0:41: Intro 2:23: Specs comparison 4:40: List of Tests 5:04: Niche: Quick usage guide 5:42: Baratza: Quick usage guide 6:57: Word of caution with Baratza 8:04: Sifter Test 13:01: Taste Test 13:27: Final Comparision and Conclusion
@@KyleRowsell Hi Kyle, if you put this in your description (with 0:00: Start, too) it'll show up as chapters on your video, which I'm sure people would find useful :)
I had the Sette 30 for a few months now. No problem and love the results! I had a Breville pro something grinder before. I had it for a few years. The Sette Up the game of my espresso sooo much!
I admit the sette had some issues. I own one. I do have to say that Baratza customer support and commitment to improve the product is probably one of the best in the industry. They were extremely good shipping Me all upgraded parts with incredible clear work instructions. You don’t have to worry with this company.
I’m surprised to hear of the gearbox failures, mine is almost 7 years old but only probably ran 1.8 cups per day on average. I’m replacing my gearbox hoping the new one is quieter, it is starting to sound a little clunky. The noise has always been the worst part of the machine and there isn’t much that can be done to dampen it.
I have the 270. They sell a different internal burr for filter coffee. It takes maybe 3 mins to swap. Works well for me since I do both espresso and filter depending on mood.
Yes, I am late to the party but I have watched this video a couple of times as well as your review of the Sette 30. I went with the Sette 30. Here is why. I got a great deal on a new 30 at $200. Ordered the BG burr, the Sette 270 Adjustment Assembly, an additional cone and the drop down portafilter fork for the 30. Ok, why did I do this? Here is the logic and setup. I put the BG burr in the original 30 assembly. Stuck the original espresso burr in the 270 assembly. Dialed in both, the 30 assembly for my pour over and the 270 assembly for my preferred bean and espresso grind. A simple 30 second swap of the assembly and I have the best of both worlds. $200 for the 30, $140 for the extras = dual machines for $340. I can easily pick up a spare gear assembly for $40 and literally never have to worry about downtime and still be under the price of the 270....
I've had my Sette 270Wi for more than a year and I have used it at least three times a day: 1X for drip brewing & 2X for making espresso. Haven't had a single problem.
This is the first video of yours I've seen. You did a great job comparing these grinders, and I've subscribed to your channel. I pre-ordered the Sette 270 so I've had it for a long time. I considered pre-ordering the Niche when it was funding since it looks amazing, but ended up passing due to the cost. I completely agree with your comments regarding the reliability of the Sette and Baratza's support. My gear box broke after 4 years of very light use and Baratza replaced it for free. I had other issues as well, which took over 70 emails over several months to diagnose and fix and turned out to be a faulty adjustment assembly, which Baratza also replaced for free.
Love the Sette 270. I've had one now going on 3+ years with daily use. Yes, I had to replace the gears-free of charge from Baratza-and yes, it is LOUD in the still of the morning. BUT it does provide very consistent results for espresso, and does quite well for V60 pour-overs. For the money, a very good grinder with exceptional customer service.
@@isaacbugalho Yes. I finally got it squared away. Was using my Hario hand crank with my Chemex while I waited for them to replace. Their CS email system took forever. Many emails back-and-forth and several reps later, I received my replacement part free of charge.
Sadly in 2022, here in Australia -- the Niche Zero is well over $1000 AUD on pre-order alone. Or buy it in stock from a reseller for $1700... but the 270 was $400 brand new and I got it immediately lol
I got the Niche about 6 months ago. I had to wait, but it arrived as predicted. I've had lower cost grinders before, but I don't think I'll ever need to upgrade now. It is a thing of beauty and very well made. I would say that this is a machine whereas the Sette is a kitchen appliance. Pay cheap, pay twice. Once you've come to terms with the cost, I don't hink you'll look back. Oh, and I emailed them and they answered my queries. One thing, which is really useful, the grind receptacle is the same size as a standard portafilter, so you just invert it - no mess. Very little static, easy to dose, the list goes on... Very happy with mine : )
The Niche is a buy once cry once grinder The Sette is a buy once cry everytime it breaks grinder. If you buy a sette just buy 2 of them so you’ll have 1 when the other sh!ts the bed.
I had the Sette and now have the Niche, both are great in the cup but the reliability thus far and quietness of Niche is worth the extra money. The only thing I miss from the Sette is the speed it was about 4 seconds for a 18 gram dose where the Niche is more like 16. Nither are that long but once you get used to the 4 second grind time the longer grind time of the Niche is more noticeable.
I continue to repair my Sette 30 with free parts from Baratza. It's nuts how many repairs and hours I have spent trouble shooting then contacting the friendly company. I am seriously liking and wanting the obvious reliability of the Niche
Great of you to make a review. One point of feedback is that the first 2-3 minutes are spent purely on intro (which is fine) and then a long winded way of saying: These are the two grinders I will review. Might be a little better with a short and sweet intro or overview of the video content (such as timestamps for when you'll cover certain aspects of the comparison). Such a description of disposition would be more helpful for viewers I believe. Replacing all the "XYZ statement - we'll talk more about that later" with a clear disposition would both shorten the video and clarify the content.
I saw the Sette 270 at a local coffee event, picked it up, noticed how light it is (all that plastic, and the motor is obviously not very heavy) and moved on. I eventually purchased an all metal Eureka Mignon and use it for espresso single-dosing. I love its micro-adjustment feature for dialing in exactly what I want.
Wow, what an excellent video. One of the best reviews of any coffee product I've seen. I have the Sette 270 and the reviewer is spot on - my gearbox broke, but in my case the control panel broke twice - both times a little drop of water (washback from my steamer). All 3 times the supplier took care of it, but it's a few days without a grinder each time. Also, this thing is redicuoulsy LOUD! It's impossible to have a friend over and continue a conversation while this thing grinds. It's insane. My ears hurt every damn time and I've had it for 2 years now.
So this is my second time watching this video. The first time I watched it, I spent the entire 16 minutes justifying why getting the Sette 270 was an optimal choice, especially since the Niche Zero has been completely out of stock and the heartache is too much to bare. And I gotta be honest, I was satisfied with putting the order it on Amazon. But then, magic happened. I RANDOMLY went on the website tonight (just a few minutes ago) and GAWD was looking out. Because there it was: US Niche Zero in white - AVAILABLE! I almost wasn't sure if I was seeing this correctly, but I was. So then, withOUT hesitation, I ordered it. Didn't care the cost, NOTHING! I wanted it, and it was mine for the TAKING! NOW, i'm watching this video a second time, and it's HITTING a little bit DIFFERENT! Now I'm over here like, "oh yeah, I'm about to be in the NZ gang....this is sweet." It's so odd how something sounds and how you feel when you get what you want. Thanks for your vids. Much appreciated. Can't WAIT to get my hands on this thing!
My choice a year ago came down to between these two, and I eventually went for the 270. Part of it was not wanting to wait months but also I didn't want the additional wait time to measure out my beans for every cup. I get through beans fast enough that the hopper is fine. Single-dosing doesn't work well because of popcorning. I've stripped it down for cleaning and it's well engineered.
Very interesting point on single dosing, I always single dose on the Sette 270 and seems to get very little popcorning compared to my Encore, it seems like the odd way the burrs are designed really sucks the beans down and through.
Great review! I just snaffled myself a Niche Zero, very very happy! I had a Baratza Virtuoso Preciso a few years ago. Great grind quality, but constantly breaking down, the plastic bush holding the upper burr kept cracking, then the motor burned out. But the Niche seems bullet proof, we’ll see how it goes for a few years!
