If you haven't, hit the like and subscribe! Can't emphasize how much it helps me. Thank you for watching! Let me know your thoughts on this grinder below.
It is why Giant Bomb and everyone that has gone through giant bomb I trust with video game reviews. They always say “this guy is a friend of mine” or “I used to work with that company” when discussing games
There is nothing transparent about this video, if that were the case it would go something like “this grinder is awful due to the insurmountable level of fines, and ruins beautiful coffee, get a KINGrinder instead”
@@LanceHedrick so what you meant to say apparently was “let me know what you think in the comments so long as you agree with what I have said”….? The “prove it” onus is on you my dude. I’m just a shmuck that thought your content was awesome.
You would be one of those professors at university who actually teach you with their own practical experience and it‘s heck of a lot interesting and entertaining! Love the format and the production quality as well, keep it up Lance.
Dude. I love this production SOO much. Production value has gone up sooooo high. Your production quality is astronomical now. Your ability to control your speech cadence, accuracy and precision is the best period. Hats off to you good sir
The SD40 is also sold here in my country (Malaysia), but under different brand names and is quite affordable (~$150 w/ titanium burrs) so i was kinda sceptical about purchasing it right before i found this video. thanks for the helpful insight and review, will pick this up as an upgrade for my Timemore C3.
New setup looks great man! Can see your production value evolution over the last few years both in your presentation and the audio/video quality. Keep it up, and thanks!
Great video! I just got a great deal on a Niche to go along w/ my Urbanic 070s so I was nervous from the still photo. Glad to see I still made the right choice. I couldn’t help but notice (and it’s likely just the editing) but the SD40 didn’t appear to get any WDT while the Niche appeared to have in the video. Again I assume both were treated the same and it was just editing, but after doing a bunch of testing at a friends coffee shop w/ my DE1, I have a heightened awareness of maintaining the same puck prep.😅
Hey Lance! I see you mentioned the Breville Smart Grinder Pro, and it would be nice to hear your thoughts on that as a cheap entry level dual purpose grinder. There's very few reviews of it! Thanks for the detailed comparison you made on this and other videos
Once I saw how easy it was to remove the grind setting click lock thingy, I began to suspect the discrepancy between the dial markings and clicks to be a deliberate design decision. The click lock would be for those not needing/wanting precise setting adjustment but wanting a simple UX/UI of “this is good enough for me,” set it and forget it. For those wanting more precise control simply have to remove the click lock thingy and they would be able to make use of the relatively fine indicators on the dial.
@@LanceHedrick Of course. Hence your suggestion for plumber’s tape. Forgive my ignorance but how do stepless grinders keep from drifting? I suppose there are multiple solutions in use by different manufacturers. One other question, while we’re at it, can this (or any other electric grinder that won’t cost me a mortgage payment) grind for ibrik? My daily is a couple 10g doses for Aeropress or a 27g dose for Moka with the very occasional ibrik. Basically I’m looking for an electric version of my J-MAX. The Lagom Mini is tempting as I would not over stress the motor with my low usage but can it grind fine enough or can this SD40?
If you take the silicone pad off and clean the glue residue off with goo gone, the dosing cup will stick stronger with the magnet. Also it looks better lol.
Once again, the thoroughness, the depth and clarity of information you present in your review, are awesome! And appreciated. So much expertise and thoughtfulness in your commentary. 🤘You rock.
Great Review!! I got this grinder and while I have nothing to compare it to, in isolation, it works well for me. Your review hit all the negative points i have noticed myself; I get fair bit of retention and sometimes i have to pound the machine (after belowing) and bunch of grinds will still come out; the markings are trash as Im not sure why they provide all those markings when it clicks at random markings, sometimes in-between major markings and its hard to tell where the arrow is even pointing; I find that i wish there were finer adjustments espeically between ~3-4 which is where there is only one click and every bean ive had dials in around that position and not enough minor adjustments. (Although the tape hack you noted might fix that!!) That said, within its quirks and limitations, I can get it dialed in ok and then it performs fairly consistently for a specific batch of beans. Any chance you can provide some video or tutorial on hacks to lower RPMs?
Thanks for confirming! I hope more see your comment. And you can always look into router speed controllers and the like! Or PID would be the best way but programming it can be difficult
Hey Lance! Given that it has a very powerful motor, do you think we can use an external or router speed controller like the one you used on your budget flat burr grinder lineup video? Maybe with a slower RPM, it’ll improve the grind size particle. Helps create lesser fines maybe? 😃 Secondly, what grind setting or how many rotations did u have to do when brewing for a v60? I find that even at setting 16, the grind is still too fine… or could it be the fines making my bed muddy? 😮 Hope to hear your inputs. Thanks for making this video, Lance! Love your new studio by the way! 😍
Yeah, I have the same query about the roubter controller. Have to get the correct one for AC vs DC motors. I know ‘Porta Keeper’ did a complete disassembly.
