_the_ultimate]

I think we need another showdown between some of the grinders here and the newly released budget conical grinders like Opus, Encore ESP, and Turin SK40. Would also be a great comparison between budget flat and conical burr flavor profiles.

[@ericfoster5267]

Oh man, I accidentally started watching this video at 3/4 speed, and was freaked out at how much calmer Lance seemed. Wild!

[@LanceHedrick]

Lol I am a bit calmer in this! But not that calm

[@ericfoster5267]

@@LanceHedrick I did notice that even at full speed you seemed more at ease. Good stuff!

[@LanceHedrick]

Haha I had a sleeping newborn hidden in the back corner 🤣

[@alexmontanus]

What are you gonna do tonight? ME: Grab a beer, some popcorn and watch *Budget Grinder Showdown*

[@LanceHedrick]

That sounds absolutely fantastic. I love it. I'll crack a cold one in your honour

[@kogerald]

Thanks

[@preproduction77]

Also in terms of original design from what I understand, these go back to a Japanese grinder, the Fuji Royal R-220, which in it`s original form has been around since the the 50ies. This became so popular in Japan, that other companies started producing similar grinders, one of them being Kalita. And from what I understand the Akirakoki is pretty much a copy of one of the earlier Kalita Nice Cut grinders. So much so, that when I startet looking for it, it was advertised on some asian shopping sites as "nice cut" grinder. Both grinders, the Fuji Royal and the Kalita Nice Cut are much more expensive than their Taiwanese counterparts, the Akirakoki and the Feima. There is a few videos in Mandarin and Japanese comparing these grinders against the Japan versions and while I do not speak any language aside from German and English, I watched those with translated subtitles and usually the Kalita and Fuji come out ahead in terms of taste in the cup but also cost between 400 - 600.

[@StopTryingSoHard]

Originally both came with flat crushing burrs and have a different motor and electrical design. There also used to be a bunch of Taiwanese clones right down to the 67mm crushing burrs, all about no fines in the coarse grinds. These newer visual clones use the now "normal" style burrs and a different internal design. So I think the idea is that the Akira Koki is a derived design then a bunch of people started cloning that newer design. Mahlkonig also uses a visual similar design, but AFAIK, it's unrelated except for the visual similarity. There really aren't an infinite variety of designs with vertically placed flat burrs.

[@duniagowes]

Thanks so much for your thorough explanation.

[@jonderagon]

I've had the Akirakoki Super M-520A for a while and it's been fantastic. In the matte black finish it kind of looks like a baby Mahlkoenig EK43 :D. The 520A has the upgrade "imported" Italian burr set versus the default Taiwan burrs (I was advised against them). Here in Vietnam, there's tons of cafes that use the Akirakoki as their secondary or small batch grinder, you see them everywhere. Overall a very well behaved, nicely made and durable machine for the price point.

[@trungtranuc3372]

Hi, where can I buy a good Akira that can grind espresso in Vietnam? Thank you

[@jonderagon]

​@@trungtranuc3372 Siêu Thị Cà Phê Việt Nam has a store in District 1, HCM where I got my Akira and they also have online store.

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you for the info! I didn't receive the stock burrs but I know what they look like and can confirm the upgraded ones are pretty solid quality. I should be getting some soon. Appreciate you sharing the location of the Vietnam distributor!

[@221b-l3t]

Too bad, super hard to find in Europe. Found one for 160 euro... I can get a Eureka Manuale for 230 euro... so at that point it's not worth it for me. The only ones I can find are the ones Lance doesn't recommend. :( Need a second grinder for decaf.

[@LanceHedrick]

If for decaf, can likely get away with something that has a much weaker motor since you aren't using it as heavily.

[@DigiMannen]

I just bought a Ling Dong LD020 with 60mm flat burrs, it has a Aluminium Chassie and a 200W motor, 19 settings and super easy to calibrate, stainless steel burrs and price was $129, weighs in at 6kg/13lbs. Works like a charm.

[@LAVA-el5yt]

Hi Lance! Thank you for your awesome videos! I just bought the urbanic 70s and I LOVE it! It's quiet, fast, easy and has really low retention. Grinds really well! Perfect!! Thank you for the review and info. Keep making great videos for us coffee geeks!

