Turin DF54

What it does well

Retention is very low. Coffee Chronicler measured about 0.2 to 0.3 g without the bellows, and 0.0 to 0.1 g with them. Coffee Blog measured about 0.3 g on the first use, falling to "0.1g or less" from the third use, without touching the bellows.

Espresso is the strength. Coffee Chronicler says it performs "very similarly" to the DF64 Gen 2, with rounded, sweet shots. Coffee Blog calls it "one of the best grinders on the market now, under £250" and says it handled a hard, light-roast bean at the finest setting without stalling.

Filter is better than the size suggests. Coffee Chronicler found it competitive with more expensive filter-focused grinders in blind tests, and says the 54 mm burrs work well for both espresso and filter. Honest Coffee Guide gives a range of roughly 110 to 900 microns.

It is quiet. Coffee Blog measured about 45 dB of motor noise at 1 m and just under 70 dB while grinding, and notes the plasma generator gives a tidy stream of grounds.

Where it falls short

It is slower. Coffee Chronicler timed 24 seconds for 14 g against 15 seconds on the DF64. Coffee Blog measured about 12 seconds for 18 g at a mid-range setting, so timing varies by setting and bean.

Static and build details are weaker. Coffee Chronicler found more static than the DF64 Gen 2 with light roasts at coarse settings, a bellows that fits less securely, a plastic catch cup and a wooden cap that looks cheaper. Coffee Blog also prefers a metal cup.

Options are limited. Coffee Chronicler says the 54 mm burr size is uncommon, which limits upgrades, and the motor spins the wrong direction for Baratza and Mahlkönig burrs. A brew-focused burr set is available, but it found those burrs gave thin, acidic espresso and shifted the dial.

Early units had clumping problems. Reader comments on Coffee Blog report clumping and clogging, with one saying it "seems to have been sorted with the latest version." Those are anecdotes, not tests.

Who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy it if you want a first single-dose grinder for espresso at a low price, and you also make some pour-over or drip. The low retention suits a kitchen where you change beans often.

Skip it if you want the biggest burr, the quickest grind or a wide choice of aftermarket burrs. Honest Coffee Guide's chart tops out around 900 microns, and BrewMark rates its coarse range at 2, so French press and cold brew are not its job.

How it compares

The DF64 Gen 2 has 64 mm burrs and a 250 W motor, and Coffee Chronicler found espresso very similar. Coffee Blog adds that the DF64 grinds about 8 to 10 seconds faster for 18 g, with taste differences hard to detect on stock burrs.

The Turin DF64V adds variable speed and a larger burr scene. The Turin CF64V is another 64 mm option, and Tom's Coffee Corner says its espresso is very similar to the DF54's.

Coffee Blog also compares it with the Niche Zero, saying that grinder retains about 0.2 to 0.3 g and costs well over twice as much.

Owning it

Cliff & Pebble supplies a cleaning brush, a dosing cup and a hopper cap, plus a one-year warranty on defective parts. Our guide to cleaning a burr grinder covers the routine.

A reader comment on Coffee Blog mentions burr seasoning issues, so give it a few weeks. Our dial-in guide covers the first few weeks.