A new two-headed single-dose grinder called the Lagom GDS — which spins two distinct sets of burrs — is entering the commercial equipment market courtesy of Australia-based equipment company Option-O.

GDS stands for Grinding Dynamics Study. Beyond grinding for different brew methods, the variable-RPM machine is designed as a platform for comparing the same coffee ground through different burr geometries, speeds and workflows.

The machine is currently priced at US$3,450 for preorders directly through Option-O.

The system can be configured with a custom set of 100-millimeter conical burrs on one side and 102-millimeter flat burrs on the other, or with dual flat-burr carriers that allow users to isolate RPM as a variable or compare different flat-burr geometries through side-by-side brewing.

“It’s not really about combining two grinders into one,” Option-O Managing Director Sam Law told Daily Coffee News. “It’s about giving users the freedom to choose the burr set that best suits the coffee, brewing method or cup profile they want at that moment.”

The conical option for the Lagom GDS is Option-O’s Mizen HC100TX burr design, which includes the company’s PCS (Preliminary Crushing System) technology. Option-O describes PCS as a pre-breaker designed to reduce whole beans into fragments that flow more evenly toward the cutting edges below.

Grind size and speed are adjusted through analog knobs and dials, leaving a screen-free workflow. A magnetic mounting system on the grinder’s flat front face allows accessories to be placed at different heights, including portafilter holders and platforms for other receptacles.

“It’s definitely aimed squarely at coffee professionals and serious coffee enthusiasts, which is also what we hoped to convey through the design language — the more industrial look with a bit of a laboratory or precision-instrument vibe,” Law said. “We envision it being used in professional coffee settings, such as coffee classes, training centers and roastery labs, where it could demonstrate how different burr sets affect the final cup. We also think some cafes may consider it as a statement piece.”

A single 1,650-watt brushless DC motor drives a tuned belt-drive system that delivers different RPM ranges on each side. The system offers ranges of 100 to 500 RPM on the conical side and 200 to 2,000 RPM on the flat side.

Because the grinder is designed for compatibility with standard North American 15-amp household outlets, Option-O recommends grinding on only one burr set at a time, even as both sets spin at once.

Option-O was founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 2016 by a team of engineers who focused their attention on specialty coffee. In 2018, the company established a workshop in China to stay closer to manufacturing and strengthen product development.

The following year, Option-O merged with Australian company Helor, maker of high-end manual coffee grinders, and released the first Option-O electric grinder, the Lagom P64. The company has since rolled out a range of high-end home and prosumer grinders of varying sizes, with flat and conical burr options and the same clean, modern industrial design language.

The Lagom GDS comes amid growing interest in individual grinders that can alternate between flat and conical burr sets.

In 2021, Hong Kong-based Wug2 launched its model 83A grinder, offering variable speed and interchangeable burr carriers compatible with flat and conical burrs. Three years later, another Hong Kong-based company, Varia, launched its VS6 grinder with a standard set of 58-millimeter flat burrs and an option for 63-millimeter conical burrs. Coming soon from China is the Muvna Mammoth grinder, a machine initially revealed late last year with detachable, swappable grind chambers containing either 98-millimeter flat burrs or 83-millimeter conical burrs.

The Lagom GDS has so far been shown publicly only at Option-O’s appointment-only Brew Lab showroom in Melbourne. The company hopes to display it to a wider audience June 25-27 at World of Coffee Brussels, with plans to show it in China at the Hotelex Chengdu event in July. The first preordered units are slated to begin shipping in late September.

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