The Ultimate Grinder Showdown Finale (Episode #6)

[@francescovultaggio2540]

Me while drinking a Nespresso: "Yes, indeed. Unimodal flat burs have some drawbacks"

[@olwethusilo7155]

😂😂😂

[@giveitthebeans1931]

Me using 4 a dollar garage sale espresso machine from the 80s: “Having good texture is super important” 🤣

[@ianeverett10]

Dying 🤣🤣🤣

[@henkjanssen1252]

And then you realise you chose the tomato soup button on the machine (oops).

[@mikeyoung9810]

I enjoy listening to him but he's in this other coffee world far removed from my Mr coffee that, at least to me, borders on a level of addiction to taste? Or something almost OCD-like reaching for some kind of impossible perfection or just a need to be elite. (or maybe just business to sell grinders). But I'll stay subscribed and hope for something I can relate to.

[@DetlevSchwabe]

The best thing about watching reviews of coffee grinders of ~$3000 and more is that I feel like the $500 ones are a real bargain

[@tjnicholas]

It’s a trap!

[@bluemystic7501]

I'm into higher end things in general and what I've noticed is exactly what James pointed out; there's just a point of diminished returns. Usually more money gets you that better thing but can you get 90% of the way to perfection for half the price? Usually the answer is yes.

[@sdjohnston67]

Yes!

[@PianoKwanMan]

The Barratza Encore and Wilfa Svart are disposable products in comparison

[@brattingprincess]

They are. Most people think spending even 50 usd on a coffee grinder is ridiculous. 500 usd is an amazing value.

[@Aa-nk8qb]

This has been a luxurious week with some of the best grinders out there. Amazing work!

[@darrendoheny9768]

@@JimboJones99 more of a microscope but yeah for sure

[@chocolategourmand]

“I feel like a spoiled brat complaining about the nicest toys money can buy”. I had to rewind 3 times and I laughed each time. I love your humility, seriousness, objectivity, and awareness, James. Great video and series.

[@nickschwear1610]

James’s humor catches me off guard all the time - like laugh out loud kind of moments

[@slyfox8953]

Jeez no need to suck up that much, or suck him that hard, …. No matter how badly you want him to, James isn’t responding bud😂😂

[@MangoTheRetriever]

The series we need but can't afford. Thank you, James!

[@flashcraft8287]

@EdvardasLPI, that's funny. :D

[@b.peppercorn739]

Feel for you and sorry you can not afford them

[@mcflippyflaps219]

I don't go to starbucks but I imagine how much coffee would cost me for a year and even if I buy very expensive equipment, I'd save money and time after just a few years. Taste is leaps and bounds beyond anything you can get from starbucks. The equipment will last a very long time saving even more money.

[@Anja-zg3hj]

It's ironic that I, someone who doesn't even drink coffee, use these videos, literally about a wakeup drink, as a bedtime story. James' calm tone + a topic that I'm interested enough in to listen but not enough to have an opinion about is just perfect. Thanks :)

[@DarkMaster3960]

That's exactly what I'm doing right now, two years later

[@blakeg7062]

For many of us, being able to afford a grinder like that is a bedtime story. It’s something of dreams.

[@criddyla696]

I lived for 56 years thinking I hated coffee, I had had a couple of terrible experiences with instant maybe 40 years ago and stuck with the idea of coffee is yuk. After trying a home brewed coffee made by a friend and expecting yuk I was so excited that I had been living an illusion and now I am making up for lost time and it is incredible… just in case there are people on the fence, it could be worth another try folks … cheers

[@nemoorellc]

James, I am very impressed on your understanding and sensitivity to how the viewers would respond to the comparison of "rating numbers" and your very clear perspective on how to internalize and use the information. I've never seen a professional unbiased review conducted with such aplomb. Bravo!

[@marcusbrown8136]

Hear hear!

[@jacobspang21]

I'd love to see another week with grinders ranging from $800 -$1500. I feel like this is another tier worth exploring.

[@AdamJRichardson]

Perfect, I was just sitting here with my microwave reheated coffee in a paper cup waiting for this to drop. Excited to see how this turns out!

[@jaminkidd6285]

Adam, PLEASE just buy an Aeropress!!! LOL

[@AdamJRichardson]

@@jaminkidd6285 I'm a Klever dripper guy myself :) Happened to have some cafe-bought coffee after a morning errand as I sat down to watch this!