Actually, I prefer to have 2 grinders, one for espresso and the other for brew, because that allows me to use different types of beans dedicated for each coffee type.
Decibels are a logarithmic unit of measure. 3db difference is twice the volume. Regarding the grind setting, it seems that if you adjusted the sette just a bit finer the result would be virtually the same as the niche.
3 dB is twice the sound energy, as in watts of amplifier power, NOT twice as loud. 10 db is twice the perceived volume (and 10 times the sound energy).
I don't think that app or phone mic is really accurate, the Niche is super quiet (probably quieter than the Specialita or about the same with a lower tone) from what I've heard the Sette is super loud (tone sounds bad too which is probably why people complain about the sound), I'd think the Niche should be a lot lower than what he measured.
Hello Kyle, I would like to start by thanking you for your videos which allow us to make better purchasing decisions. I'm not sure if anyone asked the question (as I didn't have time to read all the reviews), but I would like to know which of the two grinders is the easier to maintain (cleaning the grinders and the grinding chamber). I have owned the Baratza Sette 270 for three years (I make 2 to 3 espressos per day), and I have never had a problem with my grinder (I cross my fingers and touch wood). I'm about to turn 65, and I'm looking at Niche Zero for a birthday present, I just have to find a reason to spoil myself a little. Thank you again for your involvement, it helps us to better choose our purchases.
I have the Baratza Encore and it recently died. Bad motor windings and motor control board. I emailed Baratza and they are sending new parts for free. Great customer service. That said, while the Encore is down I ordered a ECM C-Manuale 54 and the difference is night and day. Superior build quality, all metal, very sturdy and very quiet. I’ll keep the Encore as a backup, but the ECM will be the grinder on my coffee station.
The best comparison I have seen, the Sette 270. Its great grinder for starter home baristas, grinds consistency is the real issue and had it solved by replacing the Felt gasket part#058 and removing one shim to start espresso grinds from 4E losing 6 steps of fine grinds just to fix the drifting issue and vibration of the burrs while grinding. I agree to what you have said, however, the only thing is I don’t agree with is that the Niche can’t do well with brewing grinds. Its best made for espresso only. Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the response! And I have to respectfully disagree about the Niche and filter coffee. Only because I use the niche daily for all sorts of Filter brew methods. Others like James Hoffman do as well. But again I appreciate your response :)
This video popped up in my feed and decided to watch. Very good comparison of both of these machines. I've had my sette for a couple years now and have only had to replace the felt ring on the micro adjustment. Only complaint I could muster about it is the noise. It's loud. I will say though, the Niche has become more and more appealing as I keep hearing about it.
Good video Kyle, I also have both purchasing the Niche zero when the Sette 270w died suddenly. The fabled Barattza service does not exist outside the US so it ended up being quite an expensive repair and I have not used it much since getting it back. I agree with your findings particularly on the subject
@Espresso Junky Please Elaborate! I really don't want buyer's remorse and the niche really seems to suit my exact needs most perfectly. Have you seen some issues with them? I'm really trying to convince myself to go Eureka mignon perfetto on the second hand market and just deal with the retention even though I intend to single dose with one of those etsy Hopper replacements. I want the versatility in one good unit to do a pour-over, brew a pot for company or pull a shot. I do understand it's very difficult to dual in your espresso with such a macro adjustment but it's more difficult to change Brew method with anything else in the Eureka line. Their Aesthetics, build quality, counter footprint (small space), availability of parts and quietness all attract me to Eureka.
same here.. while i like my sette 30 upgrade to 270 head, i get teh slip quite often and it was irritating as hell. i ended up ordering the niche awaiting delivery. i can't believe the sette is held together by the felt rope to prevent slip.. and at my area, sette 30 costedUSD320 + 80 for the W270 group-head and the Niche costed $700( total) There is no support for sette in my region even from authorise distributor. total bull!!!!!!
Wow, congrats on your video. I'm looking for a new grinder and watched several reviews from the big million+ subscriber channels. None of them actually used a decibel meter or filtered the grinds like you did. Nice job.
There is an additional thing to consider, and that is: availability. You can pretty much get a Sette all-year round, in a few days to a week in terms for delivery which is not the case for Niche.
Both nice neat grinders. But consider also I sourced a used spotless doser SuperJolly for half the price of the new Sette, cleaned it (was already clean anyway), put a Mini hopper on top of it and have been using this monster of dependability and consistency for years now. Tried it with a jam funnel covered with a pot pyrex lid , worked and looked great as well, all nice and chrome, stopped using it as I needed my funnel back. Last time I cleaned the SJ, last week , the original burrs were still sharp and espresso nice, rich and amazingly constant. Doser means a little action is needed to fill the portafilter after grinding, but no coffee mixing/declumping needed. Works great with both my Europiccola and my Oscar II.
Same here. Gets a lot of slack since you can't fine tune the grind size, but a lot of people miss the fact that you can dial in perfectly by just fine tuning by weight. Plus or minus a couple tenths of a gram and you're perfectly dialed in.
Great review. Sub'd. I need an espresso grinder and I looked at both of them, kind of. I went with the 270wi. It's noisy, but that really doesn't matter to me, the performance and the features along with the lower price won my money. I've been using and will continue to use my 8 year old Breville smart grinder for filter coffee and the sette primarily for espresso. I'd be surprised if the baratza doesn't last as long as my Breville. The speed and accuracy of the sette are going to be awesome. I like the looks better as well. The nz is too pot like, and cartoonish to me....both are great grinders.
For sound measurements in the future, the standard way to do it is to place the microphone 1 meter away, pointed at the device you’re re measuring, and leave it in a fixed position when performing the measurement.
I would buy the Niche Zero if I could. I'm not dropping $950 for a used one on eBay. If I could order either one at the prices you listed, Niche Zero... No contest. I'll probably get the Sette though as there are 9 retailers with stock today.
Thanks, Kyle for putting the time in for the comparison I've subscribed. Overall I liked what you shared and your best point in my opinion was at the very beginning. These grinders are for the home barista. Like with everything in life it seems there is always some sort of trade-off. When we all start chasing the idea of doing good espresso/lattes at home it's quickly pointed out how important having a go good grinder is. My journey started with the hand ROK grinder. Great quality grinds for a few $$$, but slow, static, kinda noisy, and everything else with the new learning curve "great grinds though". I believe a better comparison would have been the Sette 270Wi because it is closer in price to the Niche. The quality of grind seems to be almost a tie in your comparison, but with the Niche it seems to have a wider range of grinds. The additional features of the 270Wi I think should not be overlooked. Yes, the Sette is louder but it grinds so so much faster plus the Sette 270Wi will remove the step of weighing out your beans every time. Just like you've cited my 270Wi had some problems but Baratza took care of it with no push back. In fact, I can't even express enough how amazing Baratza customer support is. I've never come across a company that backs their product the way Baratza has, you can't put a price on this "truly amazing in this day and age". Would love to have a high-end commercial grinder at home... but like everything compromise and reality always at play.
I like the look of the Niche Zero but I actually think the Baratza is more versitile for what I need. Even if price point isn’t an issue, it’s really hard to step up to the Niche Zero, especially also because it’s really hard to get right now!
