This is the kind of sustainable thinking I'd love to see more of on youtube-- it's easy to tell everyone to buy fair trade coffee or stop using paper cups, but these kinds of long-term decisions about reducing wear and tear to prolong the life of the things we use are just as important, and I appreciate that James is talking about them.
Hello neighbour. The same for me. Five months ago. This week I have consumed my first 100-pack of V60 filters. My new coffee grinder should come any day...... Ooops. I no longer think I can call myself a non-coffee drinker.
Markku Hänninen there are some coffees that taste more like tea but are still delicious. Maybe just go to your local coffee shop and ask for a "coffee for non-coffee-drinkers" and hopefully you will be positively surprised :)
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@@maxschmidt666 I think i'm good without another addiction ;D
FYI, from experience in repairing a bunch of small household appliances with motors for grinding, mixing, slicing etc. Those motors don't burn out. Most of them have a thermal fuse buried in there, glued, pressed etc into the stator, that will say byebye when it gets too hot once. I've replaced a bunch of those before, and the machines work perfectly fine again. So be careful, and don't throw a broken grinder away, because unless your entire kitchen smells like burnt electronics, it's the stupid fuse.
@@fmbz858 Then it's probably just a matter of time. What is probably happening is that the heat is breaking down the epoxy lacquer on the motor winding and once that is broken down, you'll get a short circuit in it and then it's goodbye, unfortunately.
I know you wrote this quite a while ago but those who repair things are getting harder to find. I used to be able to get my hair straightener and blow dryers of good quality repaired at our beauty supply store in Manhattan until it closed down and now you just pray things last until they break 🥹
@@sloperaly I also know you have written this a while ago but I agree with you. It is one reason why I am now trying to just repair it myself and sometimes even frankenstein stuff. It works most of the time but not all the time, especially depending on the kind of machine. Some machines are quite repairable because they are structured modulairly and the manufacturer offers replacement parts to buy, others are uniform to the point that you'd need a heatgun and a soddering iron to do anything. Best thing to do is just informing yourself beforehand. :/
I just absolutely love how balanced and considerate are James’s opinions. I never feel like testing/knowledge/information are ever left out in any video. I love the deep dives into the madness that can be the world of coffee and its endless variables. So insightful and educating, keep up the great work James... hope you have a great day!
I use motors most days of my working life and I can tell you that the main failure mechanism for the motors I use is thermal. Cooking the motors through prolonged overload. I believe that if you pull the _odd_ espresso from it you’ll be fine but don’t back-to-back them. There’s usually plenty of thermal mass in a motor even if it can’t shed the heat quick enough.
@@stevenswann3254 sometimes when I'm feeling sad I just watch the short intro to his smart scales review video a few times and all my problems seem to disappear
@@kevinromaindrums I hadn't seen that video before, and just looked it up on your recommendation. That intro is hilarious. Looking forward to watching the whole thing. Thanks for the heads up!
@@Dpmcalexander got it! I’m in his Patreon and that’s the next showdown he’s doing, but I got the price wrong. It’s 1,500/1,600 GBP, roughly $2k and change. So maybe he’s taking in the Profitec for fun
sometimes people tell me that I get way too obsessed with the details and perfection of some niche items...and then I come here to my hero's channel and remind myself that I have yet to reach nerdvana. Thank for your service Mr. Hoffman.
My Wilfa Uniform actually started shifting between grind settings while grinding, even with its original burrs. I still loved the coffee it produced, but wanted something new. Now have the Fellow Ode and I’m very pleased. The original burrs works fine (pun intended) enough for me.
Been using the Fellow Ode with SSP burr set for about 8 months, well it has just started to stop in the middle of a grind (Ethiopian medium/light coffee on #3). Have a case open with Fellow, no response yet even though it has been several days. I must say, James, called it!
James, you just saved me £200 and a possible extra £300 if I ended up melting my ODE. Genuinely was considering the upgrade. Thank you for your honest advice as always 👏
I love the "take responsibility for your actions" part of the video at 3:05 . It sooo refreshing to see that for consumer products (and also if/ when you experiment at fail at new brewing techniques or mixes etc.). You and AvE do that so well.
Birr alignment is very fun and maddening, I work at a coffee shop and part of my job aligning the big boy grinders for batch brewing and grinding pounds for customers. It took me about three hours to do this weekly task when I first started now it can be done in 30 minutes.
I did this to the Baratza Vario and swapped it with the steel burrs from the Forte BG. Made a HUGE difference. Kind of did the opposite to SSP as the Vario is intended as an espresso grinder and use ceramic burrs but the steel burrs from the Forte make incredible coffee. The manufacturer sold the burrs and have great videos and information as far as calibration. No regrets and well worth the money
Very glad to see you belabour the point about arbitrarily changing burr sets without considering the bigger picture. Here in North America the ill effects are much worse when 110V versions of European grinders have their burrs replaced with much more aggressive 220V burr profiles and the motors stall when approaching espresso fineness. Changing the throughput of the grinders beyond original spec often overloads the motor, aggravating heat buildup and thus disrupting extraction performance when the grinder gets hot, even if it doesn't completely stall. Well done!
Fellow's calibration instructions for using the SSP burrs they sell in an Ode Brew Grinder (Gen 1) should prevent grinding so fine as to put too much stress on the motor: *Specifically for those calibrating for the SSP Burrs: Once you hear the burrs touch, turn the dial mechanism FIVE clicks clockwise (to the right) and turn the grinder off. The burrs are now set to 1.
I have a Nespresso Vertuo and I drink primarily the Double Espresso Scuro. I am no expert on coffee, but I still love James and his channel. His videos are soothing and make me want more coffee.
I just upgraded my Baratza Encore with the M2 burrs (default Virtuoso burrs). This is a lot cheaper and more low-end than the discussed SSP burrs, but Baratza themselves acknowledge this upgrade and I'm pretty sure it won't break your warranty. My Encore was due for a new burr-set anyway, so I'm really glad I had the option to do the upgrade. It grinds a bit quicker, tad bit quieter now and I tell myself the results are a bit more uniform as well :)
I just got a new set of burrs for my Baratza Preciso (now discontinued) for about $35, if I remember correctly. First burrs lasted at least 10 years. I only noticed worn burrs when I was getting my La Pavoni ready for a party, and the Preciso couldn’t do the very fine espresso grinds anymore. After a recalibration to the maximum setting it was just fine enough generally, but not always. So new burrs in 2023! I’ll probably never own another grinder since Baratza sells all the replacement parts.
I replaced burrs with SSP's in my old Mazzer Supper Jolly more than two years ago. I am very happy with the result both in filter and espresso. I used a "filter" version of the burrs or at least assembled them according to manufacturer recommendations (one specific burr has to be on top). Espresso is more tricky to prepare now because of all these nuances with "unimodal" grind distribution, but it is worth it for me! I have only one drawback: on my grinder that is running on a single phase now, motor sometimes can get stuck if you start it after you add the beans. This is not a problem, if you start it first. Also it should not be a problem, if you are using stock 220v 3 phase wiring (AFAIK).
Do you think the Mazzers are still worthwhile? I've considered upgrading from my Baratza Virtuoso -- it's still a good grinder, but I'd like to pass it on someone else. I recall Mazzers being all the rage back in the day, so I had considered a Super Jolly or a Major, but I'm unsure if they're just behind the field these days.
@@irresponsiblyblue1411 They are still good value for the money, if you can get a used one and put a decent new burr set. Like I said, SSP unimodal burrs is what I use for any kind of brew. These grinders have standard burr set diameters, powerful motors and build quality that makes them extremely long lasting. One other downside: with espresso setting (which is also tricky to adjust by rotating it just 1-2 millimeters for 4-6 seconds difference) there is a significant retention in the shaft (1-1.5g). Easy to pull out, but annoys a lot. This would be my main reason to upgrade, tbh.
If the grind setting is slipping, I'd consider wrapping some teflon tape (pipe thread tape) around the adjusting threads. Just wrap as much as you need to add the desired amount of friction.
