The DF64V is a special edition of the DF64 that also came to market in the German-speaking region as the G-Iota. The wider variant without V convinced us in many respects during testing, and especially impressed us in repeat tests with SSP burrs. In many ways, the DF64V builds on the original single dosing grinder, improves several things, yet in some areas hasn't sufficiently learned from market feedback. Nevertheless, we're testing another good espresso grinder with the DF64, as our video test shows.
We compared 10 single dosing grinders in the price range of 500 to 1000 euros. Learn more about this in our article on the topic.
High quality for a good price
The DF64v is a compact espresso grinder that is really narrow at just 11 cm wide. At 20.8 cm deep and 33.5 cm tall, it's an elegant representative of its kind. The grinder feels very high-quality overall. The exterior is smooth, no sharp edges are noticeable, and the wooden elements as a lid and base fit in well. Despite its low weight of only 4.3 kg, the grinder stands solidly on the table.
The DF64V is equipped with a 64 mm burr set. In our test, the standard burrs were used. Commercially available alternative burrs from SSP can be used. However, as our test showed, the installed burrs are already capable of achieving a good particle distribution.
At just under 600 euros, the grinder is available in the German-speaking region*, making it an interesting choice.
Operation and function of the single dosing grinder
The wave of single dose grinders is sweeping through the home barista corners of the world. The DF64V joins a series of interesting single dosing grinders. The principle is as simple as it is ingenious. You manually weigh the amount of coffee in a dosing cup that you want to use for brewing. This coffee is fed into the grinder and ground. The coffee doesn't age in the bean hopper this way, and you can switch from one coffee to another.
Like many other single dosing grinders, the DF64 is also slightly tilted forward to help ensure the ground coffee comes out completely. The best single dosing grinders achieve this with almost no residue. With the DF64V, 0.7 grams remain in the retention. For a good single dosing grinder, that would be too much. However, the air blower provides a remedy. With a few strong bursts during grinding, the ground coffee is dislodged from the retention space. If we work at this consistently, we achieve a standard deviation of 0.08 grams between shots. An excellent value!
In the permanent retention space, 1.6 grams of coffee sit, but they don't get replaced from grinding to grinding. But where does the 0.7 grams of ground coffee get stuck? There is someone responsible for this. The narrow grinding discharge chute of the DF64V. Not only is it narrow, but it also has a fairly massive declumper. But the combination of declumper, narrow grinding discharge, and static electricity in the DF64V is a combination that leads to problems without deliberate counteraction!
Spray or static
The static charge on the DF64V is so severe that it's barely possible to get the coffee into the elevated dosing cup. We didn't even use coffees that tend toward strong static. The grinder's manufacturers recognized the problem themselves and therefore already send a small spray bottle with it. Just a few drops of water completely change the grinder's performance. Suddenly it grinds smoothly, and if the air blower is then used, the retention reduces to the 0.08 grams between shots mentioned above.
Without spray - we have to say this clearly - the DF64V is actually not usable in our view.
Medium fast, rather loud
The DF64V reaches a volume of 81.6 decibels at maximum RPM and is among the louder grinders. The speed achieved is 19.2 grams of coffee on the test coffee at espresso setting. The temperature increase of 0.9 degrees Celsius over 6 shots is not significant and averages 32.4 degrees Celsius. There is no risk of excessive temperature exposure to the coffee.
Grind adjustment and recipes
Although a small change to the stepless grind ring already has a large effect on the effective grind setting, we were able to easily switch from espresso to café crème and back over ristretto to the starting grind setting during testing. Both the extraction parameters and the particle distribution were identical afterwards.
Particle distribution DF64V
The particle distribution of the DF64V indicates everything that tastes good to us in espresso in the cup. We have a relatively narrow main peak of only 196 microns. This supports the clarity of the aroma and in the case of the DF64V is countered by a rather high fine fraction of 27%. A higher fine fraction is beneficial to a certain degree for the texture and creaminess of the espresso.
The espressos we pulled with the help of the DF64V were clear, had good body, and were able to well represent the expected flavor profile of the coffees used.
Conclusion on the DF64V
With the help of water spray and pumping, the DF64V is a good grinder, especially in terms of taste. However, the home barista has to do something for this (spray water) and also pump the residue out of the machine. This is not necessary with other single dosing grinders.
We think: for the price, the DF64V could perform better here. However, if you're already used to the single dosing process, you might not mind that the DF64 can't do without it.
Note: The DF64V was conceived with adjustable RPM. In the past, we've already tested the performance at faster and slower speeds with other grinders and found better results with high RPMs when brewing espresso. Therefore, slower speeds were not extensively tested in the case of the DF64V. However, the espressos pulled have confirmed our previous experience.
For preparing filter coffee, we recommend reducing the speed.
* Affiliate link: If you order through this link, it won't cost you more, but we receive a small commission. Thanks for that. We put it toward purchasing further test material.
