The Niche Duo Review 

Oh boy my opinion on the Niche Duo has finally dropped

“I have no complaints, that doesn’t mean I have NO complaints.” A very coffee person thing that should be on a shirt.

that single missed bean at 4:04 saddened me

These grinder and coffee related reviews have reached the level of Hi-Fi reviews, with charts and all. Both are convoluted, potentially expensive and I have no complaints.

Genuine LOL at “I don’t like the blue”, never change James, never change….. (happy Niche Zero owner with no buyers remorse after seeing this!)

”We’ll pull some shots, we’ll taste them. We’ll make some filtercoffe, we’ll drink that too”. This cadence, almost poetry like, really stood out to me, just now, as a marker of the thought and quality that separates you from the rest of the field. Keep on rocking!

As a data nerd, I would've loved to see the difference between the espresso burrs and the filter coffee burrs in the particle analyzer! Also a comparison with the EG-1 particle profile would've been great to learn why that grinder is able to make both great espresso and filter coffee, while the Niche filter coffee burrset wasn't. It's a good video, but I would love to learn a bit more and dive a bit deeper into the analysis to understand what variables are responsible for making great coffee.

You have no idea how much my wallet is thanking you for confirming that my Niche Zero is still a great choice 😂

This is hilarious. I've seen so many Reddit comments about the clarity enhancement 😂 and it's virtually no different.

I cannot believe how excited I get when I see a new Hoffmann video drop especially because of how basic of a coffee drinker I am. French press is about all I do and drink it black but damn do I love a good Hoffmann vid.

I love that your sweaters keep getting bigger

YES! Been looking forward to this review since I saw the Duo on their website.

Niche Zero owner here, thanks James for the review so I can resist the itch to upgrade. My next upgrade will be variable speed, larger burr and flat. I also think particle analysis for grinders is a must in the future, so people can quantitatively evaluate and compare each. After watching this video, I feel like watching other coffee reviews about the duo and see what they say lol

4:04 Anybody else twitching at that bean that made a break for it? 🤣

Your picture in the background (coffee landscape) would make a great jigsaw puzzle, and hence a great gift. Recommend you possibly follow-up on this idea. Ask your subscribers if they would buy this.

Thank you, James. You've convinced me that the Niche Zero is a better choice for my needs, and saved me a bit of money in the process! 👍

Have to agree with your gripes here. 1 - we want a grinder that can be good (not perfect) in both filter and espresso without changing around burrs 2- I wouldn’t change burrs no matter how simple, on a daily basis, eg. between having a wake up espresso then filter at lunch 3- living in Norway it’s super common to make a 1L can of coffee to enjoy over time, the dosing cup is then kind of useless 4 - the blue burr would wreck my head. Conclusion - this is not the grinder for me

Finally, I've been waiting for this! Small comment on the catch cup: They actually did change the cup a little. The external shape is identical, but it is now rounder at the inside on the bottom and the little ridge is no longer on the inside. Both had a habit of retaining grounds, so that is no issue anymore.

I watch this channel semi regular and oh boy did he just put his coffee thru a particle analyzer? Thats more effort than I put in anywhere xD

Been waiting so long for this!

I bought this seven months ago and have been hoping for this review for so long!!

I bought the Niche Duo as I was struggling to get a great espresso with a lighter roast coffee using my Niche Zero. I am really pleased with it, actually. I was able to get that excellent espresso and a higher degree of consistency to my shots than i did with the Zero. I sold the Zero to a friend. I don’t miss it, the workflows and quality are the same. I only grind for espresso with the Duo. I have a different grinder for filter. YMMV but after 5 months of daily use I’m confident that it was the right decision for me. I’m getting consistently great shots across a range of beans.

I have the Zero version as my first every grinder. Having to switch out the burrs makes it an immediate no-go. The zero was nice because you can change coffee types and brewing styles almost per cup. Making it the easiest way to try out new stuff as a beginner

Gosh. Been watching this dude for 5 years

Something that has also been catching on is mechanically adjusting (via a washer, paper, tape, etc.) the anti-popcorn wheel entry-hole size on the Niche Zero for a slow-feed effect. This reduces fines even more and I can attest to noticing an improvement in espresso clarity and pour-over clarity. Without that popcorn wheel in the Duo this mod is not possible. This continues to prove what James posited years ago in his re-grinding video.

I want to say I originally found your channel because of the Niche! Back when I bought a thrifted (and cheap) flat burr grinder and started my way down the coffee rabbit hole. I ended up putting my money toward a 1zpresso hand grinder, but I still really like the Niche's design and the company's focus. I appreciate it's not just a black or silver box either, it's a fun and lively shape for a grinder. If I ever do pony up for an electric grinder it's probably going to be a Niche. On the subject of the dosing cup, they really should just make a wider cup that fits that larger indentation on the wooden puck there. When you see that it really seems like that was their intention. I'm surprised they haven't done it already, especially if they were going to come out with a filter focused burr set.