I actually recently got v4 of the DF64 you feature here, and I had it sent with the high uniformity SSP burrs installed and aligned. I will do French press occasionally; however, I mostly do espresso brewing and the results have been very good: very clean shots with really clear taste profiles. I've pulled shots with lighter specialty beans and gotten very nice cherry, orange, and tea flavors; with medium specialty beans, I've been able to get milk chocolate and peanut butter. I even started dialing in my settings using a cheap, ultra dark roasted bag of beans from a second wave coffee company, and I got sweet dark chocolate flavors that I didn't even think were possible with them (which was the biggest surprise to me).
Imagine being James, doing extensive testing and research, finding out that ssp burrs generally are bad for your fellow ode and hours after posting, they decided to just sell it.
Sadly, he didn't find out it was bad, he guessed it. He guessed wisely, in my opinion, but has no idea on the real consequences ... Yes, it might harm the motor. Yes, it might shorten its lifespan. And yes, maybe Ode is shooting itself in the foot for selling the SSP burrs. But maybe not, and maybe the motor is strong enough to handle it for years without any troubles ... I totally agree on the idea, but he is a bit "too" cautious on a topic he knows almost nothing about. If Ode is selling the burrs ... you know ... probably they know better than you and I ? Anyway, still a pleasure to watch and learn from the man :)
@@LaurentVanderdonck Agreed. Ode definitely seems to have targeted their whole ethos towards unpressurised coffee, and I expect they sell the burrs because they found in their testing that they could get as good a wholesale price from SSP as they would have from their OEM for a burr that provides a better coffee. Their primary audience, being non-espresso, don't need to push the grind fine enough to cause issues. They may have to validate the burrs with the device longer to know whether they can sign off on it with confidence for espresso levels. My grinder is one of the ones covered in the "do not buy these shitty 50$ grinders" episode (it's the Melitta)* and it's a total bear to disassemble and clean properly, but it does have the capacity to be calibrated as to how fine the finest setting is when you reassemble it, I expect the Ode must as well. I think the drift on the Wilfa is the bigger problem because it can potentially lead to a crash, and then replacing a tired motor will be the least of your worries. *in case anyone reading is casually curious, it appears to use the same format of three screw flat burr as shown in this video. But if anyone reading that is wondering if that means it's a burr upgrade away from being respectable you should know that ours has been electrically unreliable and has a severe static problem and can hold about a tablespoon of coffee in various nooks and crannies and it can start to grow mold unless you do a complete teardown. Also, the spout into the catchcan is weirdly shaped and restrictive and also manages to spray a non zero quantity out into the general area.
@@LaurentVanderdonck My initial interpretation is not that Fellow “knows better”, but that people were doing it and Fellow saw that they were missing out on a potential revenue stream. Now, people will buy the burrs from them and they get those profits.
As someone who performed the Wilfa Uniform upgrade, I can definitely attest to the fact that the flavour is "much much" better. However, as James has said the grind slipping is super annoying. If you're willing to accept babysitting your grinder for that better taste, then I can totally recommend it. I would say though the wilfa motor isn't so much the issue but in fact the mechanism that hold the grind. I suspect it wasn't designed with the torque in mind.
My wilfa's settings started slipping even in base configuration. I've able to fix this by unwinding the burr part and just wipe a little bit of machine oil from the top part's notches and pogo pins on the main unit with the paper towel. Basically, this stiffens the grind adjustment mechanism and prevents slippage. Just don't wipe it too much, it still needs a bit of lube to be there.
I did it too. SSP burrs in a Ceado E5P. It did not work at all at first, the original grind setting did not work for espresso. So, I modiffied the grinder‘s head to use a worm gear system (I put together). Then I replaced the original spout with a sort of funel with acess from the top to allow easy cleaning. The last upgrade was a beens hopper with bellows (similar to Ceado Hero). Now I have a Single-Dosing grinder I‘m happy with and proud of 😀. Works superbly with the newly aquired Lelit Bianca. By the way, the flow profiling was for me the „game changer“.
I use SSP burrs in my Mahlkönig Tanzania and I am very happy with them. I will say that they do perform equally to the stock burrs for filter, but the range for espresso increased, which is nice. Moreover, as I bought the grinder used it was easier to justify buying new burrs. One thing that fell a little short in this video is that SSP burrs used to be something produced for commercial grade grinders, in particular the EK43. In this category there are really no concerns about damaging the motor. For them the price of the stock burrs is also more or less the same compared to the stock ones. This only becomes unbalanced when pairing a 300$ grinder like the Ode with 200$ burrs.
While I did not go the SSP Burr route, I did upgrade the burrs on my grinder. I bought my Baratza Encore in 2016 and was unhappy with the grind distribution after about a year so I saw that they offer their Vario burrs for sale on their website. I ordered them and swapped them out (This is swap is called the M.2 mod on coffee forums such as r/coffee). My grind distribution became more uniform, but I lost a bit of fine grind settings because the burrs now touched sooner, causing me to basically get to just a few clicks finer than recommended Prismo Aeropress grind size. The grind consistency and faster grind time were worthwhile. I have had no adverse effects from this upgrade- allegedly Baratza uses the same motor for both grinders so it's not a point of concern for the upgrade. I would recommend anyone with a Baratza Encore to make this upgrade because I've experienced increased cup clarity and extraction percentage from the ~$30 upgrade.
Just picked up a Bunn-O- Matic grinder(2001 model) for my restaurant. Retro industrial and cool as hell. Your video got me thinking, so I inspected the burr set. The set is incased in a machined housing. Also noticed it has a half horsepower motor! Oh, the precision capabilities with this thing. Thanks for the video brother!!
I'm here for the coffee stuff and for the "hope you have a great day" wish. That always chearing me up! Cheers, James! I hope you have a great day too!
I would really love to see that as well. With the NZ almost never in stock, the G-iota could be a great alternative. The question of course: how reliable can a grinder coming from a random factory in China be?
@@sebdhaese according to initial reviews, it's well engineered and well built, no corners cut on assembly (not even on soldering). Personally I don't worry about Chinese manufacture, they've significantly improved their quality, most products we buy are now made by factories unknown to us anyway.
I know he helped design the Eagle one. So it makes sense that he owns the single group version... but it’s just the biggest flex in the world to have a cafe grade espresso machine in your home/office/wherever he shoots. I’m endlessly jealous
James, that's a nice Bripe. I upgraded the burrs in my Baratza Encore with their burrs from the Baratza Virtuoso+. The upgraded burr was only $40. You only need to upgrade one of the burrs. The Encore and Virtuoso+ share the same immobile burr. The process isn't exactly simple though. You need to remove the case bravely and disassemble much of the grinder components. But I noticed a difference right away. It was pretty clear, especially when I was using my Bialetti moka pot. Baratza endorses this upgrade, so I would expect it does not affect the life span of the motor. But who knows. Baratza is terrific about keeping parts for their grinders in stock. However, I'm concerned that Breville, as Baratza's new owners, will do away with this practice.
I doubt he's ever doing an aeropress vid. There's so many aeropress videos out there, they've been done to death. James does have videos on making espresso without machines and even has reviews of similar devices where he compares them. The thing I like about this channel is that he tackles subjects that most people don't even consider. Aftermarket burrs causing enough friction to change the setting? new. Donut coffee and briping? ok. Another aeropress video where he either spends an hour telling you everything you can learn from a few minutes of searching, or he spends 5 minutes giving a basic demo that you could have found on the aeropress website... What does James have to gain by doing a video on it?
@@JC-fj7oo James has stated repeatedly that he is working on the aeropress video... I’m pretty sure one day he’s going to make it. Especially because he has a series of videos teaching how to work with all the methods. And I disagree with your point, I don’t think there is a video covering the several different techniques and comparing them, showing how each variable possible affects the taste and texture of the final cup.
The Ode can be ordered with the SSP burrs preinstalled. I really don't drink espresso at home though. I'm more than happy with my aeropress for my coffee. It's funny for someone who doesn't normally like coffee that much, but I learned that it was generally crap coffee or made poorly. The difference fresh ground beans make is quite an eye opener. Then add how fine it's ground and you can change the flavor.
9:20 About that james... If you "hyper-align" a baratza Vario, and swap the grind chamber for the metal one from the Forte, you can build a $300 used machine into something VERY comparable to a niche zero in terms of grind quality and adjustment...
