Niche Zero Review: The Cult Favourite Grinder Examined

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The Niche Zero has become the cult favourite grinder in home espresso circles. Every r/espresso "battlestation" post seems to feature one. Based on extensive community feedback and expert reviews, here's the verdict: the hype is mostly justified.

Quick Verdict

Who It's For: Single-dosers who switch beans frequently. If you weigh doses, grind on demand, and hate wasted coffee, this is your grinder.

Who Should Skip It: Hopper users. If you keep 250g+ of beans in the hopper and grind throughout the week, cheaper grinders work just as well.

The Good

True zero retention changes everything. The Niche retains 0.1-0.2 grams between doses. In practice, this means you can switch beans without purging. Your morning Ethiopian and afternoon Brazilian can come from the same grinder with no cross-contamination.

The 63mm Mazzer-designed conical burrs are excellent for espresso. They produce the classic espresso flavour profile - full body, syrupy mouthfeel, good crema. These burrs are proven in commercial settings.

Build quality is exceptional. The aluminium body feels premium. The grind adjustment is smooth with clear markings. It weighs 8kg - this thing isn't moving on your counter.

The workflow is perfect for single-dosing. Weigh beans, pour into top, grind directly into portafilter. No bellows needed, no retention to worry about. 18g in = 18g out.

Near-silent operation. At 60dB, it's one of the quieter electric grinders. Early mornings won't wake the household.

The Bad

Direct-sale only limits availability. You can only buy from nichecoffee.co.uk. Stock issues are common - you might wait weeks for your colour choice.

Conical burrs may not suit everyone. Flat burr fans prefer the clarity and separation of grinders like the DF64. Conicals produce more body but less distinction between flavour notes. This is preference, not quality.

The catch cup is plastic. In a otherwise premium package, the catch cup feels cheap. Many owners buy aftermarket metal cups.

Not ideal for filter coffee. The burrs are optimised for espresso. You can grind for filter, but purpose-built filter grinders like the Fellow Ode do it better.

**Grind Quality**

Let's talk specifics. The Niche produces remarkably consistent grinds for a conical. There's less clumping than cheaper conicals, and the particle size distribution is tight.

In side-by-side testing against the Baratza Sette 270, the Niche produces slightly sweeter, more forgiving shots. The Sette is faster but noisier.

Against the DF64 (flat burrs), the difference is flavour profile rather than quality. DF64 shots are brighter and more complex. Niche shots are fuller and more "classic espresso." Neither is better - they're different.

Daily Workflow

This is where the Niche shines:

1. Weigh 18g beans on scale 2. Pour into Niche hopper 3. Place portafilter under chute 4. Grind (around 15-20 seconds) 5. 18g appears in portafilter

No adjusting for retention. No purge shots. No waste. Over a year, this saves significant money on beans and time on workflow.

The grind adjustment is stepless and smooth. Moving from one espresso to another typically requires 2-3 tiny adjustments to dial in. The markings help you return to known settings for different beans.

Retention Test

Community members have documented retention extensively: - Weigh 18.0g into hopper - Grind into portafilter - Measure output: typically 17.8-17.9g

That's 0.1-0.2g retention. Essentially nothing. Thousands of documented doses from r/espresso and home-barista.com confirm: what goes in comes out.

Alternatives to Consider

Cheaper, similar quality: DF64 (around £350-400). Flat burrs, good retention (with SSP burrs), cheaper. Build quality is slightly lower, but grind quality is comparable. The choice is conical vs flat flavour profile.

Budget single-doser: Eureka Mignon Single Dose (around £350). Lower retention than standard Mignons, Italian build quality. Smaller 50mm burrs mean slightly less grind consistency.

Premium upgrade: Niche Duo (around £600). Same company, adds filter-focused burrs. If you make lots of filter coffee alongside espresso.

Value alternative: 1Zpresso J-Max (around £180). Manual grinder with exceptional grind quality. Matches the Niche for espresso at a third of the price. Trade-off: 30-60 seconds of hand grinding per dose.

The Verdict

The Niche Zero deserves its reputation. For single-dosing home baristas, it's the best electric grinder under £600. The retention is genuinely zero, the build quality is excellent, and the espresso it produces rivals grinders at twice the price.

The price (around £500) is significant, but it's an investment that lasts. The burrs are rated for years of home use, the motor is robust, and the design is timeless.

Buy if: You single-dose, switch beans frequently, want zero waste, and value build quality.

Skip if: You prefer flat burr clarity, mainly drink filter coffee, or keep beans in a hopper.

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