Unless you have your heart set on a conical burr grinder the Baratza Vario can pretty much do it all. My last Vario was a coffee warrior for over 12 years, doing everything from French Press to Espresso. To me the big knock on Baratza is all of the plastic in their machines and aesthetically I personally don't find them visually striking. But they aren't priced like a Eureka Olympus either.
Never tried the niche zero. I have had the baratza sette 270Wi for a year now. It does an awesome job. Consistent... Never disappoints. The absence of a doser makes sense for home use and makes it much easier to clean and maintain.
I’m very happy with my Niche Zero. I previously had a Baratza Virtuoso Preciso, and while I was reasonably happy with the grind quality, I was not happy with the constant cracking and need of replacing of the plastic bush that held the upper burr, until after a couple of years the motor failed and the thing became a doorstop.
Baratza has pretty good support and replacement part availability. Was replacing the broken parts not feasible? Very curious. I'm so tired of buying home appliances that last a few years and then when it breaks the "environmentally friendly ESG compliant company" wants you to fill up the landfill and buy a new product to line their pockets.
Hi Kyle, great video. I use my sette 270 for making V60 and Chemex coffee al the time with good results, ratio 15g/250ml and grind settings between 16 -18. Why is the 270 not suitable?
It seems to me that SD requires three things from a grinder: 1. Low retention 2. Grind consistency without regrinding or slowing down exit stream 3. Grind consistency without hopper of full beans weighing them down From everything I keep seeing online, (1) is the one that gets the lion's share of attention, but I actually think it's the least important one, because most dedicated SD grinders use a bellows to achieve this, while most OD grinders can be easily fitted with one, and achieve similarly low-retention (also, if purging out a gram or two is all it took, it would be hard to justify spending any more for a dedicated SD grinder. Another thing that makes this a far less important issue is that retention is only a proxy for exchange. If the grinder retains 10 grams from the first few grinds, but those 10 grams stay put when subsequent batches are ground, such that the beans from those batches all make their way out of the grinder without getting stuck in it - that's way better than a grinder that retains just 2 grams, but in more of a FIFO scenario. I guess the reason why this is the one that gets the most attention, is that it's easy to measure. The thing is - I had a commercial grinder that pretty much relied on some regrind. If there wasn't a bunch of coffee stuck behind the declumper, the coffee would just shoot out way too quickly, and it would always be far too coarse for espresso. Another issue that I know exists (though I never experienced it myself, at least not such that I could definitively detect) is inconsistent grinds caused due to there being no weight to hold the beans down, as they are fed into the burrs. This latter problem is somewhat solvable using an improvised weight to hold the beans down without the need for more beans in the hopper. The first problem us often easily solvable using a bellows. The problem in the middle seems to me like one that cannot be solved - if the grinder is built in this way, you always need to grind some amount more, to push out the grounds that you need, and this amount will always remain in the grinder, so will need to be purged before the next grind. As such, I believe that the primary consideration for deciding if a grinder is suitable for SD is this issue - of whether or not grind quality and consistency are affected by an unhindered exit stream, with the next most important being how much is retained when using a bellows and how much grind consistency and quality are affected by not having anything to weigh down on the beans (as that is solvable, but solving it is usually not as trivial as installing a bellows). Low retention without using a bellows is nice to have, for sure, but as most SD grinders don't even have that, and as a bellows is such an easy and cheap addition, it's nothing more than nice to have. However, it would seem that what is pretty much the only thing that gives grinders SD cred is how much it retains out of the box (i.e. if it comes with a bellows than how much it retains with it, and if it doesn't - then without). Even reviews for grinders that are made for SD usually have nothing to say nothing about how SD affects their grind quality - the only thing that's ever mentioned is retention. I'd be really interested in everyone's thoughts on the matter. Also, if you know the answers for these couple of issues beside retention, regarding popular grinders (both dedicated SD grinders and OD grinders), like the Eureka Mignon line, DF64, perhaps even the mother of all SD grinders - the Niche Zero - that could be useful. Personally, I'd also be super interested in your thoughts on the Baratza Forte in this regard.
The Niche had 8.6 grams of boulders and .2 grams of fines leaving 11 grams in the middle. The Sette had 10.1 grams of boulders and .1 grams of fines leaving 9.9 grams in the middle. So basically the niche is 10% more efficient. The decibel rating of both was nearly identical even if one sounds louder than the other. Price difference - hundreds of dollars.
@Grant McWilliams @Kyle Rowsell am I missing something or does this math not simply suggest the Niche was dialled slightly finer than the Baratza? If one grinder was light in the centre and heavier at BOTH extremes then you could call a constrained range loser.
Just sold my Sette 270 after receiving my Niche Zero. I got to the point where I couldn't stand the loudness of the Sette when grinding - it's not just loud but very harsh sounding to my ears - it will definitely wake up the whole house (unless you live in a two-story house)! Also, I find that the useable range of settings for espresso on the Niche is much wider than that on the Sette.
Ordered the Niche in september for december delivery, so i the meantime i´ve been binge-watching youtube videos on the grinder to confirm my decision and to hear it purr.
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I'd like a niche zero but it's $1200 USD where I am. For the price of one niche zero I can almost afford to buy 3 Sette 270wi grinders so if they only last 2 or 3 years that's 6 - 9 years for the price of 1 niche zero. the noise though... that's the killer.
that is sort of the crux and why this review seems less relevant to anyone that cannot afford to just buy whatever they want regardless of cost. Some can most cannot. I would honestly buy all three Sette 270Wi at once lol and keep them at todays prices for years? Niche has been out how long on the market? Will they actually last a decade?
I like Nishe the best. I always make filter coffee and i have a Wilfa uniform that i am happy with, but i would like to have the Nishe zero if i would choose
Great thorough comparison Kyle! I'm personally leaning towards likeing the design and function of the Niche over the Sette. Maybe a Niche will land on my bar soon ;)
I just got a 270wi. It seems to really save me a lot of tedium - but I'm not entirely sure I trust the scale. It's such a fast grinder it seems to over and under shoot the weight by a fair bit.
@@hasufinheltain1390 also the manual do say that after a few times the scale learns and make micro adjustments so the dose should get closer over time.
@@jonccwong Thanks! I'll check in the manual - I've literally had the thing for less than 48 hours, so I haven't dug into it yet. It has already resulted in me consuming what is surely an unhealthy amount of caffeine - I had been using an old hand-crank Turkish grinder and manually measuring so it's a huge difference in convenience.
Probably buying myself a JX pro with the main purpose being pour over but also can definitely do espresso. That's my starting point. If I'm going to add to that down the road, is it worth adding a niche, or at that point since it's just espresso, do I just do the sette? Or honestly is the jx pro the best option regardless? Thank you!
hey, nice vid. Could you a comparison of the Sette 270 vs the Eureka Mignon Facile Espresso Grinder, they are the same price, was wondering which to lean to, which is a better value, better grinder
Niche was the best investment for me. I've played around with several grinders both equal, less, and more than the Niche's price tag. While it isn't the best you can get out in the market, it is by far the most versatile, easy to use, and easy to stow away when you need to move it around. I love mine.
Good review of both, more or less. The ONE thing that sets the grinders apart... is IF you can find a Niche to purchase. If you can, the prices are blown up. You can still find Sette 270's for around $400, while some are hawking this grinder bumping the price a couple hundred $$. You'd think you were buying a used car with today's pricing.
I have Sette 270W for two years now. No complains about grind quality, but 8 repairs, two different machines and it doesnt work now, thats why Im here ...
