3cordcreations wrote:Did you make this? If so, nice job! Nice set and video shows it well.

Thank you. Yes, it's my design. I've been using it almost all year. Works well for me.

I'd like to see them ditch the reclaimed wood. not fond of the aesthetic. Prefer a more industrial look.

Flat burr option.

Bellows.

Removable chute ala Monolith.

Maybe a rocker switch for power in stead of the flip switch.

+many = portafilter holder

Brushed aluminum housing. Anything else made of metal (e.g. stainless cup) also give a brushed or matte finish.

Laser-engrave (or black anodize) the Niche logo onto the housing rather than using a badge.

(I just ordered and have not held one but I think I read it has an aluminum housing.)

Apparently polished aluminum is in the works. Not brushed.

You could easily diy the look you are referring to. Might even turn out better.

One problem right now is the cup interior is not polished and the ground coffee gets stuck to the surface. The exterior is polished so this makes it more frustrating then it should be. I'll try tumbling it in polishing media if the owner doesn't mind lol

My Niche is new and so far my only minor gripe is that the bolt sticking up from the lower wood baseplate prevents it from being useful for the occasion when you might want to grind into a taller receptacle. Just off the top of my head, some easy fixes could be the reverse - having a nob protrude from the removable plate fitting into a notch in the base plate or a circular indentation in the baseplate the the whole removable plate fits into.

Just remove the bolt and replace with flat head bolt (will need to champfer the hole). Then if you want to get fancy drill a bottoming hole into the bottom of the wood piece and insert a circular magnet that doesn't protrude. Or just remove the base all together as it is a bit bulbous for the size of the unit.

truemagellen wrote:Apparently polished aluminum is in the works.

COOL!

truemagellen wrote: You could easily diy the look you are referring to. Might even turn out better.

I actually started thinking about that right after placing my order this weekend. Local powderworks shop or machine shop might be able to bead blast (or something). Then I told myself to just stop. I don't even have it in my hands yet.

Before considering "changes" to be made one has to keep in mind the design goals of the grinder. Value single dose grinder that has little or no grind retention. Most of the suggestions mentioned would increase the cost or compromise the design. All the adds on would increase cost and achieve nothing functional. Adding metal would increase static electricity and create grind retention. After using the grinder for 3 weeks I honestly wouldn't change anything. This grinder provides top notch results for an incredibly reasonable price. If I wanted more I'd buy a Monolith.

badgerbimmer wrote:Before considering "changes" to be made one has to keep in mind the design goals of the grinder. Value single dose grinder that has little or no grind retention. Most of the suggestions mentioned would increase the cost or compromise the design.

Which is why my suggestions of eliminating the red LED and eliminating the retractable cord make sense! They add cost without adding significant value, IMO.

...the retractable cord is one of my favorite features, tbh. I hate on my Fellow kettle that there's a mess of spooled up power cable on the counter next to the Niche, which has a just-right length. That's the thing about it - it allows you only what you need. Just the right amount of coffee, an on/off switch, the length of cord...

Honestly don't mind the aesthetics and the functionality for my workflow is great. If you actually measured the time of puck prep and consistency of extractions you'd abandon grinding into your PF in favor of a dosing cup

Flat burr might be my only ask, but the Kony burrs work great for every brew method for me