Niche Zero

What it does well

Retention is very low. Kaffeemacher measured 0.2 g of temporary retention in its 2025 retest, which it calls among the best in its test field. Coffee Blog UK says exchanged retention is usually under half a gram, so purging is rarely needed.

It is quiet. Niche quotes 72 dB, and Kaffeemacher measured 72.9 dB, the quietest of the ten single-dose grinders it compared. Kaffeemacher puts this partly down to the slow grinding speed.

The cup is consistent and sweet. Kaffeemacher found its espresso "very balanced and above all sweet," with output varying by at most 0.2 g over ten pulls. It also reports "very good filter coffees," so the range covers more than espresso.

Coffee Blog UK calls it "King of Workflow," with "virtually no mess." Its author notes there are no dose settings: just a switch, a stepless dial and a cup that fits over a 58 mm portafilter.

Where it falls short

It is slow. Kaffeemacher timed about 13.5 seconds for 18 g in its 2025 test, and called the Zero "powerful but slow." That is fine for one or two drinks, but tedious for a crowd.

Beans can bounce. Kaffeemacher noticed hard beans sometimes hop above the burrs for a long time. Coffee Blog UK calls popcorning the only slight potential negative. It removed Niche's anti-popcorn disc because it slowed grinding, and doesn't see popcorning as a real problem.

The dial is basic. Kaffeemacher points out that the grind marks don't go all the way round, and there is no counter for full turns. Going from espresso to a filter grind means keeping track of where you started.

Kaffeemacher also notes the grind cups come only in 58 mm. If your machine uses a smaller portafilter, you will transfer grounds by hand.

Who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy it if you make espresso one dose at a time and want a quiet, tidy grinder. Coffee Blog UK says people after "classic, crowd pleasing espresso" will find it a good fit, especially with medium and darker roasts.

It can also cover the odd pour-over or AeroPress. Kaffeemacher found it brewed very good filter coffee, though changing between methods takes several turns of the dial.

Skip it if you grind for several people at once, or want a hopper and timed doses. Skip it too if light-roast clarity matters more to you than body.

How it compares

The Niche Duo keeps the same workflow but uses 83 mm flat burrs. Kaffeemacher found the Duo's espresso more nuanced but with less body, and said Zero owners would not see "a real upgrade."

The Eureka Mignon Specialità is a flat-burr espresso grinder with a hopper and timed dosing. It suits someone who wants to grind straight into a portafilter. The Mignon Specialità vs Niche Zero page compares their dials.

The DF64 Gen 2 is a cheaper single-dose option with 64 mm flat burrs, as Coffee Blog UK notes. See DF64 Gen 2 vs Niche Zero for the settings side by side.

Owning it

Niche advises against running rice or other specialist cleaning products through it, which it says may damage the burrs. Clean with the supplied brush, removing the springs below the outer burr before vacuuming.

Kaffeemacher found the outer burr comes out without tools. Our guide to cleaning a burr grinder covers the routine.

Niche says grind quality peaks after about 10 kg of coffee and the burrs last more than 750 kg. Most home owners will never need to replace them.

The warranty covers parts for one year from delivery. Niche sends replacement parts with fitting advice, but the buyer pays to return the grinder if that is needed.

When it arrives, start from the settings chart on this page and follow how to dial in a new grinder.