DF64 DF64 V2

What it does well

Turin pitched it as a grinder that would "punch a few notches above" its price. Its listing says retention with the bellows is "usually a percentage of a gram," especially once the silicone declumper has loosened up with use. That suits single dosing.

It covers a wide range. Turin sold it for espresso, pour-over, siphon, cold brew, French press and drip. Honest Coffee Guide gives its range as 150 to 1,200 microns.

It is easy to upgrade. Turin offered ItalMill steel and titanium burrs and two SSP sets, and says Mazzer Super Jolly burrs also fit.

Where it falls short

The parts are older. CoffeeGeek says the first-generation collar used cheaper materials and "a lot of plastic." It calls the original bellows "cheesy." The power button, it says, was "in a horrible position."

The workflow is messier than the Gen 2's. CoffeeGeek says the dosing cup sat too far from the exit chute, and there was no anti-popcorn device. Turin itself sold a tilted cup holder to stop grounds falling outside the cup.

Version drift is the used-market risk. With several revisions and many owner modifications, two V2 units may not be alike inside.

Who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy one used if you want a low-cost flat-burr single doser for espresso and filter, and are happy to tinker. It suits someone comfortable opening a grinder to clean or swap burrs.

Skip it if you want a warranty, or if you would rather not check burrs and parts on a used unit. At that point the Gen 2 is the simpler buy.

How it compares

The DF64 Gen 2, shown on BrewMark as the Turin DF64 Gen 2, is the direct replacement. The easiest way to tell them apart is the body. Turin's listing describes the first generation as aluminium with a vinyl wrap; CoffeeGeek says the Gen 2 body is all metal.

CoffeeGeek lists the other Gen 2 changes. It adds a plasma generator in the chute, an anti-popcorn device and a single wave spring in place of three small springs. It also moves the power button and swaps the ItalMill burrs for near-clones of SSP High Uniformity burrs.

DF64 Gen 2 vs DF64 V2 shows how their dials line up for each brew method.

The Turin DF83 V2 steps up to 83 mm flat burrs in a single-dose body, and Turin still sells a DF83. The Niche Zero is a conical single doser still sold new.

For an espresso-first comparison, see DF64 V2 vs Eureka Mignon Specialità.

Owning it

Espresso Outlet notes that the original DF64 adjusts with a collar on top, unlike the DF64E's bottom-burr adjustment, which keeps your setting through cleaning. So note your setting before opening the burr chamber on a V2. The burr grinder cleaning guide covers the routine.

After reassembly, find the zero point again before using the settings chart.

Turin still sells Gen 1 power boards, switches and a tilted base, plus 64 mm burr upgrades. The burr replacement guide explains what to check after a swap. New units carried a one-year Turin warranty, which will have lapsed on any used V2.