Femobook A68 | A Modular & Magnetic All-Around Grinder

Faced by an onslaught of metal tubes it's refreshing to get a grinder that looks a bit different, but the Femobook A68 also isn't as simple as its exterior seems to portray. This conical burr, all-around home coffee grinder offers not only a unique look, but a surprising flavor profile that this barista didn't expect.
↓CHAPTERS↓
[00:00] Intro
[01:01] Third Wave Water Sponsor
[01:46] Quick Overview
[03:02] Usability & Performance
[06:50] Quirks & Downsides
[07:58] Final Thoughts
Learn more about this video's topic.
Femobook: femobook.myshopify.com/pages/a6
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#sprometheus #coffee #femobook #espresso

[@allen.t]

Not going to speak too much in regards of the femobook but more so on grinders as a whole. I feel like after watching tons of reviews and reading threads about grinders it feels like the grinder market is becoming quite stale. I never see a grinder any more that impresses me and I don’t think I will any time soon. What impresses me the most these days is seeing budget friendly grinders such as the DF54 being able to produce quality grinds while lowering that daunting upfront cost that beginners face.

[@adamwhittingham86]

I agree! The DF54 allowed me to get into the grinder market 👍

[@TheHabadababa]

Have you seen the Mazzer philos? That thing is built like a tank, has an auger/pre-breaker, the catch cup is grounded to counteract static and it comes with very nice burr options where you would have previously needed to get 250€ SSP burrs for a similar result. All for 1100€. That all from a company that basically just did their super jolly with slight modifications for over 50 years now (for good reason though, a used mazzer super jolly is the best budget grinder option IMO)

[@j.delalala]

I’ve had mine for almost a year and I really like it! RDT and tapping the grinder cover on the cup is essential 😅. One thing I notice is sometimes the beans get thrown off (jump out) from the back cover - this doesn’t bother me though. I just like how I can truly dial in my beans and always have an enjoyable cup of coffee :).

[@monkdonk1110]

My Favorite Grinder so far after testing 14 of them. Great balanced espressos

[@Sprometheus]

Glad to hear you’ve been enjoying it. My experience has been positive, but definitely when it comes to espresso for me, it runs a bit less balanced than I’d expect for a conical. But makes for great single origin, lighter roast shots.

[@BillB33525]

This grinder reminds me so much of the Key in the way it varies the grind and the taste profile. I sold my Key for several reasons but changing from Espresso to Drip and back was such a pain to remember how many turns on the ring. [no ring counter] The taste profile was just in the middle of flats and conicals. The DF83V solved both problems and put cash in my pocket.

[@qweasd329292]

I've got the 2024 version A68 and I agree with you on the retentions in the dosing chute. It's even worse with dark roasted beans. I still get grounds stuck to the chute even with RDT. The modular design is great though. Once they start offering new burr sets you can change them in about 10 seconds.

[@jackgtravis]

Can’t get over the way you say book, makes me chuckle for some reason 😂 great review as always, similar low RPM approach as my Varia VS3 also

[@Sprometheus]

From what i understand that’s the way the manufacturer pronounces the name. And yeah it’s not massively different to the Varia for a few reasons. I may end up putting all the “entry level” conicals side by side at some point soon.

[@jackgtravis]

@@Sprometheus sure, sounds very Canadian to me, no offence meant though! I think that would make for an interesting video, conicals tend to take a bashing and just labelled as body forward when it’s way more nuanced than that

[@alanroderick7153]

Thank you for the video. Price point and power brick gets it a "not for me". Stay safe, everyone.

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah, I feel like the brick could be ignored if the price was right, but it’s just a multiplier effect for most folks.

[@tummy_fritters]

I'm curious about the A4. The (minimal) description on their website makes it sound like it leans more toward full bodied shots. And it's got the battery power thing going for it. Great vid!

[@Atifxx]

Every time you say the phrase "public release" it reminds me of the disclaimer before TeamFourStar's DBZ Abridged lol

[@Sprometheus]

Being associated with anything DBZ is a win in my book!

[@andrewreida6514]

I've had my A68 for less than a week, and I'm really happy with it. I think I'm becoming convinced by the low-RPMs. My only major issue is the high-pitched whine when grinding at espresso settings, and that has been getting better with seasoning. The extra cord length from the power brick is actually a benefit to my setup. The price point is a little higher than I wanted, but I made the switch after the third or fourth delay of the other grinder I had ordered and I'm satisfied with the decision.

[@Sprometheus]

Glad to hear you’ve been enjoying it thus far. I do definitely enjoy a low-rpm grinder as well, and they appear to be becoming more popular, especially in the conical world where you can get away with lower speeds much easier. Out of curiosity, what was the other grinder you were waiting for? Of course, only if you want to tell me.

