The Niche Zero entered the specialty coffee world with a bang in 2017 with its Indiegogo campaign and quickly became a favorite among coffee lovers worldwide when it fully went into production in 2019. Niche didn’t launch another grinder though for years until 2023 when it released the Niche Duo. While they look similar in appearance and share many of the same features, the two grinders have some key differences that we’ll be discussing in this article.
Before we get into comparing the two grinders, let’s give a quick summary of each grinder.
A Brief Summary of the Niche Zero
The Niche Zero is a single-dose coffee grinder that has gained a reputation for its exceptional grind quality, ease of use, and minimalist design. It has a 63mm conical burr set made from high-strength stainless steel that is capable of producing a consistent grind size with minimal heat transfer. It has an infinitely adjustable dial that allows you to grind at endless points along the dial and to achieve grinds anywhere from espresso to French Press—though it performs best in the espresso grind range. The Niche Zero’s hopper can hold up to 50 grams of coffee beans, and its compact size makes it ideal for home use.
A Brief Summary of the Niche Duo
The Niche Duo is Niche’s newest grinder released in 2023. It shares a similar design to its counterpart, the Niche Zero. It is a single-dose grinder with two sets of 83mm stainless steel flat burrs – one designed for espresso and the other for filter brewing. Like the Zero, it has a step-less dial that allows you to infinitely adjust the grind setting, though it requires you to change out the burrs when switching from grinder between espresso and filter brews. The Niche Duo’s hopper can hold up to 70 grams of coffee beans.
One of the big differences between the Duo from the Zero is the dual burr set on the Duo. Unlike the Zero that has a single burr set that adjusts from espresso to filter brews, the Duo comes with two burr sets—each customized specifically for espresso or filter. It takes only a minute or two, but you do need to adjust from one burr set to another if you are switching from espresso to filter brews.
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A Comparison of the Niche Zero and the Niche Duo
While the Niche Zero and Niche Duo share a lot of similarities visually, there are some key differences between the two grinders. The chart below details the differences in price, burrs, grind speed, hopper size, and more between the Niche Zero and Niche Duo.
| The Niche Zero | The Niche Duo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £499.00 | £799.00 |
| Burrs | 63mm conical burrs | filter + espresso sets of 83mm flat burrs |
| Grind Speed | ~1g/s | espresso = ~1g/s filter = ~2g/s |
| Noise | ~72dB during grinding | ~78dB during grinding |
| Grind Steps | infinite grind dial | infinite grind dial |
| Dose Consistency | less than +/- 0.2g | less than +/- 0.2g |
| Hopper size | 50g | 70g |
| Weight | 4.1kg / 9lb | 5kg / 11lb |
| Size | 122mm width 211mm length 311mm height | 135mm width 230mm length 355mm height |
| Colors | white and black options | white and black options |
| Plug Options | US, UK, EU, AUS | US, UK, EU, AUS |
Some Common Questions about the Niche Grinders
The Niche Zero costs £499.00 and is available on the Niche Coffee website.
The Niche Duo costs £799.00 and is available on the Niche Coffee website.
The Niche Zero has 63mm stainless steel conical burrs, while the Niche Duo has two sets of 83mm flat burrs (one specifically for espresso and one specifically for filter brews).
The Niche Duo is a bit larger than the Niche Zero. It is 13mm (0.5in) wider, 19mm (0.75in) longer, and 44mm (1.7in) taller.
The specific dimensions of each grinder are:
– Niche Zero: 122mm width, 211mm length, 311mm height
– Niche Duo: 135mm width, 230mm length, 355mm height
Both the Niche Zero and Niche Duo are able to grind for espresso very well. The Niche Zero, while having the full grind range, performs much better at the espresso range. If you only grind for espresso at home, the Niche Zero may be the better option given its lower price point.
Both the Niche Zero and Niche Duo are able to grind for filter brews. The Niche Duo includes a burr set specific to filter brewing though, so if you primarily brew filter brews at home, the Niche Duo may be the better option.
Photo Credit: Image credit: @daddygotcoffee
