Which to buy · Every setting
DF64 DF64 V2 vs Rancilio Rocky
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The DF64 V2 is numbered 0–90; the Rocky is numbered 0–55.
Which to buy
Choose the
DF64 V2 if you…
- want stepless adjustment by collar, with no fixed steps
- single-dose — a 50 g bellows hopper and a 58 mm dosing cup
- may swap burrs — Turin says Mazzer Super Jolly standard or Red Speed burrs fit
Choose the
Rocky if you…
- want stepped settings you can return to — up to 50 on the front ring
- grind from a 0.3 kg hopper
- pair it with a Rancilio Silvia — Rancilio pitched it as its partner
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.
Neither is sold new. Rancilio no longer lists the Rocky (its page now returns 404) and sells the Stile as its home grinder. Turin no longer sells the first-generation DF64; it now sells the DF64 Gen 2 and lists Gen 1 only for parts.
Sources: Turin — DF64 (archived, Aug 2022) · Turin — catalogue · Rancilio Group — Rocky (archived Jan 2022) · Rancilio Group — Rocky SD specifications (archived May 2022) · Rancilio Group — Stile
| DF64 V2 | Rocky | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | DF64 | Rancilio |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 90 | 0 – 55 |
| Burrs | Flat | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 55.5 numbers | 20 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 22.2 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 15.2 on the DF64 V2 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 V2 | Rocky |
|---|---|
| 12.2 | 5 |
| 20.8 | 9 |
| 30.4 | 14 |
| 43.7 | 18 |
| 57 | 22 |
| 68 | 26 |
| 69.2 | 29 |
| 70.5 | 32 |
| 71.8 | 36 |
| 75.2 | 39 |
| 80.1 | 42 |
| 85 | 45 |
| 89.9 | 48 |
| Rocky | DF64 V2 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 12.2 |
| 9 | 20.8 |
| 14 | 30.4 |
| 18 | 43.7 |
| 22 | 57 |
| 26 | 68 |
| 29 | 69.2 |
| 32 | 70.5 |
| 36 | 71.8 |
| 39 | 75.2 |
| 42 | 80.1 |
| 45 | 85 |
| 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 V2 | Rocky |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 17.4 | 8 |
| Moka pot | 27.7 | 13 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 35 | 18 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 64.5 | 24 |
| Siphon | 68 | 26 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 68.5 | 27 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 68.9 | 28 |
| Drip / batch brew | 69.2 | 29 |
| Cupping | 69.5 | 30 |
| Chemex | 70.5 | 32 |
| French press | 73.5 | 38 |
| Cold brew | 82.9 | 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 V2
Rancilio Rocky
Dialing in the DF64 V2
A single-dose flat-burr grinder that became popular by putting commercial-size burrs at a domestic price. The burr set fitted matters more to grind character than the dial does, and swapping burrs is common enough that published numbers vary between owners.
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.