[@jaminkidd6285]

@@AdamJRichardson Haha, good to hear. Gotta look out for each other! I do the same thing with the free cup I get from my roaster for purchasing a bag

[@martinkulik9466]

yeah right, irony. these comments are getting generic. in reality you are probably sitting on some solid set up

[@smartgorilla]

I just made myself a Nescafé gold blend but had an Italian mokka this am

[@astrovlog]

I will never be able to buy any of these grinders but I learned a lot from the series and that’s the importan part. Thanks for doing it and I’ll keep enjoying my comandante 🙌

[@Figgboii]

😂😂Well put

[@Anarchsis]

Agree, my Bezerra BB005 manual is good for me.

[@JohnKruse]

Frankly, after seeing the prices, I am checking out. I bought a used Super Jolly for 250 euros a couple of years ago and it will likely see me to my grave. I'd have to be lighting cigars with 50s to ever care about these machines.

[@gregfitch8937]

Fantastic series, thanks for the info. I will stick with my Breville pro grinder for the time being, but at least if I win the lotto I know what to go for.

[@LasstUnsSpielen]

The Comandante is probably the best tasting and most pleasant to use grinder within a much higher price range. I wished they would produce a motor for this.

[@TAdamRox]

I almost squealed in delight when I saw the niche. Finally, something in my realm, LOL.

[@serialdad33]

thanks James for taking us on this exceptional journey into the world of coffee grinding. I realized that your experience and talent lets you ZOOM IN into nuances and details which average users probably never experience. (maybe in a guided barista course) so thanks for doing all this great work and presentation which was offered for free to the audience. ps. I loved that you integrated the Niche as a comparison, this really made the grinder showdown complete. (and yes, a 6 on the scale just shows the extreme ZOOM into details of this comparison)

[@bigjacknfries1530]

Anyone here have absolutely no intention of spending this sort of money on a grinder but have watched every minute of the series just to get their fill of Hoffmann coffee goodness?

[@ArbathSahadewa]

Well, it's good to know, maybe someday you'll need one of those grinder for Cafè, or fancy Home Espresso Bar. So you don't wasting money, because is OUTRAGEOUSLY Expensive, so make sure to buy the right grinder.

[@tolga1cool]

I still use my Porlex mini every day because I'm cheap lol. I even 3D printed a little Adapter to use the thing with a electric drill for when guests are over lol

[@robnwk]

You are absolutely correct.

[@SimonLeeds]

@@ArbathSahadewa they’re ‘home’ grinders apart from the mahlkonig 😂

[@ArbathSahadewa]

@@SimonLeeds right 😅,

[@SridevHumphreys]

Hi James, I thought about upping my coffee game and game across your KZbin channel. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned in such a short amount of time (about a week). Your videos are entertaining, informative, and just a pleasure to listen to. It is clear from watching your videos, that you love coffee, are serious about coffee, love making coffee, and that you are keen to share your excitement about coffee with others. At the same time, you manage to share your excitement about coffee in a way that is fun, humorous, and quite special. Many thanks.

[@laurenblankenship5633]

The fact that he set the benchmark with a Niche grinder made me smile!

[@Thetache]

And every time he brings it out the waiting list for one extends by 3 months !

[@smartgorilla]

I like that smaller one in black

[@ArbathSahadewa]

Is that mean Niche grinder is best option?

[@zachrosenfeldt3139]

Pretty impressive the niche was only a small notch below the lagom too

[@smartgorilla]

@@zachrosenfeldt3139 doesn't matter what you use just keep grinding with good coffee I think. That's my view.i don't have room for it all.

[@ThorMaxx]

One of the very few patreon backed KZbinrs who seriously gives back to his patreon community. None of this....'as a patreon backer you get you get special behind the scenes or exclusive offers...' nonsense. Well done James!

[@francisparenteau6108]

Thank you for this incredible series, I really enjoyed you're way of breaking down the differences between each grinder. They are all high performing grinders, but I personally really like the look and the smaller footprint of the Lagom P-64.

[@jonlevymusic]

Thoroughly enjoyed this series. I've learned a ton and loved the approach and style. Highly enjoyable and lots of laughs. Now staring down the rabbit hole of grinders....thanks Mr. Hoffman!

[@harijaja]

I kept refreshing KZbin the whole morning for this!