I have a Sette 270wi and was really happy with the espresso it produces paired with my E61 heat exchanger espresso machine. But I have replaced two motor assemblies on the 270wi in 3 years. So I just ordered a Niche Zero and will be selling the Sette once it arrives. Kind of a shame because the Sette 270 could be a home run if they fixed the durability of the motor/gearbox assembly.
Very good video. I bought Sette 270. For Chemex I use hand grinder (MYM45) to not bother with settings on the Sette. And for esspresso I love it as on-demand, grinding directly into portafilter (has quite good distribution, but for perfection needs a little bit of WDT).
Have you tried the S2, formerly BG, burr for filter coffee? It seems like it could be a good solution to one grinder capable of both at a reasonable price point? I would be interested to see the performance of the grinder for other brew methods with this burr.
I use a lever espresso machine so the low rumble of the Niche Zero as it does its work matches my silent workflow. But the Specialita is nice too and I would consider it a viable alternative to the Niche Zero. IMHO.
What about the eureka mignon manuale/notte? I heard thats a good entry level grinder just no extra features but its cheaper than the 270 if purchased from the right place...
Finally got an order in for the Niche February delivery! Been using my Comandante C40 with a red clix for about a year now.. definitely ready to upgrade to a quality electric grinder 😁.
I've had the Sette 270 for a while and... I can't recommend it for 2 big reasons. - There is a design flaw with one of the safeties which breaks very easily. You CAN bypass it if you are comfortable doing so. - It's basically useless for drip because it produces a ton of fines, even with the alternate burrs. This means the huge range of adjustable settings is actually quite small (Espresso grind between 10 - 4).
I currently have the Breville Barista Express but I've always been using the built in grinder and happy with the result. Now im curious to see it elevated with a good grinder. I don't think the Niche is in my price range. People often say the Barista Express is the "best bang for the buck" in terms of quality and price...is there an equivalent grinder with this type of reputation? The go-to without being in the prosumer price range while still outperforming the built-in grinder of the Barista Express?
The Niche Zero may be double the price, but it offers much more in terms of value. It’s a simple, purpose-built machine which took everything learned from the Titan Grinder Project (TGP) to create a virtually perfect grinder for home baristas. Beyond some heavily modified commercial grinders (at nearly double the price) the Niche Zero has no competition. It will be interesting to see if they end up producing the *rumored* planar burr variant.
baratza sette is user friendly, and is built to be replaceable right? The niche looks stepless, with one dial. I was considering getting the ascaso as a stepless grinder but i like the notches and dial markers the sette has. And yes I would have two seperate grinders, one for espresso dialing, and another for coarser grinds. It is annoying having to flip flop on one machine, especially if its stepless/no markers/indicators.
I don't think stepped or stepless is really a big deal, as long as you can make small enough adjustments (for espresso). The vario is a stepped grinder, but each step is such a tiny change, 1 micro step does hardly anything :) Good thing about the Vario is it doesn't have that overlap issue he mentioned here, if you go one macro (big) step it's equivalent to going from jumping one whole range on the micro adjustment knob. So If you're at the Macro setting #2 with the micro setting at it's highest / tightest grind and want to go finer, you just put the macro knob to #1 and the other to the coarsest setting and you should be about one step finer as desired. The Niche IS stepless but with numbers for indicating approximate grind size. (You'll need to rotate it all the way around to get to drip/brew coffee grind range though (some people make their own little arrow indicator for that on the other side of the adjustment thing).
Thanks for the vid! I’m in a similar situation now, with the Sette 270 and wondering if it’s worth the upgrade to the Niche. Really wished you’d have done a similar sifting test at the coarser settings to compare the two, as i’ve been super curious to see just how bad the Sette is for brew ;)
@@KyleRowsell interesting, I'd get the Niche but the wait time and the custom fees just doesn't seem worth it for now. My espresso budget sky rocketed from where I started, how naive I was going into it. I'm getting myself an espresso AScaso dream PID and wanted a sette 270 for espresso/pour over but I'm thinking I'm going to be doing mostly espresso because I like that foam. But was thinking of getting a Timemore Slim for pour over since I wouldn't be hand grinding every day. What do you think of that set up?
Would be nice if Baratza started offering a small hopper/single dose version. I just don’t like the look of the large hopper and that’s keeping me from getting it lol
The best part of the Sette is that you can buy it whenever you want and from wherever your heart desires.
Absolutely True
Yeah it's not a cult initiation to buy a Coffee grinder 💀
0:41: Intro
2:23: Specs comparison
4:40: List of Tests
5:04: Niche: Quick usage guide
5:42: Baratza: Quick usage guide
6:57: Word of caution with Baratza
8:04: Sifter Test
13:01: Taste Test
13:27: Final Comparision and Conclusion
Thanks!
@@KyleRowsell Hi Kyle, if you put this in your description (with 0:00: Start, too) it'll show up as chapters on your video, which I'm sure people would find useful :)
I had the Sette 30 for a few months now. No problem and love the results! I had a Breville pro something grinder before. I had it for a few years. The Sette Up the game of my espresso sooo much!
I admit the sette had some issues. I own one. I do have to say that Baratza customer support and commitment to improve the product is probably one of the best in the industry. They were extremely good shipping Me all upgraded parts with incredible clear work instructions. You don’t have to worry with this company.
I’m surprised to hear of the gearbox failures, mine is almost 7 years old but only probably ran 1.8 cups per day on average.
I’m replacing my gearbox hoping the new one is quieter, it is starting to sound a little clunky. The noise has always been the worst part of the machine and there isn’t much that can be done to dampen it.
I have the 270. They sell a different internal burr for filter coffee. It takes maybe 3 mins to swap. Works well for me since I do both espresso and filter depending on mood.
Yes, I am late to the party but I have watched this video a couple of times as well as your review of the Sette 30. I went with the Sette 30. Here is why. I got a great deal on a new 30 at $200. Ordered the BG burr, the Sette 270 Adjustment Assembly, an additional cone and the drop down portafilter fork for the 30. Ok, why did I do this? Here is the logic and setup. I put the BG burr in the original 30 assembly. Stuck the original espresso burr in the 270 assembly. Dialed in both, the 30 assembly for my pour over and the 270 assembly for my preferred bean and espresso grind. A simple 30 second swap of the assembly and I have the best of both worlds. $200 for the 30, $140 for the extras = dual machines for $340. I can easily pick up a spare gear assembly for $40 and literally never have to worry about downtime and still be under the price of the 270....
I've had my Sette 270Wi for more than a year and I have used it at least three times a day: 1X for drip brewing & 2X for making espresso. Haven't had a single problem.
What setting do you have for pour over? I had to install the shim for espresso, and haven’t dialed in for pour over yet
Baratza sent me a new gearbox / motor assembly free of charge when mine broke. Excellent customer service.
Yes, their customer service is great.
This happens a lot with the Baratza...
This is the first video of yours I've seen. You did a great job comparing these grinders, and I've subscribed to your channel. I pre-ordered the Sette 270 so I've had it for a long time. I considered pre-ordering the Niche when it was funding since it looks amazing, but ended up passing due to the cost.
I completely agree with your comments regarding the reliability of the Sette and Baratza's support. My gear box broke after 4 years of very light use and Baratza replaced it for free. I had other issues as well, which took over 70 emails over several months to diagnose and fix and turned out to be a faulty adjustment assembly, which Baratza also replaced for free.
Thanks for this response!