[@huckthatdish]

Mine is on the way. Been hand grinding before this point so I’m looking forward to the QOL upgrade. Very excited to get into playing with it and maximizing it based on lance’s recs. If you have any tips I’d love some advice. Like he mentioned mods for variable rpm, just curious if you did that/ found it necessary to pull good shots/ make good filter

[@huckthatdish]

@@flosscap well update on my end, didn’t do variable RPM, but I do have the single dose bellows he recommended, highly recommend that. Without it retention was a bit of an issue but with it it’s a great single dose option.

[@at2704]

Best grinder video I have ever seen, finally made buying and modding a grinder feasible for me! Thanks bro!

[@Kiaulen]

I asked, you delivered! Thank you so much, Lance! These are within the range my wife would let me buy 😂

[@LanceHedrick]

Perfect! So happy you're finding the video helpful 😁

[@ZethAkadi]

Hahahaha! Same here, pal!

[@LanceHedrick]

Love it!

[@jerrybezdikian9371]

Informative, educational and insightful videos: check. Topics that are timely, useful and important: check. Screen persona and sense of humor: priceless. Thank you Lance. I wish you continued success.

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the support, friend!

[@GoTellJesusSaves]

I know this took a lot of time to produce. Thank you for what you do, bro.

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you! It did. 2+ months and my wife being pissed about 6 grinders in the kitchen lol

[@GoTellJesusSaves]

@@LanceHedrick Awesome doesn't doesn't always come easy :D

[@LanceHedrick]

Lol true. This one took a lot. Really gratifying it is going over so well

[@GoTellJesusSaves]

@@LanceHedrick Wooohooo! Yes... so many people know through watching KZbin videos that grinders make a huge difference in the flavor of their coffee, but just don't have the money to experiment enough to get great results. You've done that for many and they will surely be grateful. As am i.

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you, my friend! You're never short of uplifting words

[@mwildt]

Hey Lance, thank you for this. What an incredible video with such detail. I am currently torn between the Urbonic 070s or the $215 pre-order for the new Turin DF54 Gen 2. Was wondering what you think since they are so close in cost? Thank you!

[@elijahwoold]

Same! Anyone wanna share 2 cents?

[@markgiblin3970]

This was great content and very helpful to me. I have been trying to find the best value grinding method and I think this is it. A little constructive criticism: this video is difficult to keep track of what items are what. Everything looks more or less the same. If you could label each item it would be much easier to understand. If you don’t label at least call the items by name and not by “this one” or “that one”. Thanks for your work on this! Great content!

[@LanceHedrick]

Absolutely! I did list them in order of left to right in the caption of that helps, but note taken!

[@abittwisted]

Kitchen Aid with Grain Grinder attachment will grind as coarse or fine as you want. Even finer than espresso. I use it now exclusively. It grinds slow but that is fine as Im in no hurry for a cup of coffee then bolt out the door. It is a process. No noisier than any other grinder. It just works. I measure out what I need and let it run. I put a funnel on the end to catch the grind then fill my portafilter.

[@guest00791]

Just ordered.. I’m trusting you 👌

[@onegreenev]

@@guest00791 I'll do a video then post the link. I'll also include making coffee. One other thing we do is use round filters on the bottom of the portafilter and the top. It prevents bits of coffee getting stuck in the portafilter and spraying sideways as you pull a shot and the top one keeps the filter head clean. Still allows a clean pull. Because of the filters we back off a little on the tamping pressure. Filters help hold some of the bitter oils too. Smoother taste.

[@guest00791]

Thank you 🙏 I was tinkering with it this morning. Its a behemoth of a grinder 🎉

[@onegreenev]

@@guest00791 Only because it’s attached to another machine. If it was free standing it wouldn’t take up much more space than any other grinder. Since our mixer already lives on our counter it was a no brainer. The switch came from my testing the viability of the standard home hand grinder for making flour. With the steel burr it can’t clog and you can make excellent espresso grind. I knew they used to make grinders for the mixers so I decided to do that. Our conical burr grinder gets clogged if we use oily beans. It’s frustrating and you can’t get consistent grinds or pulls. The flat burr grinder works perfect. Even the hand grain grinder does a quick job grinding the coffee. We opted for automated. My wife put on a silicone cone used for cake frosting around the opening so it funnels into our cup.