I like the Ceramic burrs for espresso, but interesting to know people seem to say the steel burrs are also good for espresso. I do notice compared to my other steel burr grinders the grounds do feel warmer than the grounds from the Vario with ceramic burrs. Not sure there's enough heat to have any real effect but the marketing claim that ceramic burs don't heat the coffee as much, seems legit.
@@BensCoffeeRants I’ll have to pull a shot with the steel and see how it does. When I had the ceramic installed and did 100g at a time for cold brew the grounds would definitely get warm.
I have the SSPs in a Wilfa Uniform. A few cm of masking tape or gaffer tape (NOT duct tape) works perfectly to prevent the grind setting drifting. Fold a few mm of the tape back on itself so it's easy to remove whenever you want to change the grind. I'm still worried about motor damage, but so far (six months) no problem.
Outstandingly good take on the topic on a deeper, behind the curtains level that's really important to consider in the long run. It's somewhat rare when you check out hacks and upgrades that you consider "should I, are there downsides and what would happen because the device is not specced for this". Like is your first thought when getting "better burrs" that does your grinder's motor accept them happily. Excellent point about the alignment if you're making very fine coffee. The margins start being so small that you actually want to kinda make sure the surfaces are spotless of dirt, not only visually clean. The magnet attachment with pins in one of the grinders was interesting, but not sure if it can bring more mistakes than the screws. The screws also allow uneven tightening, although I don't think you're able to bend the disc in any meaningful measure. The magnets are nice in that they don't create an additional (and frankly quite significant in comparison) place for the coffee dust to build up. The next we're gonna start talking about replacing the motors and power supplies. As well as locking the dial for grind size.
I upgrated my Ode with SSP silver knight coating and tossed in about 2kg of full-medium-roasted coffee for seasoning. So far the stock burrs have been able to produce superior pour overs with higher cleanness and sweetness.
I had a dream where I met James, greeted him and called him "the Hoff." Naturally we had a talk about coffee and he let me in on a trade secret: Every good espresso blend needs to have some green coffee in it. That was a strange dream.
I had a dream that a tiger came into my room and went to sleep. I went to pet it, pat it, whatever, but it wouldn’t wake up. But everyone else was terrified of it.
@@razgvozd Oh yeah I love novelty in coffee. I've been looking for the "secrets" of good coffee brewing for a while now. I also remember hearing about green coffee for the first time and being really interested about it.
My answer to the question in the video: I haven't upgraded the burrs in my 8 year old grinder, that probably needs to have the burrs replaced. I get drinkable coffee in my moka pot, which I'm using because my espresso machine stopped working *again* a year ago and I was tired of taking it in for repairs. I always want to explore all the cool variations and ideas and tips... but I seem to end dashed against the rocky shore of bad or unlucky past decisions. Love the videos, and I'll keep learning even if I can't put things into practice for now. I need something that's impossible to mess up. Maybe I'll buy a bripe.
Should you upgrade the burrs inside your coffee grinder? Oh, James. I don’t have a burr grinder. I’m just here for the sweaters, the voice and the sincerity.
Thank you for a good expert level video. Options sometimes tempt people with no technical knowledge into upgrades that make no sense, whether it's grinder burrs or putting racing fuel into a small 4 cylinder engine that wasn't designed for it.
I changed the burrs on my Kafatek Flat grinder a couple of days ago, from the original Mythos ones to new burrs made by Kafatek themselves. The improvement, which I expected to be interesting but marginal, is spectacular.
The idea behind replacing the burrs on the Fellow Ode is interesting because so many people (myself included) are waiting for Fellow to fix the issue. Was dying for the grinder's release and then had to wait due to quite a few complaints about the burrs. Feel like it is probably best to keep patient and wait for them to redesign the product themselves though, especially after this. Product just isn't made to deal with this issue as of this moment
Certainly, something to think about before anyone jumps into any modifications to their expense grinders! Thanks, James for a great video! Cheers from Alaska!!
That’s what I thought this would be about at first as well but I guess that’s a little different since it’s other Baratza burrs and it’s a recommendation they themselves make? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
At ~$45 with shipping, the M2 burr upgrade is 100% worth it. Still will not grind espresso constantly but, has improved my brews until it is time for the next upgrade...
Perusing the font of all wisdom, reddit, as well as a few other sites, I learned that some Eureka Mignon Cronos came from the factory with an espresso set of burrs. It's marketed as a drip/french press grinder, not espresso. Users reported no difficulties. A couple reviewers specced the motors on the Mignon line and found no difference between the Cronos and grinders a few steps up the (cost) ladder. I just ordered a Cronos. I won't know until I get it if it comes with espresso burrs or has the less-fine-grind-capable burrs. Espresso burrs are approximately $33.00 USD. That means I'll have an Speciale or Silenzio grind capability at the price (and I got a discount) of the Cronos. Not being a frugal person, I am cheap, not frugal, I believe I've got the best of both worlds. Low price, capable machine for espresso. Yippee!
I was hoping there'd be a discussion surrounding upgrading the Baratza Encore burrs from stock to the higher end Baratza ones. If anyone else has had experience with that please let me know.
For $35, it's a worthy upgrade. No voiding warranties, etc. Baratza will sell it to you and help you (via email, pdfs and videos) set it up. I did it to two different Encores and was able to do both via the vise-grip method w/o disassembling the unit (long and tedious method). Do protect or remove the plastic ring with the dial settings before striking the vise-grip as described by Baratza to avoid gouging the plastic--merely cosmetic--but still. Fewer fines and slightly faster grinder time. It's a win. I'm only using it from say 10-30 on the grind dial. I'm not attempting espresso. Baratza recommends the ring burr (same for M2 and M3 burr sets) be changed too if it was previously used. That adds another $15 to the cost. Grind settings for the Encore and Virtuoso+ are the same and thus unchanged by the mod. I've found that to be largely true.
I had the option to select from three OEM burr upgrades instead of the standard steel burrs when I purchased my Eureka Atom 75. I selected red speed (installed before it was shipped to me) over the titanium or the 'diamond inside' option. Since these are Eureka burr sets I don't have to worry about my warranty or even installing them correctly. Totally happy with this grinder and think the burr upgrade for less heat buildup and longer life was worth the extra expense. Huge difference in the cup over my previous Nuova Simonelli Grinta (50mm burrs).
Hi James -- One thing I haven't seen discussed a lot is the benefit of more unimodal burs for non-espresso coffee. I assume that if fellow is alright with the spp burrs but not for espresso that it stands to reason that they believe that the unimodal burrs make a difference for other preparation methods? I would love to see a video comparing unimodal vs standard burrs for, say, espresso, pourover, aeropress...
Nice to see the Solo, I wonder if single dose grinders will gain even more traction? And whether soon there will be slightly more affordable options on the market..
Having upgraded the burr set on the Ode has been educational. The original burrs were used daily for several months and finding the right grind for the right coffee, filter brew was simple. The SSP burrs purchased from Fellow directly are superior in every way, however dialing in the grind is somewhat less intuitive. There’s a learning curve for sure. Hopefully Fellow understands there’s a good size market for a grinder as beautiful as the Ode with better performance for double the price. Even with the SSP burrs the dial settings between size is too great. James, I think has it right about swapping out burrs. Just buy a better grinder.
I am so sick of grinding coffee with my Hario Skerton that I just don't bother any more. I actually did the reverse of gadget inflation. I used to own a Gaggia Classic with an MDF grinder. But I got sick of cleaning it and the damn dosing mechanism on the grinder. So I sold it and bought an aeropress and Hario Skerton and still ordered the nice coffee. Then I got tired of hand grinding coffee so I stopped that. Then I thought why bother with the nice coffee if you're buying it pre-ground, so I downgraded to supermarket coffee, which is (for me) too coarse for the aeropress. So I gave up on the aeropress and I'm now using a cheapo Sainsbury's cafetiere. It's kind of zen, but I'm sure I'll fall off the wagon eventually.
I have an ten year old Mazzer Mini E that was grinding a bit clumpy. Decided to change the burrs. I don't think the upgrade to SSP burrs is cost effective for such an old used machine, but I did plump for Super Jolly OEM burrs. Couldn't be happier with the change - better coffee, twice as fast. I'm aware I'm probably stressing the motor though, and I've heard tell that the grinder can jam on lighter roasts like this. Hasn't happened yet, but time will tell. If the grinder dies, I'll just take it as a sign to invest in a new grinder!
