Is Niche Zero Actually a Zero Retention Coffee Grinder [Tested]
I’m sure you’ve seen the hype around the Niche Zero Grinder. This beautiful machine has been all over social media and even on coffee snob sites and Reddit threads for years.
They claim that it has zero retention of coffee grounds. Is this really true?
Well, I own and use my niche zero multiple times – every single day!
I decided to do some at-home research and write this blog post to give you the truth about the Niche Zero Grinder.
I Bought a Niche Zero
I purchased a Niche Zero, named so because it “supposedly” has zero retention.
I LOVE our Niche Zero. For the hefty price it delivers an appropriate high-quality grind.
So if I grind 21g of coffee, you should get exactly 21g of coffee grounds.
Not 20.9 grams, not 21.1g. Bang on what you ground.
There should be no leftover coffee from previous grinds.
Single dosing at its finest!
But is it all true?
Yes, the Niche Zero is Zero Retention
Yep, the Niche Zero is that good. It grinds with (basically) Zero Retention. You can consistently expect to get less than 0.1 grams of loss or gain with a clean Niche Zero.
Now for the long list of things that influence this claim
- Bean type and local climate both impact the retention
- You will need to use a bellow or silicon tool to help the Niche
- There is SOME loss, as when you clean the Niche Zero you will find a few 0.X grams of coffee
- Technique matters! (Although it is simple to use)
Using a standard kitchen scale – you will not find any retention. If you use a more accurate scale there will be some small amount lost either as dust, or into the machine itself.
If you Just Run the Niche Zero – There Will Be Retention
In my climate using the beans I most frequently use, just running the Niche will result in 0.1-0.2 grams of coffee being retained.
I need to use a bellow (I use this silicon tool) to gently blow air into the Niche. This dislodges much of the 0.1-0.2 that is retained.
I run it again for 2 seconds to really be sure there is no retention for the next grind.
Use This Silicon Tool
Using this medical silicone tool is a cheap and easy way to put the ZERO back into your Niche Zero.
Oddly enough you use this normally for medical stuff (see the Amazon listing) – so it looks a little… odd sitting on top of the coffee machine.
But it works – and makes sure that the Niche Zero is actually Zero.
- DESIGN PRINCIPLE – special hollow arc cover design, backslap action by palm cup produces the drum pressure effect that air form the vibration, to achieve loosen up the chest congestion and secretions
- APPLICABLE PEOPLE – long term bedridden patients, stroke patients, baby children toddlers who have phlegm cough-up difficulty, and muscle pain patients
- PREMIUM MATERIAL – food grade silicone material, soft with high elasticity flexibility and safe to use, no deformation
- ERGONOMIC DESIGN – easy to hold designed for comfort in hand, and operate by repeated slap action, much easier than cupping your hand
- DIMENSIONS – 3.1 inch in Dia., 2.5 inch in height, easily fit the adult palm size
When You Clean Your Niche Zero You Will Find Lost Grounds
Every month or so when I clean my Niche Zero – I do find some grounds. I have never found more then 0.5grams in total – but I imagine if I left it for a long time this could be an issue.
Niche Zero Retention Conclusion
The Niche Zero is as zero as one could expect from a coffee grinder.,
Maybe if you built one that had an inbuilt bellow or compressed air blowing as it grinds?
But by any means, the Niche Zero IS Zero retention.
If You Want To Buy a Niche Zero
This Niche Zero is a popular and boutique product. You buy it directly from Niche Zero (or from one of the many resellers). They are a UK based company.
It was costly and difficult to get a Niche Zero delivered to use in Australia. It is even difficult to buy in the US.
There are sales, and people report on reddit paying between 800-1100 USD for theirs.
In Australia, some people got lucky and grabbed one for around $1050 AUD in 2020 – but throughout 2021 and 2022 the price are typically over $1500 AUD.
You probably need to get ALOT of use out of this epic single dosing grinder to justify the cost.
We do – and I love it.
