The first Niche Zero espresso grinder found its way to our academy in the company of a coffee enthusiast. John Buckmann, the founder of the Decent espresso machine , brought the grinder with him as a companion to his portable Decent. At just 4.1 kg, the grinder is lightweight, especially compared to professional espresso grinders, and suitable for travel—but certainly capable of grinding at a high level itself.
We bought our first Niche Zero in white for a first test in March 2020. At that time, the crowdfunded espresso grinder was available on Indiegogo for 617 CHF/580 €. to us. We were very optimistic back then, and our first test video was accordingly impressive.
As part of our extensive espresso grinder comparison, the Niche Zero, this time in black, once again found its way onto our table. Once again, the grinder performed very well, prevailing in its group in a direct price comparison against the ECM S64 , the Mazzer Mini Electronic A , and the Eureka Mignon XL .
This review, originally published in 2020, has been supplemented with the findings from our comparison test of 24 espresso grinders for home use.
NEW: Now online our review of the Niche DUO , the big sister of the Niche Zero.
Niche Zero Mill – the single-serve mill at a glance
The Niche Zero is a multi-tasking grinder. It grinds espresso-fine, which is what it was designed for. However, we've also brewed excellent filter coffees using coffee ground with the Niche Zero.
The mill is lightweight, measuring approximately 12 cm wide, 31 cm high, and 21 cm deep. Its controls consist of a single lever and one grinding position: single-serve grinding and "off." Conical grinding discs with a diameter of 63 mm made of hardened steel form the grinding mechanism of the Niche Zero. The body of the mill is made of aluminum.
The Niche Zero is designed for grinding single portions. The bean hopper itself holds barely 30 grams of beans. The concept of single-portion grinding is primarily known from professional restaurant grinders like the EK43. While individual grinding or pre-portioning can slow down workflow in a restaurant setting, this is less of a problem in everyday life at home.
The advantages are obvious. Only as much coffee is put into the bean hopper as will be used immediately. Coffee exposed to light and oxygen ages quickly and loses flavor complexity. The coffee oils begin to oxidize—not nice! This problem does not exist with the Niche Zero.
You weigh the coffee, add the coffee to the grinder, and close the lid. In single-serve mode, grinding begins automatically as soon as the lid is closed. A clever safety feature!
A big question is: how many beans come out if I add, for example, 18 grams of coffee.
The “zero” of the Niche Zero – dead space measurement
Dead space is the amount of coffee that remains stuck in the coffee grinder after the desired amount of coffee has been ground. Every coffee grinder has dead space . There are small or large gaps in screw holes, between the grinding discs, and in the spaces between them that hold coffee. This residue remains when grinding stops.
If another coffee is ground immediately afterward, this is less of a problem. The "dead space" coffee is then replaced, and the aging process doesn't start. However, it's more problematic if no coffee is ground for a long time, or even for a whole day.
When ground, coffee loses a large portion of its volatile aroma components within minutes. This is because the surface area of the coffee has been greatly increased by the grinding process. Imagine an apple cut in half. While initially only the outer layer was exposed to the air and sun, these effects now affect the two inner halves. It's similar, only multiplied, with coffee.
Coffee aged in this way has two consequences. First, it tastes different, often not good, but quickly becomes rancid. It also clogs the grinder more. Second, it extracts differently, which can lead to different extraction behavior when making espresso.
The extent of this effect depends on how much coffee remains in the grinder's dead space, which is then used for the next brew. For many grinders, this amounts to a few grams. With the Graef CM800, we easily measured 4-5 grams , and even higher peak values.
This means that a single espresso prepared with 8-10 grams will be half dead-space coffee (old coffee). A double espresso of 16-20 grams still uses a quarter of the coffee.
View into the opened grinder without the outer grinding disc.
