Which to buy · Every setting
DF64 DF64 Gen 2 vs Varia VS3 (2nd Gen)
Conical against flat — the VS3 (2nd Gen)'s scale curves where the other runs straight. The DF64 Gen 2 is numbered 0–90; the VS3 (2nd Gen) is numbered 0–19.
Which to buy
Choose the
DF64 Gen 2 if you…
- want 64 mm flat burrs
- grind up to about 50 g at a time with the bellows
- want a plasma ion generator to cut static
Choose the
VS3 (2nd Gen) if you…
- want a smaller grinder — 3.5 kg and 310 mm tall
- weigh single doses — 30 g hopper, and Varia quotes under 0.1 g retention on a 10 g dose with RDT
- want 48 mm conical burrs (38 mm inner diameter)
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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: Turin — DF64 Gen 2.7 · Varia — VS3 Grinder
| DF64 Gen 2 | VS3 (2nd Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | DF64 | Varia |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 90 | 0 – 19 |
| Burrs | Flat | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 55.2 numbers | 8.5 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 22.3 numbers | 9.7 numbers |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a numbered dial, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 10 sits at grind index 0 on the DF64 Gen 2 but 44.8 on the VS3 (2nd Gen) — 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 | VS3 (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|
| 12.4 | 0.8 |
| 20.8 | 2.9 |
| 30.3 | 4.9 |
| 43.6 | 6.6 |
| 56.9 | 8.2 |
| 67.9 | 9.6 |
| 69.4 | 10.6 |
| 70.9 | 11.6 |
| 72.4 | 12.6 |
| 75.8 | 14 |
| 80.5 | 15.6 |
| 85.2 | 17.3 |
| 89.9 | 19 |
| VS3 (2nd Gen) | DF64 Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| 0.8 | 12.4 |
| 2.9 | 20.8 |
| 4.9 | 30.3 |
| 6.6 | 43.6 |
| 8.2 | 56.9 |
| 9.6 | 67.9 |
| 10.6 | 69.4 |
| 11.6 | 70.9 |
| 12.6 | 72.4 |
| 14 | 75.8 |
| 15.6 | 80.5 |
| 17.3 | 85.2 |
| 19 | 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 | VS3 (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 17.5 | 2.1 |
| Moka pot | 27.6 | 4.5 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 35 | 6.6 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 64.4 | 9 |
| Siphon | 68 | 9.6 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 68.5 | 10 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 69 | 10.4 |
| Drip / batch brew | 69.4 | 10.6 |
| Cupping | 69.8 | 10.9 |
| Chemex | 70.8 | 11.5 |
| French press | 74.1 | 13.4 |
| Cold brew | 83.1 | 16.5 |
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
Varia VS3 (2nd Gen)
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 VS3 (2nd Gen)
A compact grinder that tries to cover espresso and brew in a small footprint, and mostly succeeds. The second generation improved the burr alignment that limited the original. Expect to work harder at the espresso end than on a dedicated machine.