Watching the video and realising EUREKA MIGNON SPECIALITA in the background... My toughts: “Oh, will there be mignon specialita vs zero niche?” I would love to see Eureka Mignon specialita review.
Specialita is cheaper, and better due to the flat burrs. But does have some retention, nothing too bad though. Both are nice quiet grinders. Oh the hopper on the specialita sucks, but there's plenty of single dosing hoppers / mods you can do.
@@BensCoffeeRants i know, i have specialite for few months now. I dint mid hopper, but what i dont like is grind adjustment. Even rhough its small steps, i find it too copllex for switching from turkish, espreso... pourover, frenchpress
I’m an owner of a Mazzer mini-e and was going to get the SSP burrs. I have had the grinder for 10+ years. I ended up getting the standard burrs as SSP don’t make burrs specifically for the mini-e, but be using burrs designed for the Super Jolly. I concluded that I wanted my grinder to continue to work and be reliable and that was more important than any grind quality upgrade I may get. Also read that other users of the mini-e has their grinder stalling. Not something I want to experience.
I would love to see a review of the Eureka Mignon as well. Niche has been unavailable in the entire world for the past 6 months and will remain so for the foreseeable future, Eureka Mignon appears to be the only real contender in the around 500USD range in the USA and I suspect most of North America. I've been in the market for this for the last half year myself. It's frustrating how all the reviews of Mignon are either from amateurs (not enough comparative knowledge) or salesmen (conflict of interest).
@@deanmoriarty3565 I’m sick of waiting for a Niche and still not convinced on the looks personally. Pretty close to pulling the trigger on the Mignon XL instead.
As I’ve moved along my espresso journey having a heavily modified linea mini and a Max grinder. I have found that the grinder it’s probably the most important piece of the puzzle. However, as I continue along that journey I also differentiate grinder from burr set. In fact I would say without hesitation certain burr sets with a given geometry absolutely taste better than others and the difference is not way dependent on the grinder spinning them other than whether or not the burr set fits your chosen grinder. The challenge of course is that one burr set does not fit all grinders. All of that to say it’s not the grinder it’s the burr set. And 98mm burrs with the proper geometry can taste extraordinary.
After cleaning out my Graef CM800 my first attempt at grinding coffee again resulted in extremely course grounds. I removed and reseated the bottom burr 3 times with the same result before the final reassembly suddenly made my grinder go finer than ever before. Seating burrs is tricky business indeed.
I have a Ceado E37S w/QS, I upgraded my burr set to the SSP red speed a few months after I got the grinder. I’ve had the grinder in it’s current setup with the SSP burrs for two years. Initially I was not sure it was worth the cost as the only improvements were a slightly quicker grind and it was slightly quieter. However over time the grinder has gotten even faster and the grind quality has markedly improved. I would say the SSP red speed burrs do require a longer break-in period. My grinder with the SSP burr set has probably had at least 140-150 lbs of coffee through it. I feel it did not truly come into its own until about 35-50 lbs. I started noticing a much more consistent grind. At first I wasn’t sure it was worth the cost, now I feel it was absolutely worth the price of admission.
Hi James: I ordered and received the Fellow Ode during Amazon Prime Day this past Monday, securing a ~25% discount off the $300 USD price. But, before I took my new grinder out of the box, I wanted to see what condition my ~15-year-old KitchenAid Proline grinder was in. I successfully disassembled it and inspected the burrs. To my eyes, they look pretty worn. Does SSP make a replacement or upgrade burr set for my KitchenAid? Is it worth it to try and restore the Proline?
I really love the fact that James put the Bripe displaying there in the back.
Eagle eyes Dilan lol
It's rightful place ngl.
I would do the same just for the meme factor
Bripe gonna bripe
Hello fellow Bripers
idk about burrs but James is making it clear I need to upgrade my knitwear
Subtle but obvious. Same issue here.
Knitwear is dumb, tbh
@@Mukawakadoodoo Are you high? Woolen sweaters are essential wear during 3 out of 4 seasons in the temperate zone. Nothing comes close.
@@FantasticOtto eh, depends on where you are on the world.
The Salmon Pink variant is particularly fetching! A definite babe magnet. I assume he is also wearing sandals with white socks...pulled-up of course!
This is the kind of sustainable thinking I'd love to see more of on youtube-- it's easy to tell everyone to buy fair trade coffee or stop using paper cups, but these kinds of long-term decisions about reducing wear and tear to prolong the life of the things we use are just as important, and I appreciate that James is talking about them.
Planned obsolescence has entered.the chat.
The shot of the espresso dripping into the cup with a great big black CENSORED over the top of it really made my day.
@@TheRybka30 😳
@@TheRybka30 🤣🤣🤣🙃😇🤣
@@TheRybka30 LOL 😂
I don’t even like coffee and i watch these. It’s satisfying seeing someone with real passion for something.
I like that dedication
Hello neighbour. The same for me. Five months ago. This week I have consumed my first 100-pack of V60 filters. My new coffee grinder should come any day......
Ooops. I no longer think I can call myself a non-coffee drinker.
Ha, i know the feel. For me it‘s Terrarium videos. Can watch them all day, have nothing to do with Terrariums.
Markku Hänninen there are some coffees that taste more like tea but are still delicious.
Maybe just go to your local coffee shop and ask for a "coffee for non-coffee-drinkers" and hopefully you will be positively surprised :)
@@maxschmidt666 I think i'm good without another addiction ;D
FYI, from experience in repairing a bunch of small household appliances with motors for grinding, mixing, slicing etc. Those motors don't burn out. Most of them have a thermal fuse buried in there, glued, pressed etc into the stator, that will say byebye when it gets too hot once.
I've replaced a bunch of those before, and the machines work perfectly fine again. So be careful, and don't throw a broken grinder away, because unless your entire kitchen smells like burnt electronics, it's the stupid fuse.
since you mention it, what if it DOES smell like burnt electronics - but still works fine?
@@fmbz858 Then it's probably just a matter of time. What is probably happening is that the heat is breaking down the epoxy lacquer on the motor winding and once that is broken down, you'll get a short circuit in it and then it's goodbye, unfortunately.
@@_TraMor 🤣
I know you wrote this quite a while ago but those who repair things are getting harder to find. I used to be able to get my hair straightener and blow dryers of good quality repaired at our beauty supply store in Manhattan until it closed down and now you just pray things last until they break 🥹
@@sloperaly I also know you have written this a while ago but I agree with you. It is one reason why I am now trying to just repair it myself and sometimes even frankenstein stuff. It works most of the time but not all the time, especially depending on the kind of machine.
Some machines are quite repairable because they are structured modulairly and the manufacturer offers replacement parts to buy, others are uniform to the point that you'd need a heatgun and a soddering iron to do anything. Best thing to do is just informing yourself beforehand. :/
Seeing the bripe in the background makes me smile.
I just absolutely love how balanced and considerate are James’s opinions. I never feel like testing/knowledge/information are ever left out in any video. I love the deep dives into the madness that can be the world of coffee and its endless variables. So insightful and educating, keep up the great work James... hope you have a great day!
I use motors most days of my working life and I can tell you that the main failure mechanism for the motors I use is thermal. Cooking the motors through prolonged overload. I believe that if you pull the _odd_ espresso from it you’ll be fine but don’t back-to-back them. There’s usually plenty of thermal mass in a motor even if it can’t shed the heat quick enough.
SO MUCH THIS. I was going to say the same thing.
I want a 20 hr video of James saying "Thank you so much for watching, and I hope you have a great day."
It's so relaxing.
James is missing a market - he should read the phone book and sell the recording as an insomnia aid. Such a calming, soothing voice.
@@stevenswann3254 sometimes when I'm feeling sad I just watch the short intro to his smart scales review video a few times and all my problems seem to disappear
@@kevinromaindrums I hadn't seen that video before, and just looked it up on your recommendation. That intro is hilarious. Looking forward to watching the whole thing. Thanks for the heads up!
Check out Hames Joffman, legend
The fact that you don't ask to like your videos and to subscribe made me so willing to do it immediately.
This!
So much this!
I don't even own a grinder but how relaxing it is listening to James Hoffmann talking about anything....ahhh ...chill....
