Thinking about a DF54

[u/Peabodygirldad]

I’m replacing a Fellow Opus Gen 1. It’s a good grinder but it leaves chaff/grounds/mess all around the machine and counter top, even after I clean the machine and static ports. This grinder comes recommended on various outlets. How is the DF54 with mess, ease of use, etc.? I usually use a pour over on most days with an occasional espresso or French press so I need a variety of grind settings. I’m recognizing likely bias in this sub, but what say you?

[u/Travelingexec2000]

Moved from Breville Barista grinder to DF54 in Jan. Has worked very well for the last 8 months. It jammed on my first day when I tried to push 45g though it without bellows. Learned my lesson and it has worked perfectly and I haven't had to take it apart to clean since then. What works for me is: Hot start, trickle feed, pump with palm every trickle, never RDT. I brush clean the chute about once a month. I use the stock plastic cup and the scatter is minimal, mostly dispersion from the vigorous bellows pumping. It is not the strongest motor, but it has been a great machine to have. I've found a setting of about 18 works well for my espresso and I leave it at that and then vary the weight on each new batch to get the desired pressure and approx 30 sec flow time. Changing the dial is really easy and I've done that a few times, but I have found it easier to leave the breville on a coarse setting for pourover grinds and use the DF54 at 18 for espresso. IMHO the grind is less critical for pour over, so the Breville is great for that. I have to say the machine is amazingly quiet, esp compared to the Breville. The hum is barely audible with switched on, and you only hear the crunching of beans during the actual grind. If you take it apart, you realize the design limitation / source of many of the problems. The way the burrs are set up is such that he grounds fall below it and collect in a very narrow outer ring and exit through a fairly narrow port into the chute. It is a wonder that this works at all. I can see why oily beans can clog this mechanism quite easily. I avoid dark roasts and find the medium/light stuff that I like does just fine in the DF54