Which to buy · Every setting
DF64 DF64 Gen 2 vs Rancilio Rocky
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The DF64 Gen 2 is numbered 0–90; the Rocky is numbered 0–55.
Which to buy
Choose the
DF64 Gen 2 if you…
- want 64 mm flat burrs
- want stepless adjustment
- single-dose — it holds about 50 g with the bellows, which come with the lid
Choose the
Rocky if you…
- grind from a hopper — it holds 0.3 kg
- want fixed steps — up to 50, Rancilio says
- are buying used — Rancilio no longer lists it
Shop links are affiliate links: BrewMark earns a commission if you buy through one, at no extra cost to you. The verdicts were written without regard to it.
Turin now sells the DF64 Gen 2 as the Gen 2.7; the revision names vary by seller. Rancilio no longer lists the Rocky and sells the Stile as its home grinder, so you'd be buying the Rocky used.
Sources: Turin — DF64 Gen 2.7 · Rancilio Group — Rocky (archived Jan 2022) · Rancilio Group — Rocky SD specifications (archived May 2022) · Rancilio Group — Stile
| DF64 Gen 2 | Rocky | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | DF64 | Rancilio |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 90 | 0 – 55 |
| Burrs | Flat | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 55.2 numbers | 20 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 22.3 numbers | 23 numbers |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a numbered dial, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 28 sits at grind index 15.3 on the DF64 Gen 2 but 47.5 on the Rocky — 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.
| DF64 Gen 2 | Rocky |
|---|---|
| 12.4 | 5 |
| 20.8 | 9 |
| 30.3 | 14 |
| 43.6 | 18 |
| 56.9 | 22 |
| 67.9 | 26 |
| 69.4 | 29 |
| 70.9 | 32 |
| 72.4 | 36 |
| 75.8 | 39 |
| 80.5 | 42 |
| 85.2 | 45 |
| 89.9 | 48 |
| Rocky | DF64 Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 12.4 |
| 9 | 20.8 |
| 14 | 30.3 |
| 18 | 43.6 |
| 22 | 56.9 |
| 26 | 67.9 |
| 29 | 69.4 |
| 32 | 70.9 |
| 36 | 72.4 |
| 39 | 75.8 |
| 42 | 80.5 |
| 45 | 85.2 |
| 48 | 89.9 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | DF64 Gen 2 | Rocky |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 17.5 | 8 |
| Moka pot | 27.6 | 13 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 35 | 18 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 64.4 | 24 |
| Siphon | 68 | 26 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 68.5 | 27 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 69 | 28 |
| Drip / batch brew | 69.4 | 29 |
| Cupping | 69.8 | 30 |
| Chemex | 70.8 | 32 |
| French press | 74.1 | 38 |
| Cold brew | 83.1 | 44 |
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.
DF64 DF64 Gen 2
Rancilio Rocky
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.
Dialing in the Rocky
A stepped espresso grinder that has been the budget recommendation for a very long time. The 55 steps across 50mm flat burrs are its limitation — for espresso you will sometimes want a setting between two of them and there is not one, and a single step can move a shot by seconds. Twenty of those steps cover espresso through filter, which is more resolution than the fine end usually gets at this price. Two things make it an espresso grinder in practice rather than a general one: changing setting means holding the locking lever while twisting the hopper, and it keeps a couple of grams in the chute, so every switch between espresso and pour over costs you both fiddling and coffee. Most owners pick one end and stay there.