[@smartgorilla]

2 or 3 pm matey 😏😏😏😉

[@brekkoh]

You should just subscribe to his channel notifications, that way you get here exactly when it's live

[@scalwi]

I've loved this whole series and appreciated your inclusion of the Niche, even if it was only for one of the tests. I hope this can be a benchmark for testing a few other high end home grinders from major manufacturers. I'd love to see another Mahlkonig, such as the Peak, that might actually have a place on a home countertop. I'd also love to see the Ceado E37 SD or E37Z or E5 SD.

[@mattta-min3441]

James, thanks so much for this week. The individual videos were absolutely amazing this wrap up summary was again superb. Though it must take a huge amount of time, please consider redoing this format again in the future. There was great insight in the individual videos during the week, and the daily format really built the hype for the showdown. Thanks again.

[@Babaye2]

I just love that it wasn’t so long ago that the budget from patreon covered an IKEA haul. Now we get this. I’m glad.

[@aldoogie824]

I'm going to be honest - you bring a level of unmatched civility to coffee. This is THE most civilized KZbin channel in existence. I think we would all love to see you assess and rate a variety of other items and gadgets not coffee related.

[@philliptrzcinski5243]

This series of videos is so far out of the realms of even 98% of the weird coffee people watching, and I'm glad that the majority of content on this channel is grounded in most people's reality. Having said that, it's great to get a glimpse of the pinnacle from time to time, a great week.

[@reetah379]

This was a very exciting week! Thanks James for all the crazy amount of work and effort you’ve put into these videos. . Week of showdown videos is amazing, but please don’t do it again too soon cause we need you alive and sane lol

[@ursidaegames7605]

I'm glad you include the Niche Zero in this (even if it only made a brief cameo). I've been umming and ahhing over whether or not to buy a Niche, and to know that it's a comparitive "small step" away from some of the best grinders money can buy makes it seem all the more tempting.

[@n00dle_king]

“I will have little complaints about all of them.” *Pauses to stare at EK-43*

[@brekkoh]

They say body language is a large portion of communication... lol

[@giveitthebeans1931]

I clocked that too! Every time he said something about a problem these amazing grinders have he looked at the EK-43s 🤣

[@zlutyzakaznik679]

Did he really say E-64 in 22:23? 😀

[@zlutyzakaznik679]

Sorry, 22:36.

[@honzajedlicka6645]

@@zlutyzakaznik679 Yep, probably just got it mixed up with the Lagom P-64

[@nedboulter9187]

The fact that the Niche made it into this video made me really happy :D :D. It's like a cameo at this point!!

[@edwickson]

that table right there is more expensive than my house lol

[@La_sagne]

doesnt sound right, but it could be an acceptable down payment in some places

[@jameshoffmann]

It was pretty ridiculous. (I didn't want to do the YT thing and put a price tag on everything for the thumbnail, but it was tempting!)

[@brekkoh]

do you live in a tool shed?

[@brekkoh]

@@jameshoffmann to sully or not to sully, that's the question

[@Frostbitten.]

@@jameshoffmann I wish you had, James, but I understand it's not your character! Love to see KZbinrs I adore play to the algorithm and achieve success!

[@SteveHoskin]

James, thank you for elevating the craft from product review to coffee social event with this series. The most wonderful thing I've viewed in the past very long year!

[@howimettheopera]

As an orchestra conductor still sitting in lockdown, this ultimate showdown has been my source for nerdy excitement. Thanks!

[@CharlieLui]

As an orchestra player, I am with you there!

[@howimettheopera]

@@CharlieLui nice meeting a fellow James-fan coffee-lover musician :)

[@kuromameshiba4418]

Chamber ensemble board member here: I feel you.

[@CharlieLui]

We should form a coffee themed ensemble!

[@howimettheopera]

@@CharlieLui haha that would be cool, we can commission a new piece inspired in the sounds of the grinders

[@hjaltihjartarson]

The Lagom looks like the one I would actually choose for my home. The space it takes and the looks tick all my boxes. Amazing review James, looking forward to following your channel!

[@sebaba001]

Looks nice and cost half the others. I'd go for it too, lagom or niche are my dream grinders.

[@hjaltihjartarson]

@@sebaba001 I have a preorder of the Niche on the way 🤪

[@Hammi4Real]

@@hjaltihjartarson Send it my way lol.

[@_iching]

Thanks Mr.Hoffmann, I enjoyed every single episode of this journey.. i can't afford a Weber...but I was supporting it from the start.. it's beautifully made.. and functional too.. cheers man...thanks again!

[@joemccall8991]

Thanks so much for including the Niche, James, this was such an interesting and thorough comparison (not that I would expect anything else). Cheers!