Love the Sette 270. I've had one now going on 3+ years with daily use. Yes, I had to replace the gears-free of charge from Baratza-and yes, it is LOUD in the still of the morning. BUT it does provide very consistent results for espresso, and does quite well for V60 pour-overs. For the money, a very good grinder with exceptional customer service.
Does anyone know if they improved the plastic gears that used to fail after 2 years?
Shipping gears to my country is expensive
@@isaacbugalho Just had mine fail after 2 yrs 2mos
@@booka62 just after warranty... Will they send spares to your country?
@@isaacbugalho Yes. I finally got it squared away. Was using my Hario hand crank with my Chemex while I waited for them to replace. Their CS email system took forever. Many emails back-and-forth and several reps later, I received my replacement part free of charge.
Sadly in 2022, here in Australia -- the Niche Zero is well over $1000 AUD on pre-order alone. Or buy it in stock from a reseller for $1700... but the 270 was $400 brand new and I got it immediately lol
I got the Niche about 6 months ago. I had to wait, but it arrived as predicted. I've had lower cost grinders before, but I don't think I'll ever need to upgrade now. It is a thing of beauty and very well made. I would say that this is a machine whereas the Sette is a kitchen appliance. Pay cheap, pay twice. Once you've come to terms with the cost, I don't hink you'll look back. Oh, and I emailed them and they answered my queries. One thing, which is really useful, the grind receptacle is the same size as a standard portafilter, so you just invert it - no mess. Very little static, easy to dose, the list goes on... Very happy with mine : )
Great feedback!
The Niche is a buy once cry once grinder
The Sette is a buy once cry everytime it breaks
grinder.
If you buy a sette just buy 2 of them so you’ll have 1 when the other sh!ts the bed.
Lol niche is twice the retail price as well.
I had the Sette and now have the Niche, both are great in the cup but the reliability thus far and quietness of Niche is worth the extra money. The only thing I miss from the Sette is the speed it was about 4 seconds for a 18 gram dose where the Niche is more like 16. Nither are that long but once you get used to the 4 second grind time the longer grind time of the Niche is more noticeable.
Yes, the sette is a quick grinder!
If you're dosing into the cup though you can just let it run and do it's thing at least. Not sitting there holding a portafilter in your hand.
I continue to repair my Sette 30 with free parts from Baratza. It's nuts how many repairs and hours I have spent trouble shooting then contacting the friendly company. I am seriously liking and wanting the obvious reliability of the Niche
Waiting to see a video like this and you just uploaded it today!
Perfect!
Great of you to make a review. One point of feedback is that the first 2-3 minutes are spent purely on intro (which is fine) and then a long winded way of saying: These are the two grinders I will review.
Might be a little better with a short and sweet intro or overview of the video content (such as timestamps for when you'll cover certain aspects of the comparison). Such a description of disposition would be more helpful for viewers I believe.
Replacing all the "XYZ statement - we'll talk more about that later" with a clear disposition would both shorten the video and clarify the content.
I saw the Sette 270 at a local coffee event, picked it up, noticed how light it is (all that plastic, and the motor is obviously not very heavy) and moved on. I eventually purchased an all metal Eureka Mignon and use it for espresso single-dosing. I love its micro-adjustment feature for dialing in exactly what I want.
You’re missing out!
Wow, what an excellent video. One of the best reviews of any coffee product I've seen. I have the Sette 270 and the reviewer is spot on - my gearbox broke, but in my case the control panel broke twice - both times a little drop of water (washback from my steamer). All 3 times the supplier took care of it, but it's a few days without a grinder each time. Also, this thing is redicuoulsy LOUD! It's impossible to have a friend over and continue a conversation while this thing grinds. It's insane. My ears hurt every damn time and I've had it for 2 years now.
So this is my second time watching this video. The first time I watched it, I spent the entire 16 minutes justifying why getting the Sette 270 was an optimal choice, especially since the Niche Zero has been completely out of stock and the heartache is too much to bare. And I gotta be honest, I was satisfied with putting the order it on Amazon. But then, magic happened. I RANDOMLY went on the website tonight (just a few minutes ago) and GAWD was looking out. Because there it was: US Niche Zero in white - AVAILABLE! I almost wasn't sure if I was seeing this correctly, but I was. So then, withOUT hesitation, I ordered it. Didn't care the cost, NOTHING! I wanted it, and it was mine for the TAKING! NOW, i'm watching this video a second time, and it's HITTING a little bit DIFFERENT! Now I'm over here like, "oh yeah, I'm about to be in the NZ gang....this is sweet." It's so odd how something sounds and how you feel when you get what you want. Thanks for your vids. Much appreciated. Can't WAIT to get my hands on this thing!
Hi Candis, how do you like the Niche Zero for espresso? Was it worth the wait and cost?
iHey Candis... it's been 6 months... are you still high? lol
@@chadgregory9037 so high
My choice a year ago came down to between these two, and I eventually went for the 270. Part of it was not wanting to wait months but also I didn't want the additional wait time to measure out my beans for every cup. I get through beans fast enough that the hopper is fine. Single-dosing doesn't work well because of popcorning. I've stripped it down for cleaning and it's well engineered.
Very interesting point on single dosing, I always single dose on the Sette 270 and seems to get very little popcorning compared to my Encore, it seems like the odd way the burrs are designed really sucks the beans down and through.
If you use the Sette 270w, you don’t need to single dose. I wish now I’d bought it.
Great review! I just snaffled myself a Niche Zero, very very happy! I had a Baratza Virtuoso Preciso a few years ago. Great grind quality, but constantly breaking down, the plastic bush holding the upper burr kept cracking, then the motor burned out. But the Niche seems bullet proof, we’ll see how it goes for a few years!
Just ordered the Niche in black a couple days ago. Now the wait begins, till it comes in February! So hyped!
Get ittttt
Actually, I prefer to have 2 grinders, one for espresso and the other for brew, because that allows me to use different types of beans dedicated for each coffee type.
Waiting for my Niche in February. Great review!
You’ll love it!
Lucky you....
Decibels are a logarithmic unit of measure. 3db difference is twice the volume. Regarding the grind setting, it seems that if you adjusted the sette just a bit finer the result would be virtually the same as the niche.
3 dB is twice the sound energy, as in watts of amplifier power, NOT twice as loud. 10 db is twice the perceived volume (and 10 times the sound energy).
I don't think that app or phone mic is really accurate, the Niche is super quiet (probably quieter than the Specialita or about the same with a lower tone) from what I've heard the Sette is super loud (tone sounds bad too which is probably why people complain about the sound), I'd think the Niche should be a lot lower than what he measured.
Hello Kyle, I would like to start by thanking you for your videos which allow us to make better purchasing decisions. I'm not sure if anyone asked the question (as I didn't have time to read all the reviews), but I would like to know which of the two grinders is the easier to maintain (cleaning the grinders and the grinding chamber).
I have owned the Baratza Sette 270 for three years (I make 2 to 3 espressos per day), and I have never had a problem with my grinder (I cross my fingers and touch wood). I'm about to turn 65, and I'm looking at Niche Zero for a birthday present, I just have to find a reason to spoil myself a little.
Thank you again for your involvement, it helps us to better choose our purchases.
This grinder handles more beans then other grinders I have used. Easy to clean
I have the Baratza Encore and it recently died. Bad motor windings and motor control board. I emailed Baratza and they are sending new parts for free. Great customer service. That said, while the Encore is down I ordered a ECM C-Manuale 54 and the difference is night and day. Superior build quality, all metal, very sturdy and very quiet. I’ll keep the Encore as a backup, but the ECM will be the grinder on my coffee station.
