welcome back friends today we're going to take a look at these coffee grinders these little
aluminum minions are the lego mini from option oh a compact grinder that is quickly becoming a
popular topic on forums and reddit alike because there's so much promise in such a little package
it's a 320 grinder that boasts that it has zero retention and so many are wondering is this the
new niche zero and no it isn't but it kind of is but we'll get back to that thought later now one
thing i do want to address right away is that i really like this grinder a lot so much so that
when this one was lent to me by my friend joshua jones who's a coffee instagramer to review and
test out i went out and bought this model the next day this one here though has a different burst set
from this one but again we'll talk about that very shortly so today i thought we could take a deep
dive and answer the questions what is it how much does it cost is this a grinder worth considering
over comparable price grinders is it truly low retention and ultimately is this a grinder that
you should consider if you're in the market to buy a bird grinder for home so be sure to stay
around to the end of this video and i'll share all my honest thoughts but before we get into this
let's brew a coffee most important right while i'm doing this while i'm brewing coffee if you
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and the coffee is fantastic uh it's a wash ethiopian and the clarity that this grinder
produces is great it does a good job so let's talk about that so this is the lego mini from optional
a company widely known for their coffee grinder the lagom p64 now what it does share with the p64
is this fully metal body and premium feeling parts and single dosing hopper design now that
also means there are no timers or other fancy features that you might find on other grinders
similar to the p64 the mini uses an on off button found on the right side right here
and it's near its base just like the p64 now this one doesn't have the rpm dial that the p64 has
both are pretty premium feeling experiences that is really found on grinders especially
grinders in this price range and size but other than those couple features and its design that
clearly resembles are from the same family that is about all they share in common now that's because
the lego mini uses a conical burst set compared to the 64 millimeter flappers on the p64 because
of its compact design there truly isn't space to fit flat burrs in this thing it's tiny instead
its baseboards are a 38 millimeter titanium coated conical bur uh that is proven to be reliable with
good tasting coffee and great distribution burr shared in their premium hand grinder the remy now
i've really enjoyed the coffee that this bird can create it's juicy complex and elevates sweetness
in the cup but this 38 millimeter bur is one that we'll talk more about later on as optional
isn't the only one to use the spur but first let's talk about their other offering found in
this grinder now more recently they've released the option to add a 48 millimeter conical to lego
mini a decision that has many people including me curious and interested now the larger the
birds in your grinder the more they are known to be faster grinding allow more consecutive
grinding without overheating the burrs which ultimately would affect the flavor in the cup
and ultimately producing better or at least different cup profiles depending on their bird
geometry so this 48 millimeter burr has a seven spoke geometry that shares a lot of similarities
with the bursts found in grinders like the k plus and even the c40 but contrary to the belief of
what has been shared on many forums and talk online it's not the same burr as the k series
from easypresso similar but not the same and this ultimately translates to the cup it produces as
well too while incredibly delicious they aren't delivering the same sweetness or magnifying glass
like clarity of cups that i've produced from my c40 and k plus but this grinder is no slouch and
in fact i would argue it creates much better clarity than other conical grinders much more
expensive than the mini including the niche zero now this guy the niche cereal has been a popular
grinder on this channel to say the least and often i've held it as the gold standard to
single dosing grinders and the king and ease of workflow now in the niche it's a massive
63 millimeter conical bur borrowed from mozzer a company known widely for their espresso grinders
especially in second wave coffee movements and the truth is shown in this brussels the niche
produces often pulling great espressos with good texture and often great sweetness and complexity
i would describe the niches cups as modern takes on traditional espresso but i think the opposite
is true of the lego mini now this little grinder has a smaller motor that really isn't meant to do
a lot of espresso especially for a commercial setting but it packs a great punch for those
wanting to do a few espressos per day the 48 millimeter bur version that is it has good clarity
and sweetness a bit more clarity than i would say even the niche but it has a slightly less textured
mouth feel now depending on the coffee i actually prefer the lego mini to the niche for espresso
lightly roasted african coffee really excel with this coffee at least in my experience and at this
price point this just wasn't seen a few years ago now to be noted this is only true of the
48 millimeter version because the 38 millimeter version isn't rated for espresso based on what's
written on option o's website and while i tested it for espresso and it's capable it does take 30
longer to grind and i wouldn't advise putting this little motor under that amount of strain
i'm sure this is why they don't suggest it it's possible just don't do it don't do it
okay well what about filter coffee well the niche has often been criticized for its filter coffee
capabilities criticisms that i don't think are truly fair until a burst that is fully seasoned
which is often not seen on many reviews and comparisons but one season the niche is a capable
grinder for filter and espresso it's clearly an espresso first grinder but it can do both
but the lego mini is different where the niche is sweet and complex the mini is
clean and transparent while this isn't a flapper grinder by any means and doesn't offer some of
the clarity that like a unimodal style flat bur would this is a happy medium for somebody who
