Single dosing, without the leftovers

The Twist SD54 has no hopper. You weigh each dose in the supplied magnetic cup, tip it into the bellows lid, and press the button. The grinder body tilts forward so grounds fall toward the chute, and a few pulses of the silicone bellows push air through the chamber to clear what is left behind. In practice this means the 18 g you weigh in is very close to the 18 g that reaches your portafilter, so you can switch between a light Ethiopian and a dark blend without purging coffee to clear the old grind.

The grinding mechanism is aluminium with steel burrs, and the housing is metal throughout. An 18 g espresso dose takes around 13 seconds.

Why the worm gear matters

Most grinders adjust by rotating a collar directly, where a couple of degrees of movement already shifts the burrs by a micron. The Twist uses a worm gear instead, so it takes close to a full quarter turn of the knob to make the same shift. That is far finer than most home grinders offer, which is genuinely useful on light roasts where the window between a sour shot and a choked one is narrow. The trade-off is that large changes, for example moving from espresso to filter, take a lot of turning.

SD54 or A54

The A54 is the same platform with a 250 g hopper, a digital timer and programmable single and double doses. Choose the A54 if you drink one coffee at a time and want to press a button in the morning. Choose the SD54 if you rotate through bags, buy small quantities, or care about grinding fresh for each shot.

Specifications

What’s in the box

• Twist SD54 grinder with coffee bellows and lid
• Magnetic dosing cup (fits a 58 mm portafilter)
• Leveler
• Instruction manual