Which to buy · Every setting
Breville Barista Express (built-in) vs DF64 DF64 Gen 2
Conical against flat — the Barista Express (built-in)'s scale curves where the other runs straight. The Barista Express (built-in) is numbered 1–16; the DF64 Gen 2 is numbered 0–90.
Which to buy
Choose the
Barista Express (built-in) if you…
- want the grinder in the machine, dosing for a 1- or 2-cup basket
- brew espresso only — Breville gives all 16 settings to espresso
- grind from a 250 g hopper on the machine
Choose the
DF64 Gen 2 if you…
- brew filter as well as espresso — Turin says the 64 mm burrs cover both
- want stepless adjustment
- want 64 mm flat burrs
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Turin now sells the DF64 Gen 2 as the Gen 2.7; the "Gen 2" revision names vary by seller.
Sources: Breville — Barista Express · Breville — Barista Express manual · Turin — DF64 Gen 2.7
| Barista Express (built-in) | DF64 Gen 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Breville | DF64 |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 1 – 16 | 0 – 90 |
| Burrs | Conical | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 4.2 numbers | 55.2 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 5.3 numbers | 22.3 numbers |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a numbered dial, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 9 sits at grind index 40.9 on the Barista Express (built-in) but 0 on the DF64 Gen 2 — far enough apart to change the cup.
Converting a setting
If a recipe quotes a setting for one of these grinders, read across for the equivalent on the other. Rows are spaced evenly by grind size, not by dial number — on a conical burr those are not the same thing.
| Barista Express (built-in) | DF64 Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 12.4 |
| 6 | 30.3 |
| 7 | 43.6 |
| 8 | 56.9 |
| 9 | 67.9 |
| 10 | 69.4 |
| 11 | 70.9 |
| 12 | 75.8 |
| 13 | 80.5 |
| 14 | 85.2 |
| DF64 Gen 2 | Barista Express (built-in) |
|---|---|
| 12.4 | 5 |
| 20.8 | 5 |
| 30.3 | 6 |
| 43.6 | 7 |
| 56.9 | 8 |
| 67.9 | 9 |
| 69.4 | 10 |
| 70.9 | 11 |
| 72.4 | 11 |
| 75.8 | 12 |
| 80.5 | 13 |
| 85.2 | 14 |
| 89.9 | 14 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | Barista Express (built-in) | DF64 Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 5 | 17.5 |
| Moka pot | 6 | 27.6 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 7 | 35 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 9 | 64.4 |
| Siphon | 9 | 68 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 9 | 68.5 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 10 | 69 |
| Drip / batch brew | 10 | 69.4 |
| Cupping | 10 | 69.8 |
| Chemex | 11 | 70.8 |
| French press | 12 | 74.1 |
| Cold brew | 13 | 83.1 |
The shape of each dial
Where the connectors bunch, that grinder’s dial is compressed and single steps count for more. Comparing the two shapes tells you which gives finer control, and where.
Breville Barista Express (built-in)
DF64 DF64 Gen 2
Dialing in the Barista Express (built-in)
The grinder built into the Barista Express, tuned around that machine's basket rather than as a general-purpose grinder. It has a narrower usable range than a standalone unit, and the internal burr adjustment matters as much as the outer dial for reaching a proper espresso grind.
Dialing in the DF64 Gen 2
A 64mm flat-burr single-dose grinder that became popular precisely because it puts commercial burrs at a domestic price. Espresso is the design centre; the burr choice you fit matters more to grind character than the dial does.