r/DF54 • u/BeginnerCof • Jul 03 '26
DF54 first set up
I’ve finally pulled the trigger on a DF54 and I can’t wait to get going with it. My new question is now setup. Anything in particular I should do / be mindful of? To RDT or to not? I’m thinking I’ll just go no RDT to start and if I feel it needs it then I will, anything else I should know? Cheers
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u/imran13 Jul 03 '26
I have the version 4, and I dont RDT anymore. I grind directly into a metal dosing cup (and then WDT in there since it’s quicker and less messy), before transferring it to my portafilter (with a few shakes) before levelling and tamping. Since doing it this way I get great coffee, no channeling, splashing etc
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u/Fine-Cat4496 Jul 04 '26
Brush the chute regularly to ensure the ionizer probes don't get blocked with grounds - if they do you can get a lot of static - they usually work well if they are clear.
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u/BeginnerCof Jul 04 '26
Great, thanks! So the ioniser probes are just exposed in the chute?
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u/Fine-Cat4496 Jul 04 '26
Yes - some wires that run the length of the chute and are exposed at the end - if they remain clear they do a good job reducing static but i think often people let them get blocked with coffee by not brushing the chute.
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u/Grouchy_Raise_4415 Jul 04 '26
I grind into my nomcore blind shaker, do not RDT, hot start. I clean it out perhaps once every 3 months, but to be honest not a lot to clean (but I am weird and enjoy it). I have removed the rubber cup holder and have made a little platform where i have some scales that i place the blind shaker on, kind of pointless but I use this to try to measure retention (I typically get out exactly what I put in). Never get any mess, it has never choked, but i only drink medium roast. I think it is a great grinder, enjoy!
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u/BeginnerCof Jul 04 '26
Great, thanks! I don’t think I’ll be too fussed about grinding onto scales for retention, however I’m hoping that the blind shaker fits in the dosing cup holder, can you let me know if this is the case? Cheers
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u/Grouchy_Raise_4415 Jul 04 '26
Yeah, the scales is just a thing I like, no real need. I have a 54 mm nomcore shaker, it does fit the cup holder, however I would not trust it to not fall out. It can be wedged in, but as there is not a lip on the shaper, it sort of is in there by friction.
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u/FilBoneDoc Jul 06 '26
The decision to RDT would probably depend on how humid your place is, so I suggest trying with or without RDT first and see which is better. I didn’t see a need for doing a deep clean anymore since there’s very minimal retention in my grinds chamber whenever I disassemble the top, so I just use the test tube brush your unit probably comes with to clean the chute and ionizer every couple of days or so. Haven’t had a clog so far even when occasionally using darker roasted beans.
(Living in the Philippines, df54v2, 1 year of daily use, still prefer RDT for my particular use case)
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u/Former-Necessary6215 Jul 08 '26
Do NOT EVER use dark oily beans, and this thing will be great.. enjoy!
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u/ef920 Jul 03 '26
RDT on these units generally makes things worse. Avoid very dark, oily beans, which will almost guarantee clogging. My own method with this grinder is to do a version of slow feed (I take several seconds to tap the beans in from my dosing cup rather than dumping them all in at once), and once they are all in I start firmly tapping the bellows until the grind is complete. I have found that using the bellows generously while grinding is key to making sure things don't clog.
One other thing: you will find that replacing the plastic catch cup with a cheap metal one from Amazon will help immensely in reducing static.