[@unknownmemoirs]

This was great. Now back to my $60 hand grinder which I honestly do love.

[@brianbuday8639]

unknownchronicles hey we had an 11 hr. power outage recently. Happy me to have purchased the hand grinder that mr. H. Recommended. Heated the Moka pot on the BBQ. Voila cafe au lait for my good wife cheers!🇨🇦😎

[@zyan554]

Which $60 hand grinder did you use? I’d love to know

[@brianbuday8639]

Kavin the porlex (not the mini.) Made in Kagoshima Japan . About 7" tall 2" Dia. It was one of the better rated on James cheap hand grinder reviews about a year ago. Cheers

[@zyan554]

@@brianbuday8639 sweet. Thanks for responding. Cheers m8

[@brianbuday8639]

Kavin quick follow up. It is the porlex ll now priced at $99.00

[@JoshSamuelson]

Lol, thanks for showing the prices right at the beginning, they're all out of my price range!

[@rajrishiparmar1362]

I love how James conveys the diffrences in taste between 5 of the most perfect grinder through a video... think about how insane that is P.s. give the man some credit for wearing same sweater for 3ish days just so there weren't any magic cloth changes

[@MarkStroupCogToys]

It's science. The sweater variable must be controlled for.

[@santibanks]

the only way i could tell was by the difference in his hair

[@sdjohnston67]

Way out of my realm of possibility. But, even so, I love watching and learning from this. The amount of detail together with clarity of explanation is wonderful.

[@AndyGait]

Loved this series. As someone who owns a Hario Skerton & a Krups £45 burr grinder, these grinders go along with the dreams of a lottery win, but still very interesting to watch and learn.

[@marley7145]

When this series started I wondered why the heck I was watching it. I'm damn lucky to have a Hario manual grinder, and the only reason I've got that is that I bought it several years ago when money for anything other than the barest necessities was an option for me. I'll never own one of these, or any electric grinder at all. Now I know why I watched. Watching James evaluate each grinder and then compare them has been informative and enjoyable. I had no idea how to test for retention and exchange and I found this solution to be elegant and clever. This series has been a master class on reviewing and comparing products, something that I do occasionally, and I'm looking forward to taking these ideas and examples and applying them to my own work. Thank you James.

[@mythcrab6047]

I'm still saving for a Niche after your feature on it and now you bring along this video! Cheers James.

[@mythcrab6047]

Finally got my Niche. Maybe onto one of these big boys someday.

[@sofronio.]

Such a fantastic series of videos. I can't imagine how much work has to be done behind the scenes. And the conclusions by the end are so clearly expressed and explained, that as a viewer, I found myself spoiled with such high quality content. Thank you for your hard work, sir.

[@dnldnl]

I'd pick Weber EG-1. it is good to my eyes, I love the engineering behind it and it feels like a prop from a spaceship from a movie where mankind is migrating to a different planet, but hey, they need to have some good coffee on their way.

[@dnldnl]

oh, and thanks for the incredible week

[@rhastaam4012]

The more i watch the series, the more i love my wpm zd10 and n600. "coffee things" can sometimes be like gorgeous, super expensive, beyond my limited imagination, but "coffee" is always super enjoyable. And this series maybe one if those many ways to enjoy your cup of coffee. Thank u so much for the great work, James. ❤️

[@howardkim2067]

Been looking forward to this all week. Great series James! Excellent! Congratulations to the patreon winners of all these grinders! ^^v I have the p64 with unimodal burrs and I have to say it’s great. Especially how quiet it is even when comparing to my lido3! I’m also enjoying the differences between conical and flat. The space savings for the P64 is key for me as well as the aesthetics of the Lagom I prefer. But if I had the space and funds, the Monolith and EG are super attractive. ^^v

[@Archamitect]

This is such a fun channel to watch for many reasons & this coffee grinder series is one of those reasons, because it embodies the best attributes of our tech based economy from passionate Patreon backers enabling passionate creators to make unique content and share ideas to entertain & inform everyone... An expression that comes to mind is "you're firing on all cylinders (James)" I mean, it's rare to have a creator consistently say "and now I want to hear from you down in the comments" I say cheers to that!

[@asketienne8684]

James, this series of grinders and their videos is an amazing amount of work. Thank you very much! Since one of the grinder is borderline commercial and belongs in a café, how do commercial grinders perform against those Home grinders ? I often see commercial grinders at cafe or local roasters and always wonder how those perform compare to top of the line one

[@jared7487]

Thank you for your passion for coffee and the thorough and well thought out videos. I hope you continue to see success in your KZbin endeavors.

