The Wilfa Uniform was one of the most anticipated coffee products when it was released around Christmas time in 2018.
I received the grinder shortly after and published a review that felt very accurate at that point. But by now this is many years ago, so I wanted to update this review to be more accurate for where the coffee scene is at today.
Famously, this grinder is designed in collaboration between Norwegian coffee guru Tim Wendelboe and the compatriot appliance brand Wilfa.
This is a so-called single dose grinder, and it’s equipped with a set of 58 mm flat steel burrs. It’s also designed specifically with manual brewing in mind, rather than espresso.
Five years ago, this was rather uncommon in the world of home coffee grinders, where smaller, conical burrs used to be the standard for brew grinders.
However, today the Uniform is hardly a unicorn. The rest of the grinder manufacturers haven’t been sitting on their hands, and now they all have released their own rivals.
In this review I’ll tell you about the pros, cons, and whether the Uniform is still worth it.
Disclaimer: Upon the grinder’s release in Norway, I contacted Wilfa for a review unit, which they have kindly given me. If you think that may sway my opinion, you have now been warned.
Pros ✅
- Classy, minimalist design
- Makes great tasting coffee
- Adjustment of the grind setting is simple
- Grinds fine enough for espresso, however it has its limitations in this domain
- Auto shut-off feature works pretty well
Cons ❌
- Slow compared to other electrical grinders
- The importer has added their logo to the product, ruining the minimalist aesthetic somewhat
- Smartphone app isn’t really useful (Not relevant in the US)
- Built-in scale lacks a timer (Not relevant in the US)
The Design
I mostly like the design. The look is iconic and understated. It’s very black and very cylindrical.
However, it’s a shame that the importer in the US, Lardera, has chosen to add their own logo to the grinder. I mean, who does something like this? There’s already a Wilfa logo on the grinder, so who would want an extra logo?
The grinder feels sturdy enough at 3.35 kilo, but it’s not quite up there with some of the more recent additions to the market, such as the DF54 and Ode Gen 2, which are both around 34% heavier.
The metal grounds bin is nice, though. It’s big and heavy at 400 g and has a lidt that pretty easy to secure in place.
The daily use of the grinder is incredibly simple: There is just an on/off button, but with the automatic shut-off you rarely have to press it more than once.
To adjust the grind size, you turn the top adjustment. It’s very easy to go through the settings, and there’s satisfying tactile feedback when you’re clicked into the next increment. The adjustment feels a lot more premium than with the popular entry-level models such as the Baratza Encore.
It’s created for single-dosing
The Uniform is a single-dose grinder, and that’s why it looks a bit different. There’s no big hopper to contain the beans.
Single-dosing has become increasingly popular in the world of coffee grinders over the past few years, but back in 2018 when this grinder was released it was still a novelty.
The basic idea behind single-dosing is that you only measure out and grind the exact amount of coffee you need for each brew, as opposed to having a hopper full of beans that slowly degrades over time as it gets exposed to oxygen.
There are several advantages to single-dosing:
- Freshness: When you single-dose, you ensure that your coffee is always freshly ground right before brewing.
- Flexibility: Single-dosing allows you to easily switch between different types of beans or roast levels without having to empty the hopper and purge your grinder each time.
- Less exchange/retention: With traditional hopper based grinders, there is usually a bit of retention from the previous grounds stuck in then chute. This old coffee will then gets pushed out next time you grind, and get mixed with the fresh coffee. Single dose grinders aim to minimize these retained grounds.
However, single-dosing also has some potential drawbacks:
- Workflow: Single-dosing can be a bit more time-consuming and hands-on compared to using a hopper. You have to weigh out your beans each time and then transfer them to the grinder.
- Popcorning: Without the weight of a full hopper of beans pushing down, single-dosing can sometimes lead to popcorning, where the beans bounce around in the grinder and cause an inconsistent grind.
Despite these potential drawbacks, many coffee enthusiasts (including myself) have embraced single-dosing for its benefits in freshness and flexibility.
Some grinders, like the famous Niche Zero and Fellow Ode are specifically designed for single-dosing. But the Wilfa Uniform actually predates them!
If you’re someone who values freshness and flexibility above all else, and you don’t mind a bit of extra work, then a single-dosing is the way to go.
Consistent grind size
Let’s dive right into the meat; the reason you’re reading this. Does it grind well?
My simple answer is yes. There’s no doubt that this grinder will help you make delicious coffee. The coffee comes out sweet, balanced and with a long aftertaste. The Svart Uniform is indeed capable of grinding uniform.
Flat burrs and a low RPM will typically producer a cleaner and brigher cup compared to the electrical conical burrs grinders that dominated the market for many years.
However, while the Wilfa Uniform is a step forward, its burrs are actually not brew-focused. The geometry of the burrs is quite similar to those used in the Mazzer Mini. So in their essence, they are espresso burrs.
After having owned the Wilfa Uniform for a year, I actually upgraded it with a set of professional level SSP brew burrs, and that really gave a big boost to the flavors. You can read about that experience here.
So that’s to say that while the Wilfa Uniform is pretty decent it could easily be better. When it was released in 2018, it was quite rare to see flat burr grinders in this price range. However, in 2024 the domestic grinder market has grown exponentially.
For example, the DF-grinders have democratized flat burr grinders in the range from 64-83 mm. And I wouldn’t say that the Wilfa Uniform is better at filter coffee than those grinders.