[@guest00791]

@@onegreenev I'm playing with the grind settings. So the finest is the three dots. How many notches away are you using? I've done 3-6 with varying results. So far 3 is ok with a dark roasted bean 🙂

[@paryzfilip]

OMG! This is amazing! Thank you for this video, thank you for your dedication, thank you for the time and effort you took to test them and show them to us in such a clear and easy to digest way

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you for watching! I really appreciate the support

[@rutgervanwoerkom6172]

You are such a natural teacher. I feel like you could teach me anything lol. Great video btw!!

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you so much! Means a lot, friend.

[@10jsfvideo44]

I rewatched this again after my initial viewing several months ago. You did such a nice job of describing each of the budget flat burr grinders with their strengths and limitations. I am looking at the Urbanic solely for pour over brewing. You tested the urbanic with the stock titanium or Gevi flat burrs for espresso. Would either of these flat burrs in this grinder produce an interesting flavor profile for v60 pour over thanks

[@jamesmartin5126]

I’ve own the Urbanic 070 for over a year now with the stock burrs. I have them aligned really well and my pour overs are good but you won’t get a lot of clarity. You’ll get a lot of sweetness and texture and experience a couple of fruity notes. But the flavors are well defined. You’ll get slightly muddy or cloudy cups. I’m planning on getting the Gevi burrs because I really want more clarity.

[@jamesmartin5126]

Correction, I meant to say the flavors aren’t well defined. But I’ve honestly enjoyed the cups from my Urbanic and I think the Gevi burrs will make it a great pour over grinder. Also, I brew with a modified Kalita 155 like Tornqvists Kalita. I do have a V60 1 cup and it does work well with the stock Urbanic since you can go finer than with the Kalita.

[@BirdieSueA]

My super cool Urbanic 070s coffee grinder arrived today from Korea! Titanium burrs. Thanks, Lance, for the heads up! I love the retro look. The coffee tastes great!

[@ulfk8976]

Hi Lance! I just saw your amazing video, and I wonder how the Akita or Urbanic compare to a modded Vario. I’ve looking for a used Vario since I saw your modded Vario video. I’ve owned Mazzer Super Jolly, Major and a Niche Zero. Right now I only have a Kinu m47 and while that was great for my flair 2 it’s not doing it for my now with my Sage/Breville. The bigger portafilter calls for much finer grinds and cranking the Kinu isn’t all that fun anymore. I’m intrigued by these grinders. Perhaps the Urbanic most and I’ve been working with lathe for almost 20 years so modding it for SSP wouldn’t be an issue. The Vario seems to have more precise adjustments and they been around for A while now. But I think I prefer these vertical mounted burrs just for the ease of cleaning. What your thoughts on Urbanic/akira vs modded Vario vs Kinu m47?

[@mahavirconsulting]

Love it. Like it when you say that it's in line with your youtube to make coffee accessible to the masses. All the best.

[@mahavirconsulting]

Also would love to see something like for an Espresso Machine.

[@LanceHedrick]

For sure! I've done a video on the Gaggia classic pro, which was a solid option. Of course, with espresso machines, considering their complexity, the prices go way up. I've got more budget videos coming, though!

[@Gk2003m]

I just ordered the Urbanic 070s. Looking forward to it. EDIT: it arrived within a few days. A game changer. I modified it to stepless adjustability by adding a very thin aluminum ring (cut from the sliding cover of an old 3.5” floppy disk!) between the existing detent ring and the spring-loaded detent pin.

[@Ahrimas]

This is a monster of a video. Kudos and thank you.

[@grahamstauffer8188]

This video is so insightful! I’ve wondered for years about those different models and this video explained them in a clear way. I had a question about the router dimmer, would that type of device be compatible with the df64 250 watt 110v motor for speed adjustment?

[@LanceHedrick]

Yes! Just know that technically it isn't *the best* for the motor. It will absolutely work, though. Just route it to the power switch at your own risk.

[@grahamstauffer8188]

Sweet! Good to know, definitely something worth trying to see!

[@LanceHedrick]

Absolutely! I agree.

[@123marijn321]

Thanks Lance! Was wondering the same :)

[@LanceHedrick]

No problem! Hope it was helpful

[@DouglasSantos-si5df]

Most hyped video of the century

[@LanceHedrick]

Pressure! I hope it lives up to it, even just a bit

[@jennifermarchlewski1607]

Thank you for going over these affordable, flat burr grinders and showing how easy it was to upgrade their burrs. I wish this would have come out before I bought the Niche Zero grinder. 🤣 Should I make room on my coffee bar for one more grinder? 😁

[@LanceHedrick]

DO ITTTTT

[@ThatGadgetMatt]

Your videos are really a blessing man. I was feeling particularly resentful of my faithful hand grinder this morning…

[@LanceHedrick]

Haha! Hilarious. I do love me some hand grinders

[@calebchamberlain4077]

Lance thank you so much! I bought the Urbanic grinder from this video. It is awesome! I’m trying to do the step-less mod and it is not the same as the grinder you took apart in the video. Do you know of a tutorial that shows how to do step-less on the Urbanic?

