DF64 GEN 2 GRINDER: REVIEWING THE UPDATED DF64 GRINDER

The second generation of the popular Turin DF64 grinder is a massive leap forward!

The original DF64 grinder was billed as the Niche killer. It had similar specs to the popular Niche Zero but with flat burrs and a much lower price tag. I reviewed that model with considerable excitement, but it didn’t quite deliver. The Niche was safe.

The new DF64 Gen 2 is a different story. The latest edition addresses many of the flaws of the original while maintaining its bargain price. At this point, I’d happily recommend it to anyone in the market for a single-dosing grinder with flat burrs.

The Turin DF64 Gen 2 Coffee Grinder Review

Confusingly, the Turin DF64 grinder is sold under several different names, depending on the distributor and country you buy from. In the United States, DF64 grinders are sold by Turin, so you will most often see it as the Turin DF64. Elsewhere, you might encounter the DF64, Probarista G-IOTA, MiiCoffee DF64, or the Solo.

How I Rated It

• Grinding Capability
• Grinding Capability
• Design
• Durability
• Value for Money

4.2

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What is the difference between Gen 2 and the original DF64?

Answering this question seems like the best place to start. The Gen 2 version has undergone several aesthetic upgrades, the most notable of which are the sleeker exterior in place of the vinyl wrap, an aluminum dosing cup, and a wooden lid. They’ve also repositioned the on/off button for better ergonomics and improved the look and feel of the grind selection dial.

Of course, I consider the performance upgrades to be far more important. A plasma generator has been added to the grounds chute, which has drastically reduced issues with static – one of my major complaints about the older model. They’ve added an “anti-popcorning” disc, which improves grind consistency and speed. Finally, the much-hated declumper of the original has been completely redesigned to something far more effective and practical.

Grinding Capability

The DF64 burr grinder offers exceptional grinding capability for its price, providing the speed, uniformity, and grind consistency suitable for most home users. 

It’s a single-dosing grinder with a powerful 250 W motor that spins the burrs at 1400 rpm. It’s a suitable all-around grinder but definitely performs best at finer settings, making it a favorite for espresso lovers. It takes less than 15 seconds to grind a 20-gram double espresso dose.

Is the DF64 flat or conical?

It comes stock with a Turin-brand stainless steel 64mm flat burr set – not the same as the Italmill burrs in the Gen 1 – but one of the appealing features of this grinder is the ease with which the burrs can be switched. Many brands make burrs suitable for this size, including premium options like SSP and Mazzer.

Personally, I’ve been pretty happy with the stock burrs, particularly as an espresso grinder. However, if you’re buying the grinder primarily for drip brewing, I’d probably suggest an alternative. The grind uniformity drops off a little at the coarser settings.

The shape of the burrs is the big difference between the Niche Zero and the DF64. The Niche grinder uses a conical burr set, as opposed to the flat burrs in the DF64. Neither is better than the other, but they are different, and many coffee drinkers have a preference (2). Conical burrs leave more fines, which can add character and depth to a brew, especially when brewing espresso shots (3). On the other hand, flat burrs yield a cleaner and more consistent cup.

Low Retention

A big selling point of the first DF64 was its minimal retention, and the Gen 2 does even better in this regard thanks to its improved static management. 

Why does retention matter? First, ground coffee left behind in the grinder quickly goes stale, and no one wants to brew with stale coffee. Second, retention interferes with getting an accurate weight of coffee for your brew (4).

Is the DF64 stepless?

Yes, the DF64 grind adjustment is stepless, giving you essentially infinite precision when dialing in the perfect brew. The aluminum adjustment ring has 90 marked grind settings ranging from ultra-fine to very coarse, so it’s easy to switch back and forth between sizes without totally losing your place – something that is not true of many other brands. 

Popcorning Solved!

Popcorning is often an issue with single dosing grinders. Grinders with hoppers use the weight of the beans to apply even pressure when feeding beans into the grinding mechanism. Hopperless grinders don’t have this option, so the last few beans to go through tend to “popcorn” around, leading to uneven grinding (5).

This was one of the biggest problems with the old DF64, so much so that third-party vendors began offering solutions. In what I consider to be a very smart move, the manufacturer simply co-opted one of these solutions into the product, adding an anti-popcorning device. The improvement is immediately obvious.

How To Use The DF64

Using this grinder is a piece of cake – always a perk of simple single-dosers. Just set your grind size using the dial, add a pre-weighed batch of coffee beans, and turn it on. Thanks to the improved anti-static tech, you don’t even need to mess around with RDT.

You can technically use the portafilter holding fork to grind directly into a portafilter, but it feels a little flimsy in practice. I’d still suggest grinding into the dosing cup, especially now that it’s a nicer aluminum model. It has a 58 mm diameter that makes it easy to transfer to a standard-size portafilter, so it only adds a half-second to your workflow.

How loud is the DF64 Gen 2?

The DF64 is a loud coffee grinder. There’s no way around it. While I thought the Gen 2 was a bit quieter than the Gen 1, it still put out over 90 dB in my tests – up there with the notoriously unpleasant Baratza Sette 270. 

Plus, the noise varies depending on the burrs. If you opt for the SSP upgrade, you’ll likely notice a volume increase. It’s a good thing it’s fast!