[@Krmpfpks]

Thank you so much for this series. Very interesting and I learned a lot. I was so looking forward to this finale and you didn’t disappoint. None of these grinders are in my price range, but their quality and innovation will end up in cheaper grinders at one point in the future (I hope)

[@masterluu8]

I don't know much about coffee but I like to watch James talk about it. I generally love listening to anyone passionate about a subject. This video though initially gave me high-end audio vibes. In the sense that I was wondering if a human can really taste the difference between a number of high end $2k+ grinders. But then he goes into the detail of how fast the second shot flows and there's measurable differences. I'm fascinated by the thoroughness in testing and happy our planet has passionate people like James Hoffmann.

[@jamesreinarz9653]

I appreciated the discussion at the end about the degree of diminishing returns in comparison to mid range grinders. I'd be very interested in your thoughts about that curve from something like a Baratza Encore on up. Where is there a steep increase in quality per $ and where does it begin to flatten out? My interest is mostly for filter. As some new to brewing speciality at home, lower to mid range filter and espresso grinders seem mostly separated and that hasn't been too easy to learn about. Everyone tells you their grinder does espresso. Thanks for the quality content!

[@gthack371]

I wonder if we're at the stage where speciality coffee equipment suppliers should consider supporting demoing kit? Take your current gear along, trial against a new grinder? Unless they already do, and I've just never thought to ask!?

[@gthack371]

This sort of thing is really down to the individual, the one making the buying decision, so if you could go test new grinders out then you could decide where that break point is

[@Tubenstein]

That's series we needed but couldn't afford. Great work and thank you very much for whole week of informative and entertaining videos!

[@brandon-leelucas3534]

Oddly enough this whole series just makes me want a Niche more...

[@derrickwarren]

I’m going to throw mine in the sea now I know it’s only a 6/10 grinder 😂

[@bryanacevedo4724]

@@derrickwarren ROFL!!!!! Me too

[@ephraimgarcia2420]

Same

[@agentq4153]

I agree, I doubt I would be able to use any of these well enough to justify the cost. That said would love to win the P64.

[@jeffreyrobinson7382]

I have a nieche and have no doubt, what James says is correct, these machines will produce better shots, but he makes a good point on diminishing returns. What I will say for the nieche is how easy it is to use, I think the term is workflow. For a home grinder, it’s brilliant, I love it. wonder why the Ceado E37’s were not in the line-up?

[@user-ck8ec7pj1l]

Very nice series thank you Mr. Hoffman. I've had a Baratza Encore for years. It's been so solid for me. These are remarkable grinders you've reviewed, thanks again

[@Andrew_Co]

Starting with the weekend category and styling......

[@alexvpaq]

Can't wait for the quirks and features too

[@mexicanhalloween]

Oh shit, I would love a blind review swap between Doug and James

[@gregorymorss8178]

I would never have believed that I could watch a program about coffee grinders and fall in love with coffee again and again... I must be high for the black stuff... but also James you are a very pleasant shot of experience... balanced, clear and sweet... I really love the passion you bring to this culture. thank you,

[@nemoorellc]

Perspective on cost. For avid espresso drinkers, $3500 broken into 10 years of daily use and 4 espressos per day is $0.25 per use. Throw in $2500 for an espresso machine and $0.4 for the coffee (18g per dose at $10/lb), you can have a shot of top tier espresso for $0.90/shot, or about the same price as K-cup drip or McDonalds drip or 1/2 the price of a cafe espresso. As a bonus...lower carbon footprint than those alternatives as well. You get the best coffee experience for the least cost and you save the world.

[@laxmalone]

This series was extremely fun to watch. Thank you for adding a slice of humble pie to each of the videos. Also, since finding your channel my entire concept of the complexity of espresso has changed. Thank you!

[@iwouldpayattention]

Such good tests! Devastated that you didn’t test the SSP unimodal burrs for the chronically under-reviewed P-64.. EVEN IN THE FILTER TEST! This is particularly confusing considering you described most of the other grinders here as unimodal in style. Desperately wanted to see how well it’s 64mm burrs could compete with the larger offerings

[@Sonus1002]

Absolutely, I would even say this makes it an unfair comparison (at least it‘s invalid if you focus on filter coffee/light roast espresso and consider the P64).