Same, over here with a $12 no brand hand grinder
@@emilegoguely4032 😅
True. My goto bedtime story yt channels in terms of safe content and relaxing voice are this and lock picking lawyer.
@@iamthearmul oh yes, those two are awesome 😍
He should do a nature documentary for bbc he has the perfect voice for it
the background is shouting at me that there is gonna be crazy videos in the near future
E61 deathmatch?!?
$1000~ish machine showdown
@@jseitz792 That profitec Pro 700 on the far right is $3000
I think he mentioned doing a video about the E61 a while ago, those seem to all be E61 grouphead machines, so I guess that's it.
@@Dpmcalexander got it! I’m in his Patreon and that’s the next showdown he’s doing, but I got the price wrong. It’s 1,500/1,600 GBP, roughly $2k and change. So maybe he’s taking in the Profitec for fun
He says „Don‘t grind too fine with SSP burrs in your fellow ode“
And he is doing scrambled eggs with a steam wand.
This is exactly my kind of humore.
He does it so you don't have to
he also says that he wouldn't recommend steaming your eggs.
It is definitely not humless!
sometimes people tell me that I get way too obsessed with the details and perfection of some niche items...and then I come here to my hero's channel and remind myself that I have yet to reach nerdvana. Thank for your service Mr. Hoffman.
Nerdvana! 👍
My Wilfa Uniform actually started shifting between grind settings while grinding, even with its original burrs. I still loved the coffee it produced, but wanted something new. Now have the Fellow Ode and I’m very pleased. The original burrs works fine (pun intended) enough for me.
Been using the Fellow Ode with SSP burr set for about 8 months, well it has just started to stop in the middle of a grind (Ethiopian medium/light coffee on #3). Have a case open with Fellow, no response yet even though it has been several days. I must say, James, called it!
Lose so many hours learning about Burr sets and I’ve spent hours watching all your content and learnt so much
The fact that the ode announcement came out literally as you were producing this video is pretty incredible.
James, you just saved me £200 and a possible extra £300 if I ended up melting my ODE. Genuinely was considering the upgrade. Thank you for your honest advice as always 👏
I love the "take responsibility for your actions" part of the video at 3:05 . It sooo refreshing to see that for consumer products (and also if/ when you experiment at fail at new brewing techniques or mixes etc.). You and AvE do that so well.
Birr alignment is very fun and maddening, I work at a coffee shop and part of my job aligning the big boy grinders for batch brewing and grinding pounds for customers. It took me about three hours to do this weekly task when I first started now it can be done in 30 minutes.
I did this to the Baratza Vario and swapped it with the steel burrs from the Forte BG. Made a HUGE difference. Kind of did the opposite to SSP as the Vario is intended as an espresso grinder and use ceramic burrs but the steel burrs from the Forte make incredible coffee. The manufacturer sold the burrs and have great videos and information as far as calibration. No regrets and well worth the money
Very glad to see you belabour the point about arbitrarily changing burr sets without considering the bigger picture. Here in North America the ill effects are much worse when 110V versions of European grinders have their burrs replaced with much more aggressive 220V burr profiles and the motors stall when approaching espresso fineness. Changing the throughput of the grinders beyond original spec often overloads the motor, aggravating heat buildup and thus disrupting extraction performance when the grinder gets hot, even if it doesn't completely stall. Well done!
Fellow's calibration instructions for using the SSP burrs they sell in an Ode Brew Grinder (Gen 1) should prevent grinding so fine as to put too much stress on the motor:
*Specifically for those calibrating for the SSP Burrs: Once you hear the burrs touch, turn the dial mechanism FIVE clicks clockwise (to the right) and turn the grinder off. The burrs are now set to 1.
Love the little easter eggs to future videos with the Rocket Appartamento and Lelit Mara X causually in the background
Broke: Overclock your computer
Woke: Overclock your coffee grinder
brb, gonna liquid cool and add 100KW of RGB
I have a Nespresso Vertuo and I drink primarily the Double Espresso Scuro.
I am no expert on coffee, but I still love James and his channel. His videos are soothing and make me want more coffee.
I just upgraded my Baratza Encore with the M2 burrs (default Virtuoso burrs). This is a lot cheaper and more low-end than the discussed SSP burrs, but Baratza themselves acknowledge this upgrade and I'm pretty sure it won't break your warranty. My Encore was due for a new burr-set anyway, so I'm really glad I had the option to do the upgrade. It grinds a bit quicker, tad bit quieter now and I tell myself the results are a bit more uniform as well :)
I just got a new set of burrs for my Baratza Preciso (now discontinued) for about $35, if I remember correctly. First burrs lasted at least 10 years. I only noticed worn burrs when I was getting my La Pavoni ready for a party, and the Preciso couldn’t do the very fine espresso grinds anymore. After a recalibration to the maximum setting it was just fine enough generally, but not always. So new burrs in 2023! I’ll probably never own another grinder since Baratza sells all the replacement parts.
I replaced burrs with SSP's in my old Mazzer Supper Jolly more than two years ago. I am very happy with the result both in filter and espresso. I used a "filter" version of the burrs or at least assembled them according to manufacturer recommendations (one specific burr has to be on top).
Espresso is more tricky to prepare now because of all these nuances with "unimodal" grind distribution, but it is worth it for me!
I have only one drawback: on my grinder that is running on a single phase now, motor sometimes can get stuck if you start it after you add the beans. This is not a problem, if you start it first. Also it should not be a problem, if you are using stock 220v 3 phase wiring (AFAIK).
Do you think the Mazzers are still worthwhile? I've considered upgrading from my Baratza Virtuoso -- it's still a good grinder, but I'd like to pass it on someone else. I recall Mazzers being all the rage back in the day, so I had considered a Super Jolly or a Major, but I'm unsure if they're just behind the field these days.
@@irresponsiblyblue1411 They are still good value for the money, if you can get a used one and put a decent new burr set. Like I said, SSP unimodal burrs is what I use for any kind of brew. These grinders have standard burr set diameters, powerful motors and build quality that makes them extremely long lasting. One other downside: with espresso setting (which is also tricky to adjust by rotating it just 1-2 millimeters for 4-6 seconds difference) there is a significant retention in the shaft (1-1.5g). Easy to pull out, but annoys a lot. This would be my main reason to upgrade, tbh.
If the grind setting is slipping, I'd consider wrapping some teflon tape (pipe thread tape) around the adjusting threads. Just wrap as much as you need to add the desired amount of friction.
I actually recently got v4 of the DF64 you feature here, and I had it sent with the high uniformity SSP burrs installed and aligned. I will do French press occasionally; however, I mostly do espresso brewing and the results have been very good: very clean shots with really clear taste profiles. I've pulled shots with lighter specialty beans and gotten very nice cherry, orange, and tea flavors; with medium specialty beans, I've been able to get milk chocolate and peanut butter. I even started dialing in my settings using a cheap, ultra dark roasted bag of beans from a second wave coffee company, and I got sweet dark chocolate flavors that I didn't even think were possible with them (which was the biggest surprise to me).
Imagine being James, doing extensive testing and research, finding out that ssp burrs generally are bad for your fellow ode and hours after posting, they decided to just sell it.
Sadly, he didn't find out it was bad, he guessed it.
He guessed wisely, in my opinion, but has no idea on the real consequences ...
Yes, it might harm the motor. Yes, it might shorten its lifespan. And yes, maybe Ode is shooting itself in the foot for selling the SSP burrs.
But maybe not, and maybe the motor is strong enough to handle it for years without any troubles ...
I totally agree on the idea, but he is a bit "too" cautious on a topic he knows almost nothing about.
If Ode is selling the burrs ... you know ... probably they know better than you and I ?
Anyway, still a pleasure to watch and learn from the man :)
@@LaurentVanderdonck Agreed. Ode definitely seems to have targeted their whole ethos towards unpressurised coffee, and I expect they sell the burrs because they found in their testing that they could get as good a wholesale price from SSP as they would have from their OEM for a burr that provides a better coffee. Their primary audience, being non-espresso, don't need to push the grind fine enough to cause issues. They may have to validate the burrs with the device longer to know whether they can sign off on it with confidence for espresso levels.