[@LanceHedrick]

You simply take the knob off, unscrew the big screw in it, and then use Teflon tape like a plumber does and do a layer around the screw threads. Then screw it back in and put the knob back on

[@calebchamberlain4077]

Huh? The only screw I see is the screw that holds the knob on. The setup has a gear with one tooth bent so you can’t over rotate the knob past the min and max settings on the dial

[@calebchamberlain4077]

Ah, I see now! You are calling the gear a big screw because after you bend the gear tooth straight you turn the dial left until it screws out. Then you take out the spring loaded stopper and volla, step-less! Wrapping the threads with plumbers tape is a great idea!

[@jersi_kill802]

Amazing, I plan on opening my 5-6 tables coffee shop soon. I have been working as a barista for a few years. As much as i tought i knew a lot you make me realize I still have many things to learn. Thank you to make video. I will support you as much as I can. ♡

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you! Where are you located?

[@jersi_kill802]

I am located in Québec!

[@LanceHedrick]

Awesome! If you're interested in trying some Onyx Coffee Lab beans, I'd love to send you some. Shipping to Canada isn't very expensive 😎 If potentially interested, shoot me an email at [e-mail]

[@--JH--]

Great video, and might have to purchase now! Thanks for making coffee accessible. Only concern is how long lasting the motor will be? There's a similar mod for the similar looking KitchenAid Pro Line grinder with 58mm mazzer or SSP burrs (Wilfa upgrade ones). it does require a 3d printer according to HomeBarista forums. Do you know anything about how good this might be? If it works it looks like a well built, long lasting, high quality grinder

[@LanceHedrick]

Yes. It's just one of the first releases that is compatible, though. I've yet to actually find one in order to do the mod, but not for lack of trying haha! I'd imagine it would be quite good

[@cheekster777]

Nice grinder showdown. Thanks, Lance. 🙏 Wishing you a great weekend. 👊🏻

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you! I hope your weekend is great, too

[@richardegil]

This is good timing for me since I am just getting started. I am looking at getting a Gaggia Classic Pro and was going to pair with Breville Smart Grinder Pro. I really like the Urbanic since I don't want to deal with 220V, would you recommend that over the Breville for a beginner?

[@LanceHedrick]

I would absolutely recommend it over the Breville. Yes!

[@richardegil]

@@LanceHedrick Awesome! I really appreciate your approach to this industry. It is overwhelming and so expensive. You help make it more approachable.

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you! That is certainly my main goal. Delicious coffee shouldn't be reserved for a few privileged people, but graspable by all

[@alaskavaper966]

@@LanceHedrick Bravo on that perspective.

[@athenasblueprint]

Just wanted to chime in with my experience with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. While it works for pourover, it does create a lot of fines and large grounds, so consistency isn't it's strong suit. I am looking to upgrade from this grinder and considering the same as you, even though I am only using it for V60 and Cold Brew. I tried removing fines from my grounds using the Fellow Shimmy 200 micron filter and it produced a cleaner cup (although less juicy) but removed 20% of my coffee by weight which is beyond wasteful, all things considered. Hoping to get better results once I upgrade to the Urbanic with the Gevy burrs.

[@JoeyTen]

That must have been a lot of work to gather so much valuable information to create this video 🤯 Much appreciated! I'm kinda getting tired of hand-grinding with my 1ZPresso. I just might pull the trigger on one of these grinders.

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you! It took a lot of time and money haha. Happy to have finished it! Thanks for the kind words

[@PribeagprinLume]

As always, you've created valuable content for the coffee community. I understood that, you prefer flat burrs instead of conical. I wanted to know if the taste difference between the 2 types of grinders is noticeable for a regular person vs a coffee professional?! I have a Niche and a Baratza Encore so I wouldn't want to spend additional money and real estate in my small kitchen...I would also think that the quality of the beans contribute to the taste regardless of the grinder's capabilities. Thanks so much for your time.

