Short backstory: I have a Niche Zero, and up until recently had an HG-1 Prime. I liked to try coffees on both grinders, as sometimes one or the other would really make it shine. The HG-1 is great, but takes up a bit of horizontal space, and has to be near the front of the setup. Also, I really prefer using electric first thing in the morning. I mostly brew med-dark roasted espresso. Most of it is roasted at home, so it's hard to give a reference. But one of my favorites is Northbound Prana, and I've enjoyed everything I've tried from Saka.

Some grinders that have caught my eye are the Monolith Conical, Lagom P64, and maybe Weber Key. I did have a Key for about 1 month, but didn't care for the magic tumbler. After the HG-1 though, I could see myself using it with the funnel and detached tumbler. If I get the Monolith, I'd have to buy a dosing cup for it, because I prepare my basket outside of the portafilter still like a newbie.

Ideally I'd be able to find one of these used to save some money and wait time. I could see myself spending up to ~$2,500, but would be happy to spend less.

The things I value are:
- good texture, with complex flavors. I found the HG-1 could bring out some complexity that the Niche couldn't.
- Easy workflow (don't want to have to use bellows, and ideally RDT not needed, but I know it's common)
- Feels nice to use / adjust
- Looks good (I definitely prefer the last 2 grinders to the look of the Monolith, but I think it may offer something special with its new burrs.)
- Customer service

Maybe the Lagom P64 seems out of place, but I like the looks and the work flow. If anyone can comment on how the SSP HU burrs compare to the 83mm HG-1 cones in terms of texture that would be a nice reference point.

Also, please feel free to suggest grinders that I didn't mention here! I reached out to Femobook to see when they will restock their non-Violet colors, but no word yet. Also, Option-O said they may make a bigger conical in the future. I could definitely see myself wanting that, but who knows when it will come out.

A dialed in Niche or HG1 should be all you need for top notch shots from med-dark beans. You just might be able to squeeze minor improvements in texture by moving up to the top echelon, which would be any MonoCon from early iterations to the MC5. The earlier ones will be easier to source secondhand. If you're cashed up and can wait a little, why not bite the bullet and just go straight to the top and go for the MC5 so long as it satisfies your aesthetic criteria. If aesthetics are so important, then I'd recommend the Versalab M4.

Thanks, I figured there wouldn't be too much to gain in the cup, and workflow of the Niche is already dead simple. I do like having an extra grinder for decaf, so I was looking for a new toy to add to the counter. But I will temper my expectations that the taste will be much different than the Niche

With your roasting style do already have great grinders without anything signifcant to improve. One grinder you could add to the list is the Niche Duo wth the Mazzer burrs which are also more suited towards medium/darker roasts. Then you can try the difference between conical and flat. For conical grinders there's not much to upgrade for you.

The Shurikone burrs in the Monolith MC 5 & 6 do an amazing job with medium roast beans. I'd pretty much retired my K10 WBC in favor of either my K30 or Supper Caimano. After a few weeks with an MC 5 my flat burr grinders were collecting dust. Sold it, miss it but only 2 months before a new MC 6 arrives. Some good deals out there on lightly used MC 5s. You won't be disappointed.

Hey Gregory,
Mid month, I'm going out of the country for a month. Want to come up and take the Lagom home for a trial run with it? I have both the original unimodal and SSP red burrs.

erik82 wrote:One grinder you could add to the list is the Niche Duo wth the Mazzer burrs which are also more suited towards medium/darker roasts.

I hadn't ruled out the Duo, but early reports are a bit mixed.

JohnB. wrote:The Shurikone burrs in the Monolith MC 5 & 6 do an amazing job with medium roast beans. Sold it, miss it but only 2 months before a new MC 6 arrives.

Did you sell the MC5 because the MC6 has some "must-have" features? Do you have to use RDT and bellows to get the most out of it?

TenLayers wrote:Hey Gregory,
Want to come up and take the Lagom home for a trial run with it?

Thank you Paul! I'll PM you

You could always try to get a second hand Mazzer Major Manual and singledose it. That's a bomber grinder and also more oriented towards traditional roasts.

Hadn't seen the QC issues some are having but keep in mind that it'll probably be minor as people who have problems tend to search on the internet and post stuff whereas people with perfectly fine grinders don't. This is the big problem in knowing how QC really is for a product. I've also seen multiple people complaining about brands like LWW, Kafatek, Mahlkonig, La Marzocco etc and we know they have a good reputation.

GregoryJ wrote:Did you sell the MC5 because the MC6 has some "must-have" features? Do you have to use RDT and bellows to get the most out of it?

I'd been lusting after an all black version for awhile but the expanded rpm range of the MC 6 pushed me over the edge. When new RDT was useful but once the burrs get seasoned I didn't find it necessary. I use a bellows to clear the grounds path with all my grinders.