I recently upgraded my coffee setup from a basic Mr. Coffee and pre-ground beans to a Moccamaster and a Breville espresso machine. Initially, I used a budget hand grinder, which worked for pour-over but fell short for espresso. After extensive research on Facebook groups and YouTube reviews, I chose the DF54 grinder for its ability to handle both espresso and coarser grinds effectively.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the DF54. It delivers consistent grind sizes—comparable to high-quality pre-ground coffee—and is quieter, more compact, and better-looking than other grinders in its price range. Its solid, heavy build feels durable, and the lack of complex technology reduces the risk of breakdowns. At this price point, it’s an excellent value.
My only issue is static. Despite the built-in plasma generator (ionizer), static persists regardless of cleaning (using the included brush or a bulb blower), bean type (dark or medium roast, oily or not), or techniques like RDT. For example, this morning I ground 70 grams of medium-roast beans coarsely with RDT and had minimal static, but grinding 18 grams of dark-roast beans for espresso shortly after was messy due to static. I always hot-start and adjust the grind while running, but I didn’t season the grinder extensively, letting it season naturally.
Despite the static, I highly recommend the DF54 for anyone seeking a versatile grinder under $300 that excels for both espresso and other brew methods. I plan to try a metal dosing cup to address the static, though my all-metal hand grinder also has static issues, so I’m skeptical it will help much.
I love this grinder. It has a beautiful form factor but even more importantly it grinds beautifully. With my old grinder making espresso was a bit of a chore. Using the DF54 it’s a pleasure. I read a review that said it works as well as grinders costing four times as much and I believe it!
I have definitely been spoiled with Expresso Outlet’s Turin offerings and out of the four (4) different Turin grinder models that I have acquired through EO, this CF64v with the SSP Unimodal burr set installed by EO prior to their shipping it to me is a strong equal to that of my other favorite, the DF83v…. Of which I use primarily now for espresso with its SSP red sweet burr set that also performs well for my French Press… SO, getting back to this CF64v, I find that I even have less fines in this CF64v than that of my DF83v and the other two (2) Turin grinders as I have seen, at the most, 1/10th of a gram of grind variance from that of its original start bean weight out of this CF64v and most of the time the exact same total weight as that of its original bean weight… I highly recommend this particular CF64v model to anyone looking for a very well designed and an excellent build quality grinder…. and, at such an affordable price… AS a comparison to these two favorite Turin grinders of mine as to those of my former coffee life, back in the early 1990’s I had the smaller Mazzer and, more recently, as I got back into this coffee world again a few years ago, I had purchased the Mahlkonig X54 of which these two do not even hold a candle to the overall performance and resultant low maintenance requirements of this CF64v and the DF83v in their comparison to these former grinders… AND in my daily use, I do find that this CF64v leaves far fewer internal cavity grind leftovers for a clean-up than even found in my DF83v and it ;is so much lighter in weight as well as it does not take very much countertop space to that of my DF83v… SO, all in all, if I was to choose between these two well-built/superb grinders as well as to any other manufacturer’s offerings, I am finding that I like this CF64v the more that I use it…
Grinder works great so far. Have only had for about two weeks though, so we’ll see what long-term provides.
Have also had a Turin DF64, DF83 and still have a DF64V v1. Will mention that I tried a niche for a month or two when it was so highly rated and never quite got what it’s appeal was. The DF83V is my favorite. The workflow is the same as any other SD grinder, but the factory DLC burrs at 1000 RPM produce clump free grounds and the taste from my shots is the best of all the SD grinders I’ve had. I use medium dark roast beans and make primarily lattes and caps. The DF83V is very easy to live with, low maintenance, ease of use and great tasting coffee.
This machine has an amazing feature set for the price. It has been reliable so far. The only negative at this point is a couple minor software bugs that only present themselves on occasion: When setting the brew time for the automatic mode, it doesn't always use the preinfusion settings, and it has activated the automatic mode from the manual button a couple times.
I have seen the good, the bad & the ugly as far as scales. I've had some that started adding weight before a shot was even started. This one is very compact (fits/works great on both my Rancilio Silvia & ECM Puristika machines), has a mode 1 & mode 2; the mode 2 being what actually works as designed. It is my definition of ergonomic.
I have lots of "java toys". As a former cafe manager, I take my home barista needs seriously. This grinder is so simple while being heavy duty. The adjustments are easy to see & the results, once dialed in, are fantastic. Even small details, such as the dosing cup, work well. Very little grounds retention. My shots have lots of chocolate hints.
Excellent build quality, and it produces amazing shots of espresso the same quality and sometimes even better than my Sanremo YOU machine. Also customer service from Espresso Outlet is top notch, they are always ready to help and happy to answer any questions. Definitely recommend the Wendougee espresso machine and also recommend Espresso Outlet for all your coffee prep needs.
I had been looking at various upgrades for my espresso setup. I went with the stock espresso burrs. So far, I've put about 4 lbs of beans through it, 3 of which are just for seasoning. It's quick, quiet, and with some RDT, the retention is almost non-existent. Definitely a great upgrade to my basic Breville 870 setup.