[@LanceHedrick]

Yes! Absolutely the difference is noticeable. You'll get quite clearly two different shots. Niche produces less clarity, more texture, high sweetness shots and the flat burr profiles, if aligned properly, will give higher clarity, a bit less texture, juicy shots.

[@PribeagprinLume]

@@LanceHedrick Thank you!

[@LanceHedrick]

Absolutely, friend!

[@lyesallouche9010]

Phenomenal video although, i think that if someone can afford an espresso machine he can absolutely afford a good grinder. But, at the same time if a person want to get into the espresso world with the cheapest budget possible i could really see how this video would be suuper useful. Thank you bro 💯🙌

[@zenadventurer69]

I tried the Gevi burrs in my Urbanic 070S and I have to say, I much prefer the pro (titanium) stock burrs to the Gevi. After a lot of tweaking and aligning and etc. I find the Gevi to be very bright with a substantial loss of the deep, chocolately richness and breadth of deeper flavors I got with the stock Urbanic. So I’m switching back. Other than that, LOVING the Urbanic, overall.

[@itsmebrandini]

Do you still have the burrs? Would you be willing to sell them? I'm curious about trying them out on my Akirakoki :)

[@lynsmith2698]

Wow, fantastic video, I have been wanting to buy a better grinder than my cheapy burr grinder I have now, but couldn’t really afford a $600.00+ grinder. Thank you so much 🇨🇦☕️

[@MustyBandaidMan]

How well do these compare to the comandante C40? I have the C40 with the red clix that I use for V60 and I'm getting a La Pavoni lever machine next month. I'm obviously not getting rid of the C40 but I'm wondering if either of the two best ones would be a fine addition to my collection.

[@LanceHedrick]

I think these would 100% be better for your lever experience than the c40 for espresso.

[@MustyBandaidMan]

@@LanceHedrick would you say the C40 is better for V60?

[@LanceHedrick]

Not necessarily. I think they offer different high quality cups. I'll do a filter specific video soon

[@MustyBandaidMan]

@@LanceHedrick Awesome thanks. I'd greatly appreciated it if you would directly compare those two to the C40.

[@LanceHedrick]

That might prove difficult for a full video but I'll do what I can! Maybe I'll make an IG post or something after some testing.

[@gerardomixcoatl-mx]

Finally !! Thanks a lot for this video. Spending more for a grinder than for my Giaggia classic pro, is just out the discussion. Great !!

[@LanceHedrick]

Haha! Glad you enjoy it! I have some videos on the GCP, as well

[@miriambarnhart1241]

I'm looking at the Urbanic grinder as my first grinder to go with my Gaggia Classic Pro. What is the difference between the Urbanic 070S and the 080? Which one is better? Which one do you recommend? I am planning on getting the machine with the titanium burrs. I am a total beginner to the world of Espresso. Your video was very informative and I am glad that I could narrow it down to the Urbanic. All help is greatly appreciated.

[@joseluisveragarcia1675]

I have the same question. Also, in the video Lance says the ssp burrs don’t fit the Urbanic 070s. I wonder if they fit the 080…

[@N9524Q]

@@joseluisveragarcia1675 I want to know the same. I think I will order 070 with the titanium burs. I'm still reading what comments hoping that he is answered the question previously

[@wdak6373]

Finally a comprehensive review of the FEIMA 600N in english!!

[@LanceHedrick]

Haha! Hope you enjoy it!

[@chuckv8838]

So I have a question for those that might have one of the two 'cheap' amazon grinders on the right that have the thin burrs. Since you can put the 'gevi' style in them, but those burrs are thicker...couldn't you just space the end cap out with material that is the difference in the thickness of the burrs (obviously both added together - or even added thickness of one burr assuming you don't want to go all the way to maximum coarseness). The material would need to be uniform thickness, but aluminum (harder to machine) or a harder plastic (would be easier to work) might work. This (assuming there is any merit) would allow the use of the better burr set without the limitation that Lance mentions about only being able to use the very narrow range (i.e., burrs very close) and potentially use for filter and espresso? Thoughts on geometry from folks who might own one of these?

[@LanceHedrick]

You could do something like that, for sure. As long as you could evenly space it out. Plastic wouldn't hold alignment very well. You'd want steel. It would just to be incredible precise

[@chuckv8838]

@@LanceHedrick I was thinking plexiglass. Easy to find in uniform thickness, easy to cut a circular hole in, and not compressible in the forces found in this application…I might just have to buy one of the RRH grinders for experimentation.