The best comparison I have seen, the Sette 270. Its great grinder for starter home baristas, grinds consistency is the real issue and had it solved by replacing the Felt gasket part#058 and removing one shim to start espresso grinds from 4E losing 6 steps of fine grinds just to fix the drifting issue and vibration of the burrs while grinding.
I agree to what you have said, however, the only thing is I don’t agree with is that the Niche can’t do well with brewing grinds. Its best made for espresso only.
Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the response! And I have to respectfully disagree about the Niche and filter coffee. Only because I use the niche daily for all sorts of Filter brew methods. Others like James Hoffman do as well. But again I appreciate your response :)
This video popped up in my feed and decided to watch. Very good comparison of both of these machines. I've had my sette for a couple years now and have only had to replace the felt ring on the micro adjustment. Only complaint I could muster about it is the noise. It's loud.
I will say though, the Niche has become more and more appealing as I keep hearing about it.
Good video Kyle, I also have both purchasing the Niche zero when the Sette 270w died suddenly. The fabled Barattza service does not exist outside the US so it ended up being quite an expensive repair and I have not used it much since getting it back. I agree with your findings particularly on the subject
@Espresso Junky what do you suggest, Eureka?
@Espresso Junky Please Elaborate! I really don't want buyer's remorse and the niche really seems to suit my exact needs most perfectly. Have you seen some issues with them? I'm really trying to convince myself to go Eureka mignon perfetto on the second hand market and just deal with the retention even though I intend to single dose with one of those etsy Hopper replacements.
I want the versatility in one good unit to do a pour-over, brew a pot for company or pull a shot. I do understand it's very difficult to dual in your espresso with such a macro adjustment but it's more difficult to change Brew method with anything else in the Eureka line. Their Aesthetics, build quality, counter footprint (small space), availability of parts and quietness all attract me to Eureka.
same here.. while i like my sette 30 upgrade to 270 head, i get teh slip quite often and it was irritating as hell. i ended up ordering the niche awaiting delivery. i can't believe the sette is held together by the felt rope to prevent slip.. and at my area, sette 30 costedUSD320 + 80 for the W270 group-head and the Niche costed $700( total)
There is no support for sette in my region even from authorise distributor. total bull!!!!!!
Wow, congrats on your video. I'm looking for a new grinder and watched several reviews from the big million+ subscriber channels. None of them actually used a decibel meter or filtered the grinds like you did. Nice job.
Thanks!
11:00-11:09 what do the "so's" indicate? Or what should we conclude as a result of this evidence?
There is an additional thing to consider, and that is: availability. You can pretty much get a Sette all-year round, in a few days to a week in terms for delivery which is not the case for Niche.
Great point!
Both nice neat grinders. But consider also I sourced a used spotless doser SuperJolly for half the price of the new Sette, cleaned it (was already clean anyway), put a Mini hopper on top of it and have been using this monster of dependability and consistency for years now. Tried it with a jam funnel covered with a pot pyrex lid , worked and looked great as well, all nice and chrome, stopped using it as I needed my funnel back. Last time I cleaned the SJ, last week , the original burrs were still sharp and espresso nice, rich and amazingly constant. Doser means a little action is needed to fill the portafilter after grinding, but no coffee mixing/declumping needed. Works great with both my Europiccola and my Oscar II.
Thanks for your response!
Love your energy bro. Subscribed. Keep them coming.
Thank you!
Sette 30 was my first espresso grinder, really came through back then!
Nice
Same here. Gets a lot of slack since you can't fine tune the grind size, but a lot of people miss the fact that you can dial in perfectly by just fine tuning by weight. Plus or minus a couple tenths of a gram and you're perfectly dialed in.
@@johncharles2357 You can also just buy the 270 micro adjustment ring from baratza and mod the 30 to be a 270 (minus the programming options)
@@hittemni thanks for the tip! I am eyeing a 2nd hand 30 and this gives me an idea
Love your enthusiasm. fun to watch!
Thanks!
I used sette 270 for pour over and it seemed fine. I am not sure why you said it can't
There is a brew burr for the Sette 270 that only cost $25 that will allow you to grind for drip coffee
In my experience this burr doesn’t do exactly as advertised. It can still be tough to make filter coffee.
Great review. Sub'd. I need an espresso grinder and I looked at both of them, kind of. I went with the 270wi. It's noisy, but that really doesn't matter to me, the performance and the features along with the lower price won my money. I've been using and will continue to use my 8 year old Breville smart grinder for filter coffee and the sette primarily for espresso. I'd be surprised if the baratza doesn't last as long as my Breville. The speed and accuracy of the sette are going to be awesome. I like the looks better as well. The nz is too pot like, and cartoonish to me....both are great grinders.
For sound measurements in the future, the standard way to do it is to place the microphone 1 meter away, pointed at the device you’re re measuring, and leave it in a fixed position when performing the measurement.
Fair enough
I would buy the Niche Zero if I could. I'm not dropping $950 for a used one on eBay. If I could order either one at the prices you listed, Niche Zero... No contest. I'll probably get the Sette though as there are 9 retailers with stock today.
Thanks, Kyle for putting the time in for the comparison I've subscribed. Overall I liked what you shared and your best point in my opinion was at the very beginning. These grinders are for the home barista.
Like with everything in life it seems there is always some sort of trade-off. When we all start chasing the idea of doing good espresso/lattes at home it's quickly pointed out how important having a go good grinder is. My journey started with the hand ROK grinder. Great quality grinds for a few $$$, but slow, static, kinda noisy, and everything else with the new learning curve "great grinds though".
I believe a better comparison would have been the Sette 270Wi because it is closer in price to the Niche. The quality of grind seems to be almost a tie in your comparison, but with the Niche it seems to have a wider range of grinds. The additional features of the 270Wi I think should not be overlooked. Yes, the Sette is louder but it grinds so so much faster plus the Sette 270Wi will remove the step of weighing out your beans every time. Just like you've cited my 270Wi had some problems but Baratza took care of it with no push back. In fact, I can't even express enough how amazing Baratza customer support is. I've never come across a company that backs their product the way Baratza has, you can't put a price on this "truly amazing in this day and age".
Would love to have a high-end commercial grinder at home... but like everything compromise and reality always at play.
I like the look of the Niche Zero but I actually think the Baratza is more versitile for what I need. Even if price point isn’t an issue, it’s really hard to step up to the Niche Zero, especially also because it’s really hard to get right now!
You are a great presenter. Well done mate. Enjoyed this video thoroughly - binging the rest of your reviews. :) all the best for 2021
Thanks tak!
I own the Niche Zero. It rocks!!! Great video.
It does
Where can you order one?
@@himboslice_ link in the description
Unless you have your heart set on a conical burr grinder the Baratza Vario can pretty much do it all. My last Vario was a coffee warrior for over 12 years, doing everything from French Press to Espresso. To me the big knock on Baratza is all of the plastic in their machines and aesthetically I personally don't find them visually striking. But they aren't priced like a Eureka Olympus either.
Never tried the niche zero. I have had the baratza sette 270Wi for a year now. It does an awesome job. Consistent... Never disappoints. The absence of a doser makes sense for home use and makes it much easier to clean and maintain.
Thanks for the response
I’m very happy with my Niche Zero. I previously had a Baratza Virtuoso Preciso, and while I was reasonably happy with the grind quality, I was not happy with the constant cracking and need of replacing of the plastic bush that held the upper burr, until after a couple of years the motor failed and the thing became a doorstop.