enjoys conical bursts for their lower tension price and size but wanting more clarity from
their espresso compared to something like the niche or maybe the set the cheaper 38 millimeter
version also makes fantastic filter coffee while lacking some of that crispy transparency and clean
flavors that the 48 millimeter offers the 38 makes a wonderfully sweet and delicious cup of coffee
so if you're one preferring higher sweetness in your coffee over delicate cups with higher clarity
or maybe you enjoy darker roasts the 38 millimeter may be a better choice for you as long as you
don't need it for espresso now if these fancy fancy coffee words confuse or scare you honestly
don't worry it confused me for a long time too it's a way that people like me who love espresso
or coffee love to describe our experience with it and i know we sound insane a lot of the time
my wife often questions my sanity when talking to other coffee nerds he has lost his mind but the
tldr for those who don't speak coffee ease this is a grinder that can do espresso as long as you're
not brewing a lot of it more than eight shots a day for the household should go to something
more powerful like the niche but truthfully a grinder is more than the cups that it produces
there's work flow and the usability and i've loved my experience the logo mini it feels premium
heavier than it looks magnets that are satisfying and make me feel fancy the grind adjustments are
seamless and easy to move very similar to the niche in this regard where it differs is its
labels they're not as detailed as the niche with larger spaces in between each notch this is fine
for filter no issues at all but it can be a little tougher for espresso now communicating grind size
is a little tricky too each lego mini comes with a different zero spot on the number dial
a little disappointing but understanding where the zero point is you can communicate how many turns
and subsequent numbers to communicate grind sizes for example 1.3 turns could be for filter coffee
while 0.7 turns could be for espresso a question you're all wondering how's the retention how much
coffee is retaining this grinder after putting it through its paces so let's test it now after
cleaning this grinder once every two days of use plus half a dozen times in the studio after
grinding 100 grams per session this grinder has less than 0.2 grams of coffee retained comparable
to the niche if not slightly better because of its small grinding chamber and shoot now the
lego mini like the p64 requires no tools to clean this grinder unscrewing the chamber allows access
to the birds that pop out fairly simple there's no denying that optional has also borrowed some
of the engineering designs from niche the chamber looks nearly identical to the niche just smaller
now it's it's not a bad thing i i think it's just something worth mentioning and in fact i think a
lot of you will be excited by that news because the niche is pretty great but it's expensive
sometimes hard to find so yeah this is basically a mini niche what else do you want to hear
what's bad about it well it's slow this grinder takes about 20 to 25 seconds to grind filter
coffee and slightly more for espresso now the burst sets for both the 38 millimeter and the
48 millimeter are designed for hand grinders or at least a 38 millimeter because i can't find
the 48 millimeter burr in a hand grinder so far and therefore optional has designed these motors
to replicate rpms of like a faster hand grind so is 30 seconds too slow for you i'd really
like to know down below their capacity is also very limited if you plan to do more than 25 to
30 grams per dose it's not a deal where the niche can hold 45 to 60 grams depending on the coffee
this little guy is about half of that and for some of you that's actually going to be a big factor
for others a non-issue again let me know if that applies to you down below as well now speaking
of the 38 millimeter burst this bird is shared in a few other grinders on the market including
some i've reviewed in my budget hand grinder comparison that i'll link right above here
it's a pretty common bur created by grateful industrial a chinese company who have been
creating some fantastic bursts now this burst found in grinders like optional's remy the vario
hang grinder vessel hand grinder and timer c2 so while this is not a con i would advise that
if you're looking for similar performance to the lego mini 38 millimeter version but want to spend
less go watch that budget hand grinder video for more information on that burst set and grinders
because the timer c2 is a great grinder for less than a hundred dollars but and i think this needs
to be stressed don't let that deter you from the fact that the lego mini is a great grinder while
value can be found in hand grinding the quality of both the lego mini and the 38 and 48 millimeter
version is unmatched at this price point so what's my verdict well the lego mini is a small compact
electric grinder that is packing a lot of punch far beyond its price range it's great for filter
coffee and both it's 38 and 48 millimeter versions and it's a great espresso grinder for low volume
home settings wanting near zero retention without paying a thousand dollars for a grinder as long
as you opt for that 48 millimeter version but it won't replace the niche hero hear me out i believe
they both have their place in the space and in fact they won't even replace my niche for some of
the considerations they shared earlier including hopper volume and daily volume but if you want my
opinion i believe this grinder is a grinder that many of you should consider if looking
for low retention in a grinder for great coffee under 400 bucks if you plan to only brew filter
coffee and don't have an acquired palette for some of the things i mentioned regarding flavor
profiles the 38 millimeter version will treat you incredibly well now if you plan to grind
espresso at all or elevate your filter coffee from something like the encore and older hand grinder
or something like that then get the 48 millimeter version you won't regret it it's a 55 upgrade if
you've gotten this far in the video let me know by sharing if you use dairy in your coffee down
below consider liking the video if you learned anything and subscribe so you don't miss more
videos on the lego mini in the near future i love each and every one of you we'll see you next video