BEST GRINDER UNDER $2000?: Zerno Z1 Review

The Nugget

The Zerno Z1 grinder offers exceptional value and significant innovation in the $2000 grinder market, especially by filling the gap between low-quality and overpriced models with features like robust motor performance, impeccable alignment, and customizable options such as different augers and burrs.

Make it stick

🎯 The Zerno Z1 fills the gap between budget and high-end grinders.
🛠️ Designed for impeccable alignment, ensuring consistent grind quality.
🔄 Customizable with interchangeable augers and burrs to suit user preferences.
🆕 Upcoming updates promise to make the Z1 even more versatile and user-friendly.

Intended as a middle-ground option, the Zerno Z1 fills a niche in the market between low-quality budget grinders and high-cost premium models like the Lagom P64.
Initial pricing for version one was $999, designed to serve an audience reluctant to pay for either low-end or excessively high-end grinders.

Alignment Focus: Zerno Z1's engineering ensures exceptional alignment straight out of the box, often matching or exceeding the precision of high-end grinders.
Motor and Torque: Uses a 64mm, 300-watt brushed DC motor that can safely operate up to 500 watts. Offers constant torque of about 4 newton-meters, with peaks up to 7.5.
Fixed RPM: Runs at a fixed 900 RPM, optimizing grind consistency without the need for variable RPM adjustments.
Innovative Auger Design: Features an auger acting as a pre-breaker, with future versions allowing variable feed rates through interchangeable augers.

Interchangeable Parts: Most changes in the upcoming Version 2 are retrofittable to Version 1, including interchangeable cords and various color and material options for aesthetics.
Dosing and Retention: Magnetic dosing cup and easy-to-clean chute help minimize retention. Some initial retention issues in Version 1 have been addressed with design improvements in Version 2.
Burr Options: Compatible with multiple 64mm burr sets, including high uniformity, multipurpose, and cast burrs from SSP. Future burr sets will feature no hole ("blind") designs.
Community Involvement: Actively engages with user communities for feedback, using platforms like EA AF Discord for direct interactions with potential customers and enthusiasts.

"Retention’s essentially inevitable, so this magnetic shoot lets users tap-tap-tap and clean it out easily."
"One of the things I really admire about the company is they’re trying to make all of their changes retrofittable to the original versions."
"He has built this in a way to ensure you have alignment with every piece playing off one another in harmony, with a specific purpose."
"What’s unique is he’s offering multiple different augers for different feed rates, greatly affecting the particle size distribution."
"The first burrs Zerno is going to release with SSP are multipurpose burrs without screw holes, requiring 20% more power—but the Z1 can handle it."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may be misleading or incorrect.