Hi James! Great video as always. Thank you for your analysis. If possible, I’d love to see the particle analysis of the filter burs vs the espresso burs

So glad for this review and when Buying my ODE 2 I struggled with if I should wait for this one. Fantastic grinder but thanks for reinforcing for me at least that I made the right choice in the ODE 2 (I’m filter coffee only )

I noticed that the espresso burr seemed misplaced in that the SET on the burr should be up at the white dot according to Niche as that is the best position for a burr set planarity if I understand their manual. Second I cut a simple rubber disc to cover beans as it grinds, keeps th epopping contained. Yep, I own one and do notice the similarity in the burr sets but also taste a difference, could be me, the beans and who knows. That said I am watching those who are giong to or have installed different burrs sets....interesting. Great review and good points made

4:04, bean not found.

Very glad that I bought the Zero a few during Thanksgiving. Thanks, James! Sounds like I didn't miss anything and saved some money.

I love the sweater you are wearing in this. Looks like looking down into my grinder and seeing the freshly ground filter coffee :D

Wonderful, deep review. But re. graph at 9:50 comparing particle size distribution between Niche Zero (conical) and EG1 (flat), the different peaks of the larger particles almost certainly has to do with the grind setting on the two machines and not conical vs. flat burrs. Without a way of standardizing grind settings between machines (not easy), all you can really do with these graphs is compare the shape of the distribution, not where the peaks sit along the x-axis. Looking at the shapes, I agree that the peaks of the flat burr profile are closer together.

A few months ago, I stumbled across this channel. Shortly after losing myself in a Hoffman binge I splurged on a lelit bianca v3 and this grinder 😅 So coming in from a cold start and just starting my real journey into the world of brewing, this grinder def met my expectations.

I am not very interested in coffee. But this person's voice is very soothing.

amazing review as usual , thank you James ,love ya. I assume Niche version 3 or even 4 will be best - i think they are on the right path.

“I want an easy life. I am a lazy man!”, says James. What does that make the rest of us?!

I have the Niche Zero, and recently for the past year I’ve made nothing but Pour Over coffee and have thought about getting a flat burr grinder and was leaning towards the Ode Gen 2. Your video basically has confirmed that is the right choice. It’s half the price of the Duo and much smaller.

I had a CEADO E37Z naked which unfortunately arrived twice damaged and it was just gorgeous to use. Al be it broken. Returned the second one and bought a WW EG-1 and never looked back. Interestingly I use the ULF burrs for my filter. Think it brings out more clarity. Thank you for another great video.

Just watched 20min of this video and I enjoyed it so much even though I am very little interested of the subject😂 Great job, James!

Great video as always! Would love to see you revisit the Wilfa Uniform, I believe it was part of your daily setup some time ago

Love the jumper 😍

The hair and coolness is still game on 5 years later

Weirdly this review made me very happy, I was worried I would get some sort of fomo from owning the zero and wanting the duo but you just laid my fears to rest. I am very happy with my Niche Zero and will probably stay happy with it for a long time still to come.

I watch every video James puts out and yet I have a Nespresso Vertuo 🤣 and complain that the coffee isn't very good

Awesome and a little shocking as I've been waiting for you to review the Duo James. I purchased my Zero in July 2021 when we had to check for inventory daily LoL. I found a very nice heavy rubber bellows on Etsy that comes with a little clip to keep the microswitch depressed. Allowing for hot loading. As I only make espresso I will be hanging onto my Zero, thanks again.

James being merciless as always! that being said lots of good features here :)

I’m a Niche Zero owner. My next grinder is likely to be the Mazzer Philos. I want the alignment of metal, not plastic. I also want a controlled feed rate of an auger, and the ability to clean the grinder without touching the alignment or getting grinds into the adjustment threads.

Imagine you have guests and someone asks for an espresso. Then you get your little screwdriver and your burrs set and you change them to make the coffee. You'll look like the biggest dork ever

Wow your video people popped off. The contrast and colour in this a-roll is like candy it’s perfect and so tasteful. Love the lighting, audio is mint. God bless

