Niche Zero Bottom Line Review™

Bottom Line First
The Niche Zero is an amazing grinder for the money though it is indeed a niche grinder as its purpose is single-dosing. This is perfect as my main use is single dosing for my daily espressos (well, actually macchiatos.) What I like best is that it's extremely consistent and repeatable. I keep a log of my grind settings for various beans and types of coffee and I can change back and forth from a cold brew or pour-over grind to espresso and it's right on the money almost every time. This is the reason I switched grinders and it has lived up to my expectations. If your main use of a grinder is for single dosing this is definitely a fabulous grinder with stellar grind quality at a surprisingly reasonable cost. It also happens to be fairly quiet as grinders go. My gripes are minor. See "Cons" in my pros and cons list below.

Reliability
With only 3 months use it's difficult to determine long term reliability. I'll probably report again after I've had it a year or more. That said, it has been reliable so far and it is clearly well made with a solid feel to it. It is also a simple design so I expect it to be reliable. I'll let you know.

Crowdfunding sales and support
To put it mildly, I am not a fan of purchasing goods from crowdfunding sites as such sites are not stores. In fact the NZ is my first positive experience with a crowd funded purchase. I never would have done it without first verifying that other people made their purchases successfully. My experience was good. They kept in touch about shipping and I received it from across the pond within a couple weeks of ordering. James from Niche was very responsive whenever I emailed with a question or concern.

My suggestion to Niche (and I've emailed them about this) is to dump Indiegogo as soon as possible and find distributors/retailers in the U.S. and Canada and where ever else you have large markets. It inspires a lot more confidence to know there is an actual dealer or store in your home country behind it; stocking parts, offering service, and someone to call for support.

Aesthetics
I'll admit I like the looks of it. It's a bit utilitarian while also looking cool in a funky retro American 1950s way. It's a good match for my vintage 1958 Sunbeam Coffeemaster C50. I know some people don't think it is very pretty but to Niche: Don't change it! It is unique and that is critical in distinguishing your product from others. It reminds me of Apple's very first iMacs with curvy colored enclosures while everyone else had a beige box.

My wife likes it and thinks it looks cool. For her to even render a judgement about a coffee appliance is saying something. She's not a coffee drinker and generally has disdain for my coffee implements taking up counter space. If you think it is lacking in beauty, you'll find it is more than made up for in personality.

Capacity
I realize this is a single dose design and it does work well 95% of the time. But for the next generation, just a little bit more room in the bean funnel/reservoir would be appreciated. Perhaps it's just the sloped design and smooth surface but it's a stretch to fit the 50g stated limit. I will sometimes grind 40g for cold brew and have to pour the beans very carefully so they don't spill over the edge. And sometimes even when I'm pouring in a 17g single dose, if I pour too fast or I'm a little too high above it, some beans will fly out.

Pros and cons

Pros
* Simple design
* Superb grind quality
* Physically compact- preserves counter space
* Easy to turn stepless grind adjustment ring, yet holds its place
* Very consistent at any given grind setting
* Ability to change grind settings back and forth with repeatable and accurate results
* Virtually no loss of grounds (for me, usually .1 gram)
* Retractable power cord

Cons
* Pop-corning. Perhaps this is unavoidable with a single dose conical grinder but an issue nonetheless.
* Constant red light- a niggle but I'd like to see a more subtle green or blue power light if any.
* Bean funnel slightly small in some cases in light of the necessity for a slick surface to feed the beans

Conclusion
For many people $700 is a lot of money but if you can swing it, the Niche Zero is worth more than its price compared to the other grinders I've owned in this price range and even more expensive ones. It is simple to use, extremely consistent, grinds beautifully and takes up little space on your counter. It works as well for pour-over as for espresso. My complaints are so minimal as to be more like a wish list. I haven't had it long enough to know when/if it will need repairs. I'm hoping Niche will have a U.S. dealer by then so I don't have to ship it to or receive parts from overseas. Even with all this in mind, I highly recommend it.

Note: I hope sharing my experiences with this grinder in this purposely short review is helpful to some of you considering a purchase. If you want more information about features, technical details, taste comparisons, etc., you can find it on this site from some great HB folks that have already posted their reviews and comments about it.