Ditting · Flat burr807 Lab Sweet
An 80mm cast-steel-burr single-dose grinder built for cupping labs and cafes that has become a cult pick for home espresso and filter obsessives who want one grinder to do it all.
The short version
This is a bag grinder wearing a home-bar costume: a lab/shop tool from a company that has made burrs since 1928, repurposed by enthusiasts for its uniquely sweet, syrupy cup.
Accept the size and the price before you accept the coffee, because both are commercial-grade.
Why people buy it
- 80mm cast-steel burrs give a genuinely distinct cup character: dense body and pronounced sweetness that owners consistently single out
- Near-zero retention out of the box makes it legitimately single-dose capable despite being built as a bulk/shop grinder
Why they don’t
- Large commercial footprint and height (over 21 inches stock) that will not fit under many kitchen cabinets
The full tally
- 80mm cast-steel burrs give a genuinely distinct cup character: dense body and pronounced sweetness that owners consistently single out
- Near-zero retention out of the box makes it legitimately single-dose capable despite being built as a bulk/shop grinder
- Stepless adjustment spans Turkish to cold brew, so it actually covers espresso, filter, and everything between on one dial
- Commercial-grade simplicity and parts availability from an 90+ year old manufacturer means long-term serviceability most boutique single-dosers cannot match
- Large commercial footprint and height (over 21 inches stock) that will not fit under many kitchen cabinets
- Premium price for a home setup, and the base retail hopper/platform config is overbuilt for anyone grinding under 20g at a time
- Dialing in fine espresso settings has a real learning curve according to owners, and the standard configuration needs aftermarket mods (Sworks single-dose kit, ESP fork) to feel truly home-optimized
What the community knows
Years of owner threads, distilled — strongly recommended.
Reference-grade flat burr platform with proven Hemro/Mahlkonig heritage, exceptional build, and remarkable serviceability—but QC alignment issues and a genuine learning curve on espresso mean this is for committed prosumers, not stepping stones; once dialed, its burr geometry…
Parts & serviceability
parts and repairs — you are never stranded
Built to last
years before you outgrow or replace it
Ecosystem
mods, guides, and community know-how around it
All 9 community measures
price-to-performance the community respects
shows up every morning, year after year
parts and repairs — you are never stranded
mods, guides, and community know-how around it
kind to first-timers
years before you outgrow or replace it
how far the cup can go, per dollar
speed and simplicity, day to day
Worth knowing before you buy — Most experienced owners reframe this as "buy the 804 if you prioritize proven simplicity and Swiss build; buy the 807 LS if you want modern looks, Peak burrs, and will dial in alignment yourself"—suggesting the 807 LS appeals to patient…
Known weak points — Burr alignment variance on arrival (documented across multiple units 2021-2022, appears improved in recent batches); owner reports of poor service response from some dealers when shimming attempted; occasional reports of high retention with thicker metal flappers.
The measurements
Scored 0–5 on the same rubric as everything on file — the words matter more than the numbers.
The measurements
0–5, one rubric- Espresso
- reference4.5
- Versatility
- do-anything5
- Built to last
- heirloom5
Position in the market
Every dot is a rival, measured the same way. The gold one is this.
- Upper half for espresso suitability
- a higher ceiling than 112 of the 154 grinders we’ve measured
- You pay for this one
- 12% of grinders this capable cost more
- Top quarter for build
- sturdier than 89% of the field, by the community’s own record
Every dot is a grinder measured on the same rubric. See the whole market
Living with it
The part spec sheets skip: counter space, upkeep, and what owners learn later.
The honest note — Owners rarely outgrow the burrs, they outgrow the stock hopper and platform: most serious home users add a Sworks single-dose hopper or move to the purpose-built Prima-collab 807 Lab Sweet ESP configuration with the low-profile hopper and portafilter fork for a tighter footprint and true small-dose workflow.