I'm late on this, but I enjoyed watching it. Thank YOU James. I own a Niche Zero, thanks largely to James and his vids. A couple of things that I wish he would have touched upon. One, I bought my Niche after the Kickstarter, but still many years ago now. Mine came with the anti-pop-corning disk, but none of the vids used it in testing (that I recall) because the original, didn't come with it. I know he liked it better, but offhand, I don't know how much difference it makes, and I'm not sure he went into any detail in that, nor did he mention it here in the comparison. Two, he did a particle comparison on the espresso but not the "filtter" coffee. I use mine for siphon coffee daily. I can't afford the Niche Duo, currently, but there was much less comparison on the filter, than on the espresso to me. Lastly, I wish there were, recommended burr test. Like, You could use X or Y burs to achieve filter or espresso or combination. (maybe that's too large a field or something you could do later). I don't honestly know how many reasonable compatible bur-sets are out there . Still love the VID/Review 😀👍! Oh, during closing/summary James(you), forgot or didn't recommend Niche selling without a bur set, he (sorta) did in the beginning. I wish he had recommended that. 😉 I did get that without a different burr set, and/or my anti-pop-corning (plastic disc), it's doesn't seem to be a recommended upgrade, even for just filter. It's a shame that this one gets pop-corning beans in between the lid. I've never had that happen on the Zero (that I can remember). I looked on my Zero and there doesn't seem to be any room for the bean to escape between the funnel ridge and the top, without the lid being "popped" up. I'm curious if the Duo's lid is popping up, or if it doesn't have the close tolerance the Zero does.

So glad my fomo is relieved. I love my niche zero, but of course I was curious about the duo. I use the zero mostly for filter brews, but also for occasional espressos, and it has been very satisfying for both uses. I am not surprised that the flat burrs for filter on the duo give better results, but it seems clear this would not really work for my needs, as I do like to make espresso from time to time and I sure as heck am not going to swap the burrs to do that. So I will stick with my zero and continue to be happy. Thanks for the great review!

You can taste the difference between burrs? Mind blown. Love your work, please keep it up.

Have never clicked on a review this fast

Spraying my beans before grinding makes such a big difference in retention and static - so much less mess both in my hand and electric grinder. (I do occasionally have to tap the electric grinder to stop beans sticking)

That was my impression as well. Same for espresso as the Zero, way better for filter with the filter burr. Do keep in mind that it’s easier with this grinder to go back and forth if you’re trying new burrs and want to compare in quick succession.

1:06, Trespass is among the peak (albeit quite different) of early Genesis. Will die on that hill.

Little tip about presenting particle size data, particularly with an image analyzer: when comparing multiple distributions, the cumulative distribution view can be very helpful and less "messy" than the standard presentation.

Thank you for the video James.

Great presentation of the information 😀. Thanks for sharing this with me 😊😁. Hello from Indiana USA and this 63 year old lady.

Sounds like you need to get your hands on the Timemore Sculptor 078 now

Duo user here. This is my first grinder so nothing to compare but I have found it reliable so far, giving consistency and a nice easy workflow (I use it with the Robot). I will say, I don't find that the water is required. I have the white version and see very little in the way of static. With the filter burrs I did notice some retention, but discovered a way to help with that (see my "bellows" video!) and with that it seems fine now. Espresso burrs did seem to choke on the extremely fine setting (5) which was worrying. Overall, happy with it.

“Thank you so much for watching, and I hope you have a great day.” I look forward to that tag line every time. It feels so genuine. James, I’m thinking the best solution is for you to team up with Niche or produce your own grinder.

I got those cups in January. Including shipping, I paid €55 euro for two cups/saucers. Surely my most extravagant (in terms of just how "necessary" a purchase is) coffee spend; and I don't regret it for a second. They look great and are a pleasure to hold and drink from.

Did I miss the particle size analyzer for the Filter Burr set? I'd like to know if there's an appreciable difference between the two burr sets.

I miss these review videos

I own one of each. The "Zero" was the first serious grinder I purchased, and I was only about six months into my home barista experiment when I got it. Your review, along with a few others, was extremely influential in my decision to get the Zero, and I have no regrets. It's a highly capable grinder, and other, marginally-more capable and marginally-better priced grinders that have come along since (for instance, the DF64) do not offer the same degree of workflow enjoyability. I purchased the Duo without waiting for anyone's review. And I do not regret the decision at all - it's wonderful having a few grinders to work with. Why? It's less about wanting to compare three different grinders, a/b/c/; that has a limited appeal. It's more about being able to have multiple different dial-ins so I can have a regular espresso, a decaf espresso, and a seasonal rotation - the single origin of the month. Trying to grind all on the same grinder means having to adjust the grind, and, despite the low retention, there is inevitably some cross-contamination (not a horrendous problem) but worse, there could be coffee waste (which I try very hard to avoid). I think your review of the Duo is very accurate. It's a highly capable grinder, but in some ways it's a step backward; it's louder, bulkier, and offers a bit less value-for-money. But, I was happy with my purchase, and I don't regret it.

I have a niche zero, use it daily to make my coffee (on a moka pot) very nice to use although the coffee beans get stuck in the input funnel when watered which is required if i don’t want grind coffee being spelt all around from the output. Apart from that and given the reasonable price and the great looks, using it is a lovely everyday day experience.

That particle analysis is crazy! You had one job, niche.