[@jameshoffmann]

It was a difficult decision. I wanted to include the HU burrs because I think they make a good point of comparison. I felt that if I started swapping burrs then I should pick up a variety of burrs from other manufacturers too and then where did it end? I'll accept it was a flawed decision though, but I felt the best I could make as a singular choice. At some point we'll probably divorce burr reviews from grinder reviews and that would be a good thing!

[@iwouldpayattention]

@@Sonus1002 I’d imagine many (if not most) customers considering these grinders would be more interested in light roast too

[@iwouldpayattention]

@@jameshoffmann Yes, that divorce would be a good thing. Grinder reviews for ease-of-use, alignment etc. and burr reviews for distribution given perfect alignment. I thank you for the usability review you gave but I can’t help but think if you had to choose one, (given this particular lineup), the unimodals were the way to go. If at some point you manage to review some well aligned 64mm unimodals we'll have a complete review. Also. I liked your equal extraction test. It would be interesting to see how far you could push each grinders extraction before running into astringency etc.

[@willthedingo]

I'm still all over that MAX. It's an awesome machine, and definitely Lifegoals material for my little workshop's coffee lab!

[@spektrograf]

The DAC's of the coffee world. I will watch this video many times over. Endless gratitude for the hard work and lengthy effort you put into this series, James! 🙏❤️☕️

[@bertrenard1]

Your transparency is much appreciated !

[@repprezent6593]

Hey James, Just an editing note for us normies- I know you’ve been working with these grinders for months, but as someone only introduced to each of these once and for the first time this week, it would have been helpful if you has flashed an image of the grinder you were speaking about (for example, next to each chart or above each cupping bowl) rather than exclusively using the alpha-numeric signifier! Not sure if others faced this problem, but I’m a visual learner and at certain points I gave up trying to figure out which one you were talking about. Just a thought! Maybe helpful for future comparison videos! Thanks again for your thorough reviews! Amazing work as usual!

[@bonezed]

^^ this ^^ I had to pause and switch videos a number of times to follow along

[@mrtwills]

Edit is a 6/10, that might sound harsh but keep in mind these number mean nothing.

[@wetigersukesongs]

Thanks for a wonderful week of nit picking at the high end of the grinder spectrum. Loads of fun. Also thanks for including the Niche for a minute. I think I’m happy with that 6 or 6.5 my little Niche provides me!

[@MultiStPauli]

Really nice Video, I would love to see a simular one with grinders in a cheaper price range. The Ceado E37Z Hero could have bin a nice addition to these 5 grinders.

[@musicmann1967]

I'm a complete newbie who only came across this channel a week ago or so. I can't afford to have a machine in this class, but from what I have picked up from watching a ton of videos on this channel, I knew James was gonna pick the EG or the Monolith. (I personally love the EG for the aesthetics) I knew it would be down to those two! I love this channel. It makes me aspirational to owning a whole new set of machines somewhere down the road!

[@brattingprincess]

For most people I think the virtuoso+ is an excellent value.

[@musicmann1967]

@@brattingprincess Thank you!

[@PatrickDrinksCoffee]

I’ve never contemplated becoming one of James’s Patreon supporters until now lol

[@eliallen8557]

A year ago I was measuring my preground coffee in scoops when a friend lent me their hand-me-down pourover setup and sent me to your channel. I got a Commandante C40 for Christmas, bought a Bialetti Brikka (

[@particles_acquisitor]

I feel like a conspiracy theorist, but did James sort of pick carafes to match grinders for the filter test at 14:30?? In any case, it's been a great week and a nice series, thanks!

[@darthian123]

Great find!

[@LeighReyes]

I think he did! 😂

[@Cash0991]

It's a good thing this video exists because I have all of these grinders in my shopping cart and was ready to do my own testing.

[@zachrosenfeldt3139]

I think the lagom is probably the most marketable to your average home user who can afford a four figure grinder. The weber is unquestionably the best all around grinder in this lineup.

[@michaelchoi5247]

I bought the p64 before the reviews were up, it takes time for it to deliver from the start of your order. But I am excited because I wanted a high-end grinder for a small space that I have in my apartment. Eventually Weber will be my endgame.

[@justinhillpac]

This whole series has been very illuminating. I have been getting into espresso over the past year and I imagine my palette is still no-where near able to tell the difference between these grinders and my current one. I currently have a Sette 270 (thanks for thinking of the average joe's) and a Profitec 600 with flow control. I appreciate the time you spent over the past couple of months diving into these amazing grinders! Thanks again for the excellent content!