[@LanceHedrick]

Do it and report back!

[@vladislav3]

Lelit Fred. The best at this price range by far!

[@LanceHedrick]

Oh wow! Never ever seen in lol. I'll actually be at their factory in like 2 weeks. Will have to check it out!

[@dereksantavenere2172]

A dimmer will burn the motor out - it needs to be a rheostat - fan or motor controll - friendly advice from an electrician. people make this mistake on ceiling fans all the time and it usually kills the fan within a year or so

[@benedictradich]

Thanks for the tip! How would I go about doing this? Total novice here, but pretty handy in general. Is this doable on my own? Seems like with that mod to bring the RPM down, the 070S could really be the perfect budget grinder. Also considering lathing out space for SSP burrs, as he demonstrated.

[@dereksantavenere2172]

@@benedictradich it would be the same process but using a fan speed control instead

[@jakedienel2186]

I’ve been looking for comparisons on these grinders for all of November! So glad to see a review!

[@LanceHedrick]

Heck yes! Thanks for your support, friend

[@freakaz01d]

If you love the timemore handgrinders, the timemore go grinders are those but turned into an electric grinder, and the prices on those are really good, plus theyre portable-ish too

[@LanceHedrick]

The timemore grinder is ok. I prefer the Comandante, kinu and 1zpresso.

[@icedcoffeeplay4722]

Ha! Finally a video for these kind of grinder. Thank you especially for stepless modification and how to actually calibrate them. Nice review!

[@LanceHedrick]

Absolutely! Thanks so much for your support and engagement!

[@fgmenth]

What I love about grinders like these is the aesthetic. None of them actually have an original design as they are made to resemble miniature versions of industrial coffee bean grinders.

[@LanceHedrick]

For sure. But, to be honest, a lot of it is just offsetting the motor so there is a direct line from hopper to burrs to catch cup. It really is a logical design, if you think about it! Lol

[@fgmenth]

@@LanceHedrick That exactly what I mean, industrial grinders are designed for efficiency not for looks!

[@LanceHedrick]

100%! Love it

[@chooah]

Thank you, Lance, for truly finding ways to bring excellence and great coffee to the masses! And on another note, am I the only one that appreciates the fact that theres a breast pump just chillin in the background on the couch? LOL!!

[@7skies246]

I just bought one of these great video lance.

[@clanmoogles]

I just got my bonus and it was just enough to get the urbanic 070s, so come february I'll have my setup from the flair 58 february preorder! Thank you for this video!

[@LanceHedrick]

Oh heck yeah! Congrats on the bonus! Stoked for your coffee to turn up!

[@TampedOnSquid]

So Funny I was thinking about trying these but was like Nahhhh it’ll never work. Stoked they work. Great Job Lance!

[@LanceHedrick]

Haha thank you! And you can always get stuff to work with enough mods 🤣🤣🤣

[@sanjaya718]

A tour d' force comparison! Awesome video with great info! Thanks Lance!

[@N9524Q]

I wanted to give you some feedback and hopefully any viewer that reads this better understands the problem with a Lotta grinders. After watching this video I purchased the Urbanic 070s I bought it primarily for espresso. It Grinds coffee very well but when it comes to espresso it has a dialing in problem and maybe there's a hack that I don't really understand. I guess I could take the presets out as you mentioned in the video. First the grind consistency is very good. The problem is on the very first setting the bur are not touching and it is so fine that it will choke out my 2 espresso machines. One notch up the grind is so course and it flows too quick. So again the difference between to fine and to course is one notch. That is not much. The positives of this machine the Burr alignment really wasn't bad. I probably could readjust the zero just a little bit or I could take the steps out. One other positive of this machine is that you can go mid range for coffee and back two the second notch for espresso and get the same results . I have several other grinders that is not the case if I change a grind setting and return I will not get the same results as before I moved the dial Overall this is a bargain grinder that performs very well if you can just get the burs the proper distance apart

[@spike443]

I think you need to do the stepless mod for espresso.

[@kuinagel]

Been waiting for this bro!! Thank you!!

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you for watching! The support is massive. Appreciate the comment and engagement

[@gerardobalderas8692]

Finally I can rest my forearms from hand grinding. Only for a bit though lol . I have been looking for a new espresso grinder and LOVED this video!

