"Upgrade" from Kinu M47 to Niche Zero worth it?

#1: Post by **YeetSkeeterson** » June 7th, 2021, 2:58 pm

With a new Niche Zero stock about to be released, I'm interested in potentially snagging one.

I do not have much experience with grinders. I have owned and used the same two grinders, Comandante C40 for coffee and Kinu M47 for espresso, for 2-3 years now. I always read about how different grinders affects the flavor profiles of an identical bean. I also have a Fresh Roast SR800 on the way for experimenting meaning I will be drinking more coffee.

With that said, I like manual grinders, I like electric grinders. I really have no preference, though I'm looking for in the cup results. So I'm wondering if the Niche Zero is worth acquiring with my current setup being just a Cafelat Robot Barista.

If I did acquire one, would you suggest I sell the Kinu M47 as it offers me no additional benefits outside of portability, which I don't need, or keep it for some in the cup reason?

#2: Post by **Bluenoser** » June 7th, 2021, 3:50 pm

The Kinu is a great conical. Why not look at one of the new flat burr types and keep both.

#3: Post by **ira** » June 7th, 2021, 3:57 pm

There is every chance that the Kinu will be as good as the Niche and it's main advantage will be not having to hand grind.

#4: Post by **Jonk** » June 7th, 2021, 4:19 pm

Yeah, the main benefit is actually convenience with the Niche to be honest. Whenever I've compared flavor it's pretty close. I'm leaning slightly towards the M47 in preference but perhaps it's because I've had it for longer.

Another benefit with the Niche is that I can easily grind even finer, like turkish, with no clumping. In the Kinu it just spins without grinding at a similar setting.

After being satisfied grinding mostly by hand for over a year I was surprised by how liberating it felt to have the Niche do all the work.

June 7th, 2021, 4:27 pm

I have both an M47 (original model, 3 years old) and a Niche Zero. I find the flavors very similar, and I couldn't say that one or the other is better. Both have repeatable settings and are both great for varying brew methods. As the previous commentators have said, the main advantage of the NZ is the convenience of an electric grinder.

However, the M47 is much easier to take apart for cleaning. No tools are required, and there aren't any changes in grind settings needed after reassembly.

June 7th, 2021, 4:30 pm

Bluenoser wrote:The Kinu is a great conical. Why not look at one of the new flat burr types and keep both.

I will look into this. Thanks.

And thanks everyone else. I will take every calorie burned per day since I live a sedentary, modern, lifestyle. It's nice to not be reliant on electricity as well..

But trust me when I say I know what it's like to free oneself from the labor of something. Most recently it was getting a KitchenAid stand mixer. It upped my bread game tenfold. It's not a direct comparison though, as kneading takes 10 minutes sometimes and directly affects the outcome, whereas hand grinding takes 30 seconds and can produce, apparently from previous comments, similar results to the electric grinder in question. Still, that freedom would be nice but I don't think it's worth $700 to me. If I find a stack of money I will buy one.

June 11th, 2021, 6:49 pm

Yet another question. I didn't know if I should make another topic. But ever since this thread I have been browsing electric grinders. I just got a coffee roaster and I can already tell it will be a nice appliance to get because I've already increased coffee intake and hope to entertain a bit more.

Is there any consensus on the Niche Zero vs. something like the Eureka Specialita? They are pretty similarly priced.

June 11th, 2021, 7:16 pm

YeetSkeeterson wrote:Is there any consensus on the Niche Zero vs. something like the Eureka Specialita?

Note: if the HB mods think this should be a separate thread, then please delete my comment.

I have both a NZ and a Specialita (one for each of my 2 setups). They are both great grinders.

The timed dosing on the Specialita works really well. You can also single dose it as described in various HB posts. You can buy single dose kits for it on Etsy and other sources. I find the bellow/blower ejects about 1g to 1.5g of ground coffee when single dosing, so the NZ does have less retention. The main disadvantage of the Specialita is that its adjustment mechanism is very finicky and has some slop to it. If you change your grind for a different brew type or different beans, and then return it to its previous setting, you will still need to dial it in again to find the correct grind.

The NZ really excels at low retention and repeatable adjustability. If you want to frequently change beans or brew methods, this right choice for you. The Kinu M47 also has extremely low retention and repeatable adjustments.

There is also the issue of flat (Specialita) vs. Conical (NZ and M47) burrs. My untrained palette can detect slight differences between them, but I can't give you descriptors for the taste differences, and I don't have a preference. YMMV.