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Grinders

Grind settings

Niche Zero grind settings

Starting grind settings for every brew method on the Niche Zero, with espresso around 10 to 20 and pour-over around 35 to 50 (dial).

The printed scale runs 0 to 50. French press and cold brew sit past 50, on the unmarked part of the dial.

Settings by brew method

MethodSetting (dial)As the source puts itSource
Espresso10 to 20between 10 and 20 on the dialnichecoffee.co.uk
Maker
Moka pot18 to 24Moka pot 18 to 24coffeechronicler.com
Reviewer
AeroPress24 to 40AeroPress 24 to 40coffeechronicler.com
Reviewer
Pour-over / V6035 to 50around 35 to 50 (V60)nichecoffee.co.uk
Maker

These are starting points. Beans, roast, water and your own taste all move them, so start in the middle of the range and adjust one step at a time.

Notchbook is a free app that remembers the setting that worked on your Niche Zero for each coffee and brew method, and keeps a journal of every brew. Get it free on Google Play. The iPhone app is coming soon. More about Notchbook.

About the Niche Zero

Type
Electric grinder
Burrs
Conical, 63 mm

Dialling in from here

Compare with other grinders in the grind size chart.

What reviewers found

The single-dose conical that set the standard for an easy workflow. Lance Hedrick went from calling it his favourite conical in 2021 to giving it a C in 2024 as other grinders caught up, and he still recommends it for easy, chocolatey espresso.

Specs

Burr63 mm Mazzer conical, with a rotating cone 0:30
Speed / motorAbout 330 rpm 0:30 13:19, with a 120 W motor and a planetary gearbox 4:57
DialAccording to Lance Hedrick the Niche Duo uses the same dial with up to 70 numbers, and Niche sets zero about 10 clicks before the burrs lock 3:32

Where sources disagree

The creators don't all give the same figure here, so every value is listed with the person who gave it.

FieldValueBySourceNote
AdjustmentsteplessHedrick11:22
AdjustmentsteplessHedrick0:30
AdjustmentsteplessHoffmann0:31
AdjustmentsteppedHedrick4:06
AdjustmentsteplessRowsell2:26
AdjustmentsteplessSprometheus5:40
AdjustmentsteplessQuan4:36
AdjustmentsummaryLance Hedrick, James Hoffmann, Kyle Rowsell, Sprometheus and Brian Quan nearly all describe it as stepless. One Hedrick review lists it as stepped.

Starting settings

These are the settings each creator gave, measured from their own grinder's zero. Use them as a starting point.

MethodSettingContextConfidenceBySource
Pour-over50V60, 15 g to 250 g, about 3:10, Kenya. Matched to a Turin SD40 at 19statedHedrick14:54
Espresso20 to 30Where most of his espresso ends up on his grinder. He ignores the calibration markstatedHoffmann5:35
Espresso25His baseline in a 2020 test, 18 g in and about 40 g out in about 30 s, feeding the beans normallystatedHoffmann1:01
Moka30 to 50 (tested)A moka grind sweep with 200 g of water. 30 extracted the most but ran hottest, and going finer kept raising extractionstatedHoffmann7:36
Pour-overnear the calibrate icon, at 12 o'clockMuch coarser than the dial labels suggest for a decent filterapproxDGC15:26
Espressosetting 25 (coarse grounds fed back in quickly)Same recipe. The shot choked at about 42 sapproxHoffmann1:31
Espressosetting 25 (coarse grounds fed back in very slowly)Same dose. The shot ran in about 15 sapproxHoffmann2:31
Espressofiner than 25 (exact value not given)Slowly fed coarse grounds dialled to 18 g in, about 40 g out in 30 s. It tasted sweeterapproxHoffmann4:33
Espressoone step finer19 g in, 38 g out in about 30 s with the temperature 2 C lower. Sweet and texturedapproxHoffmann4:51
Pour-overabout the same as the Wilfa (number not given)V60, 15 g to 250 gapproxHoffmann7:06
Pour-overpast the coarse end of the dialTwo-cup V60approxHoffmann6:09
Espressoabout 18.5A traditional 1:2 shot, 18 g in, usually 25 to 30 sapproxRowsell2:31
Espresso3 to 5 notches coarser than his traditional settingTurbo shot, 17 g in and 51 g out in about 18 sapproxRowsell5:18
AeroPressabout 40Medium-coarse for a 15 g AeroPressapproxRowsell3:10
Pour-over25 to 50Depends on roast, bean age, process, altitude and density. 20 g brewsstatedRowsell6:04
Espressoabout 18Dialled in on his Lelit BiancaapproxRowsell8:04
Espressoabout 23 (21 was too fine)A Flair Pro 2 manual lever, which wants a coarser grindapproxRowsell8:34
Pour-overpast 50, around 12 o'clock4:6 V60 with 20 gapproxRowsell2:39
Espressoabout 20A shot deliberately too coarse, to bracket. Londinium-style profile, 18 g in, 36 g out, dark roastapproxQuan4:07
Espressoabout 7A shot deliberately too fine, to bracket, with the same profile and doseapproxQuan6:39
Espresso12 to 13Where that coffee and profile ended up, given as an example of a note worth savingapproxQuan16:03
Pour-over45V60, 18 g to 288 g, a 40 g bloom for 30 s then one pour and a swirl. Used on new and seasoned burrsstatedSprometheus1:35
Espressoabout 4 notches finer on new burrs than on seasoned ones17 g in, 34 g out in 24 s on seasoned burrs. Brand-new burrs first ran an 11 s shotapproxSprometheus3:05
Immersion552020, numbered dial. A reader-submitted figure, and the chart treats every setting as approximateapproxChristensengrind size chart
Pour-over40 to 502020, numbered dial. A reader-submitted figure, and the chart treats every setting as approximateapproxChristensengrind size chart
AeroPress24 to 402020, numbered dial. A reader-submitted figure, and the chart treats every setting as approximateapproxChristensengrind size chart
Moka18 to 242020, numbered dial. A reader-submitted figure, and the chart treats every setting as approximateapproxChristensengrind size chart
Espresso9 to 242020, numbered dial. A reader-submitted figure, and the chart treats every setting as approximateapproxChristensengrind size chart