The full spec sheet
- Class
- Single dose
- Burrs
- 80mm flat
- Drive
- Electric
- Adjustment
- Stepless
- Clarity lean
- Syrup & body
- Espresso suitability
- 4.5/5
- Brew versatility
- 5/5
- Single dosing
- Yes
- Hopper
- 510 g
- Burr-swap scene
- Documented
- Maintenance
- 2/5
- Noise
- 3/5
- Build longevity
- 5/5
- Dimensions
- 30 × 21.6 × 53.6 cm
Before it arrives
What completes this grinder — the faded pieces can wait.
Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Dosing cup — Pairs with single-dose grinding — grind into the cup, swirl, and transfer to the portafilter cleanly.
- Grinder cleaning kit — Brushes and grinder tablets keep retention and stale grounds in check.
Feed it right
Week one is dial-in — and stale beans will lose it.
Coffee more than a few weeks past roast won’t extract predictably, and a new grinder gets blamed for it. These burrs pull syrup — naturals and classic medium roasts play straight into their character.
Pick your coffee — any of these dials in beautifully here:
Highland Elixir - Papua New Guinean Sigri PlantationSCA 86Medium-dark · Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands · WashedBright Citrus · Caramel SweetnessSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$22.43 · roasted to order
Lavabloom - Indonesian Sumatra MandhelingMedium-dark · Mount Leuser, Sumatra · Wet Hulled (Giling Basah)Dark Earth · Bittersweet ChocolateSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$19.02 · roasted to order
Wild Ember - Ethiopian Buno Dambi UddoSCA 92Medium roast · Odo Shakiso, Guji Zone, Oromia · NaturalBlueberry · MarmaladeSyrup and body, matched to these burrs.CA$26.83 · roasted to orderWhole bean, dated, ready for your burrs the week it lands.
Roasted to order, daily, in Ajax, Ontario · ships Canada-wide. We’re the roastery behind this database — measuring the machines is how we make sure the coffee gets a fair shot.
On film
How it runs on camera, from around the community.
Common questions
Is the Ditting 807 Lab Sweet good for espresso at home?
Yes, though it is a commercial/lab-oriented grinder rather than a purpose-built home espresso grinder. Owners report a real learning curve dialing in fine espresso settings, but once dialed the 80mm cast-steel burrs produce a notably sweet, dense-bodied shot.
How much retention does the 807 Lab Sweet have?
Manufacturer and retailer copy describes it as close to zero retention, and an owner report on Home Barista measured about 1g unseasoned dropping to near 0g after a few doses.
What is the difference between the 807 Lab Sweet and the standard 807 Shop grinder?
The Lab Sweet is the only 807 model equipped with the premium cast steel burrs and their special grinding teeth geometry, which Ditting says spreads particle size to boost sweetness and consistency versus the standard 807 burrs.
Worth comparing
Mahlkönig
EK43S
The shop-counter version of coffee's most influential bulk grinder: same 98mm flat burrs and 1300W motor as the full EK43, just shorter so it fits under a cabinet. Built for cafes grinding retail bags and pour-over by the pound, and adopted by plenty of home fanatics who don't mind the footprint.
CA$3,390–5,350 · US$3,899–5,350
Kafatek
Monolith Flat (Titan SDRM)
A Seattle-machined single-dose flat burr grinder built around 75-80mm in-house Shuriken burrs. This is the boutique end-game grinder people save up for and then stop shopping.
US$2,650
Ditting
804 Lab Sweet
A Swiss single-dose lab/shop grinder built around 80mm cast-steel burrs tuned for roundness over sharpness — the burr set that put the word sweet into grinder marketing. Discontinued and replaced by the 807 Lab Sweet, but still floating around used and in cupping labs.
CA$3,800–4,300 · US$2,895–3,200
Weighing it against something we didn’t list? Compare it with anything on file →
Still weighing it? The finder narrows all 429 down to three that fit your life.
Run the two-minute finder →