Thanks for the review. I was really hoping this would be a good multitasker--i do espresso, my wife likes filter coffee. Our Eureka mignon is not ideal for this setup, but i got it because its easy on my ears and doesn't flare up my tinnitus. For this to be louder and more expensive than the zero, and still not nail both is disappointing.

Excellent information. Thank you.

Have had my niche for 3 yrs and still love it.

Nitpicks: anyone else want to see a 20 min video of nothing but nitpicks from James? Maybe a special video of nitpicks from life in general?

I hate the blue too. Haha. It’s the first thing I noticed when it launched. Great review as always!

James, as you talked about wanting a bigger dosing cup, your coffee cup was standing just next to the grinder and my intrusive thoughts just got the best of me😬

I love this channel. I do have a coffee grinder , Im quite happy with, I dont intent to buy a new one - yet still I love these videos. On a side note. Why are there so many youtube videos on coffee vrewing and coffee equipment, but so few on coffee? I mean, isn't the choice of your coffee the most decisive thing when it comes to whether or not a cup tastes good?

I'm here for the Trespass shade

It never fails, to me coffee is coffee. Yet I still love watching these videos.

Thank you James. 🙏🏻

8:24 - "I was curious, so I immediately went to my particle size analyzer". Never change.

Trespass is an amazing album. That is all.

I’m sorry but Trespass is far superior to From Genesis To Revolution. You could argue that Trespass is actually Genesis’s true first album (stylistically anyway)

Not the grinder I’m going to be upgrading to, but the burr carrier system is awesome. I hope this solution becomes a standard in the industry. I can’t justify having multiple grinders in my life, but can imagine investing in heaps of burrs to play around with.

Thanks James!

Never been this early, oh my

Needing a screwdriver is a downer to me. They should engineer a quick change system, to make it more versatile.

I just wanna say I love your jumper. You look like a coffee wizard today :)

James, love your understanding espresso videos! Any chance you can make a video about different cup styles impacting espresso experience? Thanks!

Good on you for turning the top ring counterclockwise to locate the beginning of the thread before tightening the ring!

When I bought my ECM classika it came with a mid wight metal tamper. I took the hopper off my Ceado E37S grinder and placed the ECM tamper over the grinder funnel opening- and presto! single dose grinder ;)

The Coffee City Print would make a great puzzle design. Hope they do a run of that at some point...

That poster is fun, has a tech nerd I really like the idea of it rendered in 8bit 😊

Has to be mentioned the burrsets provided are manufactured by Mazzer and they happen to be the same ones of the Major V and ZM. Mazzer already produces 3 x 83mm burrsets which can be used in the Niche Duo: - The espresso one (Major V Electronic, burrs 0151A/251A ) - The Hybrid (ZM, good for filter and espresso, K151L) - The Filter (ZM, unimodal geometry with the intent of producing less fines, filter coffee purposes 151F/K151F) which are extremely cheap compared to burrsets from other manufacturers. *Mazzer produces 6 or even more 83mm burrsets aside the ones mentioned above Aside the fact SSP produces an 83mm burrset compatible with Mazzer, hence Niche Duo. As you said looking at the grinder per se, it's like "it could have been better", especially considering what's around already. But the possibilities after the purchase are endless, could potentially end up being in between the best "domestic" single dose grinder with "commercial" quality.

Excellent, Superbly Done, Wonderfully Fun. How Sweet It Is. Love the Niche O, Love the Niche Duo.

yes an upload

Thanks so much for this review James. Will you be doing a review on the Fiorenzato Allground Sense Grinder? I would love to hear your feedback on it. It is one of the grinders that I am considering to buy.

I would have loved to see the granulometry comparison chart between the filter burr and the Zero... Thanks for the great video as always, and now I know which one I am going to choose....

If you looking for a a better espresso and pour over setup I recommend the DF83V Variable Speed Coffee Grinder which is a 83mm burr setup as well at $799. Not to mention multiple burr sets available like the Sweet Labs 83mm which does both espresso & pour over the best in my opinion or go SSP MP 83mm which is another great option. The best thing I like about the DF83V it has the variable speed motor which is awesome for pour overs less fines. You can switch the stock dosing cup with a Blind Tumbler that will hold 40g with ease. This has been my best upgrade for end results and work flow. Don’t think of DF83V being poorly built it is not zero issue extremely solid build.

As a Niche Duo owner, I agree with several of the points in this video. While swapping the burrs is relatively easy, I rarely do so and find myself either enjoying espresso or filter coffee for any given day, but rarely both. I would really love to see a universal burr option from Niche. For the slightly aggravating popcorning, I've resorted to using an upside-down backflush basket to keep my beans in the hopper. Works great when I remember to use it!

Love these videos James, my only question is, which electric grinder would you say is the best value for purely filter coffee without going to crazy prices?