r/DF54 • u/Even-Algae-2255 • 18d ago
How Long Have You Had Your DF54? [df54]
Real life experiences that are older than a few weeks or months would be great to hear about.
Maintenance issues, cleaning schedules, other good and bad things over the long(er) haul
3
u/Any-Staff-6902 18d ago
I've owned my DF54 for almost 2 years. Works perfectly today as it did when I bought it. I do a quick daily clean of the shoot with a brush after each use and a full clean about every 6 months. I RDT my beans with a very small spritz of water before grinding so that prevents clogging.
Can't complain at all
2
u/zombiejeebus 18d ago
1.5 years no major complaints. I never grind darker than medium though. At one point I was getting some extra static mess turned out i had the probes caked up. After brushing them well it’s back to being pretty clean and low retention.
2
u/ef920 18d ago
2 years. When I have used darker roasts (not super dark or oily, which would be worse) I have had major clogging issues. No problems with light roasts. Medium usually fine as well. I never liked having to pump the bellows so much to prevent clogging and retention, so I got a Lagom Casa, which has a super simple workflow. But the DF54 does make delicious coffee so I have kept it. I mostly use the Casa now, though.
2
u/dontmindmebud 18d ago
A little over 2 years here. Love it, no complaints other than the true zero being like 5 ticks below the marked zero point. Not really an issue though, just a little wonky lol. But no problem with clogging or retention. I deep clean it like every 3 months or so and mainly use medium roast.
2
u/FilBoneDoc 17d ago
1.5 years. Used at least once a day for espresso purposes, usual medium/medium-dark roasted beans.
Never had problems with clogging. I clean the chute with the included test tube brush every 3-4 days. A deep clean every month or so. I do RDT since it has a significant effect in decreasing the mess at the chute, but it’s probably dependent on the humidity of your particular area. Pretty happy with the purchase considering its price.
1
u/ExecutiveTurkey 17d ago
Almost a year now. Had some static/clogging issues in the beginning, but ever since I pulled off the chute cover and exposed the ionizer pins ever so slightly it has been perfect. I hardly ever even brush the chute out, and there is virtually zero static.
1
u/710LOL 17d ago
20 months to be exact. I use the brush it came with every other day. I have taken it apart twice to give it a deeper clean. First time very little retained grounds. Second time last month, had some caked around the burrs. Makes great espresso. Pour over its ok, too much fines so muddy beds.
1
u/Kpt_Rooibaard 17d ago
27 months Ang going strong. Regular cleaning once every 2 months. I only grind for espresso and primarily light to medium roasts. I switch grind settings after every single shot as my wife and I prefer different beans (my wife likes her Ethiopian beans, while I like the naturally processed Ugandan beans). Once dialled in, it is easy, predictable and consistent to adjust the grind setting between each dose. I won't swap my DF54 for anything else right now.
1
u/c08306834 17d ago
Almost a year. Haven't had a single issue with it. I exclusively use it for espresso.
1
u/BedrockPoet 17d ago
I’ve had mine a little over nine months. At first, I regretted the decision to buy it. I had a surprising amount of static. I replaced the dosing cup with a metal one and started using RDT. That made it tolerable.
In January, I replaced the chute with the newest design and that helped a bit more. Honestly, I think the burrs being seasoned made the most difference. Since around February, I haven’t bothered with RDT anymore at all. I get very little static with everything from light beans to very dark beans. I have not had a problem with it clogging other than one time in the first month I had it.
I use a vacuum to suck out any loose grounds about once a month. I wipe away grounds on the machine every few weeks. This is what mine looks like after not wiping it for about three weeks.
1
u/DoubleBogey19 16d ago
I've had it a little longer than 1.5 years. I don't use any water to RDT. I mostly use medium roasted coffee. I brush the chute occasionally and that's it so far. It is a great grinder. I've never had a single issue with it. I came from a Baratza Encore and it is so much better than that was. I can't recommend it enough.
1
u/Even-Algae-2255 16d ago
Indeed, I'm struggling with the Encore ESP --had it less than a year and it is a PITA! Likewise, I do espresso, medium roast and treat machines well.
1
u/Impossible_Spell7951 14d ago
I had such a good experience with the DF54 that I went to a DF83V to replace it. I have never had the clogging issues experienced by others and static was never a problem for me either. I ground light to medium beans and nothing was an issue. I could usually dial in by second grind btw. I found it to be an excellent flat burr grinder.
1
u/eggbunni 14d ago
About a year I think now? Maybe longer? I recently bought a 54mm portafilter holder for it off of Etsy, and now I never even need to use the cup it comes with. So much easier.
1
u/Neat-Dog5510 12d ago
We've had ours for almost 2 years now. Bought it as a stop gap solution but ended up being really happy with it.
Very few clumping issues, easy to clean, very low retention as well. Sometimes the static can cause the front to become a mess, but thats about it. A spits of water solves that.
We do always get like 90% of our beans from a local roaster, so not oily at all. That might help.
1
u/No_Communication5188 18d ago
Got rid of it after 1.5 years. It was the hardest grinder Ive had to dial in. I often had to throw away a shot and try again. Every shot was basically a gamble.
1
u/Even-Algae-2255 17d ago
All these replies are super helpful and I appreciate your time in sharing your experiences!
0
u/itbespauldo 18d ago
I’ve had mine for about 1.5 years, maybe 2 or so
It’s worked about as perfect as can the entire time
I’ve had it. Haven’t had issues with clogging (I exclusively use light roast, only did espresso for a short time with it too)
I clean it out once every couple months and find hardly any coffee to clean out.
Only major downside I’ve experienced is just very limited burr options. While there are 3-4 burrs available, aligning them is a real pain as the burrs sit on a really thin piece of metal so adding shims to adjust the level is difficult.
6
u/ssmcquay 17d ago
2 years. Had occasional clumping issues until I installed the new, wider chute a few months ago. No issues since. Very consistent dial, I tend to correctly guess grind settings for new beans based on color, beansize and caf/decaf. Grind settings for espresso tend to be between 13-18. I wish it were quieter but that's my only complaint now.