My grinder is one of the ones covered in the "do not buy these shitty 50$ grinders" episode (it's the Melitta)* and it's a total bear to disassemble and clean properly, but it does have the capacity to be calibrated as to how fine the finest setting is when you reassemble it, I expect the Ode must as well.
I think the drift on the Wilfa is the bigger problem because it can potentially lead to a crash, and then replacing a tired motor will be the least of your worries.
*in case anyone reading is casually curious, it appears to use the same format of three screw flat burr as shown in this video. But if anyone reading that is wondering if that means it's a burr upgrade away from being respectable you should know that ours has been electrically unreliable and has a severe static problem and can hold about a tablespoon of coffee in various nooks and crannies and it can start to grow mold unless you do a complete teardown. Also, the spout into the catchcan is weirdly shaped and restrictive and also manages to spray a non zero quantity out into the general area.
I guess the real question is how will Fellow deal with it, and their V2 burr set what will that be like.
@@LaurentVanderdonck My initial interpretation is not that Fellow “knows better”, but that people were doing it and Fellow saw that they were missing out on a potential revenue stream. Now, people will buy the burrs from them and they get those profits.
@@LaurentVanderdonck or maybe Ode know their motor will last the warranty period, period.
Seeing the espresso machine i use at home behind you brought me so much joy. I really hope to see the apartamento featured later.
As someone who performed the Wilfa Uniform upgrade, I can definitely attest to the fact that the flavour is "much much" better. However, as James has said the grind slipping is super annoying. If you're willing to accept babysitting your grinder for that better taste, then I can totally recommend it. I would say though the wilfa motor isn't so much the issue but in fact the mechanism that hold the grind. I suspect it wasn't designed with the torque in mind.
Isn't there any way to tighten the grind setting mechanism?
Are you still able to grind espresso fine with the upgraded burrs? And exactly what model and make of upgraded burrs did you install?
My wilfa's settings started slipping even in base configuration. I've able to fix this by unwinding the burr part and just wipe a little bit of machine oil from the top part's notches and pogo pins on the main unit with the paper towel. Basically, this stiffens the grind adjustment mechanism and prevents slippage. Just don't wipe it too much, it still needs a bit of lube to be there.
I did it too. SSP burrs in a Ceado E5P. It did not work at all at first, the original grind setting did not work for espresso. So, I modiffied the grinder‘s head to use a worm gear system (I put together). Then I replaced the original spout with a sort of funel with acess from the top to allow easy cleaning. The last upgrade was a beens hopper with bellows (similar to Ceado Hero). Now I have a Single-Dosing grinder I‘m happy with and proud of 😀. Works superbly with the newly aquired Lelit Bianca. By the way, the flow profiling was for me the „game changer“.
I use SSP burrs in my Mahlkönig Tanzania and I am very happy with them. I will say that they do perform equally to the stock burrs for filter, but the range for espresso increased, which is nice. Moreover, as I bought the grinder used it was easier to justify buying new burrs. One thing that fell a little short in this video is that SSP burrs used to be something produced for commercial grade grinders, in particular the EK43. In this category there are really no concerns about damaging the motor. For them the price of the stock burrs is also more or less the same compared to the stock ones. This only becomes unbalanced when pairing a 300$ grinder like the Ode with 200$ burrs.
While I did not go the SSP Burr route, I did upgrade the burrs on my grinder.
I bought my Baratza Encore in 2016 and was unhappy with the grind distribution after about a year so I saw that they offer their Vario burrs for sale on their website. I ordered them and swapped them out (This is swap is called the M.2 mod on coffee forums such as r/coffee).
My grind distribution became more uniform, but I lost a bit of fine grind settings because the burrs now touched sooner, causing me to basically get to just a few clicks finer than recommended Prismo Aeropress grind size.
The grind consistency and faster grind time were worthwhile. I have had no adverse effects from this upgrade- allegedly Baratza uses the same motor for both grinders so it's not a point of concern for the upgrade.
I would recommend anyone with a Baratza Encore to make this upgrade because I've experienced increased cup clarity and extraction percentage from the ~$30 upgrade.
oh boy there seems to be a new espresso machine showdown in the background! I am excited! (And James can you get your hands on a flair 58 pls :D)
Just picked up a Bunn-O- Matic grinder(2001 model) for my restaurant. Retro industrial and cool as hell. Your video got me thinking, so I inspected the burr set. The set is incased in a machined housing. Also noticed it has a half horsepower motor! Oh, the precision capabilities with this thing.
Thanks for the video brother!!
Slight hint at Espresso machines for under £1500 in the background I reckon!
Too late to become a qualifying Patrion ? 🤪
I see my machine back there, I'm both excited and afraid lmao
Throughout the entire video I’m like James can you scoot over to your right. Just a bit so I can see what’s in the background...😂
I see my machine in the back 3rd to last.
The far right machine is the Decent, I think - and it is not def not sub 1500. But the rest are near that range, so...🤔
James Hoffman has the most polite manner of speaking ever. He could scold you and it would sound like articulate compliment.
Past James wardrobe : Grey sweater w/ Peach undershirt
Future James wardrobe : Peach sweater w/Grey undershirt
Me : Slow clap.
works with the hair and glasses
I'm here for the coffee stuff and for the "hope you have a great day" wish. That always chearing me up!
Cheers, James!
I hope you have a great day too!
I'd love to see a comparison between G-iota/Solo and the Niche later on! This one seems to be the best flat burr alternative for the Niche!
I would really love to see that as well. With the NZ almost never in stock, the G-iota could be a great alternative. The question of course: how reliable can a grinder coming from a random factory in China be?
@@sebdhaese according to initial reviews, it's well engineered and well built, no corners cut on assembly (not even on soldering).
Personally I don't worry about Chinese manufacture, they've significantly improved their quality, most products we buy are now made by factories unknown to us anyway.
I know he helped design the Eagle one. So it makes sense that he owns the single group version... but it’s just the biggest flex in the world to have a cafe grade espresso machine in your home/office/wherever he shoots. I’m endlessly jealous
Think it's his office. He's said previously that he doesn't do home espresso
@Jon Woo he has said previously that he uses a Sage/Breville Precision filter brewer at home: ua-cam.com/video/HfkdkZRv6Mc/v-deo.html
James, that's a nice Bripe.
I upgraded the burrs in my Baratza Encore with their burrs from the Baratza Virtuoso+. The upgraded burr was only $40. You only need to upgrade one of the burrs. The Encore and Virtuoso+ share the same immobile burr. The process isn't exactly simple though. You need to remove the case bravely and disassemble much of the grinder components. But I noticed a difference right away. It was pretty clear, especially when I was using my Bialetti moka pot. Baratza endorses this upgrade, so I would expect it does not affect the life span of the motor. But who knows. Baratza is terrific about keeping parts for their grinders in stock. However, I'm concerned that Breville, as Baratza's new owners, will do away with this practice.
Everyone: A E R O P R E S S
James: an entire video on upgrading burrs in a specific grinder.
He really is toying with us.
we've given him too much power smh
I feel like his aeropress video is going to have 30 min +
@@joaopcoutinho oh, at least.
I doubt he's ever doing an aeropress vid. There's so many aeropress videos out there, they've been done to death. James does have videos on making espresso without machines and even has reviews of similar devices where he compares them. The thing I like about this channel is that he tackles subjects that most people don't even consider. Aftermarket burrs causing enough friction to change the setting? new. Donut coffee and briping? ok. Another aeropress video where he either spends an hour telling you everything you can learn from a few minutes of searching, or he spends 5 minutes giving a basic demo that you could have found on the aeropress website... What does James have to gain by doing a video on it?
@@JC-fj7oo James has stated repeatedly that he is working on the aeropress video... I’m pretty sure one day he’s going to make it. Especially because he has a series of videos teaching how to work with all the methods.
And I disagree with your point, I don’t think there is a video covering the several different techniques and comparing them, showing how each variable possible affects the taste and texture of the final cup.
The Ode can be ordered with the SSP burrs preinstalled. I really don't drink espresso at home though. I'm more than happy with my aeropress for my coffee. It's funny for someone who doesn't normally like coffee that much, but I learned that it was generally crap coffee or made poorly. The difference fresh ground beans make is quite an eye opener. Then add how fine it's ground and you can change the flavor.
