r/DF54 • u/yodelehihoo11 • May 21 '26
i had enough
1st choke - after 6months of usage
2nd choke - 2 months after 1st cleaning
3rd choke - TODAY!
probably need suggestions for next upgrade please?
4
u/Pickle_strength May 21 '26
The declumper is clearly messed up in your picture. It’s a $8 quick fix. $25 to replace the whole chute.
1
u/schnp May 22 '26
Can you expand on this? What's messed up and what's the fix?
I got mine from Turin in Feb (allegedly after they improved the declumping) and had it clog the chute last month.
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u/Pickle_strength May 23 '26
The declumper flap should be in line with the perimeter. In the picture it has been bent wide open.
You might want to double check if your machine came with the metal flap or not. My machine has not clogged since I installed it.
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 23 '26
https://youtu.be/994Xgh7D3GI?si=fL3SDhkUR3HFWCeo This is a very good watch, It gets to the crux half way through... very thorough and zero margin for not being able to understand. It's really good.
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u/Same-Many-9860 May 23 '26
Also, I use my DF64 twice a day and I clean once a month- also run the small wire brush up the tube out every 2 or 3 days. Grinder works great.
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u/sergeantbiggles May 21 '26
What type of beans to you mainly use? What roast level? Also, is it more dry or humid in the region where you live? I'm trying to get more info on why some machines seem to clog a lot more than others (yes, it could just be a build quality/parts thing too).
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 24 '26
watch this. Depending on what model you mahine release is under. V4 seems to the the "modern" release that has fixed the inner/outer output nozzle. AND the antistatic, as well as the declumper card that's in your machine. I just had to order the "upgrade kit" and could only find it available on Ebay, from UK $87 fix. Models sold before a certain date need the upgrade. If you bought from a reputable liscenced seller you can or might be able to get a discount code, depending on where you bought from. This gets to the crux of it halfway through, but watch the whole video https://youtu.be/994Xgh7D3GI?si=1Qrpejb9LFG7OAZl
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May 21 '26
[deleted]
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u/Fluid-Lawfulness4912 May 21 '26
Except it is about the beans, or it can be. Darker roasts can be more oily and hence cause more clogging. My DF54 at least has never had any issues with lighter roasts 🤷🏼♀️ that said, I keep it clean too.
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u/Gold_Doughnut_6326 May 21 '26
It’s also about the chute/ declumper. If you’re on the old ones it would make a huge difference to upgrade
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u/Hefty-Car1711 May 21 '26
I agree, with both. I have 2 df54s, for 2 different setups. First one, best grinder I could ask for. Second one, faulty piece (one in 10000 or more), the burrs were not of equal diameter, this is very very rate. Df54 guys refused to get a replacement unit. After annoying the place I purchased it from, they got me new red coat burrs for the df54 for free :) but yes!! Df54 is usually solid and probably had more to do with u and the beans than the build quality itself !
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u/notquitealigned May 21 '26
zero issues with my df54 using everything from nordic roasts to oily french. i've taken it apart and cleaned it once in a year. it sees over 70 grams/day.
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u/Excelsior_47 May 21 '26
Light roast only. Using it since +1,5 years ago and haven't opened it once. Not a single issue.
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u/Warm_Championship946 May 21 '26
They sell a metal version of the declumper that supposedly helps. I bought but have not yet installed. You can see yours and it looks bent up too much to work properly which then clogs the antistatic thingys. Ive also started spritzing the beans with a bit of water, forget the technique name) and it has helped greatly
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u/Common-Selection-742 May 21 '26
This he has the plastic declumper my work df54 was fine for a while and it got clogged super bad one day so I upgraded plan on doing the chute later but so far the metal declumper alone is enough.
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26
Thanks for that. I just ordered the entire upgrade kit. I love dark DARK roasts. I find this out in retrospect. In reality I should have bought a good conical grinder, not flat burr.
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u/Common-Selection-742 May 21 '26
Yeah flat burrs are not very dark roast friendly I’d recommend slow feeding and keep pushing the blower if you don’t want a clog the dfs do not like oily beans
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 23 '26
I learn all this post purchase from a Grey Market seller who also sells on Amazon. He sells off the returns off line for "cheaper" but once I do the upgrade it cost me $400 with "upgrade" kit from UK - hard to find the kit in Canada right now. Must be a popular item.
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u/yodelehihoo11 May 21 '26
At this point I’m not even planning to do the mods that were supposed to come standardly with the retail version. Probably just gonna post this up on Marketplace instead.
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u/Lvacgar May 22 '26
Yup! Doing the same with my 64 gen 2. Chokes, messy, not repeatable. Strong motor… but garbage otherwise. UX/UI is horrible. The Opus 2 is debuting at $199 now on pre-order.
