The first review is particularly informative and true about the positive and negative points. So I have nothing to add to the already sufficiently well-placed review. I agree that it is indeed a VFM purchase, and the small drawbacks (bellows) are more than outweighed by the positives.

For 3 days now, I’ve been trying out my new grinder. I usually write long reviews because I like sharing my experience. That’s part of coffee culture too.

Below I’ll mention 4+1 reasons why someone should buy the R-98094 grinder. I’ll explain in detail why I consider it an upgrade compared to the already good R-98095. As always, I’ll start from the outside and work inward...

1) BUILD QUALITY AND ERGONOMICS:

I’m very happy that the color finally looks beautiful next to my silver Suprema R-98300, the best (so far) espresso machine from Rohnson. I’d say the design doesn’t have anything especially unique compared to the competition; it follows the classic grinder design. As soon as you pick it up, you realize it’s a heavy and solid build. It has a large hopper on top for storing coffee. It has a gate that cuts off the flow of beans, for 3 reasons. First, if you want to change the type of coffee inside, second if you want to purge, and third if you’re grinding single doses, to start grinding with the burrs already running (it’s better that way).

The body is plastic, and that’s forgivable because the real magic happens inside, which I’ll analyze below... That’s the essence of the grinder; the casing just keeps the cost a bit lower.

The 100-step grind adjustment ring is STEPLESS!

In practice, that means not 100, but infinite grind settings! I don’t recommend it, but you can just about grind slightly below setting 1! The movement of the adjustment collar is completely smooth and stable because underneath it rotates on pure brass threads. The grind indicator is clearly mirrored on the collar markings. Also, a heavy professional portafilter can now stand on its own under the coffee outlet. In fact, there is a button on the portafilter holder base that starts grinding if you gently push it with the portafilter handle.

There are 2 ways to grind. Either with the single and double dose memories depending on grind time, or completely manually if you’re grinding single doses.

2) INTERNALS:

This is where the good stuff starts... A powerful 260W motor that can handle hard beans. The grinding chamber is entirely made of metal! It doesn’t have a single plastic part. It has 2 flat 64mm burrs which, working parallel to each other, grind 18g of beans in 15 to 20 seconds. You can even replace them with others of your choice whenever you want in the future. It has a magnetic anti-static chute that doesn’t clump the coffee. It’s removable and easy to clean.

The touch screen works perfectly and its sensitivity is properly calibrated. The noise levels during grinding are also acceptable. You wouldn’t call it silent, but not noisy either.

3) COFFEE RETENTION:

Here’s how things are...

If you choose to fill the coffee container and grind your dose by time, that’s fine. But you’ll need to grind and discard a little coffee each time (purge) because in your grinding chamber there will be 1–2g of yesterday’s retained ground coffee, which has already lost all its flavor. It’s completely normal for that to happen. But you don’t want to include it in the dose you’ll extract... Especially if for some reason you need to change the grind setting. I recommend dialing in with single doses and then filling the hopper. After that, if you’ve already tared the portafilter on your scale... you remove or add as much fresh ground coffee as you want.

If you choose to grind only the dose of coffee you’ll use, know that there may still be coffee retention from 0.1g up to 1g! That’s not tragic... Add a few coffee beans inside and top it up. Personally, I put the bellows from Rohnson’s other grinder into the large hopper and retention dropped to 0.1g–0.2g! Spraying the coffee with a little water right before grinding (Ross Droplet Technique, RDT) also helps a lot!

Dear Rohnson... I’d like to see a genuine spare part in the future. It’s not tragic... But users who grind single doses need bellows to get the right ground dose.

4) TASTE:

In recent years, modern espresso with new varieties and cultivation methods has changed the flavor profile. Now we talk about acidity and fruity flavor notes. All of this matters if there are grinders that can unlock these flavors. A good grinder often affects espresso flavor much more, even than a good machine. Conical burrs may have the edge in body and intensity, like Italian espresso for example... but flat burrs can separate flavors better and bring out the complexity of a coffee, what we call clarity. Flavor clarity. This grinder can do that! I ground 18g of Mexican, anaerobic Honey coffee... An intense, winey, fruity funky coffee, and I got a beautiful acidity in the cup (not sourness), a light body with almost no crema, but intense fruit flavor! Almost jam-like! Flavor-wise, compared with the Kingrinder K6 and the Rohnson R-98095 I have, which have conical burrs... I got a “thinner” but much cleaner flavor profile. That doesn’t mean that if you put a blend with robusta through it you won’t get a beautiful syrupy espresso—you will, but with less flatness in flavor.

4+1) MY HONEST OPINION:

Negatives:

I would have liked it to have bellows in the hopper...

This can easily be fixed with a cheap aftermarket bellow compatible with other grinders. Unless Rohnson listens and releases an extra spare part.

Positives:

Beyond everything I highlighted above... This grinder is Rohnson’s entry into the tough competition! Every device I have from this company is VALUE FOR MONEY, and this grinder is no exception. It’s STEPLESS, FLAT BURR 64mm! Powerful, with all internal parts fully metal. In its price category, I find it hard to find anything that offers more.

Here I’d like to say the following...

You may find the same grinder for 30 euros less on some Chinese platform under a different rebranding. You’ll pay the rest of the difference in shipping costs. If you buy it from here, you’re dealing with a Greek company that has a face to its customers and offers a warranty! Whatever you need, there is a person you can speak to in Greek and get help from. My experience so far regarding communication, questions, and support has been excellent!

Last...

I’ll come back after a few months to update my assessment. It’s good to know that coffee grinders need some “break-in” time, so the burrs can achieve stable performance.

So....

For me, this grinder is a solid buy! Period and -

I’ve started a public group on fb about home coffee and mainly Rohnson products, but not only. We share opinions, problems, instructions, and recipes. With respect, genuine interest, and sharing. I’d be especially happy if we become more in number. If you want, you can join here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19FLzaeLKm/