We disassembled the Niche Zero, removed the burrs, and scraped together the ground coffee. When measuring dead space coffee, a distinction is made between coffee that remains permanently stuck in a grinder and coffee that is replaced with each grinding. The only real problem is the exchangeable ground coffee. Using a precision scale, we measured a total of 0.82 grams of coffee from the dead space. About 0.35 grams of this isn't exchanged.
According to our measurements, the dead space is 0.47 grams. That's really, really little! If you know of a grinder with less dead space, please let me know.
So we’re happy to leave the “zero” of the niche at a zero point number.
In our second test of the Niche Zero, we measured dead space differently compared to conventional grinders. Grinders that aren't designed as single-dosing grinders constantly have coffee in the bean hopper. They don't grind empty. We also tested this with the Niche Zero and found that 1.1 grams of ground coffee remained trapped around the grinding discs when the grinder was stopped. However, according to the grinder's design, this is ground out if the grinder is ground long enough. This isn't possible with "traditional espresso grinders," as beans are constantly pushing in.
Grinding and draining with the Niche Zero
Working with the Niche Zero, I quickly developed a workflow. Anyone who works professionally with an EK43 will love the workflow with the Niche. I'm not a fan of the EK43 myself and even at barista competitions, I preferred a "classic espresso grinder" like a Mahlkönig K30. But I quickly warmed to the Niche.
- The amount of coffee is weighed in the metal cup supplied with the Niche Zero.
- The grinder lid is open. I pour the coffee into the bean inlet, which is more like a funnel than a bean hopper.
- I place the metal cup under the dispenser and close the lid.
- When you close the lid, the grinding process and the dispensing of the coffee begins.
- The metal cup can then be placed directly onto a 58mm portafilter to add the coffee powder.
- By “shaking” and carefully removing the cup, the powder is distributed well in the portafilter.
The Niche Zero is powerful, but slow. This slow speed is certainly one reason why the grinder is relatively quiet. The grinder grinds 18 grams in a good 16 seconds.
Niche Zero from the front and from the side.
The grinding level is continuously adjustable. This allows for very fine adjustments to the grind size with ease. The grinder can be adjusted from espresso fine to grain sizes suitable for filter coffee. The grinder's grinding discs are explicitly not suitable for Turkish coffee—so don't overdo it with the fine setting.
Adjusting the grind setting from espresso to filter coffee is rare, even among professional grinders. Typically, a grinder must be calibrated for a specific beverage category.
The Niche Zero's design allows you to turn the grind adjustment beyond the coarse mark. It's then important to remember how many turns you've opened the grinder.
In our case, we had very good espresso results in the grind range of 25 to 15, which corresponds roughly to the 6-7 o'clock position. For filter coffee, I ground in the 11-1 o'clock range, where there are no longer any grind markings.
How does the espresso taste and how consistent is Niche Zero?
We brewed very good espressos with the Niche, and above all, the results were surprisingly consistent. Even across multiple shots, we enjoyed many good-tasting shots. In 10 espressos, we experienced a maximum variation in the ground coffee of 0.2 grams per shot. The ground coffee comes out of the grinder without any lumps.
In terms of particle size, the Niche Zero's coarse peak lies between the grinders with flat burrs (M2D, Eureka Mignon) and the two grinders with conical burrs (Graef, Sette). The curve is similar to the particle distribution of the Sage Smart Grinder Pro. The extraction rate was not as high as with the Sage Smart Grinder Pro, but was significantly more consistent over many extractions.
Particle distribution of the Niche Zero.