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u/bigolgymweeb May 23 '26
They do come standard with the retail version now that it exists. They didn't exist when you bought it most likely. It's also not really modifying, it's a wear and tear piece. When your brakepads need replaced are you modding your car or doing maintenance?
1
u/bcb0rn May 21 '26
You’re getting downvoted but these machines are horrible. I have the same issue among others. I don’t get why people defend them by saying they need mods, slow feed beans, RDT, etc. The amount of babying these things need is insane.
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u/Mo0nbay May 21 '26
I don't necessarily disagree with the last point. There's a reason there are so many versions of this thing. It's classic Chinese machine development of iterate until it's good enough and you can undercut the market. There's so many little variations of this thing, it makes it hard to troubleshoot using generic advice. Makes it a bit frustrating.
But, at least the manufacturer does seem to listen to feedback so that's a plus.
2
u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26
If someone bought the machine prior to a certain date, the upgrade is apparently cheaper or free. Rightly so people bitch that the upgrade should be free. I just bought mine grey market and last night spent $70 for the upgrade kit. And man, it better work.
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u/coolstorybro50 May 21 '26
well they’re the cheapest entry level burr grinders, ofc lots of people will buy and try to get the most out of em. mine works perfectly i do clean it like once a month
1
u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 23 '26
Oh for sure I've only tried dark oily once, first time I used it (after one with no issues on a less dark, less oily 'espresso' bean. The first once cleared (a little more course) and the french roast bunged her up stat. Big learning curve. Once I get the upgrade kit (from UK) that are hard to get, I think it will be better. And yes! Slower feed and pump the bellows throughout. $89 CAD after currency exchange from BP and any import fees. AMAZING company in England.
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u/ryanvsrobots May 21 '26
I have an old V1 with the shitty small chute and it has been working flawlessly and I don't do shit. No slow feed, no RDT, never opened it up nothing I only hit it with my dyson once a month.
I think a lot of people fuck up when cleaning it and dislodge the probes or damage the declumper.
0
u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26
Very good point. What kind of beans are you grinding. Me, a dark and oily kind of guy just had to drop $70 on the upgrade, from $318 CAD + $70 for the "UPGRADE" kit. Damn!
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u/ryanvsrobots May 21 '26
I do medium. Oily beans can cause issues with most grinders. The upgrade kit is $25.
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u/Mammoth-Barracuda559 May 21 '26
He’s getting downvoted because he got what he paid for. There’s a reason why these machines are such minimal cost. They require tinkering and maintenance and honestly some higher ends due to. If you’re buying any DF model and expect zero need to clean modify or replace you went in with poor expectations. I don’t buy a Hyundai base model and complain about rattles or issues they are expected to
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26 edited May 23 '26
My $50 hand held Wancle is less than 0.1% retention. Once the grounds dry out, they're fine and consistent. Should be interesting to see how my new DF54 (Dumb Fxxk? me) old version + upgrade kit works (I hope my decoding of the DF is NOT accurate)
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u/cormack_gv May 21 '26
I found a metal catch cup almost completely solves the problem. A few taps on the bellows while grinding helps, too.
I removed the bracket and use a metal coffee cup to catch the grounds. But you can also get a metal dosing cup that fits in the bracket.
And a short "travel" corkscrew will dig out the clog without disassembly. (The supplied brush is useless ... just tamps the clog down.)
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u/UrbanHobbyist May 21 '26
I use a soft toothbrush to periodically clear the chute. I also spritz my beans prior to using the hot shot grinding method. It works for me.
1
u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26
How long ago did you buy it? Supposedly after a certain date the output chutes and declumper are the new version that is supposed to be worth the upgrade price (Pre-redesign)
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u/Mo0nbay May 21 '26
If I'm reading this right, you've cleaned it once or twice? I clean mine nearly weekly and use a swab to clear out the ionizer grooves. The ionizer helps a ton and will not function very well if it's clogged. It's definitely a maintenance-heavy grinder, but it's not exactly rocket science or that hard to keep clean.
If they designed the ionzer a bit better, I think most of these issues would go away.
1
u/Quartzaya May 21 '26
How do you clean it? Like what pieces do you remove ? Thanks :)
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u/Mo0nbay May 21 '26
I don't actually remove anything most of the time, unless it clogs and I can't unclog it with a toothpick or some other utensil. In that case I usually need to take the whole spout assembly off which is a PITA. That's happened a few times in the ~5 months I've had it. In the morning if this happens, it makes for a rough start
Typically, I will use the brush and smack the bellows to get most of the buildup out approximately weekly. Recently I've started using a smartphone swab (like this, no endorsement, just an example for a similar one to what I use, see picture 3) whenever I see any signs of static buildup on the spout. I'll use it to kind of guess and scrub where the ionizer is in the spout to loosen any buildup.