Cup profile

  • Clearer flavour separation than a Sette 270 0:30.
  • A wide particle spread gives heavy body, creaminess and chocolate, toffee and caramel, but it mutes the finer notes. Light-roast espresso was bright but loose and bitter at the finish, and filter turns bitter from the fines 11:18.
  • Filter had more separation than the SD40 but an empty middle and a drying finish 11:22.
  • 2025: a rougher texture with particles in the cup 19:02.

Strengths

  • The best workflow Lance Hedrick has used, and it's compact and quiet 11:18 4:57.
  • Forgiving. Of four grinders it varied least in shot time across many coffees at one setting 4:06.

Weaknesses

  • It holds about 0.2 to 0.3 g, whatever the claims 3:05.
  • Poor for filter and for light roasts 11:18 11:22.
  • A slow, modest motor 4:57.
  • Even with the feed disc, beans go in too fast for Lance Hedrick's liking 4:07.

Verdict

In 2021 it was Lance Hedrick's favourite conical, though not hundreds of dollars better than a Sette 270 0:30. In 2022 he found it great for traditional flavour but not an end-game grinder for clarity 11:18, and it beat the SD40 at espresso 11:22. In 2023 he called the Timemore 078 a Niche killer 10:47. His 2024 tier list gave it a C, down from the A it would have earned five years earlier 4:57. In 2025 he still recommended it for anyone who wants an easy shot 4:06, though he preferred the J-Max's texture every time 19:02.

James Hoffmann's take

  • 2019 review: compact and well built, with stepless funnel adjustment and almost no retention, so you can change the setting and grind the next dose without purging. Very tasty espresso, with a little less clarity than a flat-burr Mythos One 0:31 10:16.
  • The last beans popcorn and grind coarser as the hopper empties. A dose stopped before the popcorning ran about 4 to 5 s differently 7:40 8:12.
  • 2020: for filter it made a sweet but fuzzier V60 than the flat-burr Wilfa Uniform, while its espresso was silkier 9:41 13:13. In 2023 he found a two-cup V60 needed a setting past the coarse end of the dial, and the lid switch stops you starting it with beans already in 6:09.
  • As the benchmark in his 2021 grinder showdown it made enjoyable espresso, but muddy next to large flat burrs 6:04 7:04.

Daddy Got Coffee's take

  • 2025: still excellent for easy, sweet, thick espresso with low retention, 0.1 to 0.2 g. The wide distribution makes a below-par filter, though, and buildup makes the grind drift until you dry-clean it, about once a month 6:43 11:22 14:56. He shows how to clean and recalibrate it 1:01 10:45.

Kyle Rowsell's take

  • 2020: one of the best home grinders and a true all-in-one. Retention is about 0.1 g if you tap the lid. The dial runs 1 to 50 and carries on unmarked past 50, so mark your spot. It has a 58 mm dosing cup and a solid build, and the 63 mm cone tastes only slightly different from flat burrs. Against a Sette 270 it was quieter (about 83 dB) and sturdier, reached Chemex sizes, sieved slightly more evenly and tasted a little better, at twice the price 2:31 2:26.
  • 2021: still a top choice at $600 to 700 for espresso with some filter, with fluffy grounds and under 0.2 g retention. Stock was short, the wood feels cheap, and the burrs took 6 to 8 weeks of 4 to 5 shots a day to season, much longer if you only brew filter 3:01.
  • 2022: chocolatey, textured, blended espresso with less definition than flat burrs, and muddy filter until it's seasoned. The foolproof workflow keeps it his daily grinder over a Mignon Oro or Lagom Mini. He doesn't think it suits turbo shots. In a blind test his co-taster Natasha found it smooth and sweet and confused it with a Weber Key 17:54 4:47 2:31 1:01.

Sprometheus's take

  • 2020: as the conical in his flat against conical test it clumped less and held less coffee, and its shots came out brighter and fruitier than the flat's. He calls the taste differences anecdotal 5:34.
  • 2022 seasoning test: new and two-year-old burrs both made clean, sweet V60s, with the seasoned set slightly brighter. For espresso the new burrs needed about 4 notches finer at first and gave a bit more texture. He saw no real gain from seasoning 5:40.

Brian Quan's take

  • 2021: excellent value and kind to lazy puck prep, but plasticky. The grounds clump, which makes WDT harder, and it's noisier than a slow Monolith. The shot is solid with nothing that stands out. Against a Monolith conical it tasted almost the same at normal ratios with far less retention (about 0.3 to 0.5 g swapped), only slower and less fluffy 4:36 4:01.
  • 2021: thick, smooth, chocolatey espresso that's hard to get wrong, especially with lever-style profiles, but low on clarity and a weak filter grinder. It's the easiest grinder to live with. He suggests pairing it with an SSP multi-purpose flat to cover both styles 2:34 1:33.

Notes

  • In Lance Hedrick's RDT test it responded best to about 10 µL of water per gram, and pucks collapsed at 40 µL/g 35:13.
  • He compares its wide distribution to forgiving golf clubs. It's easy to land a decent shot, with a ceiling around 70% of a coffee's potential 6:08.

Sources

Summarised in our own words from the creators' videos, with every point linked to the moment it comes from. Notchbook isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of these creators, so please watch the originals for full context. Sources