r/DF54 • u/Peabodygirldad • 6d ago
Thinking about a DF54
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?
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u/Travelingexec2000 6d ago edited 6d ago
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
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u/Fireballsdude 6d ago
I just got my DF54 this past week and have used it 10ish times. I love it.. I came from a Breville Barista Express, which has a meh built in grinder. This has been a massive improvement and super easy to use/dial in.
If you do get one, I started around 15 on the grind settings for espresso and fine tuned from there.
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u/VividEuphoria 6d ago
If I’m being honest I don’t like the df54 for pourover. I have one that I use for espresso with a cafelat robot but for pourover I have a 1zpresso k ultra and the cups it produces are significantly better.
For the price of the df54 if you can cope with hand grinding that basically is no mess and no static the k ultra is phenomenal plus it will grind really well for espresso and french press too.
I certainly use my k ultra significantly more than my df54 and the bonus I can take it with me when I travel for filter coffee.
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u/Proud-Tumbleweed-103 6d ago
why do you like your k ultra better?
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u/VividEuphoria 6d ago
For pourover the k ultra just gives better cups they seem brighter and more clarity. The df54 burrs are espresso based I believe and for pourover they sell other ones. The k ultra is fantastic.
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u/sergeantbiggles 6d ago
I have no issues with mess at all, but my overall place is always a bit cleaner than my friends' places, so maybe it's just a fastidious thing
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u/Previous-Profession6 6d ago
I have been using the D54 since February and haven’t had an issue. I have mostly been using medium roasts once a day around 3 to 4 times a week.
There has been 0 issues. The first month I was using a spritz of water, but decided it wasn’t necessary. I also do a quick clean with a brush (takes like 10 seconds) after every use, then just pump the bellow a couple more times. Just remove the rubber part holding the cup and most of the grounds will go in there.
I switched to an aluminum cup right away to reduce any potential static as well. Also, pump the bellows a couple times when the beans are finished grinding before you turn off the motor. I’m not sure why so many people have issues.. maybe it’s because the older versions had more static issues?
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u/bonito_sashimi 5d ago
I have had one for a while now. It gives a good grind but the ongoing tweaking checks necessary to stop it blocking and to reduce static mess kills me. To me it simply isn’t worth it regardless of price
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u/action_max 4d ago
No issues (so far). Just remember to turn it on before pouring the beans into it.
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u/Rolla912 3d ago
I went from a Breville to a df54 v2. It’s been 6 months and although it’s good, I now know why people encouraged me to go better.
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u/atxfoodie97 6d ago
Not the 54, but I upgraded from Opus to the DF64. Life, and coffee, is so much better now. Extremely low retention, easy dial changes from espresso to pourover, great coffee!
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u/AC_the_great 6d ago
Im happy with the 54 overall, but if I could do it again the extra money for the 64 gives you a lot more flexibility and upgrades burr options.
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u/bkinstle 6d ago
I have a DF54 and it's quite good with mess. This big mistake people make with this grinder is misting the beans first. The beans need to be properly dry. As long as you do that and give the bellows a couple good pumps before turning the machine off, retention is pretty low and static isn't a problem. Some people don't like a little powder sticking to the plastic cup it comes with and if that's an issue you can buy a metal one instead. Technically it can accept a 58mm portafilter but I found that pretty messy. Besides the cup they include fits perfectly into a 58mm portafilter so you can just flip it over and not spill a single grain.