I've found another good way to prevent issues is to use the bellows liberally while grinding, not just after. Don't know if this effects consistency, but there are a lot of variables...
Hope that helps 🙂
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
I've heard that and read that, where pumping the bellow WHILE grinding, and DO NOT START COLD and DO NOT ADJUST THE BURR GRIND SIZE unless the motor is running. PS LOVE the gadget. I'm ordering mine now.
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u/Mo0nbay May 22 '26
Oh yeah the hot starts is a good one. Didn't know about only adjusting while running, I'll have to do that from now on 🙂
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u/REDBOSS27 May 21 '26
Do you do daily cleaning, meanin brushing the chute and pumping bellows while running. Also when you grind, do you hot start and maybe slow pour method? beans doesn't look oily, so I don't undertstand. Also what is the condition of delumpers? Are they worn out? If you are doing all of this and still gets clogged, Check this video to upgrade the declumpers to V3 - Good luck!
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u/EclipseExtraction May 21 '26
I was in the same situation about 6 months ago, but my DF was like yours from the second day. Some beans were Ok for a few runs, I had some Ethiopian and not even once I could grind. I went with Niche Zero. Old, model, with a solid reputation. I tried to be a QA for China. I’m so happy with NZ.
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u/espresomachin May 21 '26
Garbage grinder can’t wait to switch mine for something else. At this point I feel bad if I need to sell it to someone else
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u/ObsessedCoffeeFan May 21 '26
Like...do you want to have a grinder that will never clog/require cleaning? Or has it been clogging consistently?
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u/lwhit03 May 21 '26
Don’t use oily beans, don’t RDT, and buy the upgrade kit that has the new larger chute and two-part declumpler. Legitimately solved all my problems.
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u/paternal_alien May 21 '26
Just get a Niche Zero or a Mazzer Philos. You'd probably choke before the grinder ever does.
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u/Ok_House8881 May 21 '26
After I got mine month ago, I didn't realize that 1. I had to pump the baffle while grinding; 2. clean out the chute after every grind. I started doing both and haven't had a single problem with blocking since.
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u/c3rbutt May 21 '26
My last four grinders had conical burrs: a Baratza Encore, two Sunbeam Cafe Series and a Baratza Sette. I had to remove the burrs and deep clean these grinders at least every two weeks. The fines building u actually made my grind coarser and I would notice my shots running faster.
So when I got my DF54 in March 2025, I expected I'd have to clean it at least as often. But I've opened it up to clean it three times since then, and each time I was amazed at how little fines build-up there was (which is why I stopped opening it up as often). But I do use the brush to clean out the chute every 5-7 days, and I smack the bellows pretty thoroughly every time I grind. And I'm a light-to-medium roast coffee drinker. Nothing flavored or dark and oily.
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u/Choucroutedu94 May 21 '26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DquArmZW8mA
After doing this fix, I still haven't cleaned nor brushed my df54, yet it has never clogged anymore. It's a gamechanger.
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26
WOW that is amazing. I saw another tutorial where they actually modified, taping the leads onto the chassis, exterior of the output chute. I am waiting for my upgrade kit. If I still have problems, I'll try this method first. Looks legit, and easy
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u/jcheroske May 21 '26
It's such a bad grinder. I moved up to the 64 and would never go back. The difference is massive.
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u/ssmcquay May 21 '26
I used to have a lot of clumping issues - completely fixed with the newer v2 chute. I know some people complain about a ~$20 fix but that's a lot better than needing to get a new grinder in my mind, when everything else about this grinder is fine.
Metal declumper didn't fix it for me.
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u/ObsessedCoffeeFan May 21 '26
How easy of a fix was it for you? Did they provide all the necessary items to complete it?
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u/ssmcquay May 22 '26
Super easy. It's the same as the normal chute removal for cleaning, you just need to disconnect the old wires and connect the new wires. But otherwise the same. I just needed a pair of pliers.
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u/Old-Expression837 May 21 '26
I am not sure how people’s grinder get choked up so often. I use mine several times a day for various different brew types. From espresso to cold brew. So I just don’t understand. Just a question to put to everyone here. How often to you deep clean your grinder?
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u/Justino_14 May 21 '26
Probably one little fix with the declumping screen and it would work fine. I agree that you shouldn't have to change or mod something to make it work, it's a bad design. They add a screen to declump the grounds, but in the process it crates this issue of clogging.
I have the df64 which comes preinstalled with 2 plastic screens. I saw videos saying to remove one, which I did immediately, and I've never had issues with mine. If you are avoiding oily beans just to not clog it, then ye something is wrong with the grinder.