The following table shows our espresso brewers with various grinders. The grinders were each set to extract approximately 50 grams of espresso in 24.5 to 25.5 seconds. The concentration of dissolved coffee particles (TDS%) and the extraction rate were calculated for each test. We used our Brazilian Espresso Henrique for this test.
| Name Mill | Powder quantity | Time | Volume/g | TDS | extraction |
| Sage Smart Grinder Pro | 18.00 | 24.5 | 49.8 | 7.50% | 20.75% |
| Graef CM 800 | 18.00 | 25.5 | 49.6 | 6.52% | 17.97% |
| Eureka Mignon Perfetto | 18.00 | 25.5 | 49.8 | 7.10% | 19.64% |
| Macap M2D | 18.00 | 24.5 | 49.6 | 7.64% | 21.05% |
| Sette 270 WI | 18.00 | 25 | 49.4 | 6.95% | 19.07% |
| Anfim Practica | 18.00 | 24.5 | 49.2 | 7.88% | 21.54% |
| Niche Zero | 18.00 | 25 | 49.7 | 7.14% | 19.71% |
We measured a strength of 7.14% for the Niche Zero. The coffee was very balanced and, above all, sweet. The Graef CM800 and the Sette 270 wi fell short in terms of taste. Interestingly, these two grinders also had a low extraction rating.
Comparison of the particle distribution of 6 espresso grinders under 600 €.
Precision in advancing and retracting the Niche Zero
Especially with single-dosage grinders, an important question is how well they can be adjusted and reset from one grind setting to another. With the Niche Zero, this should even be possible from filter to espresso, as the grinder is designed for both.
In our test, the Niche Zero performed very well, especially in comparison to the other three test grinders in the price category ( ECM S64 , MAZZER Mini Electronic A , EUREKA Mignon XL ).
The curves show that we set the Niche Zero to espresso grind using measurement T4. Next, we brewed a ristretto using T5 in yellow, followed by a café crème using T6 in blue. We then returned the grinder to the original grind, using only the previously marked position on the grind marker. As you can see, the curve is almost identical in the main peak.
Removing the grinding discs and cleaning
A thorough cleaning of an espresso grinder should be done more often than not. However, we understand that this is something that many people don't like doing. It's often complicated. With the Niche Zero, the outer burr can be removed without tools, allowing a large portion of the grinder to be cleaned at once. The grinder's grind setting is opened to the coarse setting until the grind adjustment can be removed. The outer burrs can then be removed with two fingers.
Coffee residue can now be easily removed with a fine brush. If you want to remove the inner grinding disc, all you need is a wrench or ratchet. Important: Do not overtighten the central screw, especially when reassembling.
After cleaning, the bean hopper can be screwed back on. We turned it all the way and then opened it halfway again. This returned it to the grinder's original position, allowing us to use the previously used grind settings.
Conclusion on Niche Zero
The Niche Zero is my current favorite grinder. It simply does so many things well and so simply. The single-serve function is very practical for me at home. It reduces stale coffee, and I can quickly switch between coffees. In everyday life, I brew the espresso I like for myself, a decaf coffee for those who are caffeine-sensitive, and a plain coffee for my father – with three different beans and grind sizes.
The grind setting is intuitive and precise. After a few tries, you'll develop a feel for how much finer the Niche Zero can be if you grind two marks finer, for example. This makes switching between different coffees a pleasure and is very reminiscent of the EK43.
The grinder is so compact that I can quickly stow it away or even take it with me on my next trip. I like the fact that, despite its small size, it delivers as much power as some larger grinders.
I have little to criticize about the Niche Zero. Some visitors to the coffee academy didn't like the design. I find it functional, and I don't mind that some people think it looks like a food processor.
For me, the Niche Zero fits just as well next to a professional home espresso machine like the La Marzocco GS3 as it does next to a Rocket Appartamento or a DeLonghi Dedica EC 685.
Improvement suggestions for the Niche Zero
- Grinding level marking around the entire circle.
- Counter of how many turns you have opened the grind ring.
- Cup options for different portafilter sizes, not just 58mm
- When using hard beans, the last ones sometimes jump over the grinder for a long time
- On our model, the central screw was wobbly when it arrived. It didn't negatively affect the grind, but it was annoying.
Positive test reports often raise questions such as:
"Are there any financial ties between the author or the coffee makers and Niche?" The answer is clear: No! We don't sell Niche; we purchased it ourselves, under normal conditions. This review reflects my personal impression.
Additional images and measurements for the Niche Zero