Issue with router speed controller is you're lowering the motors torque. Best way would be fitting a PID. Granted I think the motor here is strong enough to maybe be routed down to 60% without damaging the motor. But *I'm not a professional
I had a G-Iota/DF64. Ran great until I had to change the burrs. It never functioned again properly so I sold it. Had also quite a lot of WDT. Now I have a SD40, it is great, faster, no WDT, costs less and most of all so far it is flawless......case closed.
Last time he pats the hopper like a happy boy. Now his eyebrows are doing the same maniacal glee. Stupid comment aside, thanks Lance. I definitely want one, but then I realize my JXPro would be lonely collecting dust in the corner of my cabinet.
Awesome grinder, but I wouldn’t recommend the stepless mod using thread tape. I tried it and ended up galling the very thin stainless steel threads in the process. Threads became toasted and the grinder was stuck at a fixed setting forever.
I love that he said the Niche is for those who like chocolatey type espresso. That’s what I like. I really wish it wasn’t so hard & expensive to get the Niche in the US
My immediate supervisor loves theirs. After watching this video, a barcloth is always covering the switch. 😂 She also keeps a tee ball bat and shovel handy in case it acts weird. We got an identical used one from Joe. Sushpishouz 😉 .
Thank you so much for this. I was researching the Lagom Mini and was waiting for more reviews on the new burrs... but now... still stuck on the Niche and Lagom Mini
@@LanceHedrick I wouldn't normally pull more than two espresso shots in a row a couple times a week. It's mostly just me and I'm not into the faff and mess of pulling shots daily. I normally do filter or Moka Pot at the finest and sometimes snag coffee on the go away from home... thanks for another vote for the simple Lagom Mini. I think I'm going to commit to that now that it seems they have specifically addressed the motor stalling. I still don't exactly understand how you're supposed to judge where you dialed in if you do go down to Espresso once in awhile and then try and find where you were at before but it looks like the only reasonably priced option for the quality:-) I did love your review on it against the niche. That was so helpful
@@LanceHedrick I've seen my recent reviews where they have removed the numbers because the numbers never really correlated with anything other than your own personal experience with your grinder, and people complained 😅 (zero wasn't really zero and one person's recipe didn't correlate to another's units results or some such. I think it only has dots now
@@NoZenith they did remove the numbers, so you have to know how many rotations away from the zero point you’ve gone. 10 big dots is 1 rotation. There will be one dot with another empty circle over it, so if you know how far that is from the 0 point then you use that as the reference point. It’s minorly annoying, but not as bad as it sounds. Works great for 1-2 espressos a day and also single dose filter
If you haven't sent you sette in for a new gear box ever. I recommend it. It quiets it down a fair by. Still loud, but better. But then again, it shouldn't have ever been that loud..
Enjoyed the review! Funny enough have had the opposite experience with Light/Dark roast on my Niche. I couldn’t pull a decent shot from a dark roast to save my life but all my light to medium roasts thus far have been wonderful. Always interesting to see folks different experiences.
I'm not saying the shots with lights are bad. They just lack everything a light should be. And I've pulled on around a dozen niches haha! They just lack flavor separation and clarity.
Tried to mod it to stepless using your idea however it doesn’t work. The dial just spins even with teflon tape. However i appreciate the video and all your content. Always entertaining and informative.
Hi Lance, great video. I was curious to see your thoughts on the sd40 vs the df64e/p and normal df64? I'm looking to move out of my hand grinder the knock aergrind and I like medium and light roasts and I'll mainly use it for espressos and lattes with my breville bambino plus. Thank you so much!
Hi Lance, I was wondering how you'd compare both this and the niche with a higher end hand grinder, particularly the 1z K-Plus since that seems to be the crowd favorite. Thanks for the videos!
Ive got one over in Thailand, works well for me for Flair58, only complaint is that make sure you clean the gear well, I almost sealed mine shut permanently 😅 Im not sure the tape hack would work as turning too tight might seal it forever 😅
I own the 1zpresso jx pro at the moment, but to much work yo dial in espresso plus once dialed to much work to do 2 3 shots. Going yo return it. Would you recomend the sd40? I do aeropress and espresso mostly. Been looking for budget grinders that work got both. Should this be my go to? Or are there other good on that princr range options? Huge fan of you vids 🙏
Hi Lance! Great new setup and great video, love your explanations. Im looking to upgrade my Timemore C2, I don't care about hand or electric grinder, do you think this could be an upgrade for me? Or need to look to other alternatives for only pour over? Thanks in advance!
What I find is helpful to equalize espresso temperatures a bit more when comparing two different shots side by side, is using a double walled glass just for the first shot and a regular cup /glass for the 2nd. It should be a lot closer that way. Normally I don't use the double walled glass unless comparing, because I don't mind having my shot cool. It's interesting how our perception of the taste can change as it cools sometimes.
Unbelievably detailed video. I just subscribed, you’re my new reference! Would you consider reviewing the new df-64e? I’m considering it right now to replace my Mignon Tradizione (like the facile, all manual with 50mm burrs). Thanks!
