Which to buy · Every setting
Breville Barista Express Impress (built-in) vs DF64 DF64 Gen 2
Conical against flat — the Barista Express Impress (built-in)'s scale curves where the other runs straight. The Barista Express Impress (built-in) is numbered 1–25; the DF64 Gen 2 is numbered 0–90.
Which to buy
Choose the
Barista Express Impress (built-in) if you…
- want the grinder inside your espresso machine, with the dose calculated from the last grind
- want assisted tamping — a 22 lb press with a 7° twist
- make espresso only — Breville gives no filter range
Choose the
DF64 Gen 2 if you…
- brew filter as well — Turin says the burrs cover espresso and filter
- want stepless adjustment and 64 mm flat burrs
- single-dose — about 50 g with the bellows
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Turin now sells this as the DF64 Gen 2.7; the 'Gen 2' revision names vary by seller.
Sources: Breville — Barista Express Impress · Breville — Barista Express Impress manual · Turin — DF64 Gen 2.7
| Barista Express Impress (built-in) | DF64 Gen 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Breville | DF64 |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 1 – 25 | 0 – 90 |
| Burrs | Conical | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 2.6 numbers | 55.2 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 4.8 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 13 sits at grind index 0 on the Barista Express Impress (built-in) but 0.6 on the DF64 Gen 2 — close, but worth checking.
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 Impress (built-in) | DF64 Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| 15 | 12.4 |
| 17 | 20.8 |
| 18 | 70.9 |
| 19 | 80.5 |
| 21 | 85.2 |
| 22 | 89.9 |
| DF64 Gen 2 | Barista Express Impress (built-in) |
|---|---|
| 12.4 | 15 |
| 20.8 | 17 |
| 30.3 | 17 |
| 43.6 | 17 |
| 56.9 | 17 |
| 67.9 | 17 |
| 69.4 | 17 |
| 70.9 | 18 |
| 72.4 | 18 |
| 75.8 | 18 |
| 80.5 | 19 |
| 85.2 | 21 |
| 89.9 | 22 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | Barista Express Impress (built-in) | DF64 Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 16 | 17.5 |
| Moka pot | 17 | 27.6 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 17 | 35 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 17 | 64.4 |
| Siphon | 17 | 68 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 17 | 68.5 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 17 | 69 |
| Drip / batch brew | 17 | 69.4 |
| Cupping | 17 | 69.8 |
| Chemex | 18 | 70.8 |
| French press | 18 | 74.1 |
| Cold brew | 20 | 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 Impress (built-in)
DF64 DF64 Gen 2
Dialing in the Barista Express Impress (built-in)
The Impress version adds assisted dosing and tamping, but the grinder underneath dials much like the standard Barista Express. Its range is built around espresso; treat filter settings as the far edge of what it was designed to do.
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.