[@andrewreida6514]

​@@Sprometheus Timemore 064s. I still want one, or a similar flat burr grinder with an auger (Zerno...), but I got tired of the waiting game. They were cool about it, first they offered me a discount but then the delay got further delayed and we agreed to part ways. I might be back once their production is more stable.

[@daniobevasdellio7066]

Hey Sprometheus, may I ask if there's an incoming reivew of the Lagom Casa you unboxed few days ago? Thanks in advance!

[@gamermoo6380]

am using the Niche for the past 2 years i love it cups are so sweet with thick body and i bought E65S recently didnt really like the shots out of it so my guess am into conical burrs only , and am thinking to get this one any advises or shall i search for something better on conical burr

[@cheekster777]

Thank you my friend, hope you’re doing well?

[@Sprometheus]

You’re welcome Cheekster! And yes, doing well and looking forward to a hopefully chill summer. Hope you’re well too!

[@loganmontgomery1955]

Cheekster you’re a cool person

[@cheekster777]

@@loganmontgomery1955 🫡

[@JonFairhurst]

Video recommendation: Many Niche Zero owners would like more clarity, but haven’t yet bought another grinder. No problem. Slow dose it. First, adjust the grinder about seven ticks finer than normal. Then add about four to six beans at a time. This misses the simple, quick workflow of the Niche, but by leaving the switch on and opening the lid briefly for each mini spoonful of beans, it’s not bad. The advantage is that there is no regrinding. The distribution of fines and boulders is narrowed. It delivers a much clearer cup and is better for pour overs. Why buy two grinders when normal vs. slow dosing gives very different profiles with no additional counter space (or cash) required. Anyway, it would be a cool, analytical video, looking at distribution, extraction, and taste. I also think that few are aware of this method and fewer have tried it. Me? I tried it once and I’ve not normal dosed my Niche even once since. It completely eliminates the chalkiness that I dislike from some conical grinders. Give it a try. It’s free!

[@danielryan4488]

Hey Spro, do you plan on doing a longer review of the Decent and how it compares to some other machines around that price like the Bianca?

[@mtpastor4546]

I have seen many KZbin contents on this grinder for few years. In terms of design and construction, A68 is a good deal, and I quite like it. However, I am not convinced to get one because of its price.

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah I can’t say I’ve seen many complaints, not sure if that’s because of its lower number of units out there, or what but to me it seems like a solid buy as long as you’re aware what you’re getting. But yeah, the price is a big stumbling point in my opinion.

[@cha1ny104]

Which do you prefer for spro, casa or this? 🙏

[@jeffjones6667]

if we're not going for speed than I'd likely spring for even bigger conical burrs in maybe a manual crank grinder new kinu or craig lyn design if there still available but thats even more $ and no motor

[@cosimog853]

When a review of the Lagom 01 vs p64? I believe many would love to see that.

[@Sprometheus]

Still a little ways out. I’ve got a schedule I need to keep, but the 01 will be reviewed maybe June or July. I prefer not to rush through things like that.

[@Val_Smith]

I use df64v with ssp mp and specialita. I am thinking of switching specialita to some conical for milk drinks. What do you think would be the best partner Niche, Aries or something else?

[@Sprometheus]

I think the Niche is kind of the benchmark for single dose conicals, and I can definitely speak to its long term reliability and the large dial is super nice to use in comparison to something like this. The Aries is great too, especially after their update the espresso grind range has been extended and they have variable speed too, but it is on the expensive side too. I’d say wait until next week’s video, which happens to be another single dose conical before you decide.

[@garettsmith6906]

Please, please, please review the Fellow Aiden.

[@davidhunternyc1]

I use a Kafatek MC4 conical grinder. I love it but no grinder is perfect. It seems to me, correct me if I'm wrong, that the simplest and yet still premium grinder with great build quality to come out within the last few years is the Zerno Z1? Thoughts? Thank you for your amazing content as usual.

[@Sprometheus]

I’ve only had brief experiences with the Kafatek line but they seem to be very solid, and unique in their design. In terms of your question, I have yet to receive my Zerno, but they seem to be of the quality you’d expect for the price. And that brings me to the sliding scale of price vs expectation. I think the more you pay, the more you expect from it. This grinder for instance is imbalanced in my opinion. But I do think there are solid grinders in the entry-level space that maybe don’t hit the build and material quality of the Zerno for instance, but it’s all relative.