I would call these espresso machines in the background an easter egg.
Or some great foreshadowing...?
In all my time on UA-cam, this is the only channel I have intentionally clicked the notification bell for.
9:20
About that james...
If you "hyper-align" a baratza Vario, and swap the grind chamber for the metal one from the Forte, you can build a $300 used machine into something VERY comparable to a niche zero in terms of grind quality and adjustment...
I got a stock vario, I prefer it to the Niche Zero. So it's better already. Planning on doing the Hyper Alignment thing soon though.
I recently swapped my ceramic burrs to steel in the Baratza Vario-W. It grinds slower, but I think the coffee is improved. Happy I did it.
What are you using it for? I went from steel > ceramic for espresso and am glad I did!
@@CHOMPonTHIS29 LOL, opposite for me. using it only for brewed coffee.
I like the Ceramic burrs for espresso, but interesting to know people seem to say the steel burrs are also good for espresso. I do notice compared to my other steel burr grinders the grounds do feel warmer than the grounds from the Vario with ceramic burrs. Not sure there's enough heat to have any real effect but the marketing claim that ceramic burs don't heat the coffee as much, seems legit.
@@BensCoffeeRants I’ll have to pull a shot with the steel and see how it does. When I had the ceramic installed and did 100g at a time for cold brew the grounds would definitely get warm.
Honestly, 1st of April would be the perfect day for a Aeropress Recipe joke
I came here to say this. It would have been the ultimate troll!
The April fools joke is there is no aeropress recipe
I have the SSPs in a Wilfa Uniform. A few cm of masking tape or gaffer tape (NOT duct tape) works perfectly to prevent the grind setting drifting. Fold a few mm of the tape back on itself so it's easy to remove whenever you want to change the grind. I'm still worried about motor damage, but so far (six months) no problem.
Hi, are you still using the Uniform with the SSP burs? Do you consider it a worthwhile upgrade?
HA! James has DDOS's SSP's site. Nicely done!
Outstandingly good take on the topic on a deeper, behind the curtains level that's really important to consider in the long run. It's somewhat rare when you check out hacks and upgrades that you consider "should I, are there downsides and what would happen because the device is not specced for this". Like is your first thought when getting "better burrs" that does your grinder's motor accept them happily.
Excellent point about the alignment if you're making very fine coffee. The margins start being so small that you actually want to kinda make sure the surfaces are spotless of dirt, not only visually clean. The magnet attachment with pins in one of the grinders was interesting, but not sure if it can bring more mistakes than the screws. The screws also allow uneven tightening, although I don't think you're able to bend the disc in any meaningful measure. The magnets are nice in that they don't create an additional (and frankly quite significant in comparison) place for the coffee dust to build up.
The next we're gonna start talking about replacing the motors and power supplies. As well as locking the dial for grind size.
I upgrated my Ode with SSP silver knight coating and tossed in about 2kg of full-medium-roasted coffee for seasoning. So far the stock burrs have been able to produce superior pour overs with higher cleanness and sweetness.
Helpful info, thanks for sharing
Normally, your videos convince me to spend money but this one is saving me $200. 🙏
This is why before wasting money on “not so practical” coffee setup (for me) I watch your videos
I am just here to hear this man talking. He may have the most soothing talking voice i have heard in a long time
I had a dream where I met James, greeted him and called him "the Hoff." Naturally we had a talk about coffee and he let me in on a trade secret: Every good espresso blend needs to have some green coffee in it. That was a strange dream.
I had a dream that a tiger came into my room and went to sleep. I went to pet it, pat it, whatever, but it wouldn’t wake up. But everyone else was terrified of it.
There was also something about Zendaya, but I don’t remember now
Hm. Not so strange. Maybe subtly you crave some novelty in coffees. Some people drink green coffee bean "tea". It's very herbal.
@@razgvozd Oh yeah I love novelty in coffee. I've been looking for the "secrets" of good coffee brewing for a while now. I also remember hearing about green coffee for the first time and being really interested about it.
My answer to the question in the video: I haven't upgraded the burrs in my 8 year old grinder, that probably needs to have the burrs replaced. I get drinkable coffee in my moka pot, which I'm using because my espresso machine stopped working *again* a year ago and I was tired of taking it in for repairs. I always want to explore all the cool variations and ideas and tips... but I seem to end dashed against the rocky shore of bad or unlucky past decisions. Love the videos, and I'll keep learning even if I can't put things into practice for now.
I need something that's impossible to mess up. Maybe I'll buy a bripe.
Mignon Specialita in the background! Waiting for the review.. and maybe a comparison between it and the Niche!
These videos just somehow look fancier and fancier. I like it!
How was this, and not the Bripe video released on April 1st!?
That was the question i was thinking!
My guess is that both videos were ready and then he had to re-edit this one at the last minute, so he released the Bripe video early instead.
Thanks james for getting me into measuring coffee and water to the gram and making me more cultured.
I don't even drink coffee.
why is this so funny haha
😂😂😂
😅🤣
😂
Should you upgrade the burrs inside your coffee grinder?
Oh, James. I don’t have a burr grinder. I’m just here for the sweaters, the voice and the sincerity.
The irony of a Starbucks advert as a pre-roll made me smile.
Thank you for a good expert level video. Options sometimes tempt people with no technical knowledge into upgrades that make no sense, whether it's grinder burrs or putting racing fuel into a small 4 cylinder engine that wasn't designed for it.
I think for a lot of people, the 'value' is in the experimentation itself, I think. The fun being in the journey, not the destination.
I changed the burrs on my Kafatek Flat grinder a couple of days ago, from the original Mythos ones to new burrs made by Kafatek themselves. The improvement, which I expected to be interesting but marginal, is spectacular.
The idea behind replacing the burrs on the Fellow Ode is interesting because so many people (myself included) are waiting for Fellow to fix the issue. Was dying for the grinder's release and then had to wait due to quite a few complaints about the burrs.
Feel like it is probably best to keep patient and wait for them to redesign the product themselves though, especially after this. Product just isn't made to deal with this issue as of this moment
Did they ever update it
You can purchase the ode directly from fellow with ssp burrs .
Certainly, something to think about before anyone jumps into any modifications to their expense grinders! Thanks, James for a great video! Cheers from Alaska!!
I was really hoping you would talk about the Encore burr upgrade in this video.
That’s what I thought this would be about at first as well but I guess that’s a little different since it’s other Baratza burrs and it’s a recommendation they themselves make? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I was hoping for this as well, since it's both likely the most common grinder out there, and this upgrade one of the most common ones actually made.
At ~$45 with shipping, the M2 burr upgrade is 100% worth it. Still will not grind espresso constantly but, has improved my brews until it is time for the next upgrade...
I just did that upgrade this past weekend! It speeds the Encore's grinding up tremendously and has nice uniformity.
@@ChrisBlaze78 the upgrade in Canada, after customs, shipping, and fx, is closer to $90. Still bought it myself.
Perusing the font of all wisdom, reddit, as well as a few other sites, I learned that some Eureka Mignon Cronos came from the factory with an espresso set of burrs. It's marketed as a drip/french press grinder, not espresso. Users reported no difficulties. A couple reviewers specced the motors on the Mignon line and found no difference between the Cronos and grinders a few steps up the (cost) ladder. I just ordered a Cronos. I won't know until I get it if it comes with espresso burrs or has the less-fine-grind-capable burrs. Espresso burrs are approximately $33.00 USD. That means I'll have an Speciale or Silenzio grind capability at the price (and I got a discount) of the Cronos. Not being a frugal person, I am cheap, not frugal, I believe I've got the best of both worlds. Low price, capable machine for espresso. Yippee!
One year, would you consider doing an April fools video where you denounce coffee and say tea is superior :D
James has posted on Twitter before about specialty tea but if you go through the QnAs iirc he said that he can only have so many fixations
A better April fools video would be to have a clickbait aeropress video but it's just him smiling
@@JumpingSnail good one! I was actually expecting a weird video content for today!
@@JumpingSnail or a click bait video of him dancing to Never Gonna Give You Up. 🧐
A colab with The Spiffing Brit
Love seeing the Bripe on display now!
This guy testing out all these burrs. He could be a burrista.
badam tiss 🥁
Coffee Dad is once again just a complete joy to watch😁
I say this with complete certainty he's younger than me. But everything I know about coffee is bc of him. Maybe... Prof Coffee?