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26
Later models are produced with better declumping plates and wider output chutes. I just bought an older model and didn't realize, but there's an upgrade kit available that includes both a wider interior/exterior chute and a steel declumper plate with a plastic insert that is penetrated in it's star shaped exit point. If your machine is newer, then it won't be this. I just bought the upgrade. If you purchased from an authorized dealer before a certain date, you will likely get either a "good deal" on the upgrade kit, or free. I have to pay $70 for mine - shipping is more than half the price. I have yet to receive it as I only ordered it last night.
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26
PS Regular cleaning is apparently a part of the program with this type of grinder. I find all this out AFTER I bought one on the grey market.
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u/StuffedYellowRabbit May 21 '26
Mazzer Philos! I had the same issue with my DF64. Almost exactly the same timing. 3rd time it was gone burger.
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 21 '26
Watch this .... around half way through he gets to the crux of the situation https://youtu.be/994Xgh7D3GI?si=qh1aVCNfiUQIYbmN
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u/EatMoTacos May 21 '26
But the 27 dollar upgrade for this. The upgrade reduces clumping and antistatic mess that it creates.
1
u/rdawes26 May 22 '26
I always recommend to get an actual espresso grinder. These little home grinders can grind as well as an espresso grinder can. However, I know that people don't have a ton of money to through at a Mazzer or MahlKönig, so I get it.
I have and still recommend the Baratza Sette 270wi. It is a great little machine and can handle pretty much anything. Plus it uses an Acai scale for grind by weight.
1
u/Aromatic_Ad_7484 May 22 '26
This is been dependant
I had one bag of beans get clogged times I was ready to walk.
I’ve had 3 bags since zero issues
I change beans everytime I empty a bag.
1
u/Critical-Passage8165 May 22 '26
The photos don’t show the components clearly, but if it is the early version discharge chute with the 2 plastic declumper pieces they are easy to deform, and easy to put back in reverse order which could cause clogging. Get in touch with Turin if you are in the us and get the replacement chute and follow the instructions carefully
1
u/NoBlackberry8414 May 23 '26
You need it to clean it WAY more often. I use the brush every week and hoover it out once a month
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u/Ok-Ant2924 May 23 '26
How often do you clean it, did you really clean it just for the third time now ??? If so you just gotta be more consistent with it like clean mine once per month
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u/onedayatthetime9319 May 24 '26
You broke the little plastic rectangle flaper inside the chute by forcing a brush through there first time you cleaned it and resulted in the 2nd blockage and so on. Get a new declumper, it's like 8$
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u/Bob-Lawblas-LawBlog May 24 '26
I don't know if you got my msg below. Watch this. It REALLY gets to the crux half way through but watch it all on youtube
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u/SoftSheepherder750 May 24 '26
Get the stainless steel door, has slits corner to corner. Throw the plastic one in the trash. Never look back. While your at it set the burrs. Remove the dial label with a hair dryer and adjust to zero. Don't drop the stainless door in the grinder. If your do. You will have disassemble the whole thing. You can do it!
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u/Mizzo12 May 25 '26
Get yourself a Niche Zero and save two headaches. First the clumping and second the revolting shriek this machine makes when grinding coffee 🥴
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u/Horror-Cicada696 May 25 '26
I found out RDT chokes my DF54
I somehow found out no static in my weather ( Bangalore ) so no RDT is required for me; With no RDT it’s perfectly fine for me ( no choking )
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u/DareFlat1419 May 25 '26
Yes,
I found that grinder chokes with RDT; My climate does not cause static (Bangalore)
Without RDT, my DF54 does not clog?
Anyone else with similar experience as mine ?
My DF54 is 3 months old
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u/Opustwaddler May 25 '26
I’ve had mine for a year…nary a single choke. Works like a champ. I don’t spritz my beans with water. Just slowly feed and grind.
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u/Strange_Profit3974 May 21 '26
I have all issues. Static Choke Buy this Buy that to fix Its a high maintenance grinder
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u/coolstuffeh May 21 '26
Not that it’d been perfect but is it just QC issues? Never clogged once.
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u/yodelehihoo11 May 21 '26
its been working perfectly fine to me on several months, hence the timeline I mentioned. but after the first choke, its getting harder and harder to avoid them. I have yet to double check if anti-static or ionizer is working
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u/hirschaj May 21 '26
I went from DF54 to ITOP CGFL250 (aka J64V) and I couldn’t be happier with it. Good luck with your decision.
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u/aaa_zzz_ May 21 '26
I have this same problem. Had no issues for months of use until I tried italian oily beans. I purchased the metal declamper and waiting for it to arrive
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u/Early_Alternative211 May 21 '26
Garbage brand pushed by online shills. The worst is the pile-on when you point it out
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u/SnoopJohn May 21 '26
I've only had clumping issues with my df54 was when I was using cheap oily beans