Somehow i've aquired 3 conical grinders and i think i hate 2 out of 3. Capresso (small, free one), sette 270wi (loud and mediocre), orphan espresso pharos. I've compared my brew techniques to other places, at the source. Not a side by side but same day or different days. There is definitely a noticeable difference. And how you described the differences today sounds like the differences between the grinders i have too. I'd equate the niche to the pharos and the turin to the sette. Similar size burrs in both. Capresso is smaller around 30mm. Noisy and below mediocore.The pharos is 73mm for this gen 1 version. Impossible to do espresso without a drill attachment. I've had comparisons to an ek43, ditting (large something), bunzilla 80 or 100mm i think ghost burrs or combo, maybe one or two others. Most have been on the ek43 train for a long time. I think that needs to change. James Hoffman and his particle distribution analysis sparked this. As the ek didn't come out on top for espresso for no limit grinder line up. That to say, what's best isn't clear. Pun intended. Time to try something else. I don't want end game as that is just asking for settling in a fun hobby. I was considering the turin's in general for the price. I may go the df83 route. As it sounds the smaller conical's in any price category won't make a huge difference. My friend has a niche and for espresso i think it's good, he doesn't use it for pour overs as you eluded to the potential problems. Your tasting notes sound on point. My word of caution is, tools like tds or refractometer can muddy the waters. An old shop i used to go to 2-3 times a week. We'd taste new stuff all the time. Cuppings every weekend. The owner got wrapped around the axle with tools and insisting the extraction was better therefore the taste was better. I said no. It doesn't always work that way. You have to taste, adjust, meter check, adjust and not be sucked into tools making flavor decisions. Customer feedback should not be ignored. Grinders, water, method, timing dwell time, etc. All play into it. Keep at it. I think your a channel up my alley. I'll watch some more. Love the shirt. I'm a home roaster and hambella is a regular location in my cabinet to roast.
There is a new version of this available from China that happens to have the exact improvements you wanted: the button is on the side and there are no steps
Ordered the SD40 Version 2...... Looking forward to trying it out..... INterstesting that on the website it says RPM without beans is 600 and with beans is 400...... So a bit slower than you think but still higher.
Kafmasino - looking forward to your review. Will it be another wired gourmet? Its down to 950 from next week. And kafmasino and decent next to each other - interesting
Nice video, & I like the purple lighting. Fair comparison with the Niche... The SD40 cost is $249 USD. I already have a Lagom mini with 48mm burrs, although I've mostly been using my Comandante C40 for pour overs. Good info, but I'm happy with my current grinders.
@@veganpotterthevegan I did not think that was Lance's intent with this video. Based on what I saw, I concluded that Lagom mini is a better grinder for my purposes. I have watched coffee videos and ordered equipment based on the video. I doubt I'm the only one. 😃
2 comments. The first is when are you releasing your brewing ASMR album? Fantastic sound work on that! The second is your explanation of the undulating style from conical burrs was excellent, it made so much sense
Hey Lance, you should try to mod the SD40 to run on lower RPM, since you have the tools to measure the speed. A dimmer would probably work, depending on the type of motor.
Issue with that comparison is their goals are different. Sd40 has a hunking motor for espresso. Lagom is not built for as much espresso. I prefer flavor from the lagom but if you're an espresso first drinker (more than 40% espresso) then lagom won't last you super long.
Love that you go into these new grinders as I'm personally always curious about them! I can understand a decent amount about grinders by now, but when comparing them it's a little hard to see exacts on positives and negatives. If anyone would like to also share their knowledge on grinders there are a few I'm comparing together to actually see which to buy. (Niche Zero - $800~. Unable to buy, price is too high but it's a nice comparison level). DF64 - $450. Sette 270 - $400. SD40 - $250. Smart Grinder Pro - $200. As far as I know the order of "Best" for these grinders overall would be Niche Zero > Sette 270 > DF64 > SD40 / SGP. Again I'd not just love to know which might be nice to buy, but what really makes people choose one thing over another other than just price since I'd adore learning more and sharing it with the next person who asks. 🤎
Thanks for the insight! Will this be a good step up or "upgrade" from the grinder that comes with the Breville Barista Express? Needless to say, I'll be using this primarily for espresso.
I find that the primary difference between these two grinders is inherent in the fact that particle distribution is proportional to the diameter of the difference between the grind ratio of the burs over against the… I NEED A ‘BE HAMBELA’ SHIRT!!!
Is that a wooden scale underneath the espresso machine? It has the silver metal plate and buttons, but has wooden like base instead of the plastic silver version that is everywhere on the internet. Where did you find that please? I love the looks 😍
Mine just got here from Joe today. Dialed in some medium on my 51mm appliance. Was different than the df83 and that muddling actually favored the d40 with my house blend to our taste. She tasted blind with dairy. I tasted espresso. It will be used to fill kcup baskets for her pleasure. Upgrading her from a 4cup drip and blade grinder. Find your assesment spot on.