I was hoping there'd be a discussion surrounding upgrading the Baratza Encore burrs from stock to the higher end Baratza ones. If anyone else has had experience with that please let me know.
For $35, it's a worthy upgrade. No voiding warranties, etc. Baratza will sell it to you and help you (via email, pdfs and videos) set it up. I did it to two different Encores and was able to do both via the vise-grip method w/o disassembling the unit (long and tedious method). Do protect or remove the plastic ring with the dial settings before striking the vise-grip as described by Baratza to avoid gouging the plastic--merely cosmetic--but still. Fewer fines and slightly faster grinder time. It's a win. I'm only using it from say 10-30 on the grind dial. I'm not attempting espresso. Baratza recommends the ring burr (same for M2 and M3 burr sets) be changed too if it was previously used. That adds another $15 to the cost. Grind settings for the Encore and Virtuoso+ are the same and thus unchanged by the mod. I've found that to be largely true.
I had the option to select from three OEM burr upgrades instead of the standard steel burrs when I purchased my Eureka Atom 75. I selected red speed (installed before it was shipped to me) over the titanium or the 'diamond inside' option. Since these are Eureka burr sets I don't have to worry about my warranty or even installing them correctly. Totally happy with this grinder and think the burr upgrade for less heat buildup and longer life was worth the extra expense. Huge difference in the cup over my previous Nuova Simonelli Grinta (50mm burrs).
Hating the dial grinder adjuster and looking for a new grinder. No more Eureka models for me with this lame dial knob.
Hi James -- One thing I haven't seen discussed a lot is the benefit of more unimodal burs for non-espresso coffee. I assume that if fellow is alright with the spp burrs but not for espresso that it stands to reason that they believe that the unimodal burrs make a difference for other preparation methods? I would love to see a video comparing unimodal vs standard burrs for, say, espresso, pourover, aeropress...
So excited for the reviews behind! Was looking at buying one in the near future. Yay!
Step One: James recommends S.S.P
Step Two: Website of S.S.P. crashes
I have ssp red speed burrs in my mazzer SJ electronic and I absolutely love it.
Nice to see the Solo, I wonder if single dose grinders will gain even more traction? And whether soon there will be slightly more affordable options on the market..
The single dose grinder in this video costs abt 420 usd stock which is similar to the eureka lineup
definitely single dose grinders will gain alot of attention, i heard somewhere Eureka are working on a unique single dose grinder.
Absolutely they will with the popularity of the Niche Zero
I really appreciate the precise nature of your coffee knowledge and taste.
I am very glad that I am not at that level of complexity yet!
Having upgraded the burr set on the Ode has been educational. The original burrs were used daily for several months and finding the right grind for the right coffee, filter brew was simple. The SSP burrs purchased from Fellow directly are superior in every way, however dialing in the grind is somewhat less intuitive. There’s a learning curve for sure. Hopefully Fellow understands there’s a good size market for a grinder as beautiful as the Ode with better performance for double the price. Even with the SSP burrs the dial settings between size is too great. James, I think has it right about swapping out burrs. Just buy a better grinder.
Thank you for this video James, I agree people don't understand enough about mix/matching parts of grinders.
Me while grinding beans with a 3 year old Hario Skerton:
Yep. I should definitely upgrade my whole grinder NOW!
I am so sick of grinding coffee with my Hario Skerton that I just don't bother any more. I actually did the reverse of gadget inflation. I used to own a Gaggia Classic with an MDF grinder. But I got sick of cleaning it and the damn dosing mechanism on the grinder. So I sold it and bought an aeropress and Hario Skerton and still ordered the nice coffee. Then I got tired of hand grinding coffee so I stopped that. Then I thought why bother with the nice coffee if you're buying it pre-ground, so I downgraded to supermarket coffee, which is (for me) too coarse for the aeropress. So I gave up on the aeropress and I'm now using a cheapo Sainsbury's cafetiere. It's kind of zen, but I'm sure I'll fall off the wagon eventually.
I have an ten year old Mazzer Mini E that was grinding a bit clumpy. Decided to change the burrs. I don't think the upgrade to SSP burrs is cost effective for such an old used machine, but I did plump for Super Jolly OEM burrs. Couldn't be happier with the change - better coffee, twice as fast. I'm aware I'm probably stressing the motor though, and I've heard tell that the grinder can jam on lighter roasts like this. Hasn't happened yet, but time will tell. If the grinder dies, I'll just take it as a sign to invest in a new grinder!
Watching the video and realising EUREKA MIGNON SPECIALITA in the background... My toughts: “Oh, will there be mignon specialita vs zero niche?” I would love to see Eureka Mignon specialita review.
I saw it too. I really hope he is working on a review
Specialita is cheaper, and better due to the flat burrs. But does have some retention, nothing too bad though. Both are nice quiet grinders. Oh the hopper on the specialita sucks, but there's plenty of single dosing hoppers / mods you can do.
@@BensCoffeeRants i know, i have specialite for few months now. I dint mid hopper, but what i dont like is grind adjustment. Even rhough its small steps, i find it too copllex for switching from turkish, espreso... pourover, frenchpress
I’m an owner of a Mazzer mini-e and was going to get the SSP burrs.
I have had the grinder for 10+ years. I ended up getting the standard burrs as SSP don’t make burrs specifically for the mini-e, but be using burrs designed for the Super Jolly.
I concluded that I wanted my grinder to continue to work and be reliable and that was more important than any grind quality upgrade I may get.
Also read that other users of the mini-e has their grinder stalling. Not something I want to experience.
Am I the only one hoping that James could do a review of the Lelit Bianca? Or the Eureka Mignon Specialita? Or both 😍
I would love to see a review of the Eureka Mignon as well. Niche has been unavailable in the entire world for the past 6 months and will remain so for the foreseeable future, Eureka Mignon appears to be the only real contender in the around 500USD range in the USA and I suspect most of North America. I've been in the market for this for the last half year myself. It's frustrating how all the reviews of Mignon are either from amateurs (not enough comparative knowledge) or salesmen (conflict of interest).
@@deanmoriarty3565 I’m sick of waiting for a Niche and still not convinced on the looks personally. Pretty close to pulling the trigger on the Mignon XL instead.
I saw the Eureka Mignon too. I really hope he is working on a review
As I’ve moved along my espresso journey having a heavily modified linea mini and a Max grinder. I have found that the grinder it’s probably the most important piece of the puzzle. However, as I continue along that journey I also differentiate grinder from burr set. In fact I would say without hesitation certain burr sets with a given geometry absolutely taste better than others and the difference is not way dependent on the grinder spinning them other than whether or not the burr set fits your chosen grinder. The challenge of course is that one burr set does not fit all grinders. All of that to say it’s not the grinder it’s the burr set. And 98mm burrs with the proper geometry can taste extraordinary.
After cleaning out my Graef CM800 my first attempt at grinding coffee again resulted in extremely course grounds.
I removed and reseated the bottom burr 3 times with the same result before the final reassembly suddenly made my grinder go finer than ever before.
Seating burrs is tricky business indeed.
I have a Ceado E37S w/QS, I upgraded my burr set to the SSP red speed a few months after I got the grinder. I’ve had the grinder in it’s current setup with the SSP burrs for two years. Initially I was not sure it was worth the cost as the only improvements were a slightly quicker grind and it was slightly quieter. However over time the grinder has gotten even faster and the grind quality has markedly improved. I would say the SSP red speed burrs do require a longer break-in period. My grinder with the SSP burr set has probably had at least 140-150 lbs of coffee through it. I feel it did not truly come into its own until about 35-50 lbs. I started noticing a much more consistent grind. At first I wasn’t sure it was worth the cost, now I feel it was absolutely worth the price of admission.
Hi James: I ordered and received the Fellow Ode during Amazon Prime Day this past Monday, securing a ~25% discount off the $300 USD price. But, before I took my new grinder out of the box, I wanted to see what condition my ~15-year-old KitchenAid Proline grinder was in. I successfully disassembled it and inspected the burrs. To my eyes, they look pretty worn. Does SSP make a replacement or upgrade burr set for my KitchenAid? Is it worth it to try and restore the Proline?