Niche Zero Review: The Cult Favourite Grinder Examined

The Niche Zero appears in nearly every home espresso setup photo on Reddit and Instagram. It's become the default recommendation in r/espresso threads, the grinder that experienced home baristas suggest when someone asks "what should I upgrade to?" The question worth answering: does it actually deserve this status, or has it become a cult product riding on reputation?

After examining extensive community feedback and expert analysis, the answer is mostly yes. The Niche Zero genuinely solves a problem that cheaper grinders don't, and it does so with build quality that justifies the premium price. But it's not the right grinder for everyone, and understanding why requires looking past the hype.

What makes the Niche Zero different

The defining feature is retention, or rather the lack of it. Most grinders trap coffee grounds in the chute, the burr chamber, and various crevices. When you grind 18 grams of beans, you might get 16 grams out, with the rest stuck inside waiting to contaminate your next dose. This matters because stale grounds from yesterday's coffee ruin today's shot.

The Niche Zero retains essentially nothing. Weigh 18.0 grams into the hopper, grind, measure what comes out: typically 17.8 to 17.9 grams. The community has documented this obsessively across thousands of doses on r/espresso and home-barista.com. What goes in comes out. This sounds like a small thing until you realise it changes your entire workflow.

You can switch beans without purging. Your morning Ethiopian and afternoon Brazilian come from the same grinder with no cross-contamination. You're not throwing away expensive coffee to clear the chamber. Over a year of daily use, the savings in wasted beans adds up to significant money.

The 63mm Mazzer-designed conical burrs

The burrs are the heart of any grinder, and the Niche uses 63mm conicals designed with Mazzer, an Italian company that's been making commercial grinders since 1948. These burrs produce what I'd call classic espresso character: full body, syrupy mouthfeel, good crema, forgiving extraction.

The grind consistency is remarkably good for a conical burr set. Less clumping than cheaper alternatives, tighter particle size distribution, fewer fines clogging extraction. In side-by-side tests against the Baratza Sette 270, the Niche produces slightly sweeter, more forgiving shots. The Sette grinds faster but sounds like a dentist's drill.

Here's where personal preference enters the picture. Flat burr grinders like the DF64 produce different espresso: brighter, more complex, with clearer separation between flavour notes. Conical burrs like the Niche produce fuller, rounder shots where flavours blend together. Neither approach is objectively better. Some people strongly prefer one over the other, and you won't know which camp you're in until you've tried both.

Build quality and daily use

The aluminium body feels genuinely premium. At 8 kilograms, this grinder isn't moving on your counter when you operate it. The grind adjustment is stepless and smooth, with clear markings that help you return to known settings for different beans. Moving from one espresso to another typically requires two or three tiny adjustments to dial in.

The workflow is beautifully simple. Weigh your beans on a scale, pour them into the hopper, place your portafilter under the chute, grind for fifteen to twenty seconds, and 18 grams appears in your portafilter. No bellows needed, no retention adjustment, no purge shots. The motor is quiet enough that early morning grinding won't wake the household.

One detail that disappoints in an otherwise premium package: the catch cup is plastic. Many owners replace it with an aftermarket metal cup within the first month. At this price point, a metal cup should come standard.

The limitations worth knowing

You can only buy the Niche Zero directly from nichecoffee.co.uk. No Amazon, no third-party retailers. Stock issues are common, and you might wait weeks for your preferred colour. This direct-sale model keeps prices consistent but limits convenience.

The burrs are optimised for espresso. You can grind for filter coffee, and many people do, but purpose-built filter grinders like the Fellow Ode do that job better. If you make mostly filter with occasional espresso, the Niche isn't the right tool.

The conical burr flavour profile won't suit everyone. If you've developed a preference for flat burr clarity and complexity, the Niche's fuller, rounder character might feel like a downgrade. This is genuinely subjective, not a flaw in the grinder.

Alternatives worth considering

The DF64 around £350-400 offers flat burrs and good retention at a lower price. Build quality is slightly below the Niche, but grind quality is comparable. The choice between them is really about conical versus flat burr flavour profiles.

The Eureka Mignon Single Dose around £350 provides Italian build quality and lower retention than standard Mignon models. The 50mm burrs are smaller than the Niche's 63mm, which means slightly less grind consistency, but it's a solid alternative.

For those wanting to stay in the Niche ecosystem, the Niche Duo around £600 adds filter-focused burrs. Worth considering if you make significant amounts of filter coffee alongside espresso.

The best value alternative is manual: the 1Zpresso J-Max around £180 produces grind quality that genuinely matches the Niche for espresso. The trade-off is thirty to sixty seconds of hand grinding per dose. Many people find this meditative rather than annoying.

The verdict

The Niche Zero earns its reputation. For home baristas who single-dose, switch beans regularly, and hate wasting coffee, it's the best electric grinder under £600. The retention is genuinely zero, the build quality is excellent, and the espresso rivals grinders costing twice as much.

The price around £500 is significant. But unlike cheaper grinders that feel like compromises you'll eventually upgrade from, the Niche is equipment you keep. The burrs are rated for years of home use, the motor is robust, the design won't date. It's an investment rather than an expense.

The Niche makes sense for people who weigh their doses, grind on demand, and switch between different beans. It makes less sense for people who prefer flat burr clarity, primarily drink filter coffee, or keep beans loaded in a hopper throughout the week. Know which category you're in before spending £500.

Common questions about the Niche Zero

Is the Niche Zero worth it over a cheaper grinder?

If you single-dose and switch beans, yes. The zero retention genuinely changes your workflow and eliminates waste. If you keep beans in a hopper and grind the same coffee every day, cheaper grinders with moderate retention work fine and the Niche's main advantage disappears.

Conical or flat burrs: which is better for espresso?

Neither is objectively better. Conical burrs like the Niche produce fuller, rounder espresso with blended flavours. Flat burrs produce brighter, more complex shots with distinct flavour separation. Most people have a preference, but you might not know yours until you've tried both.

Can I use the Niche Zero for filter coffee?

You can, and many owners do. But the burrs are optimised for espresso grind ranges. Purpose-built filter grinders like the Fellow Ode or Baratza Virtuoso produce better results for pour-over and batch brew. The Niche is a compromise for filter, not a specialist.

How long does the Niche Zero last?

The burrs are rated for years of home use before needing replacement. The motor is commercial-grade. Many owners report 5+ years of daily use with no issues. This is equipment designed to last, which partly justifies the premium price.

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