Compak K10 "Fresh" conical grinder

[chast]

Just watched a video on YouTube showing Compak's new Conical K10 "Fresh" grinder. They seem to be keeping up with the new "E" mode. It is a really quiet machine and it actually placed the grinds in the middle of the PF. Real short round chute on the grinder. No pricing as of yesterday when I was talking over at Chris's Coffee. probably pushing near the 3K mark.

Looks promising?

Decided on a Alex Duetto ll for a first time espresso machine, any input from readers who have had past experiences with Izzo products would be appreciated, also picked a grinder, the Elektra Nino.

Thanks
Charlie

 

[shadow745]

Never had an Izzo but never heard any complaints about them. The Nino is quite the grinder, but IMO is overkill for home use. Which I'm assuming will be the use for the combo as the Izzo machine is definitely for high end home use or maybe very limited use in a low volume commercial setting.

I really like the look/build quality/features of the Compak line, but surely couldn't justify spending $2K+ on the higher end models. Large conicals supposedly offer different flavor profiles in the cup compared to flat burrs, but your palate would have be really tuned in to detect much difference IMO. Some of these titan grinders also retain quite a bit of grounds, so minimizing waste is always priority for me. AND doserless is really no better than doser models in this respect because all grinders have chambers, chutes, etc. that retain grounds. Just that some are smaller/better designed than others. Later!

 

[chast]

Thanks Shadow,
The Nino and Alex Duetto ll will be for small scale /learning curve/commercial use...lab use would be a better term. I need something to get started with to perfect all espresso techniques. I will be roasting some espresso blends and hopefully they are drinkable!!!! Then off to a larger commercial machine!

I have a Compak R100 and R140 and the retention in the R140 is unreal. The "Fresh" did look promising but time will tell.

Charlie

 

[ElPugDiablo]

I considered K10 WBC when it first came out, but decided against it after I read the grinder traps quite a bit of coffee around the dosing chute. I don't know if the doserless grinder resolved this issue, but you might want to find out before you invest in one.

 

[chast]

I saw the WBC in action and noticed the grind retention. I wouldn't opt for the new "Fresh until it has been around for several months to see what is what. The Robur is suppose to be the Top of the line but it to has a grind retention problem. I will start with the Nino and look into a 2nd espresso grinder in the later months.
Thanks for the reply pug!
Charlie

 

[shadow745]

If I need (not to be confused with want) another espresso grinder down the road I'd probably go with the Mahlkonig K30. Great build quality, timed dosing and lightning fast grinding. Not too costly when compared to other commercial models either.

To be honest I'm totally satisfied with my current grinder, the MDX by Nuova Simonelli. It is similar to the Mazzer Super Jolly and is a great grinder. Not the fastest or best looking grinder out there, but I get superb results in the cup from it. Love the micrometric stepless adjustment knob and the clean sweep of the doser. Later!

 

[chast]

I always seem to go with the "want" first and need later!! LOL
I did look at the K30 for quite awhile and because of the flat burrs I dismissed that one and moved on. I also couldn't locate an rpm speed.
I was on the Home site and it did say that they were having some units built in China.

They also said they would be considering a large conical burr in the near future so in the future that could sway me away from another brand for a 2nd grinder
Input is greatly appreciated!!
Thanks
Charlie

 

[JohnB]

I use a K10WBC everyday & have found the grounds retention "issue" to be overstated. Currently I'm single dosing so waste is near zero but even when I ran it with a hopper full of beans I only needed to purge 6 grams to clear the burr chamber after an idle period. This does assume that you are sweeping the chute (3 grams) with each dose which ever way you use it.

As for conical vs flat burr I have both a Super Jolly & a Major & definitely prefer the flavors I get in the cup using the K10. Since I switched to single dosing with the K10 the SJ has gone into storage & the Major sits idle as I can easily switch beans/blends throughout the day. The Nino is a very nice grinder but a poor choice if you want to single dose/switch beans regularly.

 

[ElPugDiablo]

Hi JohnB, are you using your K10WBC in a cafe setting?

 

[JohnB]

No, but all my friends tell me I have enough equipment to open a cafe. The K10 lives on the Speedster bar:
[attachment=1:21ylgx06]118-1846_IMG.JPG[/attachment:21ylgx06]

The Microcasa dwarfed by Bunnzilla which I've upgraded with Ditting /Mahlkonig machined burrs & a stepless mod:
[attachment=0:21ylgx06]Bunn.JPG[/attachment:21ylgx06]

 

[ElPugDiablo]

Is that a Speedster? How does that compare to the Mistral? I just installed a Mirage Triplette in my New Haven shop. It came with the progressive preinfushion cylinders and I am still learning how to get the most out of it. If you are in New Haven, please stop by to say hello.

I think the K10 grounds accumulation problem is most problematic in a busy cafe. It could be that Compak redesigned the grinder after Schomer's review.

 

[JohnB]

Is that a Speedster? How does that compare to the Mistral? I just installed a Mirage Triplette in my New Haven shop. It came with the progressive preinfushion cylinders and I am still learning how to get the most out of it. If you are in New Haven, please stop by to say hello.
I think the K10 grounds accumulation problem is most problematic in a busy cafe. It could be that Compak redesigned the grinder after Schomer's review.

It is a Speedster but I've never used a Mistral so can't offer any direct comparison. From what I've read the Speedster V2 was supposed to be a 1 group version of the Mistral available only through Kees. Obviously it evovled from that original idea before production started as it uses no LM pieces.

Did you order the Mirage directly from Kees or go through a dealer. Is line pressure preinfusion offered on the Mirage or just the progressive cylinders?

I would think that in a busy cafe with one drink being made right after another grounds retention would not be an issue as the grounds would never have time to go stale before they get pushed out by new grounds. Schomer was way off the mark with his retention claims for the K10. I remember he claimed the chute held 10 grams alone. Having swept out & weighed what's in the chute many, many times I know it is only capable of holding 3 -3.25 grams. The K10 produces very light, fluffy grounds so what might look like a lot doesn't turn out to weigh very much. It's a sweet grinder that only requires a few easy mods to come close to perfection.

 

[coffeeloverlisa]

Wow that is one impressive coffee bar! What lucky guests you have, not to mention your choice of coffees and espressos every day!

Beautiful!

 

[chast]

Did you get your Mirage from Nasi @ Coffee Shop Solutions??

 

[JohnB]

Nasi does seem to be the go to guy for Kee's machines these days. He's only been a dealer for Kees since April but has already sold a dozen Speedsters & Kees is now referring sales inquiries from the U.S. to Nasi. I had a long phone conversion with Nasi last week as he was sourcing some Ditting burrs for my Bunn project. He seems to be a very nice guy & from what I've seen is offering Kee's machines at very reasonable pricing.