DF83V Grinder Review - Yes, It's That Good!

The DF83V is a vertical flat burr grinder equipped with an 83mm burr and a 680W DC brushless motor, with advanced features. It provides unique advantages in the 83mm burr category. It is a revolutionary product in the DF series, known for disrupting the industry with features like RPM control and coated burrs, now enhanced with plasma generators. Can the DF83V maintain its streak of innovations and stay on top of trends?

DF83V Design

As a fresh addition to the DF series, the DF83V introduces a new grinding platform. Its body is designed horizontally with a slight backward tilt to optimize bean flow. Made almost entirely of aluminum, it includes a chamber, casing, and motor mounted on a robust base, enhancing stability and minimizing tipping risks.

Features

On the right side of the stand is the main power switch, while the RPM control, identical to that of the DF64v, is on the left. Beans pass through a magnetic chute with an ionizer to minimize static and clumping, then into a steel dosing cup with a magnetic base. The front features a large stepless adjustment dial, and the grinder's burrs can be accessed without tools.

• New vertical, flat 83mm burr design marks a significant change from the traditional horizontal layout.
• Dual switch setup: a main power toggle and a push-button for grinding operations.
• Notable for its 680 W high-torque brushless DC motor
• Adjustable grinding speed from 300 to 1600 RPM.
• Ionizer to reduce static and a declumper for cleaner grinding.
• Utilizes a magnetic grinds exit chute and a heavy-duty grinds catch cup with a magnetic base for easy alignment.
• Low retention rate helped by a slanted design which aids gravity feeding of beans into the burrs.

Auger Fed

When you pour coffee beans into the DF83V, they descend through and enter a spinning auger. This is our first encounter with an auger-fed system in a DF grinder, a design that has many benefits compared to the standard gravity-fed models.

Auger-fed systems are remarkably consistent when grinding. In an empty hopper, coffee beans can still popcorn but less than in straight-to-burr designs. With a full hopper, it provides enough mass to press the beans evenly into the bur set, eliminating popcorning and making manual feeding by the auger more effective than gravity-fed systems.

Pre-Breaker Feature

The auger in the DF83V functions as an effective pre-breaker, although it might not be an intended feature. It consistently pre-breaks 30 to 50% of the coffee beans, depending on their size, which is a nice feature for this price category.

Backward Slanted

The DF83V is positioned at a slant to reverse the direction of bean feeding. This is done to enhance the grinding efficiency as the rear bur rotates and expels the coffee. The burr carrier includes sweepers to efficiently transport the grounds through the chute, where pins designed as a plasma generator effectively reduce static.

Retention

This grinder impresses with its low retention. After running 3kg to season the burrs, only 0.4g were retained. The bellows are helpful, but not a necessity. For everyday use, like grinding 15 to 25 grams, you can expect even lower retention.

Ionizer and Declumper

The integrated ionizer reduces static work together to minimize mess. Coarser grinds may create more static, sometimes requiring you to tap the hopper, especially when making espresso. The plasma generator significantly improves retention, but it must be kept clean with regular brushing to prevent buildup and ensure optimal performance.

Brushless Motor

The DF83V has the biggest motor of any DF grinders with a variable speed 680-watt DC brushless motor. While previous versions like the DF 64V had issues with stalling. Fortunately, the DF83V does not stall, though it includes a fail-safe mechanism for instances when the auger is overloaded or the coffee is too dense without slow feeding.

Operational Characteristics and Fail-Safe Mechanism

After some testing, I was able to get the coffee grinder to stop from the failsafe. To circumvent this, I gently feed lightly roasted coffee into the hopper with the grinder already running. Loading too much coffee using a low RPM setting without the grinder turning might triggers the grinder's fail-safe. The issue happened only with dense coffees and low RPMs.

Workflow Recommendations

To prevent motor overload, you can adjust your technique. If you prefer low RPMs and lighter coffee, a variable-speed grinder is essential. Avoid cold starting to maintain consistent results. Instead, always start hot or always start cold to ensure uniformity. Ideally, turn on the grinder before adding beans to avoid fail-safes.

Noise level

With a DC brushless motor, the DF83V allows for adjustable speed settings and operates almost silently, with a maximum RPM of 1600. It emits a sound that's only marginally louder than the P64, known for its quiet operation. It also includes a quiet start feature that begins at a low volume and smoothly accelerates to your selected RPM. It's notably quieter than previous models, with decibel levels ranging from 54 to 83, depending on how it's used.

Magnetic Grinds Exit Chute and Dosing Cup

Having tested multiple grinders, like the Sculptor recently, I can say the DF83v has the best magnetic cup. Both the magnetic grinds exit chute and heavy-duty dosing cup align with ease. This design ensures that the grinds are collected and makes the grinding process smoother and more convenient.

Performance

The performance of the DF83V depends on the burrs chosen. It can come equipped with 83 mm Brew burrs or 83 mm Espresso burrs.

Espresso burrs

The espresso burrs from the DF83V are very similar to the SSP High Uniformity burrs but with fewer pre-breaker teeth and a carbon coating for less friction. The espresso burrs are great for high extraction as they produce a sweet and full-bodied espresso. They are also adaptable to various brewing methods, however, they don't have high clarity for filter coffee.

Brew burrs

For filter coffee, the DF83V comes with brew burrs similar to the SSP Multi-Purpose burrs. These are the burrs to choose for clean and flavorful brews, they shine especially in grinders around the $1,000 mark. While the brew burrs also provide excellent clarity and acidity, it is more difficult to make espresso with them and they do lack body.

Burr Recommendations

For those who prefer darker roast coffees or use dairy, Espresso burrs are the recommended choice for both espresso and filter coffee. On the other hand, Brew burrs are specifically better for filter coffee or modern-style espressos. For both options, maintenance is straightforward with easy access to the burrs and grind chamber, and the grinder facilitates zero point adjustment using the provided Allen wrench.

Conclusion

When I reviewed the DF83V, it immediately struck me as more than just an update, it's a completely redesigned grinder to meet the demands of the coffee community. It's ideal for both espresso and filter coffee, it includes specific burrs for each and offers an upgrade to SSP burrs. It's also very competitively priced for superb value and performance. The adjustment system is highly efficient and has incredibly low retention. The DF83V is currently the best DF model available, excelling in workflow and design.