Compak K8 Fresh Espresso Grinder

*This review is in follow-up to the 9/18/12 review by Chris)*

Usage: 1 Year

As of the date of this review, I have owned and used my K8 Fresh for over a year now. The first months were weekend usage for training and development; the most recent months have been daily coffee shop usage. All of the usage has been for regular Espresso paired with a Nuova Simonelli Aurelia.

Grind: Excellent 5/5

The K8 has consistently delivered top notch ground coffee for our Aurelia. The coffee is ground straight into the portafilter free of clumps of any kind. In fact, I have never had clumpy coffee from this grinder. The espresso always has rich, luxurious crema which is a showcase to the K8's standards of quality.

Changing the grind is extremely precise with step-less adjustment. The adjustment knob turns a worm-gear that in turn changes the grind. This setup allows the end user to make even tiny changes easily. Relative grind level is also displayed on the screen while changes are being made.

One note, Compak states replacement of burrs is necessary at 880 lbs of coffee. I highly recommend honoring that request. At that usage (almost to the pound), we saw a decrease in consistency of shots. Burrs for this grinder are relatively cheap though at about $60.

Dosing: Excellent 5/5

Waste is almost zero with the K8. The coffee falls almost perfectly into the center of the portafilter. Grind retention is also almost zero.

The electronic timing makes consistency spectacular. Dosing can be adjusted in 0.1 sec intervals. There are also two options for dose, single and double.

Many sizes of portafilter can be accommodated thanks to the adjustable forks. This allows for hands-free grinding providing the barista with a few more valuable seconds.

Durability/Construction: Excellent 5/5

Our K8 has had no service issues with minimal upkeep on the end user side. Aside from regular cleaning and replacing the burrs (at the recommended interval), the grinder has required no additional service. All of the buttons still feel snappy, and the grinder is no worse for wear other than daily use cosmetics.

Construction is definitely solid. This grinder is a tank, but that is probably due to the extensive usage of metal parts. It is a bit tall for some people, but in a coffee shop environment that is no problem. Even our shortest baristas (low 5 foot range) can still fill the hopper while the grinder is on the counter, though for them it is a stretch.

Summary:

This grinder will consistently perform in the most demanding environment. I would (and probably will) buy this grinder again. Compak has worked extremely hard to produce a product that is not only amazing at grinding espresso but also is very user friendly. Although their name is not as familiar, I think they deliver the best product on the market.

(Posted on 11/19/13)

I purchased this grinder to use as my primary espresso grinder in my coffee shop. Between the stepless adjustment and the digital timer, this grinder is loaded with awesome features that will ensure you love it. Overall, it is very polished and well thought out. I honestly can't think of a single negative comment so far. I plan to use this for regular espresso until I can upgrade to the K10 fresh in which case this will make a more than adequate decaf grinder. I definitely plan to buy Compak in the future.

(Posted on 9/18/12)