[@julienreiman8301]

HERE. WE. GO. Ive been waiting for this all effing week you KNOW I stayed up to 4am EST to watch this when it came out GRINDER CENTRAL LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@chrish.4067]

Fun to watch and somehow I'm still really happy with my Specialita/Alexia setup. Thanks for the wrap up James where you talk about diminishing returns. Every hobby has that, guitars, firearms, bicycles, even gardening. I always say if you can't do whatever hobby well with an above average tool, like a $2000 guitar, that the $10,000 won't help you be better. It only gives you more satisfaction of ownership.

[@reeciep]

Regardless of price or how well it grinds coffee I know the only one my wife would countenance would be the P-64 as it is the smallest and neatest looking :-)

[@BurnsRubber]

Precisely why I have a new p64 sitting on my porch this morning. The other four are too large for most kitchens and exceed the tolerance of most spouses.

[@BurnsRubber]

@Brandon G yes. Absolutely

[@hydro2wheel]

There is no way that I could EVER afford any of these grinders. I am currently using a $20 KitchenAid blade grinder, a cooking sieve and paper towels thanks to the most excellent tutorial James has made for folks living on a sub-par income. Still though, I appreciate this evaluation on grinders for the wealthy. If I ever win the lottery I will now know what to buy. FWIW I use a cheap drip coffee maker. I would need the previously mentioned lottery winnings to afford an espresso machine. I am saving up for a Chemex.

[@dhsagaradana]

From a visual perspective speaking as a sculptor, the Lagom has an elegant simplicity, the Webber reminds me of a Harpoon gun for murdering Whales. The Monolith has no style, the Lagom has all those extra messy boxes and also no style and the EK-43s is charming, stylish and just looks right.

[@HickLif3]

I keep seeing the webber as a microscope. It's just... odd... If I had seen that in a kitchen before this video I would have thought it was thought and wondered why they needed a microscope in the kitchen

[@PtWhiteBelt]

I don't think you meant to say "Lagom" has all those extra messy boxes.

[@peterbrooks562]

James. Than Thank you for your videos this week. A solid week in front of the camera. Your knowledge is impressive. Even if we all can't afford one of these grinders, it's great that you can present these machines and their talented engineers to us coffee slupers who normally wouldn't see them on our budgets. You once said don't nerd out to much and enjoy coffee moment, but you are bringing both. Thank you also for helping us forget the pandemic. Even in Australia. Thanks

[@EvaldoGardenal]

Any particular reason (apart from "this project must have an end somewhere") for not including one of the Ceado grinders (the two e37z variants or the "cheaper" e37sd) or the Mahlkönig E80 Supreme (in a similar way to the EK43, not a home grinder)? I'd still be interested in your opinion on these someday.

[@GR-qz8fx]

I had this question as well!

[@PtWhiteBelt]

I don't know if there was input from the patreon backers but I agree with you. Ceados seem to be underrepresented "everywhere" even though specs-wise they compare well with everything else, they're commercially available (whereas nost of these are basically boutique and you need to jump through hoops and import them).

[@df540148]

I could never conceive of being able to afford one of these, but I still loved the whole weeks' worth of videos. I'm glad you did contextualize the difference between these and a sub $1k grinder.

[@OferLev]

I would choose the lagom. Its small, its well designed and built, its pretty and it is half the price!!

[@danfirth2678]

I've been a long time viewer and have thoroughly enjoyed the daily uploads James - Thank you. Making this never ending lockdown seem somewhat more enjoyable.

[@davidnye1084]

I would have very much liked to see the Ceado E37SD included in this series. It fits well into the middle price point of these grinders.

[@GR-qz8fx]

Or even the EZ-1 since it has variable RPM...

[@PtWhiteBelt]

You could make a case for any of the three Ceado single dose grinders being included given the range of prices included here: the already mentioned E37SD but also the E37Z Naked or the E37Z Hero.

[@JustTony72]

Absolutely great little series. Especially here down-under when the vids are released round the same time my little one needs her midnight feeds.Would have loved to see the Ceado E37Z Hero included.

[@anhariraushanfikri6089]

*me being happy with my $200-ish made in china espresso grinder* . James: niche 6/10

[@ERey55]

What a great culmination for a great week!! Such a detailed info and analysis! To some of us that may never get to see even one of this in person, this was really fun and awesome. Thank you James for doing this series with such passion and effort!!

[@andrewg9712]

I'd rather sing for Simon Cowell while cooking for Gordon Ramsay than make coffee for James...