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you! Glad you found it helpful

[@miketothewright]

Thank you for this Lance, currently using a 1zpresso J-Max and will upgrade to either a niche or new eureka single dose eventually but I really appreciate you producing these videos to help others access coffee since this stuff can be so expensive!

[@LanceHedrick]

Absolutely! And I'd recommend a df64 over both of those, tbh 😜 Or a Vario with ditting burrs or forte lol

[@miketothewright]

@@LanceHedrick I appreciate your input, is there a specific reason why you’d want the df64 over the other options? That was actually on the list as well haha

[@LanceHedrick]

Df64 with the SSP MP burrs is hard to beat. Issue is it isn't much better at a ratio of 64mm burrs with 250 watts versus Akira with 150 watts and 60mm, though def better. I'm not very impressed with the eureka line. They're fine. Vario is better, for sure. Those 54mm ditting burrs are *chef's kiss*

[@LanceHedrick]

As for niche, they're great grinders but don't compare with flat burr options like you listed. Different profile altogether

[@miketothewright]

@@LanceHedrick yeah since the j max I’m using already is a conical burr, I would like to make the switch to flat burr to try the flavors that come out of those since I’ve heard that some people actually prefer that over conical. I’m really interested in the Akita with mods you mentioned just cause it’s still really budget friendly and doesn’t really break the bank compared to a df64 with SSP. Thanks for the input lance, I really appreciate you putting in the effort and actually replying to everyone who comments, I feel like you don’t see that often here on KZbin. You da best 😎🤝

[@rebeccawalker5872]

DOUBLESHOT COFFEE??? HELLO? MY HALF SISTER IS FROM THE TOWN WHERE THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED!!! LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[@charlesyateschalfant]

Lance, thanks so much for this great video. I was going to buy the Breville Smart Grinder Pro for my upcoming purchase of the Breville Bambino. BUT... as I only like espresso ( really cappuccino) I think one of the last two you like may be a better option. Cheers, all the best to you and family.

[@devlevy]

Just ordered the Urbanic 070s based on your recommendation, thank you so much!

[@LanceHedrick]

Awesome! Just know it is obviously not going to be on par with more expensive grinders. That being said, for $250ish, it's absolutely incredible. Unmatched in its league to be sure.

[@jamesreynold6711]

Scott Rao recommended this video Just the video I was looking for Awesome

[@LanceHedrick]

Fantastic! Scott is very kind. Thanks for watching!

[@tylergant6031]

Hey Lance, is the link for the Gevi burrs still accurate and the same burr you featured? I’m stoked to try it. Thanks for your efforts

[@Lamylamylam]

Great video and thanks for your time doing this! Now those recommended grinder prices will start going up after your video 🤣🤣!

[@LanceHedrick]

Haha! I doubt it. They have a big market in Asia. I can't see prices going up. Maybe inventory will be a bit harder to find! Lol

[@murataht]

Thanks Lance ! all the best !!!

[@LanceHedrick]

Absolutely! Thanks for watching

[@Avatar711Wizard]

Thank you Lance. So very much appreciated.

[@meagannetwig7522]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video! You are the best!!!

[@patricaristide7678]

Using a Comandante C40 with my lever machine but in case I eventually decide to go electric these look like a sweet alternative to the ubiquitous Niche. Great video, thanks!

[@LanceHedrick]

Fantastic! Thanks so much for watching

[@ash2joker]

The first minute of this video is why you are different than every other coffee expert.

[@LanceHedrick]

Wow thank you! I really appreciate that

[@Thrilos30]

I love that you did this!

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you! Took some time but happy I did it!

[@wehmanm]

I got the urbanic grinder and did the stepless mod, made a huge difference being able to adjust it between the clicks to dial in the grind size for my bambino.

[@jordanroberts896]

Are you having any issues with walking after the stepless mod on the urbanic? He mentioned that the urbanic was the one grinder that did want to drift after mod. Just curious as to your experience. So close to pulling the trigger on the urbanic, I would pair it with my sette 270 to see the differences between conical and flat burr profiles. Thats what I tell myself anyways lol.

[@wehmanm]

@@jordanroberts896 Mine doesn’t walk at all but I put Teflon around the threads about 6-7 times so it’s pretty tight when you turn it either way

[@kweezayeyngoeson]

I'm just here for the shaking like the polaroids. 😂😂😂😂😂

[@LanceHedrick]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@nvalley]

man i thought i was slick getting a mignon filtro with the espresso burrs. these are some screaming deals

[@jello022170]

Thank You very much for the info. Take care from Montréal Québec

[@Markle_B]

I’m loving the use of “dank coffee” in a sentence 👊

[@LanceHedrick]

I have to. It's a major part of my vocab 🤣

[@michael_j_fabian]

You’re killing it!