Coffee Quality

An affordable and easy to use grinder isn’t worth much if it can’t make good coffee, so I’m happy to report that the Gen 2 DF64 has been delivering exceptional brews. 

As already mentioned, I prefer it for espresso. The shots I’ve pulled have been clear and complex but with a gentle sweetness. They’re soft but still interesting, with plenty of subtleties coming through.

When brewing coffee, I mainly stick to brewing methods that favor a slightly finer grind. I’ve used it extensively with my Hario V60 01, and it produces consistently clean cups of pour over coffee. Lighter roasts are particularly exciting, as I find this grinder great at bringing out floral and herbal aromas.

Improved Aesthetics 

The design of the Turin DF64 is simple and minimalist. While the Gen 2 offers some significant aesthetic upgrades from the Gen 1, I still wouldn’t describe this grinder as a looker – the Kafatek Monolith it is not. 

The new DF64 borrows its style from its big brother, the DF83. It sports the same classy casing, aluminum catch cup, and wooden lid. I definitely prefer the look versus the vinyl-wrapped version, even if it does mean you have fewer color options (just black or white). 

Appearance is not a particularly important factor for me when buying a coffee grinder – even less so than buying an espresso machine – so I’m happy with a basic design that keeps costs low.

The DF grinder has a simple tubular body with a slight forward lean, and it’s capped by a small bellows. A lot of single-dosing grinders, including the Niche and the Eureka Mignon Oro, feature a similar tilted geometry, which helps minimize grind retention.

The grinder is nicely compact, measuring 12″ tall by 5.2” wide by 10” deep. The small hopper fits up to 50 grams of coffee – enough for about 4 cups or two double shots.

Watch Steven from Home Brews Coffee review the older version of the DF64 in this video:

Built To Last?

It’s still tough to gauge durability as the DF64 has only been on the market for a short time – 2021 for the original and 2023 for the Gen 2. Additionally, because it’s manufactured by a previously unknown Chinese company, there are no other products from the brand to use as a guideline. 

While I haven’t been testing it long enough to weigh in comprehensively, I will say that it feels sturdy. The seams meet nicely, nothing is loose or wobbly, and the grind adjustment moves smoothly without stuttering or catching. These are all things I look for when unboxing a new grinder, and you can often tell the duds right away.

The simple design also means fewer components and less to go wrong. And with no fancy computers or touch screens, things that do go wrong are easy to repair. 

One thing to keep in mind, because the company is so new and relatively unknown, is that you may have trouble accessing good customer support if things go wrong with this grinder. Your best bet is to buy from a trusted distributor who can assist you with any problems.

Even Better Value For Money

The original DF64 was praised for its great value – and rightly so. But I would venture that the Gen 2 is even better! 

The original was an excellent value because it had a great burr set at such a low price that it was easy to overlook some design flaws. Users had no problem spending extra for aftermarket fixes.

I recall paying $399 for my DF64 Gen 1, and the Gen 2 is currently priced at exactly that. This claims to be “sale pricing,” but it has held steady for at least the 6 months I’ve been watching.

Let me put that in perspective with some other prosumer grinders. The Niche Zero, Ceado E5SD, and Eureka Mignon Oro are three comparable single-dose grinders with similar burr sizes (albeit from more established brands), and they are priced at $675, $1200, and $699 (6).

What are the different versions of DF64?

There are four versions of the DF64 currently for sale. You can still buy the Gen 1 at a discount (though at this point, I wouldn’t recommend it), there’s the Gen 2 reviewed here, and there’s the DF64V – both in Gen 1 and Gen 2 models. The latter is a more expensive option featuring a variable speed motor.

The manufacturer also makes a few alternatives with different burr sizes, including the DF83V, the DF83 V2, and the newer DF54.

Don’t Buy the DF64 Coffee Grinder If…

• You don’t want to single dose: If you like to buy a bag of beans, fill your hopper, and not worry about it for a week, you’ll quickly tire of the workflow with this grinder. Instead, consider the popular Eureka coffee grinders, the underrated Fiorenzato F4 coffee grinder, or Makhkonig’s new home coffee grinder, the X54.

• You want conical burrs: If you prefer conical burrs, either because of their naturally lower retention or the richer cup of coffee they claim to yield, then the Niche Zero is the obvious choice for you. 
  
  If you don’t mind a hopper, the Baratza Sette and Breville Smart Grinder Pro are more affordable options with excellent reputations.

• You primarily brew drip coffee: The Turin DF 64 Gen 2 is an all-around grinder, but I’d argue that espresso grind is its specialty. If you’re more of a filter coffee enthusiast, I’d recommend the Fellow Ode Gen 2. Like the DF64, it has a set of 64 mm flat burrs, but they have a geometry better suited to coarser grinds.

The Verdict

I hope you found this DF64 grinder review helpful. In my opinion, it’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for an affordable single dosing coffee grinder that’s suitable for home espresso and filter coffee, though with a lean towards espresso. 

Two years ago, I recommended the Gen 1 with a few reservations or suggestions for modifications. Today, I’m happy to recommend the Gen 2 as is – not that a set of SSP burrs would hurt if you’re a specialty coffee geek with a bigger budget.

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