When inspecting samples from the Wilfa visually, the difference between this model and high-end hand grinders such as the Lido 3 and Helor 101 isn’t striking. My impression is that the amount of fines is roughly the same. The real difference is when it comes to boulders (the bigger particles).
Grind speed
Another thing that’s striking with the Wilfa Svart Uniform is how slow it is. On the recommended setting for pour over (28), it takes 40 seconds to grind my typical dose of 26 grams of light to medium roast coffee. Most electrical grinders will run circles around it, and some high-end hand grinders are even faster.
In daily use, it’s not as big a deal as you might think, as you’d usually spend time rinsing the filter and preheating in the meantime. Also, since the grinder has an automatic shut-off function when there are no beans left in the hopper, you don’t have to hang around waiting. It’s not like the ‘microwave minute.’
However, if you were to grind much coffee, say for a cupping session or in a professional setting, it would be an issue.
Tim Wendelboe and Wilfa have stated that they made the grinder slow on purpose to avoid heating the grounds, and I’d agree with them here; I’d rather have a model that’s a bit too slow rather than too fast.
Espresso: check ✅
I know many you guys reading this will be wondering about espresso capabilities, especially since there have been some contradictory opinions circulating in cyberspace.
- It does grind fine enough for espresso. I had some delightful shots on it. However, you don’t have many options to dial it in.
- In my tests, I have gotten excellent results with setting #4 and #5.
- However, #3 chokes the portafilter, and with #6 the flow rate is a bit fast.
These results might vary a bit depending on calibration, roast level and your setup, but in general, you don’t have a lot of wiggle room to dial in a shot.
If you’re serious about espresso, it’s not an ideal grinder. However, if you want to have an occasional shot, it will probably work for you.
The shots I have had tasted great though.
If you use a manual epsresso maker such as the Flair, then dialing in is less important since you can regulate the pressure by hand. In that case, the Wilfa will perform totally fine.
Bluetooth Scale
A contentious point when it comes to the Wilfa Uniform is the inclusion of the built-in Bluetooth scale in the lid.
People considering a grinder in this price range most likely already have a scale, so what’s the point?
The scale looks sleek and modern, but it has a fatal flaw: It doesn’t have a timer.
Without a timer, it’s not a coffee scale; it’s just like any other digital kitchen scale.
Wilfa has tried to work around this by adding Bluetooth to the scale as well as developing a complimentary smartphone app. Unfortunately, the execution isn’t great.
⚠️ Pro tip: In the US the grinder does NOT come with a scale built into the lid. That’s actually a good thing, since the scale was so annoying!
Redundant app
Essentially, the app is nothing more than a glorified timer and brew ratio calculator. You still have to press ‘start’ and ‘stop’ as if it was the regular timer on your phone, so it doesn’t utilize the Bluetooth technology in a meaningful way.
Also, most consumers eyeing a grinder at this price point will already know their preferred brew ratios and recipes. They don’t need an app for that.
If there were some “intelligent” function that could somehow visualize flow rate and brew progression, then sure, Bluetooth would make a lot more sense. However, at the moment, I don’t see the point. Of course, we’re talking about software, so Wilfa could theoretically send out an update, but this is just speculation from my side.
The app has two main functions: A brew strength calculator and a mode that mirrors the Bluetooth scale.
However, there is one neat thing about having such a bulky lid: It helps to keep the decibels down. This is not a noisy grinder. You might be able to brew coffee without waking up the other people in the house, as long as the kitchen is not right next door to the bedroom.
Alternatives?
The Wilfa Svart Uniform was released in Europe five years ago, but has just recently arrived in the US. While the price has slowly decreased in Europe, especially for the version without a scale, the current price point in North America is a bit higher than I had hoped for.
If there’s no scale, then they should be able to offer it for a price closer to the European market.
Among potential competitors, you’ll find the Fellow Ode Gen 2, which has even larger burrs that are also better suited for filter coffee brewing.
While the Norwegian grinder is beautiful, black and strikingly minimalist, the same adjectives can be used about the Fellow Ode, so I think I’d go for that one instead.
Then there’s also the brand new DF54 grinder. Yes, 54 mm burrs are a smidge smaller than 58 mm, but honestly in daily life this difference is not substantial. The DF-grinder is not as handsome as the Wilfa, but it’s a better allrounder in my humble opinion, and also feels more sturdy and powerful.
Pro-tip: With fragile devices like grinders, support is something worth having in mind. It’s worth remembering that Baratza’s support is likely better than Wilfa’s across the Atlantic, but in Europe, and Scandinavia specifically, the reverse is true.
The Verdict
The Wilfa Svart Uniform is a solid grinder today. It was once a somewhat revolutionary grinder.
The design is easy to use, seems like it’s built to last, and looks pretty neat. The main downside is the weird inclusion of the Bluetooth scale and the price point.
Another thing that argues against buying the Uniform is that many new competitors have entered the market over the last couple of years. Back in 2018 it was a notable grinder release, but the market for single-dose flat burr grinders has exploded since then. I think there are better options on the market today.
I would probably still recommend the Wilfa Uniform for people living in Northern Europe, where you can get at a relatively low price.
However, if you’re getting a grinder and you know you’re going to mod it with SSP burrs, I would probably go with one of the other options like the DF64 or the Fellow Ode instead.
Check the current price here