[@LanceHedrick]

Thanks, man! Appreciate you

[@alexzoin]

Where have you been all my life? I have been trying to find a more "bare bones" grinder for like 3 years. Thank you.

[@LanceHedrick]

hope you enjoy whatever you get!

[@thetroothhurtz]

Awesome video dude thx for all the info!

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment!

[@JaimeZX]

Lance, great video! Now do Urbanic vs DF64. :)

[@haristhec]

This is an amazing video. Thank you!

[@IamMotionMedia]

excellent video Lance. I for one would appreciate a video burr allignment

[@LanceHedrick]

Yes! Planning on it.

[@mltamarlin]

Such an amazing video, thank you! Especially together with your other videos on alignment and such. Sadly, many of the aliexpress links have raised proces, the gavi burrs now are sold only in pairs. Not sure how to find other, high quality burrs....

[@MFfuji29]

Thank you so much for this video! So well made and informative! Really appreciate it and for the exposure to this kind of grinder design

[@LanceHedrick]

thank you so much for watching!

[@MFfuji29]

@@LanceHedrick i have a couple questions if you don’t mind: I know you said the Urbanic stock titanium burrs aren’t the best for filter coffee but does it work better still than like pre ground? (For pour overs) like is it still an upgrade over no grinder? Also, did u find you needed to go below the lowest setting for espresso? Do you need to take out that pin you talked about for that? Or Can you get decent results with the steps available Thanks again🙏🏽

[@LanceHedrick]

The burrs will do fine for filter. Definitely better than preground. As for the steps for espresso, I still recommend making it stepless. You won't have much choice on grindsetting if you don't do that

[@gcolwill]

Really great video. I don't think I've seen anything else like it on YT. Great content! This and the alignment video are a great pair. And the Fines Dance (45:20) was MONEY! :-)

[@cafeclement4808]

💙💙💙 budget grinders for the win.

[@LanceHedrick]

Wooo! Thanks again for the feima

[@danjv]

Thanks for this Lance. I need to upgrade from my Baratza Encore for my Gaggia Classic Pro. I was going to get the Eureka Facile wihich sells for around $400. interesting is the gulf seperating this Urbanic 60mm flat burr gringer and the next one up the line. I found it on Amazon for $203. It should arrive in two weeks of so, i will let you know how it works out.

[@Snipes287]

its been 3 weeks what the word?

[@danjv]

I'm very impressed with this little thing. Getting new flavors and aromas from the same coffee in my filter brew. Still dialing in my espresso shots. There's not that much leeway in the finer settings. More to follow.

[@robertojosef.delacruz6982]

Informative and relatable video! Have initially relegated my grinder of this exact type for coffee other than espresso bcause I thought it cant grind fine enough. But will try it out for espresson again with the mods you showed. Thanks!

[@LanceHedrick]

Do it! Once calibrated and aligned, they punch so far above their weight class that it's sorta unbelievable

[@slow_clumsy]

Amazing as always, exactly the Information I needed as I'm looking into upgrading from my stock breville barista express grinder

[@LanceHedrick]

Love it! These will definitely do you right. Thanks for watching!

[@indiepaleale]

I believe all these are based on the original design from fuji-royal, not Akira. But they are much more affordable. Better burrs and better motor make the difference in pricing. I believe they all offer great value on a fraction of the money of a fuji-royal. I'm from China, the cheapest fuji-royal-ish grinder here starts around only 60 dollars, which is crazy!

[@indiepaleale]

plus, the original fuji-royal has a different burr design which is called 'ghost burrs?'. The different burr design offers better uniformity when grinding for filter coffee, but probably not suitable for grinding espresso. I'm not very sure about the availability outside China. It would interesting playing with different burrs. Great review BTW!

[@Tech_Verse]

I love you ❤️❤️❤️ you always listen to your subscribers

[@LanceHedrick]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it

[@scent007]

Love it lancey 😍 the t-shirt needs a little trimming though

[@stoiccaveman2345]

Worth it for the shake it dance near the end !

[@LanceHedrick]

You made it! You're truly a G