Baratza has pretty good support and replacement part availability. Was replacing the broken parts not feasible? Very curious. I'm so tired of buying home appliances that last a few years and then when it breaks the "environmentally friendly ESG compliant company" wants you to fill up the landfill and buy a new product to line their pockets.
Hi Kyle, great video. I use my sette 270 for making V60 and Chemex coffee al the time with good results, ratio 15g/250ml and grind settings between 16 -18. Why is the 270 not suitable?
I don't understand this either. I use mine for V60 too and it works Great! :)
I just got a niche and a fellow ode with SSP sweet burrs. I love the niche a lot I'm going to start using the ode for filter soon.
It seems to me that SD requires three things from a grinder:
1. Low retention
2. Grind consistency without regrinding or slowing down exit stream
3. Grind consistency without hopper of full beans weighing them down
From everything I keep seeing online, (1) is the one that gets the lion's share of attention, but I actually think it's the least important one, because most dedicated SD grinders use a bellows to achieve this, while most OD grinders can be easily fitted with one, and achieve similarly low-retention (also, if purging out a gram or two is all it took, it would be hard to justify spending any more for a dedicated SD grinder. Another thing that makes this a far less important issue is that retention is only a proxy for exchange. If the grinder retains 10 grams from the first few grinds, but those 10 grams stay put when subsequent batches are ground, such that the beans from those batches all make their way out of the grinder without getting stuck in it - that's way better than a grinder that retains just 2 grams, but in more of a FIFO scenario.
I guess the reason why this is the one that gets the most attention, is that it's easy to measure.
The thing is - I had a commercial grinder that pretty much relied on some regrind. If there wasn't a bunch of coffee stuck behind the declumper, the coffee would just shoot out way too quickly, and it would always be far too coarse for espresso. Another issue that I know exists (though I never experienced it myself, at least not such that I could definitively detect) is inconsistent grinds caused due to there being no weight to hold the beans down, as they are fed into the burrs.
This latter problem is somewhat solvable using an improvised weight to hold the beans down without the need for more beans in the hopper. The first problem us often easily solvable using a bellows.
The problem in the middle seems to me like one that cannot be solved - if the grinder is built in this way, you always need to grind some amount more, to push out the grounds that you need, and this amount will always remain in the grinder, so will need to be purged before the next grind.
As such, I believe that the primary consideration for deciding if a grinder is suitable for SD is this issue - of whether or not grind quality and consistency are affected by an unhindered exit stream, with the next most important being how much is retained when using a bellows and how much grind consistency and quality are affected by not having anything to weigh down on the beans (as that is solvable, but solving it is usually not as trivial as installing a bellows).
Low retention without using a bellows is nice to have, for sure, but as most SD grinders don't even have that, and as a bellows is such an easy and cheap addition, it's nothing more than nice to have.
However, it would seem that what is pretty much the only thing that gives grinders SD cred is how much it retains out of the box (i.e. if it comes with a bellows than how much it retains with it, and if it doesn't - then without). Even reviews for grinders that are made for SD usually have nothing to say nothing about how SD affects their grind quality - the only thing that's ever mentioned is retention.
I'd be really interested in everyone's thoughts on the matter.
Also, if you know the answers for these couple of issues beside retention, regarding popular grinders (both dedicated SD grinders and OD grinders), like the Eureka Mignon line, DF64, perhaps even the mother of all SD grinders - the Niche Zero - that could be useful.
Personally, I'd also be super interested in your thoughts on the Baratza Forte in this regard.
The Niche had 8.6 grams of boulders and .2 grams of fines leaving 11 grams in the middle. The Sette had 10.1 grams of boulders and .1 grams of fines leaving 9.9 grams in the middle. So basically the niche is 10% more efficient. The decibel rating of both was nearly identical even if one sounds louder than the other. Price difference - hundreds of dollars.
Great breakdown. And yes while decibels were similar, the sette tends to be louder in practical volume.
Decibels aren't the whole story. Check out the LUFS standard when you have some time. Very interesting research!
@Grant McWilliams @Kyle Rowsell am I missing something or does this math not simply suggest the Niche was dialled slightly finer than the Baratza? If one grinder was light in the centre and heavier at BOTH extremes then you could call a constrained range loser.
good point - was the both grinders set to get the same result in yield in the same time with the same ratio etc?
Just sold my Sette 270 after receiving my Niche Zero. I got to the point where I couldn't stand the loudness of the Sette when grinding - it's not just loud but very harsh sounding to my ears - it will definitely wake up the whole house (unless you live in a two-story house)! Also, I find that the useable range of settings for espresso on the Niche is much wider than that on the Sette.
Video I have been waiting for :D
Also pulling some kruve espresso shots would be cool! :D
@@zberzzz Glad you enjoyed it!
So, how is Niche support? If availability is so limited, I would be concerned that support is a gamble?
Hi! Why do you say in the video that Sette can't be a grinder to filter coffee? It cannot reach coarse grind? Thank you.
Ordered the Niche in september for december delivery, so i the meantime i´ve been binge-watching youtube videos on the grinder to confirm my decision and to hear it purr.
Right on! And you’ll love it.
Haha we all did that! Feels like getting a niche is getting into a community !
@@dalgor73 you’re not wrong!
In Modern Living Rooms Everyone Using "SoundProof Curtains" That Stops Outside Noise by 80% (25 Db) Tested. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
I'd like a niche zero but it's $1200 USD where I am. For the price of one niche zero I can almost afford to buy 3 Sette 270wi grinders so if they only last 2 or 3 years that's 6 - 9 years for the price of 1 niche zero. the noise though... that's the killer.
that is sort of the crux and why this review seems less relevant to anyone that cannot afford to just buy whatever they want regardless of cost. Some can most cannot.
I would honestly buy all three Sette 270Wi at once lol and keep them at todays prices for years? Niche has been out how long on the market? Will they actually last a decade?
Very informative review, thank you!
I like Nishe the best. I always make filter coffee and i have a Wilfa uniform that i am happy with, but i would like to have the Nishe zero if i would choose
Great overview!
Great thorough comparison Kyle! I'm personally leaning towards likeing the design and function of the Niche over the Sette. Maybe a Niche will land on my bar soon ;)
👌🏼
&&? What landed on your bar?
@@NoZenith a Niche did and now it’s gone, right now it’s a Varia VS3. That might also change soon
@joshcook777 oh wow! Which did you prefer of the two? They are my top choices atm
Thanks for the comparison ! You mentioned that the NZ can go down to Turkish. Can the Sette 270 grind for Turkish as well ?
Sette is totally underrated. and the 270wi saves so much time (the weighing feature is so consistent)
It’s an excellent grinder!
I just got a 270wi. It seems to really save me a lot of tedium - but I'm not entirely sure I trust the scale. It's such a fast grinder it seems to over and under shoot the weight by a fair bit.
@@hasufinheltain1390 there’s a calibration mode so you can get a calibration weight. I’ve done it on mine and it’s pretty accurate
@@hasufinheltain1390 also the manual do say that after a few times the scale learns and make micro adjustments so the dose should get closer over time.
@@jonccwong Thanks! I'll check in the manual - I've literally had the thing for less than 48 hours, so I haven't dug into it yet.
It has already resulted in me consuming what is surely an unhealthy amount of caffeine - I had been using an old hand-crank Turkish grinder and manually measuring so it's a huge difference in convenience.