[@davidhunternyc1]

@@Sprometheus There are a few negatives with Kafatek grinders. First, there's no way to disassemble and clean them. From all the content I've read, the best advice is just to use them. Since I'm not an engineer... I guess this O.K.? Secondly, the grind setting, burrs, travels over time. The burrs are not fixed. When I first got the grinder, it was preset at +8. Now I'm way off -0, in no man's land. Third, it uses a triangular paper sticker to indicate the grind setting. Since the burrs travel, I guess I could remove the sticker and put it to where I want it to be but this isn't advised, for some reason. The advice to add another sticker. Mind you, the Kafatek is a $5,000 grinder. Fourth, the grinder RPMs are fixed and very slow. For some people this is a good thing. For me, I'm not sure. I grind 18 grams of the same beans with my Apollo hand grinder faster than the Kafatek. There are coffee nerds that say they can tell the difference in the cup. I'm not convinced. When I look to find another grinder equal to or better than the Kafatek, I'm not sure there is one. There are different grinders but I'm not sure there are better grinders. That's why I'm excited for you to try the Zerno Z1. I don't like the odd stand that it's on but aesthetics aside, the motor and engineering look superlative.

[@bjfeerus]

❤️☕☕❤️ Love Is Important ..... ... ..

[@simon_sky]

LIke electric car brands popping up, we don't know yet if they will make it long enough to compensate that price-point with just one grinder on retail. I guess a very good product for the wealthy early adopter group that will push these nice technologies to the more established brands.

[@robertusga]

Wait what? I thought you prefer Perfect Coffee Water over Third Wave?

[@Sprometheus]

PCW caused scale build-up after 6 months. Like I said it’s a balance between taste and maintenance and TWW hits the balance I need.

[@darylfortney8081]

Is this a Key killer?

[@Sprometheus]

As far as I’m concerned the key was DOA

[@darylfortney8081]

@@Sprometheus I had significant basic issues with it too but am curious if the new MK2 version fixes those issues or not. Price is definitely on the side of ridiculous especially without the original indiegogo discount.

[@ugliestbread]

Oof, I was not expecting that price! I get the feeling that the Lagom Casa is going to make this grinder pretty redundant, but I could be wrong.

[@mike216514]

If size is not a huge matter, I recommend the Edge+ from Starseeker, which I found their own 63mm burr design works quite well with light roast, and it’s fully compatible with Mazzer’s 63mm burr should you prefer darker roast. Full metal built, tilted design, little to no hidden grinding channel and hence very easy to clean and minimal space for dead coffee grounds to stay. I got mine in 500USD. For Lagom I rather have the mini or just get the P64.

[@Sprometheus]

Well as a channel member you are now able to see the Casa review early, though it seems you already know the answer…

[@ugliestbread]

@@Sprometheus I just had a feeling they wouldn't disappoint, and they definitely didn't.

[@mohamedelsokary4671]

Turin sk40 review please

[@Tom-sq9co]

I wonder what percentage of the cost to manufacture is made up by that extremely low RPM motor.

[@Sprometheus]

That’s an interesting question. I’m not super familiar with that kind of engineering, maybe it is harder to reduce RPM than it is to kick it up. But it does seem to be a trend as lower RPMs seem to be getting more and more popular, and for good reason.

[@Falcon5ive]

Seen a lot of femboys on Grinder, if Spro says this one's good then I gotta try it as well.

[@markburness5609]

There's no industry standard on retention (assuming you mean dose consistency here?) and if there was, it will be way more then +/-0.1g for more than just a handful of doses ground.

[@danstreight2529]

Purchased a new A4 from Femobook and flat out it is the worst grinder, from a taste & texture perspective all things espresso, I've owned in 20+ years of making espresso. The form factor is great but, even after 5lbs of beans run through, near zero crema and significantly lacking in flavor. But, most importantly, Femobook has been zero responsive/helpful to resolve the problem.

[@one23johnson]

Are you not bored to death having to review all these grinders at this point? All the videos and takeaways kinda feel exactly the same. “There’s some good some bad, I won’t be using this but what do you think”

[@officiallyhelena]

All these reviews are is free advertising for companies.

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah I guess it would just be better if people bought the equipment sight unseen not knowing about it’s functionality, performance, build quality or issues. I don’t provide any kind of service for the consumer at all.

[@marklar8464]

Maybe but he didn't exactly make a strong case to buy this grinder. More like if you have it you'll be happy with it but if you're in market for a grinder then there are better options

[@nofam]

Seems like a form over function imbalance to me. The single dose conical market is becoming pretty saturated.

[@Sprometheus]

I disagree on both fronts really. I think it performs well, and as someone who’s watching the markets all the time I’d say conical single dosers make up maybe 1/4 of new grinder releases.