Wilfa Uniform Grinder
Summary
Compared to Fellow Ode Grinder Probably the closest competitor to the Wilfa Uniform, on paper at least, is the Fellow Ode grinder, We’ve never been able to test one thoroughly; we contacted Fellow a few years ago about reviewing their […]
Compared to Fellow Ode Grinder
Probably the closest competitor to the Wilfa Uniform, on paper at least, is the Fellow Ode grinder, We’ve never been able to test one thoroughly; we contacted Fellow a few years ago about reviewing their grinder but got no reply.
I have used a borrowed Ode in a few situations, enough to see the grinder’s benefits and failings. There’s also plenty of Youtube reviewers out there who have a lot to say about the Ode (nb, Fellow does send units out to video reviewers). Most of it is pretty bad.
On paper, the Ode appears to be similar to the Wilfa Uniform: big flat burrs (though housed vertically, instead of flat); single dose capable, big range of grind selections, and similar price.
The problems with the Fellow Ode are a) grind retention, b) static issues, b) bean feeding, and d) an inability to grind fine enough for most finer-grind applications. I’ve tested and seen this first hand.
The Wilfa Uniform doesn’t have any of these issues. It’s output is extremely uniform and fairly static free. It can grind down to espresso levels with no issues. Bean feeding is very good though we do have a slight issue with one or two stray beans popcorning inside and taking their time to be ground.
Given these grinders are at the same price point, it’s a complete no-brainer as to which grinder between the two “wins”.
Apparently, Fellow has a new second generation Ode grinder out recently that addresses some of the original Ode’s issues. I’d love to review it, but that will be up to Fellow. It may be time to email them again.
Compared to Other Grinders
We also compared the output of the Wilfa Uniform to three other grinders: the Knock Aergrind, Etzinger ETZ-I, and the closest in price, the Baratza Virtuoso+. These comparisons will be fully detailed in the Wilfa Uniform full review, but some salient points here.
The closest in terms of uniform grind seems to be the Etzinger ETZ-I, which is a bit of a wunderkind in the manual grinder world. The output from its unique burr set and how it is mounted gives the Etzinger a very even (or dare I say it, ‘uniform’) grind output. I did not run Kruve tests on it, but did visually inspect. (ed.note – in the two days before I published this review, I did some initial Kruve tests with the ETZ-I and Wilfa Uniform: the numbers were very similar).
More importantly, I did a blind taste test comparison between the output of both. I couldn’t tell a difference in the cup, at all. This will be further tested later on, for the Etzinger ETZ-I review.
The Aergrind also has a decently uniform output, but couldn’t match the Wilfa Uniform in their respective sweetspots. Where the Aergrind trumps the Wilfa Uniform is in finer grind ability. The Aergrind is one of the few grinders I have capable of a near Turkish grind (under 200microns), and it has a much wider adjustment range for espresso grinds.
The Baratza Virtuoso+ is one of the closest grinders in terms of price points, and in some ways, is more versatile than the Wilfa Uniform. You can buy Baratza’s Single Dose hopper for the Virtuoso+ and turn it into a single dose grinder. You can put 10oz of coffee into it and use it as a traditional grinder. You can grind on demand right into a portafilter. And you can use a timer feature for repeatable doses with one button press. Other features like the lit-up grinds bin and fast grinding times are perks and benefits.
The Virtuoso+ cannot grind as well for espresso as the Wilfa does. It also struggles a bit to produce an even grind when grinding in the press pot range, both things the Wilfa does much better. Even at both grinders’ sweet spots – brew coffee grinds – the Wilfa does a better job with more uniform grinds and much more clarity in the cup.