Probably buying myself a JX pro with the main purpose being pour over but also can definitely do espresso. That's my starting point. If I'm going to add to that down the road, is it worth adding a niche, or at that point since it's just espresso, do I just do the sette? Or honestly is the jx pro the best option regardless? Thank you!
270 sette for my espresso!!!! Love it!! Partner with baratza forte BG for my pour over!! Solid set up!!
hey, nice vid. Could you a comparison of the Sette 270 vs the Eureka Mignon Facile Espresso Grinder, they are the same price, was wondering which to lean to, which is a better value, better grinder
Niche was the best investment for me. I've played around with several grinders both equal, less, and more than the Niche's price tag. While it isn't the best you can get out in the market, it is by far the most versatile, easy to use, and easy to stow away when you need to move it around. I love mine.
Good review of both, more or less. The ONE thing that sets the grinders apart... is IF you can find a Niche to purchase. If you can, the prices are blown up. You can still find Sette 270's for around $400, while some are hawking this grinder bumping the price a couple hundred $$. You'd think you were buying a used car with today's pricing.
i'd be interested to see the db scale with the hopper filled and lid closed. the way it is designed to be operated.
I have the 270WI and the fact that it consistenly puts 18g in my basket with no fuss, without having to weigh anything is SO nice
I have Sette 270W for two years now. No complains about grind quality, but 8 repairs, two different machines and it doesnt work now, thats why Im here ...
I have a Sette 270wi and was really happy with the espresso it produces paired with my E61 heat exchanger espresso machine. But I have replaced two motor assemblies on the 270wi in 3 years. So I just ordered a Niche Zero and will be selling the Sette once it arrives. Kind of a shame because the Sette 270 could be a home run if they fixed the durability of the motor/gearbox assembly.
Very good video. I bought Sette 270. For Chemex I use hand grinder (MYM45) to not bother with settings on the Sette. And for esspresso I love it as on-demand, grinding directly into portafilter (has quite good distribution, but for perfection needs a little bit of WDT).
Owner of the sette for 3 years now. No regrets, no problems so far.
Have you tried the S2, formerly BG, burr for filter coffee? It seems like it could be a good solution to one grinder capable of both at a reasonable price point? I would be interested to see the performance of the grinder for other brew methods with this burr.
just got the Baratza 270 and this video helped especially with the Kruve test. Thanks
Glad I could help!
I use a lever espresso machine so the low rumble of the Niche Zero as it does its work matches my silent workflow. But the Specialita is nice too and I would consider it a viable alternative to the Niche Zero. IMHO.
Thanks for the response! I cover the niche and the eureka in another video too.
@@KyleRowsell Right on! I'm going to watch it now! Love both of those grinders.
What about the eureka mignon manuale/notte? I heard thats a good entry level grinder just no extra features but its cheaper than the 270 if purchased from the right place...
Finally got an order in for the Niche February delivery! Been using my Comandante C40 with a red clix for about a year now.. definitely ready to upgrade to a quality electric grinder 😁.
What an upgrade that will be
Why isn’t my grind never the same with the sette? Every time I brew my coffee it’s too long in seconds or too short in brew seconds
For the price of the niche you can get a sette 270 and a used Rancilio if your starting out.
The niche is the end game grinder.
I've had the Sette 270 for a while and... I can't recommend it for 2 big reasons.
- There is a design flaw with one of the safeties which breaks very easily. You CAN bypass it if you are comfortable doing so.
- It's basically useless for drip because it produces a ton of fines, even with the alternate burrs. This means the huge range of adjustable settings is actually quite small (Espresso grind between 10 - 4).
what is currently the best electric (non USB) grinder under $200? 80% moka pot
thanks
Also with the safety feature on the niche, you can't hot start the machine either without the top being close
Really well done video. Subbed!
thanks!
I'd much prefer a sette 270 plus a high-end hand grinder like Kinu or Comandante, still cheaper than the Niche combined.
Are there any Niche alternatives that can do filter and espresso for less money?
I currently have the Breville Barista Express but I've always been using the built in grinder and happy with the result. Now im curious to see it elevated with a good grinder. I don't think the Niche is in my price range.
People often say the Barista Express is the "best bang for the buck" in terms of quality and price...is there an equivalent grinder with this type of reputation? The go-to without being in the prosumer price range while still outperforming the built-in grinder of the Barista Express?
You’re likely looking at a hand grinder in that price range. Or, one of eureka’s new grinders.
@@KyleRowsell would a hand grinder be better than the built in breville built-in grinder?
The Niche Zero may be double the price, but it offers much more in terms of value. It’s a simple, purpose-built machine which took everything learned from the Titan Grinder Project (TGP) to create a virtually perfect grinder for home baristas. Beyond some heavily modified commercial grinders (at nearly double the price) the Niche Zero has no competition. It will be interesting to see if they end up producing the *rumored* planar burr variant.
I'd love to hear more about this rumoured Planar burr. I have yet to hear anything about it.
hmm what abt changing bur on the sette. they do have another bur for pour over
Where I live the niche is like 1200 because of tariffs
For consistency test, I expected the test to be repeated 4-5 times to see if the particle size ratio remains the same.
baratza sette is user friendly, and is built to be replaceable right? The niche looks stepless, with one dial. I was considering getting the ascaso as a stepless grinder but i like the notches and dial markers the sette has. And yes I would have two seperate grinders, one for espresso dialing, and another for coarser grinds. It is annoying having to flip flop on one machine, especially if its stepless/no markers/indicators.
I don't think stepped or stepless is really a big deal, as long as you can make small enough adjustments (for espresso). The vario is a stepped grinder, but each step is such a tiny change, 1 micro step does hardly anything :)
Good thing about the Vario is it doesn't have that overlap issue he mentioned here, if you go one macro (big) step it's equivalent to going from jumping one whole range on the micro adjustment knob. So If you're at the Macro setting #2 with the micro setting at it's highest / tightest grind and want to go finer, you just put the macro knob to #1 and the other to the coarsest setting and you should be about one step finer as desired.
The Niche IS stepless but with numbers for indicating approximate grind size. (You'll need to rotate it all the way around to get to drip/brew coffee grind range though (some people make their own little arrow indicator for that on the other side of the adjustment thing).
Thanks for the vid! I’m in a similar situation now, with the Sette 270 and wondering if it’s worth the upgrade to the Niche. Really wished you’d have done a similar sifting test at the coarser settings to compare the two, as i’ve been super curious to see just how bad the Sette is for brew ;)
Take my word, the sette isn’t good for brew methods. And I wasn’t trying to have a 20 min video where 10 minutes was sifting haha.
@@KyleRowsell interesting, I'd get the Niche but the wait time and the custom fees just doesn't seem worth it for now. My espresso budget sky rocketed from where I started, how naive I was going into it. I'm getting myself an espresso AScaso dream PID and wanted a sette 270 for espresso/pour over but I'm thinking I'm going to be doing mostly espresso because I like that foam. But was thinking of getting a Timemore Slim for pour over since I wouldn't be hand grinding every day. What do you think of that set up?
@@GadgetsGearCoffee the timemore is a hand grinder so if you’re interested in grinding by hand I think it’s a great option.
Did you try the drip burr that is available for the Sette?
Would be nice if Baratza started offering a small hopper/single dose version. I just don’t like the look of the large hopper and that’s keeping me from getting it lol
Niche for me. Great review fun and informative, great background music, thank you
Thank you for the kind comment!
@@KyleRowsell your welcome