[@DarkEnigma1115]

Unlike the other two though, he won't berate you. The worst you'll probably hear is a very disappointed "Oh dear."

[@peteredwardmason6205]

@@DarkEnigma1115 But that's so much worse!

[@peter_smyth]

Although James can be very picky distinguishing finer details, he seems like he'd be able to enjoy drinking any decent cup of coffee. He also seems like a very nice person, although I haven't met him.

[@hcr32slider]

I'd serve him the cheapest pod from the supermarket shelf that is on special because it is days out from it's best before date and dump 4 sugars in it.

[@HardSmartfuxu]

I don't even understand why Nespresso drinkers are watching this channel.

[@PlanckRelic]

Lovely comparison of the upper limits of today's market. I learn new and interesting bits from every one of your videos. Also, as a Sette owner, I appreciated the contextualization in your wrap-up.😄

[@polbeanz899]

This might sound ridiculous, but I'm genuinely interested in your thoughts on the Weber and the Niche Zero compared to either the Comandante C40 or the Kinu M47.

[@sebaba001]

Weber would crush them. I think Niche, and his old wilfa (400 bucks) and maybe mignon specialita would be more fair comparisons vs Kinu m47, comandante and maybe 1zpresso JE or K series.

[@bjams]

I have a Comandante as my home grinder. I do really like it, however I get beans from a shop that does their pour overs with an EK43 and I definitely notice more clarity (thanks James!) in their brews. I think my technique is pretty good, and I’ve been using Third Wave Water at home so while I’m sure there’s some variability in flavor from water and technique, I do think their EK vs my Comandante is the biggest source of the difference. So yeah, Comandante is great but really still can’t stand up to even the EK. I would be curious to put the Comandante up against something like a Niche, though.

[@ethanjto]

I have a Niche, Kinu M47 traveler and Monolith Max (with SSP low uniformity burrs). IMO for pourover Max >>M47>=Niche. For espresso Max>>Niche>M47. For pourover I’ve heard the Comandante is better than the Kinu.

[@lihenow]

@@bjams WBC last year many people used C40 instead of ek43, not sure why

[@aeishagillen9793]

@@bjams I’m experiencing the same, my c40 just can’t seem to get close to those ek43 brews. In australia the ek is about half the price of the eg-1 and monolith max too

[@MrMrmassam]

Thank you James. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, this has been one of the best weeks of my life.

[@davidnelson6915]

I appreciate that Hoffman often does blind taste tests to add a scientific element to these reviews. I also appreciate that in this review, he does not use a blind test, but incorporates his other experiences with these grinders into the review process. Knowing when to pursue one method or the other is a good skill to have.

[@danbryan5442]

Really putting in the work, and the effort shines through. Thank you James.

[@davasg96]

Let’s see how fast the EG1 is gonna sell out now

[@pjshien]

For EK43S retention, I always use a baby bottle nipple brush slot into the spout when the motor is stopped, will brush out around 0.4g of ground coffee.

[@JordanCrawfordSF]

I trust any coffee reviewer who drinks so much caffeine that it shows in his hair. Good job!!

[@zsiberian]

As you set your third eye on the impossible but lofty goal of ever climbing up to a Niche from your hard earned Baratza (one of these days) you fatefully stumble on this video and, well...you certainly examine your life. Probably all of it, passively scanning that Decent on his counter, pondering the absurd brevity of the role it played in this soul crushing but brilliant endeavor. The things you can’t unsee.

[@michael.d.]

ngl I counted 6 things and was thoroughly confused until I remembered the Levercraft Ultra box existed

[@jeremywilson8158]

This was extremely insightful @James Hoffmann, thank you for taking the time to work on these videos! I hope that you can do a similar setup for a lineup of coffee grinders at a lower price point ($1000 or less). It would also be great to have a head to head covering grinders that excel at coarse grind brewing methods (French Press, Hario Kasuya V60, Cold Brew, etc).

[@KzLollapalooza]

2022: The Ultimate Home Roaster Showdown

[@AEMecca]

I've been waiting for this series ever since you mentioned it, thank you so much for putting it together! I used the EK in a cafe setting as both an espresso and filter grinder, switching back and forth quite regularly. While maybe not optimized for that workflow, I found it pretty doable and I've been planning on getting the EK43S when I can finally build my home espresso setup. The versatility to use one grinder for both espresso and filter is the biggest factor for me and the low retention and stepped adjustment of the EG-1 might just push me over to that side after watching this series.